yeah! the ones that are actually getting worked on (for years and years and years) *grin*

...The Never-Ending Story was written about that, no?!

we will win in the end and get kitties.

Get siblings (and don't be upset if they start to fight occasionally, or try to breed), and make sure you don't leave one behind.

Hmh, but if YOU go to Africa, does the whole Lingo-tribe follow? Or do some stay behind, and can care for the furries?

Oh, and do something so you don't get kitties yourself. Neuter both.

the ONLY reason I've agreed to cats now is that daughter 2 will have finished Uni and looking for a graduate placement in accountancy and will be living at home. daughter 1 has returned to the family mansion following emotional upheaval (which then passed to mum). Boy do I sound old - I am Alexander, I am!However, They have requested that I housetrain the critters before upping and leaving.

they want you to housetrain their kitties? sounds like kids!

Cats are easy to train. A couple months, and they're fine. It's easier if they spend longer time with Mommy... which would deprive you of the baby kitty-phase, but makes for healthier, fitter cats. Yes, make sure they know you before you leave. Else they will be upset when you come back - they will be upset, anyway, but it'd be much worse. There are two main problems with cats: scratching up things and spraying (marking?) in the house. For the first, get a rough coco-fiber carpet in the hallway, and for the latter, make sure they can get out whenever they want. Spraying is a sign of unhappiness, much less of marking the territory.

and neuter them BEFORE they start spraying (if you get a male).....

Reason I get the job - is cos I've done it lots of times before. Also, I'm home-working just now. Also, to be honest, I volunteered.

we knew the truth was in there somewhere *wink*

I'll need a support group - volunteers?

that's what we're here for! go, maggie, go!!!!

Knew I could count on you.

*grin*

Me too! I had kitties, too!!! (or support for anything else. ) You know Wolfie and I are good for that sort of thing! *hugs* all round!

There was one in the paper today. He travelled 400 miles from scotland under the bonnet of a car. when the driver opened the bonnet (oh that's the bit where the engine is by the way) there was what looked like a feather mop. it growled. he's lost one eye and looks dreadful. i can't make the decision. it's got to be Hannah cos it's her kittens.

oh this pooor baby. i'd growl too travelling that far and being rudely awakened! oh, i just want to hug him!!!!

The resident compulsive collector has another cat to add to his marmalade kitty. This one is a lop-eared blocky-built Saimese. Most strange-looking critter I ever saw but it is quiet and peaceful and they are coming to tolerate each other. The new one will also eat the bargain brands of cat food the marmalade princess would not touch!

Do you think the marmalade princess might teach the new kitty fussy food habits? She is after all a cat and has her mystique to maintain.

Most likely! Like any of God's critters, what the one has the other wants, too. The new one is still a little iffy in our affections which she recognizes and is grateful for free food. However, I am sure it is just a matter of time until the cat in her surfaces and the obliging feline becomes Siamese royalty.

OK... gag-o-matic moment here! I wear a heart monitor when I work out. I finished yesterday and took the tranmitter belt from around my chest and put it on the hall table... where my cat Nike promptly upchucked all over it! Yuck!!!! Makes me really want to put that transmitter back on tomorrow, uh-huh.

Maybe make Nike wear it for a day, just kidding!

Nothing like having an in-house critic. What's the cat's major problem - taking you away from her???

that's what i was gonna say. nike doesn't want you to leave, huh?

No... she's bolemic. No, really, she is. Has been since she was little. Skinny as a rail, eats then urps about every other day on whatever she's sitting on. When she was younger I asked several vets about it... they found nothing wrong with her. She just wants to stay thin... Meanwhile her sister Reebok is a chunk! Rarely drops a tidbit of food, and only urps an occasional furball.

(the exercise, that is) Siamese Queen cat is kitty-non-grata around here, now! A good ratter, but far too feisty with house cat.

Never heard of that, but ...lots of things I have never heard of, but I am listening...

OK you guys, where's my kitten support team??? We need good kitten finding vibes just now - the hunt is on. The order is for a silver short haired tabby and one other to keep it company. I'll be contacting the cat rescue people soon. Husband is coming round - he loves cats, but is on about the expense. If we find them pretty soon, that give me five months cat time before I leave and the girls take over, and hopefully they'll be old enough to leave at home while the girls are at work. I'm really looking forward to socialising kittens again.

