OK - regarding Chuchu...

We met three wonderful children in August 2001 who were visiting the US as
guests of Kidsave International who was trying to find them an adoptive
family.  They captured our hearts and we started the adoption process.  In
December 2002 we learned that they had a younger half sister who we added
to the process.  Finally, in November 2003 we travelled to Karaganda,
Kazakstan to finish the adoption of Maxim (now 13), Boolat (now Richard,
10), Sveta (now Katie, 7) and Zarina (now Teresa, 4).

While there we spent 6 weeks in an apartment in Karaganda on the 4th floor
of a Soviet era 5 story walk-up concrete building.  We delighted in being
with and caring for our new children who stayed with us from our arrival.  
We also got to see much of the city and its culture together.

But after living with our many cats (and three dogs and four donkeys), the
lack of animal company was obvious.

Shortly after arriving, one evening I heard a plaintive and insistent
meowing outside our apartment's reinforced steel door.  On looking into
the stairwell outside it, I noted a small black cat in the cold (down to
-30C / -25F while we were there).  I put a plate of some extra food out
for it which it obviously enjoyed.  Soon it would come into the entry of
the apartment and explore us, allowing some petting but she was leery of
the children.  She was relatively tiny and black with just a small little
puff of white in the middle of her chest.

I found a source of cat food at a local market (Whiskas - but all the text
on the box was in Russian).  She not only preferred it but one day left a
huge warm mound of her opinion in front of a nearby apartment that left
her a plate of fish tails.  She also made more frequent forays into our
apartment, exploring every part of it and often taking an extended nap on
someone's lap, purring happily.

It wasn't long that she was staying in the apartment full time.  We found
a litter box and litter along with other standard supplies (thank heavens
for the tiny pet supply shop at the "Zoom" market!).  We named her Chuchu
which is close to the Russian for "a little bit".

But it would be cruel to dump her back outside when we left.  And the
children were attached to her (as were we).  So a friend led us to the
best veterinarian in town who gave her a complete medical exam and shots
while apologizing for the costs involved - about US$7.50 total(!).

After the required 15 days after the shots were given, we returned to the
vet again for the international passport and health certificates (about
US$5 total).  An hour at the local government office produced the rest of
the paperwork needed.  And a call to Lufthansa revealed that we could take
her home on my ticket in an underseat carrier just like a handbag.  If I
paid them $150 for the privledge.  Which I did.

During all this, we had the successful adoption court hearing (photo of us
at http://www.svn.net/jimhorn - sorry the page is so out of date).  
Celeste fell on the icy sidewalks and broke both legs at the ankles.  She
returned to the US early to have the medical care - and four hour surgery
- to deal with the fractures and complications.  And the four children,
Chuchu and I flew to Almaty, the former capital, to finish the paperwork
and such to be able to come home.

During the week in Almaty, Chuchu came into heat.  I had the pleasure (??)
of having her wailing and calling in the middle of the night when we were
trying to sleep.  I was firmly reminded of why all our cats are neutered /
spayed...

Finally with medical exams for the children and interviews at the US
Consulate there done, we had our paperwork.  Due to a national holiday and
Christmas, all this ended up taking weeks longer than expected.  But off
to the airport where our guide / translator / friend Nick breezed us
through Lufthansa check-in, security, customs, and so on.  Right up
until...

The bomb dropped.  We were suddenly told that Chuchu's paperwork was "not
in order" as it had been prepared more than three days before the flight.  
I pointed out that the folks who prepared it knew when we would leave and
filled it out accordingly.  But we were stronly informed that it wasn't
correct and Chuchu would have to stay - with or without us.

We were polite but very upset - we weren't about to just abandon her at
Almaty's airport!  Nick agreed to take care of her for a month, get the
paperwork redone, and send her back with the next American family to come
through - a month later (and they were from Alaska!).  We were making all
these arrangements while the jet filled with its passengers without us and
was getting ready to leave.

Suddenly Nick was called away.  He soon returned and asked how important
it was to us that we take Chuchu with us - and how much cash did I have?  
When I told him I had several hundred US dollars, he took $200 and soon
returned with the news that the official in charge would override the
problems.

Sure enough, we went back through the final inspection, were told Chuchu's
paperwork was not in order - when suddenly a uniformed official appeared
and told the inspector that everything was fine.  We said our brief but
sincere farewells to Nick and boarded the plane.

Chuchu travelled in her tiny carrier just fine.  At transfer in Frankfurt,
Germany, I peeked in her carrier to see how she was doing.  She purred and
happily climbed into my arms while I verified that her carrier was still
clean.  The children all begged to hold her but I declined, not wanting to
have to chase a cat through Germany if one let her go.

All was fine until I moved to put her back in the carrier.  .  She
immediately turned into a yowling, scratching and biting blur while I held
on tight and finally got her into the carrier and the top closed.  The
childrens. eyes were even wider than mine when they saw the blood and
damage on my hand (over 30 scratches and punctures from her claws and
teeth).

But in she went.  I ran off to a washroom to clean the many wounds and
staunch the bleeding.  Soon we were together again awaiting our next
flight.

But first through security to meet US requirements.  As we waited in line
to use the X-ray system for carry-on items and the metal detector, a
second line was opened and I was shooed through it while the children went
through the first.  As I was picking up my things at the end of the second
system, the security people in the first line suddenly asked me in a
disapproving voice if I would send one of my children through the X-ray.  
Of course not, I replied.  Well then, they said, why had I allowed the
children to put Chuchu.s carrier through the machine?  I suspect they were
embarrassed that they had insisted that the children put their carry-ons
on the conveyor without first checking to see if they should do so.  Their
display showed a fine radiograph of our poor cat's skeleton.  But she
didn't seem to be concerned about it.

Again, like Midnight and others I was worried how she would deal with the
cats already at home.  They've gotten along beautifully.  I often suspect
that she knows she's survived the just-south-of-Siberia winters so
anything here is a cakewalk.

She's seldom seen at night anymore as she's usually snuggled in one of the
childrens' beds.  We really cherish all five of our Kazak treasures!  
She's grown less skinny but still keeps a healthy weight.  All four
children are growing rapidly.  Maxim, who is deaf, received a cochlear
implant last month and had it turned on just yesterday.  He is now
delightedly going around hearing everything he can - and we are all
speechless at that blessing.  And so many other changes I could tell.  But
I don't mean to weary you with more for now.

Jim (proud dad)