Conference misery::feline_v1

    I think I put this in the intro's note, but I just love this time of
    year and the memories it brings!!  
    
    
    It was 7 years ago on Christmas Eve when my orange tiger cat, Louie,
    came to us as a tiny, hungry, little stray.  I had all the relatives
    over and there was much eating going on, when this pathetic little
    kitty was crying at the window to come in.  So in he came, had a bite
    to eat (chicken, meatballs and milk if I remember correctly) and then
    he promptly hopped onto my bed and went to sleep.  And he's been with
    us ever since.  The best Christmas present I ever got!!!!!! 
    
    
      Happy Holidays to you all!!!
      Judie
    

    I got Terror for Christmas last year!  He is sooo special - they all
    are, but....yeah, he's really spoiled rottttten.  

    I have several presents in the refrigerator;  mom shipped the catnip
    presents for the cats in with my presents, and now everything smells
    like catnip.  The frig is the only way to prevent massive
    feline present opening before the 25th :-)  
    

    I got Stitch for a Xmas present 2 years ago - Pippin and Gino wanted
    to exchange him immediately "mom he just doesn't look good on me"
    but we convinced them that they would grow into it!
    
    
    Merry Xmas to all
    
    
    Giudi, Pippin, Gino + Stitch

    Oliver decided to lend a paw with the wrapping of the Christmas
    presents the other day (you know the way they think that Kitty knows
    best?!).
    He was thoroughly enjoying himself, tearing strips with his teeth
    and rolling around right in the middle of the paper I was about
    to use (how DO they get it dead centre?).
    Then he discovered the sellotape - and couldn't get it off his paw!
    He shook his paw frantically, jumped up and down a few times, ran
    in cirles, rolled over - then finally came running to me to be rescued.
    Perhaps I shouldn't laugh at others' misfortunes...

    I really don't have much to offer for a Xmas story, but Lightning made
    sure that no-one took her presents.  She laid right in front of the
    tree the whole time the presents were there.  
    
    A few years back (well more than a few) I had two cats in an apartment
    on the second floor.  I had put my tree up and then went downstairs for
    a cup of coffee.  I stayed about an hour.  My apartment was right
    over-head.  When I went back upstairs, my tree was *decorating* every
    room in the house.  I found parts in the closet, under the bed, on the
    window-sills, etc.  I couldn-t believe it.  We never heard anything.
    Thank goodness it was an artificial tree.
    
    Sandi
    
    

    We have been trying to get our cat population below cat-max, and started
    having some success in December, what with X-mas coming.  Some friends
    in Utica fell in love with Dan (a recent stray that adopted us) and said
    that they "wished they could have him".  So, we sent him off to live in
    Utica, reducing our cat population to 20.  Then, one of my wife's
    co-workers posted a note on their company's (non-electronic) bulletin
    board, saying that they had recently lost their family cat to old age,
    and would like a pair of kittens to fill the void.  Hilary soon had a
    new home for Minx and Max, reducing the population to 18.  

    Well, I guess Trodzl (our longhair all-black aristocratic cat, her real
    name is Electra) had a different idea than we did.  She came home one
    night, scratched at the door, and escorted a black male into the house. 
    (I can just hear her inviting other cats home, "Are you cold? hungry? 
    Well come home with me, my people are real suckers!")  We put ads in the
    papers trying to find our house guest's people (if they existed), but no
    valid claims.  So, our friend Brian said "I'd like to keep him, but can
    he live here until I get a home he can live in?".  Well, you guessed it,
    Galileo lives with us now (but at least Brian pays the vet bills :-).
    
    So much for reducing the cat population!

    Paul (I'm the bouncer in a cat house ;-)

    Well, if you are the bouncer in a cat house, then I guess that makes
    me a madame!!
    
    That reminds me of a story...I was driving in rush hour traffic when
    I heard a horn honk and looked to my right.  The woman next to me
    was motioning for me to roll down my window so I did.  She motioned
    to the back of my car, and shouted that I ought to be ashamed of myself,
    meaning because of my license plate (it reads Mysinhs for my cattery
    name).  I told her it was a business name.  She shouted back, "for
    what, a brothel??!!!", I answered "no, a *cat* house", she stepped
    on the gas and sped off while I howled with laughter!! :^)
    
    You seem to have had great luck in placing strays, keep it up. 
    I love the names too, by the way.
    
    Jo                                                           
    

    This was Oliver's first Christmas - and he made it a memorable one!
    
    Christmas Day was brought in by a very impatient pussycat tearing
    open his Christmas stocking, scattering treats all over the floor,
    and the scoffing as many as he could before we got chance to clear
    them up. He then curled up in front of the fire and cast triumphant
    and smug looks in our direction.
    Presents were unwrapped and Oliver had a wonderful time, pouncing
    on the paper and hiding under it to pounce out as we passed him.
    
    Dinnertime wasn't quite so wonderful. At first, he enjoyed himself
    - a nice plate of Turkey all to himself. Then he got adventurous,
    and rubbed up against my little sister's legs, while she fed him
    some more, secretly. Then he was given a saucer of cream and it
    finished him completely. He spent the entire afternoon and most
    of the evening lying flat out in front of the fire, unable to move.
    He didn't even have the strength to purr - it was at this point
    that my sister confessed. She was most relieved when he came to
    life late that night.
    
    New Year's Eve saw the arrival of my Aunt, her two kids and their
    dog - they were going to stay the night! The cat hated the dog on
    sight and they had a few scuffles (ending in a clawed nose for the
    dog) before they got on together.
    New Year's day, in fact, saw Oliver with his nose in the dog's food
    bowl, fighting off the dog with one paw while he ate up the dog
    biscuits! The dog, in the end, gave up and just watched him.
    
    Oliver's favourite present? A little mouse - just over 1 inch long
    and made, I think, from rabbit-fur.
    The dog got his revenge and ate it!                  

    I LOVE the part about the dog's revenge!!
    
    You might want to limit the Turkey next year.  My vet told me,
    much to my surprize, that turkey is very difficult for cats to
    digest.  Chicken is not.
      Nancy DC

    Thanks - I'll bear that in mind. 
    Not that I think we need worry - he's refused to touch turkey ever
    since - can't think why!!!