Cats are not expensive. Dogs are expensive! Charming Kitty-beams aimed in your direction, Maggie. Just have then neutered ASAP

We have cats skittering around the backyard. They are not allowed anywhere in the house except in Jane and Dora's rooms. So they just go in and out of these girls rooms.

Well diciplined! Did that missing kitty last year ever come back?

good luck kitty hunting, maggie. i don't think i'd get over on the customs folks trying to smuggle a cat fitting your description if i said "but maggie must have this one!" *grin*

Nope, but thanks for trying Wolfie!!! I'm putting out feelers. House male is still on about neutering costs, injections, etc. Need vibes for daughter 2 to get a well-paid accountancy placement as these will be her cats, and she will foot the bills.

It lurks around the neighborhood maybe, or else it's a lookalike.

Cats are opportunistic. So does the Siamese we had to chase off. Don't actually think we succeeded since there are signs arund that she/he is still here, but at least it is not fighing with ours in the middle of the night anymore.

The EMAZING Cat Tip of the Day - Wednesday May 10, 2000 Wild Reasons to Keep Your Cat Inside Cats kill 4-5 million birds each day. Collar bells on cats don't work because birds and other wildlife do not associate bells with being stalked. Ground-nesting birds are particularly susceptible to predation by cats. Cats will hunt small wild animals, despite how well-fed they are. Almost all young birds leave the nest before they can fly well and spend a day or two on the ground. As these fledglings are learning to fly, cats frequently catch them. Most of the birds caught by cats, but not killed outright, die of their injuries or infection. Cats that kill small rodents can eliminate a critical food source for owls and hawks. - Lisa Scott

Cloning Kitty Have you ever wished you could have another cat just like your current one? Well, that may not be too far off in the future. No one knows for certain when, or if, animal cloning will be technically and commercially possible. What is known is that since a sheep, Dolly, was cloned in Scotland in 1996, scientists have successfully cloned cattle and mice in their laboratories. Information abounds about cloning mammals and now there is a company that offers to store your cat's DNA to clone it at a future date! Viable DNA is taken from your valued animal and stored in a Bio-Shelter (trademark). Once animal cloning becomes a reality, you may be able to use the preserved DNA to clone your prized animal.

Not just kitties either. Can you imagine what people who breed racehorses will make out of this?

How do you keep neighbor stray cats out of your own cats food? The cat is fed outdoors, it's an outdoor cat and I don't want to feed it inside.

You cannot unless you stand by the cat while it eats. Ours gets fed in the anteroom between the outside and the kitchen (in what used to be the garage but is now a storge room.) We have tried just about everything we could think of to keep the other cats away - I have not yet found a way other than isolating our outdoor (entirely - I insist on it) cat. Cat Scratch Fever Have you heard of Cat Scratch Fever? Not the song, the disease. For almost 100 years, cat scratches have been associated with illness in people. One estimate by the Centers for Disease Control found that there were 2.5 cases of CSF, or CSD (Cat Scratch Disease) as it is also known, per 100,000 people each year in the United States. Typically, a small skin lesion (resembling an insect bite) develops at the site of a cat scratch or (less commonly) a bite, followed within two weeks by swollen lymph nodes and sometimes a fever. The illness is mild and self-limiting in the majority of patients, although it may take some months for the swollen lymph nodes to return to normal. Treatment is usually not required.

