Otis says thanks to Frank and Nikki - he's never had shrimpies before!  He
also says to let him know when Nikki's b-day is so that he can send her a
nice fat mousie :-)

Otis is hap-py for sure.  I just look at him and he starts to purr now.
What a sweetie.

Susan M
otis and chester

Thanks to Jazz and Irulan!  He had a nice day since it was nice and warm
outside.  He sat outside Sam's door though as I tried to get Sam to sleep.
Otis yowled and yowled and yowled and YOWLED.  Just like old times ...

Susan M
otis and chester

Thanks Jill!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Polonca!  It is great news.  It just seemed like the right time to
try it again and I think its going to work out!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"Steve Touchstone" <stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net> wrote in message

Thanks Steve - he seemed to be getting a little fuzzy.  Couldn't stand to
see him that way.  He sure knows where home is now!

Susan M
otis and chester

Hey Elisabet!  I won't be calling him old until he hits at least 22 years
old :-)    That is my fondest wish anyway.

TAke care,

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Cheryl - I like your sig line!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Otis says thanks Brenda!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Karen!  Stay tuned for Chester whose 8th b-day comes up on July 19th.
They don't seem to act any different from when they were kittens, other than
that Otis actually sleeps through the night now.  It's nice to see.

Take care,

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Hi Hans:

Otis is part siamese and very high strung.  For his first 18 months, he
threw himself at the door, scratched at it until his feet bled, and tried to
work the doorknob with his paws, as he had seen us do with our hands.  All
the while, operatically yowling at the top of his lungs.  We started to let
him out and he was happier.  Then, we had children and our firstborn
screamed 24/7 unless you held her and slept with her.  Otis peed all over
the house as he is completely bonded with me and I had this child hanging
off me all the time.  Things calmed down and our second child was fine ...
but then we had neighbour problems.  We have a cat by-law here and cats are
not to be out.  We tried absolutely everything to keep him in the yard -
invisible pet fence, physical fencing of the yard.  He started to pee
everywhere.  He would howl at the door and, if we didn't let him out, he'd
walk to the middle of the room, squat like a dog and pee all over the
carpet.  Eventually, he developed a bladder condition where it hurt to have
pee in his bladder so he constantly peed little tiny amounts everywhere.  It
was called interstitial cystitis, which is debilitating in humans.  The
thing that helps in humans was amitriptylene (sp?) which is an
anti-depressant which does something to nerve endings that calms them down
and quells that kind of pain.  That worked very well, though it doped him up
and eventually he got too much in his system.  We switched to prozac and
that combined with the invisible pet fence, kept him in our yard for about a
year.  Due to the stress of his living environment, we kept him on the
Prozac to help him with his bladder and just to survive until we could
figure out what to do with him.  We have moved to a new house where it seems
to work okay with the neighbours and he can go out.  It seemed like a good
time to take him off the drugs since his stress is way down.  Before you
ask, we decided against a cat run since Otis has an issue with doors and
being confined.  He'd be like the lion at the zoo wearing down a deep groove
as he relentlessly paced the perimeter.  I know this.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Smokey and Mistletoe!

Otis-cat

Thanks Christine!  You know, that darn cat is following me everywhere.  I
tried to walk with my friend but he followed me all the way down the street,
around the corner and to the end of the next street.  We had to take him
home and lock him up just so we could leave the neighbourhood!  We have
moved near to my parents and both cats regularly walk with us down to visit.
It makes me laugh to turn around and see the two boys trotting along.  We
get strange looks from other people!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"Tanada" <tanada@NOSPAMearthlink.net> wrote in message > Happy Purrday to
you,

Thanks Pam!  I think he's got plenty of time to play :D   He definitely got
lots of love in anyway!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Joyce - he's crazy but very lovable!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"SUQKRT" <suqkrt@aol.comneener> wrote in message
news:20040120081315.01692.00000122@mb-> Happy Purrday Otis, sounds like
you're not getting older, you're getting

Thanks Suz - he is getting better!  Sleeps through the night (right on my
head and hogs the pillow), doesn't pee in the house (maybe its Chester who
pees in that little spot in the basement?), doesn't climb the drapes all the
time (ok - so we got rid of all cloth drapes and, wait a minute, doesn't he
climb my window screens?).  He's definitely more and more of a love bug
though.  Gotta love that!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"LOL" <arbitrarilyyours@hotmail.com> wrote in message >

Yo Mike!  Thanks for the birthday wishes!  Drop by sometime - I'll show you
my favourite mud and we'll decorate the new house in paw prints!

Otis
scheming