Hi Valerie!
 
I talked to you several months ago about my Jimmy (cat person) who was
grieving about Nermal's passing..  I hope you remember, you said, after you
were talking to her for awhile, that if she decided to stay here, on earth,
she wanted eventually a companion who was "mature of spirit, someone to
discuss philosophy with"...  ( I've been meaning to call you but when I had
the time it was very late, like 3am your time, & finally remembered you must
have had an email address, so I looked at the FERRETAD issue number 2, of
03 December, 1995 & found it, with your message about being able to
communicate with our four legged family people.)
 
Ten minutes into talking to her & explaining how sad & upset I'd b e if she
left me, and as you suggested, telling her how she could continue to make my
life much better by staying & being the most stable person in my life, and
specific things she could do that would be very helpful, she got up & had
something to eat!.  (you might remember she was loosing weight & getting me
very worried, and that her starting to eat again would be a sign of her
deciding to stay here).  She was sitting in my lap during most of typing
this right now, btw.
 
About a month ago, after looking all over for a companion for her, but
trying to find the "right" one, I went to PetSmart (shameless plug) and they
had two- three foot high dogs barking their heads off in the adoption
center.  In a cage right on top of them, was this black & brown, 1yo, front
declawed kitty who was not terrified of the racket, but just sitting there
calmly.  She had two days to live, since it was rabies animal control doing
the adopting.  My friend Mason in Ind.  said she thought it a sign when she
could save a life that it was "time" to get another 4 legged person.  The
only hitch was that she was not tested for feline leukemia, like the no kill
shelter people were.  As luck would have it, (luck?), on the premises was
the same vet that had neutered her 6 months ago.  While we waited for the
results, she (Kila the cat) just sat in the basket as I did my shopping,
very collected, even though one person almost freaked out saying she's
"gonna jump out".  Never did.  A store person also told me that if she
tested positive to not give her back to rabies control, as they would kill
her that day, that she was associated with a shelter that could place her in
a no other cat home, & she could live several years more.  I guess it's like
HIV where they can live quite long b4 getting really sick.
 
Anyway, the test was negative, Kila & Jimmy only hissed once at each other,
and the first time I let the ferrets out, Kila just sat there & let them
climb all over her & clean her ears.  She even sat there & cried when Sadi
started biting her ears, didn't even swat at her, & I had to put Sadi on the
bed & tell her that was not a big ferret, don't do that, & put Kila on a
chair & say that she didn't have to sit there & be chewed on!
 
I just had to tell you that you were very helpful... [pricing info deleted.
after consultation with Gary.  BIG].  It probably "saved her life", in so
far as giving me information that helped change her mind about leaving, at
least for awhile.
 
        Sincerely,
 
        Gary & the gang of fur
 
Violence is not strength,  Compassion is not weakness.    From Camelot.
[Posted in FML issue 1534]