Conference misery::feline_v1

    You're all probably wondering if we were at her house, why we didn't
    see the cat....she lets it out and it was outdoors during the party.
    
    Sorry for the confusion...this story isn't a lie, really!!
    

    
    
         Okay if no one opts to adopt this little one and the only
    alternative is to be either brought to Sterling or to be DUMPED
    (man I've been getting pissed off alot lately :^()  I'll send you
    a check for $35 to get her in there.  I understand it not being
    in your budget and most weeks it surely isn't in mine but both
    me and hubby have been doing mega overtime so we won't miss it.
    Of course he won't know about it or notice it..... :^)
    
          Let me know....
    
                                                     kim

    Thanks, Kim...
    
    I'll take you up on the offer (and I'll even go over my budget AGAIN
    and see if I can at least come up with $10.00; boy, owning a home
    is TOUGH!  Makes me wish I was renting again at times like these).
    
    Stupid me closed out my savings acct. and am putting all my savings
    into DEC stock...looks like it was a bad move considering how the
    stock is doing!
    
    If no more replies are received before the end of today, I will
    send you mail and let you know.
    
    Thanks again for offering.
    
    /Roberta
    

    Roberta,
    
    I can't take the cat, but like Kim I will send you a check for $10.00.
    
    I am still in the process of trying to talk Charlie into getting
    more cats, but he is being very stubborn.
    
    Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
    
    Kathy Morrell
    

    Thanks, Kathy.
    
    Just got word that the Sterling shelter will only accept cash
    donations.  Since I certainly don't expect you guys to send cash
    inter-office mail nor do I think it is fair to ask anyone for cash
    outright (we all have to account for our money, don't we?!), Donna
    and I can cover the expense temporarily and be reimbursed later.
    
    I will know definitely before the end of the day (3:00 maybe?) exactly
    what is happening.  This cat has to be brought to the shelter either
    tonite or tomorrow night, THE LATEST!
    
    Will report back, both by mail (to Kim and Kathy) and to this note.
    
    /Roberta
    

    Hi Roberta,
    
    Gee, you've been hanging around with me too much!  I'll also provide
    whatever financial aid I can.  If anything comes up between now
    and Sunday, let me know and I'll see you at the show.
    
    Mary

    The contributions have been made and are on the way.
    
    Many thanks to Kim Robbins and Kathy Morrell for their assistance
    and generousity.
    
    Another feline job well done!
    

    Boy,  I just read this note and was planning to contribute something
    but it seems everybody is too fast for me.  I'm glad that the
    `little boy' won't be just DUMPED... like so many other kittens
    (like Pepper).  Why oh why do people get a little kitten and then
    toss it out when it gets older.  I couldn't do that.  I would always
    wonder if it found a home or got hit by a car or mangled by a dog
    or starved to death.
    
    Sandi (Lightning's, DejaVu's & Thunder's mom)
    
    

    Well, I just read Donna Reske's note about posting updates to stories
    (a good request because I often wonder what happens too) so here
    is mine:
    
    We brought the cat in the base note (Jasper) to the shelter last
    night.  Why oh why oh why did he have to be such a wonderful cat!
    He loved the car ride - sat on my lap and purred the entire way
    there.  He was the most docile, friendly, and affectionate kitty
    I have ever had the pleasure of rescuing.  He had wonderful manners
    for an unneutered male and was very clean and healthy looking (sorry
    to be using past-tense here as Jasper is still alive and well!).
    
    Jasper is a big cat - a gray and white short hair with green eyes
    and a dark red nose.  He loves people and loves to be petted and
    held.  The woman who runs the shelter said his chances of adoption
    are slim due to his age (a year and a half; not old, but there were
    a lot of kittens there that would probably get picked over him)
    and the fact that he is not neutered.  Donna and I solved that problem
    though.  As of this morning, we are both going to dip into next
    month's budget and pay for his neutering costs.  Donna spoke with
    the shelter this morning and they said he is doing very well and
    getting along fine with the other cats.  We are going to keep in
    close contact with the shelter to make sure his needs are tended
    to financially in the hopes that someone wants to adopt him.  He
    would make a wonderful pet.
    
    While I'm on the subject of the shelter, I just have to put in a
    plug for the most adorable kitten...she looks like a himalayan with
    the long plush coat, big blue eyes, and blue colorpoints, but she
    is actually part of a litter of tabbies and has some tabby markings
    near her nose.  What a beautiful baby..........
    She just sat there in her kennel with this look on her face like,
    I know I'm gorgeous...keep looking.
    