DECLAWING YOUR CAT: SHOULD YOU OR SHOULDN'T YOU? When it comes to the raging controversy over declawing cats, it's important to remember that sometimes the choice comes down something this simple: What's better? A homeless cat or a declawed one? It's not a hypothetical question. In one study of declawed cats, half of the owners who had chosen the surgery reveal- ed that they would not have kept their cats otherwise. And nearly three-quarters admitted to having an improved relationship with their pet after surgery. Mind you, I'm no fan of routine declawing. I shudder when people asked me to recommend a veterinarian to declaw their kitten, as if amputating the tips of their pet's toes was an automatic part of the new pet startup kit. But I'm also realistic enough to know that in a battle of spouses over shredded furniture, or when new furniture arrives in a household with a scratching cat, declawing may be the only thing between a once-cherished pet and a trip to the shelter. You can argue that people who would choose furniture over a pet shouldn't have one. You'd have plenty of company. But I stick to my belief that in some cases declawing is the les- ser of two evils. I know many, many people who have had their cats declawed, and the animals have come through the trauma splendidly and been adored and well-cared-for pets for years. In all other respects, you couldn't ask for better owners. They said, declawing should never be a pre-emptive response to the possibility of a cat's scratching. Nor should it be the first strategy chosen when scratching is discovered. In last week's column I talked about nonsurgical alternatives to destructiveness: How to encourage a cat to scratch where you want him to, while discouraging him from digging his claws in where you don't. (That column is available in the Pet Connection archives, at www.vin.com/petcare.) If you've tried retraining, consider a couple of final steps before declawing: trimming the claws, or capping them. Clip- ping the tips of your cat's claws on a monthly basis makes them less efficient at shredding, and you can take it a step further by gluing Soft Paws nail caps over the trimmed tips. With gentle, encouraging handling, many cats get used these procedures. Have your veterinarian show you how to get started. Soft Paws are available though veterinarians, or through some pet-supply catalogs. You can also order directly from the company at 1-800-989-2542, or on the Web at www.softpaws.com. So you've tried everything and are at the end of your rope? Then talk to your veterinarian about declawing. There are two procedures used today, and you should be well informed about them both in order to make a decision. On each of the front toes, a procedure roughly comparable to cutting off your own fingertip at the first joint. The skin is then glued or stitched over the exposed joint, the feet are bandaged, and the cat is sent home to heal for the next couple of weeks. (Your veterinarian will have her own guide- lines for after-care for you to follow.) Some veterinarians offer the alternative of severing the tendons that allow a cat to unsheathe his claws. One of the drawbacks of this surgery is that the claws continue to grow, and must be kept trimmed. No matter which procedure you choose, you must remember that you have a special responsibility to the cat you have so altered. While living indoors is safer for all cats, it's especially important for a declawed one. Cats without the ability to use their claws have been deprived of an important defensive tool and are in grave danger outdoors. This decision to declaw should never be taken lightly. But in some situations, it's a hard choice that is better than the alternatives.

FOODS AND FELINES CAT QUIZ #2 TRUE OR FALSE? 1. Cats like chocolate and you should feed it to them regularly. 2. Cats should have some tuna in their diet everyday. 3. If your cat can't smell her food, she won't eat it. 4. Cats cannot taste sweet foods. 5. An average cat food dinner is equal to about 5 medium- sized field mice. (Check your answers at bottom.) WHO'S THAT HISTORICAL AILUROPHOBE? Famous Cat Haters: Much to our dismay, there are and have been people in the world who are total ailurophobes - those who hate or are terrified of cats. We find it hard to comprehend, but it is so. You may find this portion of the newsletter hard to read, but press on! Here are a few historical figures who could form their own anti-cat club: --William Shakespeare - probably thought the only good cat was a dead one. (Okay, Willie, I'll not read another one of your plays!) --President Dwight Eisenhower - banished cats from the White House and ordered his staff to shoot them on sight if any came onto the grounds. (That's no way for a five star GENERAL to act is it? There goes my "I Like Ike button!") ---Johannes Brahms, composer of some of the world's most beautiful music - refused to even go near a cat. Obviously a cat was not responsible for inspiring any of his music. (Well, Joe, I'm going to check my classical CD collection for your stuff right now!) BUT the cat hater of all cat haters - the one whose picture you see next to the definition of ailurophobe in the dictionary - is none other than: ---Napoleon Bonaparte - He had an extreme and irrational fear of felines. He would be transformed from a courageous world conquering warrior emperor into a trembling, sweating, wimp if he even thought there was a cat anywhere near him. He could conquer the world, but not his fear of an innocent pussycat! (I thought it was Waterloo that did him in, but maybe there was a cat on the battlefield!) BUT - we shouldn't be too harsh on those who are truly afraid of cats, and I'm just kidding with my remarks in parentheses. Experts on the subject say the cause probably comes from a childhood incident when a cat either attacked or frightened the person for whatever reason. But there is hope for current sufferers. The condition is treatable. The best method for a cure is to gradually relearn how to associate with cats and to realize there is nothing to fear from our gentle lovable feline creatures. (Are you ready to "adopt an ailurophobe?" Sounds like a good cause to me.) MORE KITTY QUOTES: --"There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat." --Wesley Bates, American writer --"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. --Albert Schweitzer AMAZING CAT-STATS: Cat owners in the United States in an average year are spending a total of $2.2 billion on cat food and nearly $300 million on kitty litter. That's a lot of scooping! FUN STUFF - KITTY WEBSITE FREEBIES: From Garfield, America's favorite lasagna-loving cat, free games and e-mail. Visit: http://www.garfield.com If you don't have a website yet for your fair feline, you can get a FREE one now. Answer a few questions and upload your cat's favorite photo, and your puss will have a home on the Web. Visit: http://www.burnerkitty.com/get_page.shtml ******** Answers to CAT QUIZ #2 - True or False? 1. Cats like chocolate and you should feed it to them regularly. ----False. No way. Never feed your cat chocolate. It's poisonous and can be fatal. (Also, FYI, don't let her eat avocado, lily of the valley, morning glory, poinsettia, and Tylenol (acetaminophen) - these are all poisons to cats. 2. Cats should have some tuna in their diet everyday. ----False. Tuna is very high in mineral content and a daily diet would be harmful. It's okay as an occasional treat only. 3. If your cat can't smell her food, she won't eat it. ----True. Even with 17 million nerve cells in her nose, if your cat can't detect a scent in what she's about to eat, she won't take the risk. 4. Cats cannot taste sweet foods. ----False. Cats are able to taste sweet foods. Some like them, and some don't. 5. An average cat food dinner is equal to about 5 medium sized field mice. ----True. So, the next time you run out of your cat's favorite canned gourmet dinner... go out and hunt... well, never mind - just go to the store for more! Questions... Comments... email us at: mailto:catnip@shagmail.com

