My thanks to Chunkyfrog, Julie and Pugsy for their kind remarks. My active time on the forum was always interesting, and there was such an variety of information and opinion that is was never boring. Not to mention the disagreements that regularly took place
It occurred to me that other members of the Forum may be living in similar conditions to myself - ie living alone with pets, with no immediate family. So I want to share a helpful system that that I now belong to, run by the Australian Red Cross.
They have a number of volunteers who telephone registered people like myself every morning between 8am and 9am to see if we are still alive, and capable of answering the phone. It is certainly nice to start the day having a pleasant exchange with a volunteer, mainly women. If the phone is not answered, then they call again after 10 minutes, and again after 10 minutes if still not answered. They then let the Supervisor know, who has a list of 3 contacts (my neighbours) who can enter my place and see if I am alright. Being that there are 3 contacts all together, it is likely that at least one of them will be home.
If I am alive but disabled in some way, the contact will phone for medical help, and also phone my cat person contact, who will come over and pick up my cats. They will be looked after on a temporary basis if I am expected to return home sometime. If I am dead, then they will come over and pick up all my cat stuff (currently includes a lot of food to last out the pandemic) and look after them until a suitable home is found. Bonnie is currently 18 years old, and Cheeky 5 years old.
I had been looking for something like this regular phone call for years, and had been relying on a daily email to a friend. When that was no longer viable I came across the Red Cross help. So I mention all this just in case there are others in a similar position, who may have that kind of help out there.
AS for the virus - I am reminded of the main thing I learned, and practiced, when I first went to Alcoholics Anonymous in 1974 - half measures availed us nothing !
Take care everyone
Mars