    The Sterling shelter is immaculate and take extremely good care
    of their animals.  I am very impressed with their facilities.
    
    Well, that's my update.  A great thanks to everyone for their concern.
    
    /Roberta
    
    
    
    
    

    Keep us up to date on how Jasper is doing.  I hope, oh I hope, that
    he gets a home.
    
    FLAME ON: I HATE PEOPLE WHO KICK OUT THEIR CATS WHEN THEY GET FED
    UP WITH THEM.  I HATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK AFTER THEIR ANIMALS,
    DON'T NEUTER THEM, LET THEM HAVE KITTENS AGAIN AND AGAIN, DON'T
    FEED THEM PROPERLY ETC ETC.  I RECITE THIS TO MYSELF EVERY TIME
    I RESCUE ANOTHER POOR VICTIM OF THESE AWFUL PEOPLE:FLAME OFF
    
    I guess everyone feels the same, but honestly sometimes it's all
    I can do not to punch out yet another ignorant, uncaring so-called
    human being.
    
    I feel better now.
    
    Sorry folks.
    
    kate
    
    

    Well, I can't "let the cat out of the bag" just yet, but let me
    say that we will hear an update on Japser soon enough.
    
    And if all goes well, it will be good, good, news!
    
    
    /Roberta

Okay, I admit it -- I adopted Jaspar.  It took a few days of coaxing for
my husband because he has graciously accepted litter-box duty, but the
sad tale of woe entered here was more than he could stand.

I picked him up Thursday night, and he is just as Roberta described:
terrific gray and white markings, green eyes, good size cat who loved
being held and petted.  We had to keep him isolated from the rest of the
clan until he saw our vet, although he had just been neutered he hadn't
had any shots or been tested for feline leukemia.

As of Saturday he was declared healthy, negative on the feline leukemia
and the proud recipient of distemper and rabies shots.  We did need help
holding him still for the blood test, but other than that he behaved very
well.  

Once I got him home I decided it was time to introduce him to his brothers 
and sisters -- let's see:  George ignored him completely, Spider declared
that she was in love and wants to have his kittens (a physical impossibility
for both of them), Pipsqueak was absolutely fascinated, Punkin Head and
Bailey are delighted to have a new playmate, Maxwell is overwhelmed by the
whole experience, and Boss Tweed had to assert his number one cat status
by growling and hissing.  All in all, everybody got along just fine!

He only met one of the dogs, the little one -- Jaspar made his displeasure
known but didn't do too badly considering how many new friends he had just
met in the space of 10 minutes!  We didn't even show him the three big 
dogs, we thought we'd give him a few more days to adjust before springing
that surprise on him (two greyhounds and a lab-cross).

What a delightful new addition, many thanks to Roberta for matching us up.
Once he settles in we expect him to be an affectionate and playful puss,
much to everyones' mutual enjoyment.

Now, what it is that I'm supposed to say:  "the inn is full... the inn is 
full..."  8^)   8^)


Jan  for_whom_eight_wasn't_enough

    Jan, you and Ron are such special people!!  Looks like you're gonna
    have to change your personal_name to "What's one more??".  I promise
    not to send you any kitten pictures!
    
    Mary (for whom eight is PLENTY!)
    

    Ya sure Mary - Jan watch out - Mary's pictures are unreal!  She
    has the cutest babes going!!!  I saw those pics!  
    
    What's one more, you say.  Well, one more is when you come home
    from 2 days at the Boston Garden, after being benched in the
    Elephant Secton of the Circus, after having to walk a half mile
    each and every time you went to and from a ring (12 rings) walk
    out to check to see if your number was up for a final, walk back
    to get the cat if it was, walk back out with the cat, then walk
    back - stay there for 3 minutes and they either call another ring
    or another final - you arrive home and find that the 15 you left
    home have gotten a little crazy and strew the living room with
    everything that was on the coffee table, trashed the bedroom
    wastebasket, scattered litter all over everywhere down in the
    cattery, etc. sigh...  Luckily it doesn't happen often - their
    timing was just a little off this weekend!
    
    With all those dogs, Jan, I think that your Inn if fuller than my
    Inn !!  Enjoy your new baby - he sounds wonderful!
    
    E.T.