Ob, no beloved pet can ever be replaced in one's heart, but is there any reason why you and your brother could not adopt another kitten or cat(s) after a while? A bond with a pet can indeed feel like a good reason to live, and there are plenty of cats and kittens out there in need of good, loving homes.

Marian, I could list many reasons/excuses that would all sound negative and morbid but I'll just say that we had discussed in the past that we would not get any more cats because we are too old and what would happen if they outlived us. He also doesn't feel that I would have taken proper care of his cat if something had happened to him, and he may be right as I often don't have the patience and energy required these days. While we do have another brother, we haven't seen or talked to him in a very long time, so really it is just us two with no other family or friends. Added to that is the uncertainty of our housing situation which is a whole different bunch of problems. All that being said though, I do have a feeling we will possibly end up with another cat or two. We will see how things develop.

Oldbroad, that's why John and I adopted Dude instead of a kitten. Dude was 9 when we got him and he's 12 now (Willow is 11). While I can reasonably expect him to live a few more years, I don't have to worry about him outliving me. An older cat that needs a good home might be just the thing for your brother.


By the way, I can understand your brother's feelings. After John died those two cats gave me a reason to get up in the morning. It would have been much harder without them.

oldbroad, I know the shelters and rescues are bursting at the seams with cats and kittens that are in desperate need of homes. I know it's really soon, but maybe think about adopting some needy kitties who would love to be part of your family.

Good Morning everyone. Wide Awake Double Dark Brew is ready.

Oldbroad if you aren't up to adopting an older cat perhaps you and your brother might consider fostering one. I too have had many cats over the years and now that I'm 80 years old and my husband passed last year I'm not sure I am emotionally able to bring another kitty home...but I do miss the companionship they bring to our lives.

Hope you all have a good day.

Gerry

Good morning all, a lovely sunny day here (something of a rarity) with surprisingly little traffic so very quiet even by our rural standards: it is usually only this quiet early on a weekend morning.

Very sorry to hear about your cat, oldbroad: ours is about to turn 20 and moves with some difficulty following a stroke about 18 months ago. We know we will miss her terribly, then facing the dilemma of whether to take on another one (perhaps an older rescue cat).

We have a good friend in Spain, now 81 and on his own, who feeds several outside cats (including some kittens) and has allowed a few of them to become at least to some extent inside cats...!

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Oldbroad, hugs and prayers for your brother and you. Lunch and Netflix with a friend today. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Good Tuesday morning! It's ghastly here - mid-90's with humidity nearing 80%... feels like you are trying to breath underwater if you're out working in it.

Outside//feral cats can quickly become a huge problem if they are not spayed or neutered. We have several TNR groups around here. They trap, neuter and then release them back to where they were - but only as long as there is a feeder. You know a feral cat has been spayed or neutered because during the surgery they clip off the end of the left ear. Every year is bad, but "kitten season" was just awful this year. The rescues are overwhelmed, but trying to save as many little lives and adopt them out as they can.

Good Morning everyone! It's soot's Birthday so I brought some Birthday cupcakes to celebrate! Wide Awake Double Dark brew is ready!

Happy Birthday soot!

Gerry

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Pedicure this morning, music bingo at the Eagles tonight. Soot Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Good Wednesday morning! I welcome yet another ghastly hot and humid day here. I feel so sorry for the people who have to work at their jobs out in this.

I have to run in town today and get more sugar. My hummers are eating me out of house and home! This will be my 90th pound of sugar so far! My neighbor has bees and they have also found the feeders. So I have to be careful I don't bring any of her bees in the house! They are so gentle.

Good morning everyone.

We've had a couple of days of rain so the garden is nice and fresh. I've got the irrigation contractor coming over this morning to extend the system and repair the damage caused by animals; I thought it might have been Willow but looking at the area I see it was probably deer. I'm having to keep my gate closed all the time now.

Good afternoon everyone. This has been a great morning with coffee, cupcakes and bagels ... thanks Gerry and Connie. Glad you've had rain Hagatha. Draclvr, do you have access to bulk sugar? OldBroad, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your cat and can appreciate where you and brother are now. Wishing you all a wonderful day ahead.

Night over here. Dark outdoors, 15 degrees, too late for coffee. Time to sleep.

Good night Gameboomers

Soot, since I use so much, I use the cheaper beet sugar. I tried buying it in a 20# bag, but it clumps up so badly, it just wasn't worth the effort. I also tried using 5 gallon buckets of sugar shoveled up from a factory floor one year - same problem. So, I just buy it in 10# bags which I go through in about 5 or 6 days when they are eating like this!

Good Morning everyone. Wide Awake Double Dark Brew is ready to start your day!

It is going to be extremely hot and humid again today with temps in the 90s and more smoke from the wild fires in the Canadian Rockies...not a good day to walk.

Hope you all get some relief from the muggy and/or rainy weather!

Happy Day wished for you all!

Gerry

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Trivia at CVI tonight. We are under a heat advisory again today. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

The DDWAB & DDB smells great.

Over here yet a pleasant day. ~23 Celsius and mrs Sun is in good mood.

Happy August Gameboomers!

Good morning Fogfighter, Connie, Gerry, Draclvr and all who pop in later. The Wide Awake Double Dark Brew is excellent with a Danish (or two). Heat advisory here too Gerry with the feels like temp hovering around 108 this afternoon which is why I walk in the morning when it's still relatively cool and not too hot for my furry buddy. Wow Draclvr, you've explored the sugar arena options for your little visitors! Grocery shopping is on my docket today. Have a wonderful day everyone.

More problems. The vet we've used in the past doesn't handle the cremation services for you anymore. You drop the animal off and they give you information to contact the crematorium (or something like that). They just said all the information is in the packet; no other information given over the phone. Well, what if we drop her off and don't like what we see in the packet? Now we're trying to find someplace else to take her. What a nightmare.

I have a great and inexpensive crematorium by me if you need help. I'd be happy to transport for you. Did you want the ashes returned to you? This is where I have taken all my dogs and ferrets for the last 12 years. Chicagoland Pet Cremation

Thank you Ana. That animal hospital that I didn't care for very much took her but we are not really clear of what we will get back. When my brother called they said the price includes a basic urn, paw print, and some other stuff, but it was way, way cheaper than the place we used for the other cats so, we'll see. They use St Francis. For the life of me, I couldn't remember her age when they asked and I spelled out her name for them but it is not the way my brother spells it, so I'm not feeling very good about all that either. I know it doesn't make a lot of difference but you just want it to be right. We'll get her back sometime next week.

The original place had moved which my brother found out when he went there to make arrangements but the construction workers who were in the building didn't know where they moved, so my brother called there and he told them why he was calling. That was a day or two ago. You would think they would have told him during that conversation that they don't do it anymore. They just suggested calling before we came in. I really don't care for that place anymore now. They messed things up 2 years ago with my other cat.

Good Morning Connie, Fogfighter, soot, oldbroad, Ana, hagatha, Draclvr and everyone. Wide Awake Double Dark Brew is ready.

Oldbroad I am so sorry to hear you are having such a stressful time getting your kitty back. I hope things go better today.

Have a peaceful Friday everyone!

Gerry

Good morning, Danish, Donuts and Bagels in the Break Room. Oldbroad hugs . Watching what will become Debby. Enjoy the day and hug someone.

Good Friday morning! Supposed to be less awful today... only around 85 - 90 degrees F.

Maybe I should have waited to weed my 60 pepper plants! I did it yesterday about 5:00 when it was still blazing out there. A cold frosty adult beverage and a dip in the pool remedied that!