Cat Sulking Does your cat seem to sulk after you scold it? You would like to think it understands you are upset and it is showing its remorse by sulking. All you have really done is intimidate the cat into feeling inferior. When you scold, you probably stare at the cat. It is a natural response for the cat to turn away to avoid hostility. This makes the cat less afraid and also keeps it from staring back, which would be a way of provoking an attack in the wild.

Pet Connection - Saturday, May 20, 2000 Gee, and to think I missed "National Hairball Awareness Day"! Despite a pet-food company's efforts to create concern and sell a special diet -- hairballs are not a serious health issue for your cat. Sure, they're nothing you want to step on in bare feet in the middle of the night, but they're just part of living with a cat. You can reduce the number of hairballs by grooming your cat regularly, and by adding a little canned pumpkin to your pet's diet to increase the fiber and help the hair work its way through the system. Commercial preparations are fine, too, but it's really better to keep their use to a minimum. Frequent use of hairball remedies can decrease the absorption of some vitamins.

hairball remedies?

The white cat has been roaming around outside my sliding glass door today. Curious about the sounds coming out of my ham radio. It's just the guys on the 442.15 repeater.

I got an internal server error just now but the information posted anyway.

I've been hitting the reload button before going on - I lost one long post by not having it appear before going on. But, we ARE posting! Your kitty sound nice - is it on of the two which are just allowed in the two rooms? I'm trying to figure out how to get pumpkin into kitty. Mine would not eat anything much veggie.

Yep it's one of those. It's not around right now. I'm setting up a new video server, so you can watch it on the main page for a few hours.

It took two tries that time. Digihost needs to reboot their server.

I see Mike's online, it seems to be working better now.

That time is posted with one submit. So did this one.

I think we're back to normal. It was a Server error and not a Yapp error, I believe.

"The cat could very well be man's best friend but would never stoop to admitting it." -- Doug Larson Not here yet - took me five pokes of reload to get here. I think my last post did not go through here...

You're roght! it is fixed!

Well you might have been "roght" but it was not fixed...*sigh*

Get a Chip on the Shoulder Does your cat wear identity tags? One problem with tags is they can be lost or removed and cats seem to be Houdinis at getting collars off. In an effort to make identifying lost pets easier, animal shelters across the country have begun injecting tiny microchips under the skin of animals in their care. Each chip stores a nine-digit number. The chips are 14 millimeters long--about the size of a grain of rice--and weigh about 0.25 grams. Workers use a hypodermic needle to inject a chip just under the skin of a cat, usually in the animal's shoulder. When a lost or abandoned animal is brought to the shelter, workers use hand-held scanners to emit low-frequency radio waves that can read the number of the chip inside an animal. Shelters use a computer database to match the number with the pet's owners.

