I'm in northern IN visiting my mom now (from AZ, where I live).  This is the
first time I've met her kitty, Henry, my new brother.  She got him last
December.   He originally belonged to her hairdresser's daughter who had to get
rid of him (the old story) because she was getting married and had 2 cats and
her husband told her she could only keep one (we know what most of us would
have said to that).  She decided to keep the other one because he was mean and
she thought she would have a harder time getting him a home.  So my mom took
Henry, who was 3 at the time.  My mom hasn't had a cat for about 10 years or so
since their last cat died at the age of 16.  She thought she was too old to get
a cat because it might outlive her but I convinced her that I would certainly
take the kitty, if need be.  My mom is 83 but doesn't look or act it.  She
still drives, lives alone in her house, gets out a lot, and has a lot of
friends.

Anyway Henry (who was front declawed by his original owner) is quite the
scaredy cat (like one of mine is) and always hides when my mom has company so I
worried that I would never even seen him.  But she had been telling him about
me and the night I got here (last Thurs.), I snuck in without him hearing me so
he couldn't hide right away and he's been out acting semi-normal ever since,
letting me pet him.  Sometimes he runs past me but other times he'll stop for a
pet.  He also peeks around corners and studies me a lot.  He's a lap cat and
hasn't jumped on my lap yet but that's okay.

He's all black, very sweet, and exceedingly chubby.  He came to her this way
and she said he looks thinner than when she got him.  He must weigh 20 pounds,
we're going to weigh him before I leave.  He really is overweight but he is on
weight control food and doesn't seem to eat much.  He eats a lot less than my
cats.  He isn't real active, I've tried playing with the feather toy and he is
only briefly interested.  She has tried, too, and says he doesn't find it all
that thrilling.  She has a screened porch that he loves to lay out on.

We're going to make a Petsmart run; my mom has never been there, and get him
some stuff plus a ton of kitty litter so she doesn't have to lug it into her
basement in 10 pound bags like she's been doing.

She's very, very happy to have him as he is the sort of cat who follows her
around a lot and is a lot of company for her.  He's very well-behaved and laid
back so I'm glad I have a new brother.  I always thought of our cats when I was
growing up as my brothers and sisters because I was an only child.  Of course,
it makes it more fun to visit when a cat is here.

I'm pleased to have another cat relative.  It makes me...just a very
little...less homesick for my kitties.  I hate being apart from them especially
since they are having intro difficulties but their dad is with them so they
should be fine.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human."  (Loren Eisely)