Thank you.

I just spoke to Sarah and Hunter had his first check-up yesterday and
TED said that he's as fit as a fiddle.  Hasn't gained any weight but
he's the right weight for his itty bitty frame.

He's *quite* the chatter and really goes on a bit telling Sarah about
his day.  She says that he seems happy and settled and plays a lot.  He
likes to knock over the garbage can in the bathroom and run out as if he
didn't do it - she says like he wants her to think it was a ghost or
something.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Christina.  I know it's really not mature at all to linger over
this when I was so clear that this it isn't workable for our family at
this stage.  And I have no doubts about Sarah as a slave.

It's just so funny - he's like a little thought-worm!

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Good point Joyce - I guess in the back of my mind, I'm still trying to
figure out a way that I could have made it work in my house.  Doing the
hail Mary play in my head.

But, in time, with regular updates from Sarah, I know it will be okay.

And the two we have are pretty marvellous.  Though, I'd love to see what
Otis would do.  I have this idea that he'd adapt pretty quickly.  He's
an energetic 12 year old that might find another cat around a pretty
interesting diversion, if introduced properly.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Goodness I did.

And also a bunch of other creatures there, in particular an abused d*g.

He was the most ridiculous looking creature - looked like a cartoon
drawing.  He had the body of the biggest and tallest greyhound I've ever
seen ... and the head of a basset hound with big long floppy ears.
Honest to goodness.  He was so emaciated when I first saw him - spine
and all ribs showing - and he seemed to be very weak and have difficulty
moving around.  He looked through the glass and just stared at me.  We
looked at each other for a long long time.  If Sam weren't absolutely
deathly allergic to d*gs, I'm sure I'd have taken him right there and then.

The good news is that he was adopted during my visits with Hunter.  Even
in the first four days since I saw him he filled out lots and got
looking pretty healthy.  I heard the shelter worker say to the dog
walker volunteer that she didn't want to know what had happened to him.
 I guess it was terrible.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

 > ((((((((Susan))))))))

Awww thanks Joy.  Goodness - thank you all.  I'm sure all your thoughts
and purrs got him trapped in the first place and a loyal slave in the
second place!  I was just shuddering during our -30C weather thinking of
what would have happened if he were outside.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Thanks Vicki.  You are right - grieving for the happy three cat family
that could have been.  I really wanted to get to know him more and to
find out what kind of kitty he was underneath all that stress and
fright.  He was really starting to show his true colours and I knew it
would be vastly different from the slinking yowling creature I first
met.  Now he's running from garbage can greeblings and throwing himself
in front of groups of visitors in Sarah's apartment ...

Susan M
Otis and Chester

As my Willow cat would say "Itz called Love forda  hoomans and luff for uz
catz".

[snip]

Good point - I agree! Just because our survival depended on our
evolving a certain trait, which we use to do whatever it is we have
to do to survive, that doesn't mean we can only use that trait for
only that one thing.

So we evolved the trait of "I would die to protect my children", which
is a good thing for the species. But now that we have that trait, we
don't have to use it just for our children. Some of us don't even have
children!

I was about to say that I wasn't actually sure I'd be willing to die to
protect my cats, but then I remembered that I risked my own safety when
Smudge was attacked by two big, muscular and aggressive pit bulls. And
I didn't even think about the risk. (If I had, I might not have done it.)
I wonder if parents go through the same thing when their kids are in
danger? Nothing matters except saving their child, and maybe they're not
even aware of the risks? Or they are, but don't care?

Joyce

I think you've nailed this on the head.  In the back of my mind, I was
thinking that this is a lot like I feel about my children too.

It was funny how I suddenly came aware of how much he was in my thoughts
- sort of like when you finally notice what that little voice inside
your head is saying.  And I'm really not deranged - we all have a little
voice inside our head providing commentary on our day to day lives ;-)

Thanks Jo for making that clear.

And it sounds so wonderful to look after your granddaughter, despite the
2 days of anxiety its causes afterwards :D

Susan M
Otis and Chester

You must be fairly young because, after awhile, you learn that the words
LOVING (animal or human)  and, LOGIC should never be used in the same
conversation.  Please stop making yourself feel bad.  You did the only thing
you could at this time.
On Jan 31, 1:43 pm, Susan M <not_h...@shaw.ca> wrote:
- but my heart isn't quite so

Come on! I was sitting here hoping you would whatever you were saying!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

I would have had it not been for Sam.  Everything else was probably
manageable but my son's health is a different thing I guess :-(

Susan M
Otis and Chester