It is never a good idea to give a live animal to someone without making sure
it is wanted and provided for.

But my lifetime favorite Christmas memory was the year Mom's present moved
while she was unwrapping it.

My brother and his wife had a small black poodle and Mom was crazy about it.
I had just been married leaving her with the classic empty nest.  But Daddy
insisted they didn't have time to take care of a puppy.

Meanwhile he had my brother help with picking out a younger sister of their
dog and with keeping it and bringing the wrapped basket in at the last
minute.  We have movies of the look on my mothers face as she started to
open it, and it moved, and it dawned on her what she had.  Suzette lived
nearly twenty years.

We did have one rule.  Mom was one of those people that constantly mix up
their kids names.  We would answer to each others names, but not to Suzette.

Jo

Kittens and puppies for Christmas is a bit of a problem on this side
of the globe and, yes, every January and February there is a huge
spike in teenager animals appearing in shelters or simply (cruelly)
being dumped.  

Tish

You could do something about that, Tak!
(nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
8^P

--tension

Yes, that's certainly the truth! Cats also have no regard for rules,
gravity or the passage of time. It's like sharing your house with four
furry anarchists.

Deb.

Lori's not the only person to worry about you, Tak, many of us did.

Of course we were worrying about you!  Yes, others here get worried about
and purred for too, but as someone is sure to point out, purrs, like love,
are an every renewable resource - there's always more than enough to go
around.

Hugs,

CatNipped

I was living on my own at that time. My parents were separated and
my two sisters, still in their teens, lived with my dad. One of my
sisters had taken in the mother cat when she was a kitten. They had
her for about a year, and then she had kittens. I'm not sure why they
didn't have her spayed - my parents were usually responsible about
that. But things were sort of chaotic in my family for a few years
after my parents split, so getting that done probably fell through
the cracks.

Anyway, my father got fed up, and put his foot down - the cats had
to go. Sisters talked dad into letting them keep the kittens because
it would be easy to find homes for them, but the mother cat was
brought to the shelter. I didn't find out about this until a few
days later (remember, I was not living at home at the time), so I
called the shelter to see if I could come and get the mother cat.
But it was too late - they'd already put her down. (And the guy I
talked to on the phone had the bedside manner of Attila the Hun -
he said, "That cat was destroyed," in a totally gruff voice.) She
was the sweetest cat, a very pretty, part moggie, part Siamese
little girl. I cried for days.

So it was about a week later that I went to visit my family. Both
of my sisters were out for the night, but the kittens were around
and they were all too happy to jump on the bed with me when I was
going to sleep. Having them all lie on my chest, purring at me at
top volume for hours, was incredible.

I actually ended up taking in two of those kittens a few weeks
later, because my sister couldn't find them homes, and dad was
making threatening noises about The Shelter. I lived with a
roommate who was allergic, so I had to keep them in my bedroom
with the door closed. But I did find them homes! I hope they
did OK. I wasn't very critical in those days - I didn't know what
to look for - so I hope the folks who took them were decent and
responsible.

Joyce

Thanks Tak

Complicated? Try living in the middle of it! I think I'm going ga-ga
sometimes....The other day I didn't have much washing to do and as our
machine is on its last legs (First thing Dave can do when he gets home is
order a new one!) I did what needed doing as a handwash in the bath. Hung it
all up and then about 20 minutes later went into the bathroom and thought
"The bath plug hole must need unblocking again, that water hasn't gone down
at all" then about 30 seconds later I added to myself "Duh! Of course it's
not going down- you forgot to take the plug out!"

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

I wish my computer had that kind of glitch! I can't write worth a rat's
tail...

That is the sign of your heart opening up; the frozen emotions warming
into life. You had a profound experience and needed to write about it.

Yes, Amber was a cutie. I loved him very much and still miss him. But
I was fortunate to have other cats to help me through the grieving
process.

--
CATherine