You can see pictures of my 2 beloved
RB kitties, Lucky (6/9/99) and Blizzard (4/10/01)  at

http://thecatalbum4.homestead.com/0780.html

I had Lucky for less than a year or so when I decided to get a kitten.
(I got Blizzard when she was far too young to be weaned, but I didn't
know better back then. She had worms and ear mites.

I thought Lucky would like a companion, but although Blizzard was just a
tiny thing and only wanted to play, it took *six months* for them to
become friends.

It was funny to watch: after about 3 months, Lucky would be sitting on
the sofa, and Blizzard would jump up and slooooly approach Lucky, and
then reach out one paw and just tap Lucky on her side. Blizzard would
then scamper off the sofa and look back to see if Lucky would follow;
she wanted to play tag!

Later, for until Lucky went to the RB, they were always together. They
would wrestle around the living room, and though Blizzard was younger,
Lucky had been a barn kitten, and was faster and much smarter than
Blizzard. But Lucky would let Blizzard 'win' about half the time, and
they were great company for each other when I worked long hours, (as I
still do).

When I got home, they were both consummate lap fungi, keeping me warm on
winter nights while my 75 year old furnace (coal converted to natural
gas; always barely working) struggled to heat my little house.

After Lucky went to the RB, I thought she seemed awfully sad, looking
for Lucky, and I decided to get another cat or kitten.

Kenzie was about 3 years old, and her humans were desperately seeking a
good home for her. Their 7 year old son had developed severe asthma, and
they had been looking, with no success, for several months. They
wouldn't  give her to a no kill shelter, insisting they wanted to know
where she went. I learned of her through my previous volunteer work at
another no kill shelter, and made the 35 mile drive, with my carrier, to
meet her. (My asthma didn't stop me, of course.)

I talked to one of her humans on the phone r probably 2 hours, the day
before I went there, and I think she decided they couldn't do much
better than me. I had volunteered at one of the local no kill shelters,
and evenings and some Saturdays, I volunteered at my TED's clinic,
assisting with surgery. (That's when I learned about declawing, and
that's what finally drove me away, unfortunately.)

After doing surgery on mice for several years, working on cats and dogs
seemed easy. They are so much bigger, and much easier to suture.

hen I first met Kenzie, I remember seeing Kenzie down the length of a
hallway, and thinking how pretty she was. Her human called her, and I
got down on my knees, and Kenzie came right up to me for scritches and
petting. She has a very loud purr, and she started immediately.

Her humans kept asking me if I liked her, and if I would like to keep
her. I think they were afraid if I didn't take Kenzie, they would have a
hard time finding someone else. Of course I fell in love with her, even
if Blizzard never did.

Sadly, they never did become friends, both avoiding each other whenever
possible; if one was stranding in or near a doorway, the other wouldn't
go past her.

Kenzie isn't a lap fungus, like Lucky and Blizzard; it took me about 2
years to get her up on the sofa, she had been trained not to. (Why?
Don't sofa's *exist* for cats to rest and sleep upon?)

But Kenzie is very special in her own way, of course. When I got her, I
was told she didn't like to be picked up. Now she lets me scoop her up
for a good ear scritching whenever I want to. And her favorite treat is
still potato chips (or crisps, for those in England).

And she's begging me for some attention now, so I had better go give it
to her!