Opinion: Thought I’d better write about Poli the stray cat that adopted me in my editorial spot today.
Turn down the temperature a bit, give the trolls a break for a day. Let’s talk about cute furry things.
Many of you have asked. And yes, she is back. The second her owners - who had abandoned and therefore starved her - the second they let her go after locking her up for a few weeks she came back to me for cuddles, reassurance and probably mostly just the fancy food I’d bought her.
But I’ve not been feeding her. Her dastardly owners asked me not to and they’ve been putting food out for her along the fence line between our houses because perhaps unsurprisingly she doesn’t want to return and live with them after they abandoned her for possibly months, leaving her without food and care, forcing her to move in under my house and eventually into my house for meals, vet appointments, flea and worm treatments etc.
And even though I’m not feeding her, the first thing I hear when I get home after the show each morning is her persistent meow, and the pitter-patter of tiny cat paws as the old girl cat sprints up the path to meet me.
Then she doses up on some pats and falls asleep on the only chair that’s safe for my guests (my mid-century tastes mean old furniture that sometimes flattens on unsuspecting visitors).
So yeah I don’t really know what to do. I’m still not allowed pets so she can’t live with me, she’s being fed by her owners but she just comes over. Everyday.
And this weekend reading in bed drinking my coffee she made the leap, perched at the foot of the bed for the first time.
A huge step for a recently strayed cat with enormous anxiety who would swipe at anyone who tried to pat her. Often drawing blood.
She’s just a delight. Passed out comatose on my good chair as I type. Not a care in the world.
Poli doesn’t care about the fight over anti and pro-trans activists, Poli doesn’t despair over the worker shortages and wait times in our hospitals, Poli couldn’t give a damn if Winston Peters makes it back into parliament next election, Poli has zero anxiety about how parents are gonna look after their kids if the teachers strike continue, Poli has no job to worry about losing in the recession.
And while these are all things I care about, that we do interviews about, that I could have written an editorial about, sometimes in life, it just pays to Poli.
Sometimes when it’s all just a bit much, my new mantra kicks in and saves the day, 'Be Poli'.
You too can be Poli. Anyone of us can Poli. If something’s winding you up on the internet, at work, at home whatever - just Poli dude. It’s all gonna be ok.
