Outraged Of Hampshire

I didn't get much sleep last night, this was down to stressing about the various things I am stressing about right now. In my head I know this is pointless and counter-productive; over analysing and over thinking everything does not help me sort it out. However the Off function doesn't appear to be working in my head at the minute.

This is not why I am outraged though. I received another e-mail from the cat breeder (for full story click here) she has yet again sidestepped any responsibility and is trying to tell me that she was not a commercial trader or dealer and as the sale was between a private individual and myself, Trading Standards do not apply. It is she says, a case of buyer beware. I cannot believe she is going down this path. She is trying to say they only bred cats in order to finance their hobby of showing and breeding cats! Now the law is a funny thing, and I am aware of this. I know things that may appear to be common sense are not necessarily correct from a legal standpoint (I used to be a trainee legal executive many moons ago) so I called the Trading Standards again, I just wanted a definition of a trader or dealer. I also wanted to be sure that there wasn't some sort of loophole concerning cat breeders if it was not the main source of income. I was told no, if she was selling kittens as a one off then she could be considered a private seller, but if not then she was bound by the trading standards. I have spent a lot of the afternoon collecting evidence to back up my side of the story. She is listed on many websites as a breeder of siamese, maine coone and burmese cats. Her own website although it states she has retired recently, does state she has retired from breeding and showing cats. I have printouts from a website dated 2000 that also mentions the fact they had been breeding cats for six years at that time. She also provided me with a breeders pedigree certificate and a lovely piece of paper congratulating me on being the proud owner of a "breeders name" cat (best not actually name and shame on here eh?) Aaaaaargh! I have now requested a small claims pack from the local county court, oh god I can't believe I'm going to have to take this woman to court! If she had made me a decent offer in the first place and admitted liability it would never have come to this, why does everything (OK not everything, maybe I'm exaggerating) become a battle?

To compound my stress, tomorrow is the day I go into the office and sort out start dates and working conditions. I may have mentioned this before but... I DON'T WANNA!!! I will go though and I will return to work and it will be alright, I know this, I just would rather not have to. Needs must, as someone once said.

Oh and I have been told today that the little girl that my friend looks after, my friend who looks after Little Miss for me, well this little girl came out in chicken pox today, hoorah that could be interesting timing. Second oh, today a neighbour came to tell me that Chaung, our only remaining cat, has become so aggressive and violent she had to take her cat to the vets recently after he had attacked it. Yay, I am in danger of "situations that need sorting" overload.

On a brighter note I have organised something a tad more productive today, I have phoned the plumbers to get more radiators fitted. Other Half has intended to do it himself for six months, there is no time.. he's always knackered and I want radiators by winter. We have a quote I find reasonable and I've made a tentative appointment for them to do it in the next few weeks. I suspect it might inspire Other Half to get on and attack the slightly less daunting jobs around the house. I could be wrong obviously but I am hopeful . See really I am an optimist...it's just all these bad things keep happening and getting in the way of my sunny outlook.

Fingers crossed for more sleep tonight, but there's a strong possibility that won't happen until after I have been into the office .