Sometimes I wonder why Americans are so fond of their pets. We have two cats that leave hair everywhere even after they are brushed. Is living with a hairy animal worth it? I can’t leave the house without a thorough brushing. There is nowhere to sit without picking up a wad of fur. The worst is laundry. Washing clothes causes the fur to ball up and then when it’s dried, everything has little black pimples that have to be picked off. Who wants to put fresh sheets on the bed covered with bumps of wadded fur?

Barbara and Charlie, the cats, are loving and behave well most of the time. Charlie has the annoying habit of using the sofa as a scratching post. This, in spite of my putting scratchables all around the house. When we tell him to stop he looks as if we’re telling him not to do that for the first time and he isn’t sure if we mean him. His scratching just deposits more hair.

The vacuum cleaner is constantly clogged. Any airflow blows tumbleweeds across the room. It’s like living in west Texas.