These trees are almost ideally suited to this climate - probably the closest to their native environment in this hemisphere! Monkey puzzles grow all over the Pacific Northwest - Washington, Oregon, British Columbia. In fact, some of the largest specimens in the continental US are located in the Seattle area, going on 100 years old. Not only is the tree foliage sharp but the cones could wipe you out!! When mature, they are 8-10" long and weigh around 12-15 pounds. You don't wanna be standing underneath when one of those falls :-)

Trin, Sending good thoughts and prayers for her. I went through the lumpectomy and radiation 6 1/2 years ago, so I hope that she will be as fortunate. The one thing that helped me was following the diet they gave me after the surgery. It said to have lots of good quality protein - eggs, chicken, turkey. I can't remember what else. The diet helped me heal quickly. I'm sure that they will give her good advice. Another thing that helped me is that I started swimming when the surgeon said I could. Swimming slowly helped to stretch the chest and arm muscles.

well low and behold she showed up. I would call her everynight as they say its in the evenings its heard more. This morning I decided to go up that long driveway and talk to the people, Well no one home at either, one house had four dogs barking. So I returned home and THERE WAS THE CAT ON MY DECK!!! I could not believe it. I took her in and she is loving it and has been sleeping ever since but gets up for meals. Just so you all know I am not looking for another cat I have two. But this cat found me and always came back. I will get it fixed KEEP IT IN and if someone is so bothered that its lost then put ads up!!! I did about a found cat and No responses. Plus who would let a kitten out in heat!!! There are Coyotes and bobcats here!!!!!!!!!

Hi Jimmy's Girl: So glad to hear your cat's ok. Please don't let obnoxious losers - who have nothing better to do than hide behind their computer and be a negative a$$ - deter you from visiting this site. Best just to ignore that type of person. You'll find that the number of kind people here more than make up for that sad type of individual. I agree that vet bills are, at times, ridiculous. I've found that you really need to shop around. I have a vet 10 minutes from me, but I drive 45-60 mins across town to go to a vet that is much less expensive and also much more caring and knowledgeable. If you need to, try several different vets as various issues arise until you find one you like. To get some good referrals, check with some cat rescue organizations in your area. They will know. It's such a relief for me now to have such a good vet, and to know that if I have to take one of my cats there, it's not going to break the bank. Also, do some reading, either on here or get some books from the library, so that you know which symptoms are the most urgent. To scope out which books are the best, use the reviews posted on Amazon. And, yes, please get your kitty spayed. Not only just in case she gets out again, but for behavioral purposes overall. You don't want her going into heat. Plus, if she's not spayed, that is definitely a driving force for her wanting to get out. And, and this is my opinion, please don't declaw her. When I was young, I declawed my first set of cats w/o realizing what a horrible thing it was. If you decide that you need to declaw her, it's your decision, but do educate yourself first. I know that money's tight, but you may want to consider adopting another kitty to be a friend for the one you have - especially while she's young, so they will definitely get along. If you adopt one from the Humane Society, you most likely won't have to pay much, if anything, for the cat; and they will provide a coupon for free spaying. And, again, your kitty may not be so keen to get out if she has a friend to play with. Another good source for cat info is Cats Int'l - I've provided the link below. I hope this post hasn't come across as preachy - I guess I'm assuming that you are young and/or new to cat ownership. ;) Best of luck, and please don't hesitate to come back again for help if you need to. Betsy Here is a link that might be useful: Cats International