Muffin is in terrific shape

Rozalin is back from her honeymoon and has immediately acquired a new cat – Mogli who is shown here.

This is a trial run and if successful Rozalin will swing into action with our Kitten Acquisition Program as soon as we get back from Turkey.

I am pleased to advise that Muffin’s blood tests show that she is in excellent shape.

The vet rang and said that Muffin is in ‘terrific shape for her age’. I just told Muffin about the ‘terrific’ bit and didn’t burden her with the other information.

I regret to advise that deaths from skiing accidents this season have reached 29. This is an astonishing number of people to die on the ski slopes and of course does not include the thousands who have been injured and maimed.

If this many people died pursuing any other sport there would be a national outcry.

I am surprised that CNN doesn’t have cameras set up to record the mayhem.

Whenever there is a major accident (e.g. a plane crashing at Schipol airport) I know that I can forget CNN for the day – because that is all that they will show all day.

For the first few hours it is tagged as ‘breaking news’ and then in becomes ‘developing news’.

Developing news? What is it going to do? Drag itself into the air and crash again?

CNN didn’t have anyone on the ground at Schipol and the airport was closed so a reporter went there by train.

They crossed frequently to the reporter in the train who told us – well – nothing at all. Well - he was on a train wasn’t he.

I could have told them more than he did because I was at least able to see it on TV.

Then of course they interviewed almost everyone in the Netherlands – none of whom of course had actually seen the accident – but each of whom had their own fascinating perspective which they shared with the viewers (which at that stage did not include me).

Its news day and I need to bring you up to speed with what’s happening in Wien.

A British man who was caught in an avalanche on Monday afternoon at the St. Anton ski area in Tyrol informed a friend by phone about his plight.

‘Oh Hi – is that you Glenys?’

‘Yes is that you Frank – where are you?’

‘Well – I’m in the snow’

‘Really – when did you get here?’

‘No – I mean really in the snow – like I’ve been buried in an avalanche’

‘Good grief can you tell me where you are?’

‘Not really Glenys it is sort of white under here’

‘No landmarks you can see?’

‘I can see the end of my nose – just.’

‘That doesn’t help Frank, I think you are being flippant.’

Frank dug himself out without the help of Glenys.

New research has shown that Austrian drivers cover 194 million kilometres in their cars every day. Austrian churches are trying to lower the cost of travel by car by encouraging Austrians to engage in less of it during Lent, which begins today.

No I am not making this up.

The hippos at Vienna’s Schönbrunn zoo enjoy listening to classic music.Jange and Sundari, the zoo’s Nepalese hippos are much more relaxed and in a better mood when listening to the works of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauß, according to carers.

Now a hi-fi music system has been set up in the indoor area of the animals’ enclosure to play classic masterpieces to the pair.Zoo director Dagmar Schratter said: "We tried playing contemporary music to them as well but found out they do not like that."

I wonder what would happen if they played Celine Dion? How could a Hippo take its own life?

And how do you tell if a Hippo is relaxed? I’ve never seen a Hippo that didn’t look relaxed.

I will ring Cate and ask her to pop out tonight and play some music to the Hippos from her iPod and see if their mood changes.

The Ducks however are very relaxed and I have spent some time with them today. Daisy in particular was in sparkling form and is looking forward to Spring