Quandry - I have a cat that loves bullfighting on TV

At first I thought it was coincidence.

First thing in the morning, I make a cup of tea and carry it back to bed to watch the early morning newscast - the only news bulletin I follow, seeing as I work on the principle that news is depressing anyway and the 30-minute news forecast in the morning gives me the basics anyway (plus the 10-minute sports section gives me time to make the tea in the first place!).

By this time, Ruff and Tumble are busy prowling the flat and Ruff is trying to melt my heart with his plaintive miaowing in the kitchen, in the vain hope that I'll give him a nice slice of turkey breast.

A few weeks ago, I first noticed that when the summaries of the bullfights come on (during which I steadfastly flick through a magazine or busy myself taking my thyroid meds) Tumble would jump up on the bed at the first "Olé". I tend to notice this more, because he seems to think that I love sudden, heavy pressure on the bladder region while drinking tea. Anyway, I saw him following the whole minute-long report very, very attentively.

When it happened for the second Monday in a row, I became more curious. And sure enough. The sound of the crowds and the "Olé" sends him scooting up onto the bed to sit with his eyes glued to the screen, following all the action.

As an animal lover, this presents me with somewhat of a quandry. I feel that he has no sense of decorum or empathy with his fellow beasts. Considering that he was rescued from death's door, abandoned in the street, and carefully nursed back to his current bouyant state of health, I do feel that he ought to be more sympathetic towards the poor bull. On the other hand, he is so obviously enraptured by the sight that I would feel mean switching to another channel or something.

I do draw the line at letting him watch a whole, disgusting, televised bullfight, though!