Flea Facts Summertime is coming fast and that means flea season. Now is the time to "know thy enemy" and prepare for battle. Here are some flea facts to prepare you for the skirmish. There are 2,400 varieties of fleas, including cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felinus). A flea can jump 150 times its own length. This is equivalent to an adult human leaping over the Statue of Liberty. A jumping flea accelerates 50 times faster than the space shuttle! Want to live without fleas? Consider moving to the mountains. Fleas do not live above 500 feet. Fleas thrive in a warm humid environment, which is about 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and about 70% humidity.

To what degree are you willing to demonstrate your total devotion and commitment to pussycats? If the sky's the limit, then do I have a project for you! I have found a fantastic recipe for a special dessert for kitty you can make if you want something REALLY DIFFERENT to serve your guests. I guarantee that this dish will not only make your next party a totally unforgettable experience, it will clearly demonstrate to all how hooked on cats you truly are. In a recent issue I've told you about a few famous "cat haters" or ailurophobiacs. Today it's time to balance that off with a story about a very famous cat lover. This man lovingly cared for many cats during his lifetime, and today, nearly 40 years after his death, the legacy of his cats lives on. Who could this be? You may not be able to always understand what your cat is saying to you with his various meows, but he can speak to you in a language that's very clear - body language. You can learn, in general, if your cat is friendly, playful, or aggressive by looking at him. ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ ^..^ A SPECIAL CAT RECIPE - KITTY LITTER CAKE! (Created by Mike and Linda Will) A great recipe. Guaranteed to make your next party remembered. Are you ready to bake? Show the world what a "purr-fect" you are. INGREDIENTS: --1 spice or german chocolate cake mix (include ingredients listed in mix) --1 white cake mix (include ingredients listed in mix.) --1 pkg. white sandwich cookies --1 large pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix (include ingredients listed on mix. --green food coloring --12 small Tootsie Rolls --1 brand new and clean kitty litter box --1 brand new and clean kitty litter box liner --1 brand new and clean kitty litter scoop DIRECTIONS: 1. Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. (Any size cake pans.) 2. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions and chill until ready to use. Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in blender. (Scrape often, they tend to stick.) Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To this 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix using a fork or by shaking in a jar. 3. When the cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half of the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding. Mix it with the cake and feel it; you don't want it soggy, just moist. Gently combine. 4. Line new, clean kitty litter box. Put mixture into litter box. 5. Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie Rolls and bury these in the mixture. 6. Sprinkle the other half of the cookie crumbs over the top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. This is supposed to resemble the chlorophyll in the litter. 7. Heart remaining Tootsie Rolls, 3 at a time in the microwave until almost melted. Spread them on top of the cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Or, only spread 5 of the remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top. Take one and heat until pliable, and hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with the new scoop. Enjoy! (Thank you Mike and Linda Will, you are true credits to the cat-loving population.) OK... my dear readers.... Real cat lovers won't get grossed out, right? I thought this was hilarious the first time I read through it. (I know, I'm warped!) This is a real recipe with real food, and is a lot of fun to make and is delicious to eat! But the real fun of it all is watching the reactions of other people as they look at for the first time, and then realize what it is. Their reactions can range from "How GROSS, I can't believe you'd make such a thing!" to "Oh, isn't that CUTE!" And everyone wants to know how you made it, etc., etc. So, go ahead, have a blast, and make this! Then tell me what kind of reactions you got. Did people really "dig" it? Let me know the "scoop." Have fun!

Heartworm Disease Do you give your cat a heartworm preventative? If not, you should because heartworms can be deadly. They are literally worms that live in your cat's heart and lungs! They can cause permanent damage and even death. For many years, only dogs were given heartworm preventatives, but now there are medications for cats. Exposure to heartworms can be a year round concern, but more so in the summer, as the infection is spread by mosquitoes. Heartworm disease is 100% preventable and prevention is much easier and less expensive than treatment. If your cat is not on a preventative, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to get her started on one. There are many options available.

