Be careful what you wish for

It as been a lovely sunny day, after all that rain (and here's hoping it doesn't come back).  The garden has been sadly neglected, but I have finally managed to get back in it and strip the turf for the new annual wildflower "meadow" (or postage stamp, as it appears).  This is being planted around the area that used to house the children's playhouse, and which will house a new greenhouse when we can afford the thing (have you seen how much a decent greenhouse costs nowadays?).  The playhouse was rotting away and was consigned to a skip a few weeks ago, leaving the turf soggy, trod into a morass and generally not pleasant at all.  The children were not upset to see it go, but the cats have not been happy as they used to shelter in it after one of the windows fell out and they could get in and out at will.

And then, to finish a good day, my birthday present from my wife arrived.  It appeared as a flat pack, which is always a bit depressing, and it fell to me - birthday or not - to make up the blasted thing.  I will use the word "thing" for now, as the sequence of photos of the construction unfold and you try to work out what it actually is.

Starting the construction now.  Can you guess what it is?

It's a wooden box.  Or maybe a shed.

What about after the next two stages?  Any the wiser?  It's got lovely steps and even a veranda.

Thought not.  Now, how about with the roof on?

From the front.  Its finished.  Can you think what my present might be? The flap in the front is a clue.

Still not got it?  My present, dear readers, is described on the box as a "chateau pour les chats".  That's right, a cat castle!  Apparently, after they were evicted from the playhouse, She Who Must Be Obeyed decreed that the little darlings must have a replacement. And it's my birthday that's going to provide it.  At least the little scruffballs are using it.

Which leads me on to my disappointment and the title of the piece.  For when your wife tells you that, for your birthday, she is going to invest in a cathouse, a man tends to have a completely different expectation of what that might mean*.  Indeed, be careful with your wishes - for they may come true in a very different way than you think!

* for those with a sheltered upbringing, "cathouse" is an American Wild West term for a house containing a number of ladies, who all have a virtue that is somewhat negotiable for an appropriate fee.