Oh! sorry, brody! He diagnosed my cancer. He was right when all the other docs and radiologists thought I was crazy! lol Well, I'm here! So there wasn't anything really bad, or I figure I'd be in the hospital. I don't imagine that I will hear anything until Monday. So, I guess that IS good news! thanks for all the prayers! Liz! are you going to have any time here? Or just time to clean up after all the passengers? lol

My husband and I recently brought home a 3-month old female kitten as a companion for our 2 year old male. (Male is neutered, and kitten is scheduled to be spayed.) The initial introduction went pretty much how we expected (hissing, growling, adult cat batting at the kitten) but we didn't keep the kitten completely isolated. Whenever either of us were home, the kitten would go into the pet carrier, and set on the floor for the older cat to "explore." Once he stopped hissing at the kitten, after about 2 days, then we'd allow the kitten to come out and play, while we closed the adult cat in the kitten's "safe room." They had a chance to get used to each other's scents in a calm, low-stress environment. At night we would switch their cat beds so that they could learn to equate the other cat's smell with calm and comfort. After 5 days, we started letting them roam around together (closely supervised). There was a small bit of posturing, hissing, growling, and pawing, but the claws never came out, and the big cat always backed off if the kitten acted like it was being hurt (which it never was... Drama queen...) By 7 days, the big cat had adopted the kitten. He grooms her for hours, and sometimes when we give him a treat, he nudges it at the kitten. They play rough, and it still worries me a little when the kitten cries out, but after a minute or two they're cuddled up together inside one of their cat beds. I don't think that there's a magic "way" to introduce cats to each other, nor do I think there's anything wrong with bringing home a new kitten when you already have an older pet. I don't think that it's "selfish" to want to give your love to more than one pet. The best way to introduce new and old pets to one another is to expect a little friction, be prepared for it, and use your good judgement. You'll quickly learn which behaviors to watch out for, and which ones are simply a part of the introduction process. We now have two *VERY* happy and loving kitties, and the only advice that we followed, the only instructions that we stuck to, were our own.

Looks like I'm having this conversation with myself now! Anyway, last night I got to interact with "Henry" again. I put a generous serving of food on a paper plate and put it out in the bushes where his area usually is. I went back inside for about 5 minutes... just long enough to plate myself a slice of cheesecake. Then went out with the flashlight to find not only Henry but another baby grey tabby chowing down fiercly! The new arrival is feral... it ran as soon as I shone the light on the feast. Henry gave me a HISS as I approached. I sat down right beside him and started petting him on the head and back. Even scratched his ears. He didn't even acknowledge my presence... just continued munching. He must have been STARVING. As soon as he finsished the food (3 minutes flat 2 cups of dry food was GONE) he gave a final hiss and darted off into the woods. I guess I've got a routine going now and I will just supply food until I can gain the trust of the poor thing! I didn't hear a single purr so I am assusming survival is more important than interaction at this point. Since there is a white collar (no ID tags!) and the cat ate in front of me I'm assuming he's owned a human before... just wonder if he ran away or was dumped!

I have good neighbours also. I live in the house I grew up in so I have seen some wonderful neighbours come and go and some long time neighbours who are still here and just a few who are originals like i am. Even my nasty neighbour who built on the lot next door in 2001 has turned around and become friendly. Whenever i sit on the porch neighours walking down the street stop over for a chat. Neighbour Ken and Freda are the most kind people I have ever met, I worked part time for Ken who was a painter, decorator in his home office. After my Mom passed away he came in with his crew and painted and plastered my house, he wanted it to be a calming place so painted my living room and bedroom a Happy Blue and his wife decorated it. Ray across the street after seeing me fighting with trying to start my lawn mower now mows my front lawn when he does his. He won't take anything from me even when I try to give him gas gift cards but I make sure I go out and thank him after he finishes cutting the grass. He was also an electrician for one of the auto companies and when I was gifted a new kitchen after my mom died he came in and did some new wiring. Just a few months ago another neighbour stopped by to chat. i hadn't sat outside for a long time because after my dog died I found it too hard to sit out there without him but I bought a new big red chair so out I went. LOL so many neighbours stopped by. Donna from down the street stopped by with her new dog. We got to chatting about spiders and I showed her the huge web that went between the ugly shrub (that I could not trim any longer because the limbs had gotten too thick) and the porch She asked me if I wanted to remove the bush and I said I had planned on doing that one day. She said she would come over in a few days to do it. I tried to discourage her because i knew I could not pay her to do it. She showed up 2 days later in the morning. Because of my back I wasn't much help getting the bush out but I cut up all the branches and bagged them. This was an all day event. The next day she was over early to trim the other bush and my neighbour next door told her how I had paid for some guys to clean my yard in the back 2 years before and they left it a mess and didn't finish. Next thing i know she is in the back yard cleaning up the mess these guys left, taking out a few bushes and the wild grape vines off the fence. Another full days work and again I could only help by bagging up the stuff because of my back. I think we had over 43 lawn bags filled and a few bins. We had planned to put all the stuff out front on lawn recycling day 2 weeks later so she covered everything with tarps. A few days later a van shows up and she and another neighbour I had never met whose van it was piled all the bags into the back of the van and took them off to the dump! I noticed Donna liked my loppers which were sharper than hers so I went out and bought her some, replaced her bags we used, bought her a gift card to Costco since they just joined and I still plan to take her and her husband out for dinner for all of her hard work. It was the least I could do. It is funny while we were doing the work out back the other neighbour who was having a Christening do came over and brought us over 2 huge plates of food and then came again with cake. A few years ago a roofer was with his workers putting a new roof on next door. I mentioned to him I had a new crack in my kitchen ceiling and was wondering if I needed a new roof. He went up to check and found what he thought might have been causing the crack so put a new seal over the air vent pipe but first jokingly asked my neighbour if I was a good neighbour. She said I was and how I bring food over for her. So up he went and didn't charge me for the quick fix. I had a broken window in my attic that needed replacing so he said he would come over during the week to look at it and give me an estimate. Well he came to check it out and measure the window and said his worker would be over in a few days. He left without giving me an estimate. The worker came and brought a beautiful new window and screen and installed it. I originally said I would buy the cheaper window that did not open. I never received a bill for that window despite calling the roofer and leaving messages and that was 3 years ago. I don't know if my neighbour paid for it or if the roofer just gifted it to me. I think to have a good neighbour you also have to be a good neighbour. I watch their houses when they are away, I have looked after their animals and children, I have done grocery shopping, looked after their elderly parent, I bring meals to one neighbour quite often, I share desserts I make. I wave when I go by if they are out or stop and chat. So many people now a day sit in their back yards and don't see their neighbours or even talk to them. Jasdip I like that your neighbour does that for your cat. When Loki was still alive another neighbour would always bring Loki over a biscuit whenever Loki was out front. Loki would wait for Dan to come home from work.