How do you spot a sick Birman cat?

WARNING: Pure cat post. A bit of cat history. Some speculative cat science. A lot of cat behaviour. Some cat-mother angst. May contain traces of nuts.

Pumpkin the Birman is a loveable, extremely affectionate, troublesome, playful, curious, and fun-filled fluff of a cat. I recently wondered if he was unwell, for as any cat owner will tell you, it's not always obvious, particularly when you have a floppy cat to start with.

( A bit of Birman history )

( So what about the sick cat? And is he OK? )

Art is hard #2

Whist soaking in the bath this evening I thought about my recent first attempt to write fiction to order. I seem to have no trouble churning out lj posts (indeed, some would urge me to restraint) that, while based on reality, often have a certain fictional polish for the sake of personal amusement.

( Thoughts. Relatively brief ones. )

I'd be interested in the opinion of people who write fan or professional fiction, particularly those who teach creative writing. I confess I've not really paid attention to any of the panels dedicated to the subject at Swancon :-)