Conference misery::feline

    Sounds like worms to me, which often cause a pot belly affect in
    kittens with bad cases.  Ask the owner if she has wormed them.  All
    kittens should be given worm meds as babies, as they can be passed thru
    the mother's collostrum.
    

    
    
    	That was my first thought too Roberta....
    

    Even though it is not the entire belly.  It just seems like an
    oversized outtie belly button?  Also, it is not hard and does not
    hurt them. You can pick them up where this thing is and it will
    "scrunch".
    
    Sandy

    Is there such a thing as an embilical cord XXXXXX ( I forgot what
    XXXX but it was a term that the women used..)

      If this is a bulge right where the umbilical cord was attached, it is
    a fairly common problem, and it CAN be fixed by almost any reputable
    vet.
    
      It's called an "Umbilical hernia", and it occurs when there is some
    stress at birth...its a small tear in the abdominal lining, and the
    bulge that you see is really a hernia...much like humans suffer when
    the overstress themselves.
    
      This is pretty common in puppies and kittens, and after the kitten or
    puppy gets old enough to be operated on, it's a pretty minor operation
    to correct the defect. I personally would have NO problem taking a
    kitten or puppy with this sort of problem...
    
       John McD

Hope you can get the little one!

When you have figured out how to convince your husband that you *need* :) 
another kitty, please let me know how you did it. I've been trying for about
a year now. He loves the one cat we have now, but doesn't want any more.

Laura

    Thanks -5... THat was the term--hernia.  
    
    -6...  Ill let you know. Pouting does not work. He says that he
    does not have enuf sleep right now. His other argument is that
    since our first one is a indoor/outdoor, our second one probably
    would want the same rights, so now it will be worse at night
    trying to get two in. I am working on getting the second one, let
    alone having it be indoor only.  It was his idea for an indoor/outdoor
    situation with our first one.  I have Chief trained to come when I 
    call him, but he will only come when I call. This becomes a problem
    now when we go away.  Even the neighbor that could always find/get
    him can no longer.
    	My next tactic is the pulling on the heart strings.. i.e. they will
    put the poor thing to sleep if we dont rescue it.
    
    Sandy

    
    
    	I found that having two fur faces makes it easier to sleep at
    night. They keep each other company, play all day.... With the long
    work days it's great to come home to two kitty's.....
    Hang in there...
    
    	Mike

    How about if you bring him to the Pet store with you...I know
    that would "break" my husbands heart and he'd try to convince
    me to bring them home!!! That is one reason why Ernie does not
    go to the shelter with me. 
    
    I do agree that having two...are easier then having just one.
    It's when you get up to 10 that it becomes overwhelming at times!!
    
    Good luck...the kitty needs you and I'm hope your successful with
    your hubby.   
    
    Sandy
    

    I tried the pet store trick and they hold him and play with him
    trick. That did not work.  I am trying the angle that he will
    sleep more instead of less next.  
    
    Sandy

    Would he fall for the "poor, lonely little kitty, with no-one to play
    with or talk to" line?
    Then there's the "bored, destructive little kitty, with no-one to
    play with" one.
    Or you could, as my Aunt did, simply bring the kitten home "I'm really
    sorry, but I honestly couldn't resist him - he looked so sweet. Look,
    he's purring! I think he likes you!", but you really have to be sure of 
    his reaction to try that one.

    I had to crack up at that last one, because that's how I got Nick to
    agree to a new kitty to be friends with my Feendoonie after Fluffy
    passed on!
    
    We'd be sitting in the living room, and Feendoonie would be on the
    floor watching us, (actually looking for a cookie, but...) and I start
    saying stuff like; (SIGH) Nothing to do, no one to play with....(SIGH)
    like I was Doonie talking...
    
    And the next thing I knew he was agreeing with me!!!!! I got Furby like
    the next day when I went to the fish store for fish food, and there was
    Furby, who picked me immediately! ;-)  

Along with Sandy, I also brought my husband in a pet store to see those
"poor homeless kitties". Didn't work.

When I was growing up, I new just how to pull on my mom's heart strings - an
orphan kitty. "Poor little, hungrey, scard, kitty, who needed us to survive".
Worked every time. But these cats were lost or abandoned, well... all except for
one, but that's another story.  :)

My husband's adversion is to cat hair. For such a little siamese she sheds alot.
I brush her, but my husband must be a magnet for her hair. Every day I go around
with the hair picker upper, but we still have a problem.

Tigger has just discovered a new cat that lives in the apartment complex. And
when she sees it, she goes crazy. She get so excited! Doesn't growl or anything,
she starts chripping, and purring, and jumping from window to window, and
meowing. I tell my husband, "See how LONELY she is"??? I think this is starting
to pull on the heart strings just a bit.

If an orphan kitty would just come and find us I don't see how he could say no
to it. I've thought about adopting an "orphan" kitty, (if you know what I mean)
but I've got this honesty thing going with my husband. So I can't do that.  :)

When its the right time, it'll work out.

Laura

    Ahhhhh....I can do the dirty work for you.  I have plenty of stray
    cats in my neighborhood which I am trying to rescue!!!  Just tell
    me where you live....and I can just drop one off at your door step
    and you can act totally surprise!! 
    
    What color/size would you like???  All kidding aside...keep working
    on those husbands!!!  I personally could not do anything behind my
    husbands back either!!!
    
    Sandy

    Well I went back to the pet store and both kitties were gone. They
    went to the same home. I was so happy for them. I wish it was my
    home, but oh well. My husband is off the hook for now.
    
    Sandy