Cats and Heartworms Are you trying to figure out the best way to battle parasites in and on your cat? A new medication is available to protect your cat from heartworms and other harmful parasites--Revolution (trademark). This new product is a simple topical medication that protects your cat from harmful parasites, both inside and out. Revolution prevents potentially deadly heartworm disease as well as preventing and controlling flea infestations. It also treats and controls ear mites, sarcoptic mange, and ticks. Contact your vet for more information.

Herbs for Pets Do you take any of the popular herbal supplements on the market today? Maybe you have thought about giving a supplement to your cat. If so, you will find the book "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets" a treasury of information. This book will help you learn about holistic herbalism, natural nutrition, and how to herbally treat diseases, ailments and medical conditions. Beautifully photographed and interesting to read, this book would make a great addition to any cat lover's bookshelf. Visit the link below for more information. Click here for more information on the book http://www.bowtiepress.com/herbspets.asp

HEARTWORMS AREN'T JUST FOR DOGS ANYMORE! Just when you think you've got all your kitty's "normal" vaccinations and immunizations up to date and under control, here comes another potential fatal disease to worry about - feline heartworm infection. Dogs and cats are both at risk for this infection. The prevalence of heartworms has steadily increased and now infects cats in all fifty states. Heartworms are parasites that live in the heart and lungs of infected cats. Just one worm can cause permanent damage and even death. In fact sudden death may be the only sign of the presence of the disease. Unfortunately, indoor cats are not safe from this disease. The infection is transmitted by mosquitoes that can get into your house. Of the cats who tested positive for heartworms, 55% lived "strictly or mostly indoors." Here's how it all happens: --A mosquito bites an infected dog, drawing in a small amount of blood containing immature larvae. --This same mosquito then bites a cat, depositing the larvae on the skin. --Within only 6 months, heartworms reach the heart and lungs, causing the disease. Feline heartworm disease can be difficult to detect and diagnose, and there is no approved treatment for the infection in cats. Some signs of the disease include: --Coughing --Vomiting --Breathing difficulty --Sluggishness --Sudden death However, the good news is that the disease is 100% PREVENTABLE and protection is fairly easy. Ask your vet about available preventative programs (such as Heartguard for cats) that can be administered orally once a month and at a reasonable cost. TRAIN YOUR CAT TO SIT? YES, IT CAN BE DONE! "Here kitty, kitty! Now sit! That's a good girl!" This is not a sentence I have ever said to my cat, nor (until now) did I even think about saying it. But according to a friend of mine, who knows and reads a lot about cats, you can teach any cat to sit if you really want to. The key to success with this lies in repetition, consistency, and little patience on your part. Of course, to the cat it's all about food. Here's the drill: Put your cat on the table or counter top, with her back facing the wall. Have in your hand the "bribe," a favorite food morsel or cat treat (my kitties love Pounce.) When she gets a good whiff of the treat and shows interest, raise the treat in a line from her nose to just between her ears. Speak her name and then give the command "sit." Hopefully, she will sit - maybe with a little help at first. Then you can reward her with the treat as you praise and pet her, and tell her how smart and wonderful she is. If she isn't interested in the treat, there's no use in pursuing it at the moment. She may not be hungry, or maybe you're raising it up too high, or perhaps the goodie just isn't appealing enough for her. If you persist often and regularly, say for 10 minutes a day, your trainable puss will eventually sit for you whenever she's in the mood for a treat, which may be often if you've got the right goodie. Then you can impress your friends by showing them how your trained cat can sit on command. Now that's a great accomplishment. (I'll let you know how I'm progressing.) Don't stop at "sit" - there's "roll over," "play dead," and even "fetch!" INCREDIBLE SURVIVING CATS A FREE-FALLING FELINE: In the 1970's a cat named Andy lived with his owners on the sixteenth floor of an apartment building. You guessed it! One day poor Andy fell out of the window and plummeted down all 16 stories - that equals nearly 200 feet! (two thirds of a football field!) Fortunately Andy survived and still holds the world's record for the longest non-fatal feline fall. EGYPT OR BUST! I WILL SURVIVE! Here is a remarkable story that testifies to the fact that cats are extremely self reliant, adaptable, and just plain "tough." One day a female cat was accidentally enclosed inside a shipping crate full of automotive parts in Detroit, Michigan. SIX WEEKS LATER the crate was finally opened up in Egypt. What did they find inside after all that time? The cat was alive, although pathetically weak - but that's not all they found. This hardy puss had given birth to a litter of four healthy kittens! The little family had endured in total darkness without food or water, but miraculously the mama cat was able to feed her babies and keep them and herself alive during the whole ordeal. Truly amazing. ********* CAT SCRAPS: WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE COULD BE A RICH CAT: A few years ago an alley cat named Charlie Chan became the sole beneficiary of an estate worth over $250,000. It included a three bedroom house, a seven acre pet cemetery, and a collection of valuable antiques. The will also stipulated that when Charlie Chan passed on, all the proceeds from the sale of the estate must be donated to several designated humane societies. Many wealthy, possibly eccentric (?) cat lovers have bequeathed millions to their surviving beloved cats. I wonder what the relatives thought about it, if there were any, especially if they were left out of the will. I will include a few more stories like this one in future issues. Do YOU know any rich cats?

