WOW!!!! I hardly know what to say!! You folks are utterly amazing!
I'm really stunned. A few days ago I was wondering how in the world I
was going to pay this staggering vet bill (well, it felt staggering
to me, in my current circumstances). But thanks to everyone who has
made donations, I am now free of that debt! You have all SAVED MY
BUTT!! :)

And Tak, did you really donate all that yourself? I'm speechless.
That was unbelievably generous of you. When Yowie said she'd ask the
group if you all could help out, I was thinking, a few folks might
throw in a little bit, but... WOW, is all I can say!

Other folks to thank:

The front desk person at the pet hospital took a donation from
someone, and then called me to let me know about it. I wasn't home,
so she left me a voice mail, but the connection was lousy, so I
couldn't really hear what she said. When I called them back, that
employee had gone home and hadn't written the name down. Oh, no! How
was going to thank this person when I didn't know what his or her
name was (you'll know why the gender's not apparent in a moment)? It
sounded like she said their name was "Sammy Ray Keeners". Does that
sound familiar to anyone here? Well, if you're out there and that's
your name (or your name is similar to that) - THANK YOU!!

I would also like to thank P.S. - who gave the hospital her name, but
who wants to stay anonymous publicly. It's amazing - I don't even
know you (unless you go by another name online). It's so moving to me
that you would help out a total stranger.

And thanks, also, to an unintentionally anonymous person whose name
didn't get written down either. I'm really sorry! The support staff
at the animal hospital has their hands full doing their jobs, and
have been very accomodating to me around this. But I am sorry that I
don't know who to thank for their donation.

At this point, please do not donate any more, as the bill is now
*fully paid*. I have told the hospital not to take any more donations.

I was sorry to hear about the Catslaves fund, which is what I had
written to Yowie about to begin with. I remembered that there was
such a fund for these types of emergencies, and thought I might be
able to get some help from that. I can't believe that creep took off
with the money... what a shame.

So, let me fill you in on Smudge's progress. She is definitely
getting better, healing up nicely. In fact, she's getting pretty
restless, which is a good sign, but that makes it harder for her,
because she needs to be separated from the other cats. So I have to
keep her in a separate room with the door closed. I visit her
regularly, but she does get lonely in there. Sometimes I just come in
to give her a squirt of antibiotic, which she hates, so I might not
be her favorite person right now. (*How soon she forgets* that I
recently saved her life. :))

Turns out that the two pit bulls that attacked her were roaming
around my neighborhood for a few days, causing trouble. I talked to
various neighbors, and to the folks at the corner grocery store
(which is Information Central on this block :)). The dogs had also
bitten a mailman, but he wasn't badly hurt. And they decided to claim
someone else's house and yard as their own, and they wouldn't let the
poor owner come into his own house. They stood on his front steps and
growled and nipped at him when he tried to go toward his front door.

Animal control picked the dogs up the next day (after they attacked
Smudge) and right now they're in quarantine (because of biting the
mailman), but after the quarantine is up, I think the dogs are going
to be euthanized. :( I'm upset about what they did to Smudge, of
course, but it's not their fault. I know they're not safe dogs, but
it's sad that there are so many pit bull strays around, that it's
impossible to find them all good homes. Nobody has come forward to
claim these dogs, so although they looked healthy and well-fed to me
and to everyone else who's seen them, I don't think anyone's going to
claim them. They were probably dumped by someone. :(

My other two kitties, Roxy and Licorice, were also freaked out by the
attack, although they were inside at the time (they're both indoor-
only). I spent about 2 hours at the animal hospital after it
happened, and when I got back, the two of them were still cowering
under my bed. Actually, of the two of them, Licky - the household
wimp - got over it first, and came out from under the bed. I guess
it's all the same to him: a screeching dog attack, and someone
ringing the doorbell. :) All equally frightening. But Roxy is usually
unflappable, so I was really concerned to see her hunkered down under
there with huge, reflective eyes. When I reached under to try to pet
her, she hissed at me.

Both of them are fine now, except that they aren't getting as much
attention from me because I have to divide my time between them and
Smudge. I spend most of the daytime out in the apartment, on the
computer, etc, with Roxy and Licky, dropping in from time to time to
see how Smudge is doing and cuddle her for a while, or give her
medicine. But at night, I sleep with Smudge, and have to shut the
other two out. They're not used to that. So everybody's being clingy
for attention and affection, which is wonderful for me! Also, it's
getting chilly outside, but not quite cold enough for me to turn on
the heat, so they're gravitating to their 98.6-degree heating pad. :)
(In metric units, that's 37 degrees - ring a bell? :))

So, where have I been? Well, I used to spend hours and hours on this
and other newsgroups. But over the past year, I've been staying away
from newsgroup chat. I used to spend way too much time doing that,
and not enough time job-hunting (or, occasionally, working, when I
get a freelance job). So that's why you haven't heard from me in such
a long time. Occasionally I pop in and lurk, though, but I don't dare
join in a conversation, or I might not get out alive. :) I will admit
one thing, though: I am still addicted to Bubbels. I don't spend
*too* much time on that, but I have to have my one or two games a day.

Again, I have to say, thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone. And
thanks to Yowie for posting about my situation to this group, which I
never would have had the nerve to do myself. You have no idea how
relieved I am!!!!!

Joyce