PETS ON THE WEB The Feline Diabetes Web site (www.felinediabetes.com) is an obvious labor of love that is also a unique and thorough resource for anyone who's trying to cope with a cat diag- nosed with this disease. The well-organized site is packed with information on the disease in cats, as well as advice to make the daily treatment of the animals easier. As important as anything else on the site is the sense of community and support -- the folks here are a great bunch! Feline Diabetes is one of the best pet health sites I've visited.

Have you ever thought of having a first aid kit available in case your cat is injured and needs immediate attention? It never really occurred to me until one day (before I started keeping my furry fab four inside) when a dog viciously attacked Tribble, my beautiful tortoiseshell. She is okay now, but it would have been helpful to have had some sort of kit close at hand. I'll share a list of what you'll need to make up a good pet emergency box. How about a little cat poetry today? I've got one about a "high tech" cat I know you'll enjoy (and can identify with.) Does your cat like to sharpen her claws on the sides of the box spring of your bed? Or has she clawed her way through that piece of weird gauze-like material that's supposed to cover the very bottom of the box spring? Well, if this is a problem for you, like it was for me, I'll tell you the simple trick I did to put a end to that nonsense! And finally today - you knew all along that the cat is THE most popular pet in America. I have some figures to back up that claim that you will be delighted to share with all your dog-owning friends, I'm sure!

*sniff* We were turned down by the RSPCA for homing a kitten because of our postcode! We are on a bus route, but it only runs every 1/2 hour, and apart from some 'rat run' traffic during the rush hour, the road is paractically deserted most of the time. I am so mad about it, that I couldn't write this on Saturday when we heard. We have a couple of other possibilities to follow up, but even one of the charities is asking �30 per kitten (and that's without innoculation, spaying and stuff - the RSPCA fee included that). If I am to socialise our kittens before leaving for Africa in October, and H (daughter 2)beginning work in September then I need to find them SOON. Sorry, I'm upset and fed up by the elitist/class attitude we hit because of where we live.

WHAT IS YOUR CAT THINKING? Is the constant cleaning obsessive-compulsive? What's with that purr? Are they cool or cold? Take a little trip inside the feline mind to find out. http://animal.discovery.com/ex/ad/newsletter/cat_guide/cat_guide.html

This glorious bit of writing from Neil (who will do his own posting frome henceforth) I've always been tremendously fond of cats--their lithe grace, and cool, confident aloofness. But two of the cats we've had, among many, were an orange, male tabby named Simon, and a Siamese female named Thea who were genuine characters. Simon was a closet beagle, a dog in cat-drag, full of vim and vigor and endlessly mischievous, but he could be as gentle, relaxed, and lazy as an old bloodhound. Thea, on the other hand was a schemer, always trying to figure clever ways of getting more than her share of food. But the best fun we'd ever have with her was when we'd give her catnip. Whereas many cats get a little squirrely on the stuff, Thea got, well..., stoned. She'd sit in the kitchen, flat on her butt, with her back propped up by the corner cupboards she rested against, her tail beneath her, her rear legs sticking out front with her front paws sitting atop her haunches, her head lolling back into the corner, watching imaginary mice on the ceiling, completely blissed-out. We half expected her to say, "Oh WOW, man!". Instead of a cat, we had a feline Timothy Leary! It was very comical...

Our cat, Petey, hasn't been home for days, and last night we had a horrible ice storm. I'm beginning to suspect Petey went off to the woods to die.

Oh that is so sad! Is Petey old...or ill? Why do you suspect he went off to die?