Hi Soph,

So when do we get a pic of Oedipus then?

Cleo and Oedipus will be company for each other when you aren't around and will keep you amused with their rough and tumble antics together. Enjoy every moment!

We ended up keeping 3 of the 4 kittens that our first cat Tabby gave birth to because I'm just a great big softie too! Sadly mum Tabby got run over a couple of months after giving birth and one of the kittens went missing out of the garden but Nermal and Patch saw me through all of my illness & surgeries and were always there for me through hard times. Nermal still is 17.5 years on and I cherish every moment with her.

Now that Nermal is ill with hyperthyroidism I am trying to give back some of the love and devotion that she has given me over the years. She want's a cuddle at every opportunity and it's the very least I can do after all she and her sister helped me through.

Enjoy every moment with your new kitties. They will help heal the sadness of losing Baggy.

Luv & hugs

Shell

Here's Oedipus! We were out at a party last night, and the babysitter stayed overnight so we could make it a late night. So we came in at about 3 am....and no kitties! I couldn't get to sleep not knowing where they were, so I waited up to see if they'd turn up. Then hubby got up since I wasn't in bed by 5. At 5:30 and after LOTS of hunting, we finally found them (still don't know where they'd been hiding as we'd crawled around on our hands and knees all over the flat). So we hardly had any sleep last night and today I feel like a was on a real bender last night even though I only drank a modest amount. I'm determined to get to bed by ten as I'm exhausted!! I have to call a friend who's just been diagnosed with sudden and total UC. She's gutted and doesn't want visits at the hospital. Sound familiar? . I really feel sorry for her. So got to go but I'll be back on the boards soon

Oedipus_1.jpg (12 Kb, 42 downloads)

Oh Soph, Oedipus is adorable as well! (But what kittens AREN'T?) I am so glad you got two as they have each other to play with and keep each other company when you're not around. It really makes a difference. And you know I'm a softy too - I'm the 'crazy cat lady' with six cats! In fact, the PJs I am wearing say just that ("Crazy Cat Lady") and have kitties all over them. I never planned to have six but they just happened upon us and I couldn't refuse them. They each bring so much love and joy into my heart each day. I hope yours do the same for you.

I am sorry to hear about your friend but hopefully she will allow you to help her as it is great to have someone who has been through it all. Good luck to her.

OK, I'm just going to throw this out there, but is it a coincidence that since getting Cleo and Oedipus I haven't had any symptoms like I used to have - bleeding, dull pain in pelvic area etc.? I've been under a lot of pressure at work and have been working very hard, including in my free time because of my kids' activities, and this would usually bring on bleeding in no time. But I feel much more cheerful and get so much energy from having these little kittens around.
The following piece of animation really sums up life for us cat owners!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmwqpHsMExg&eurl=http://widget-...e.com/widgets/sf.swf
If the above doesn't work, then go onto Youtube and search for "Wake Up Cat" or "Cat man do" and you'll see it. You need the volume on high
It makes me laugh - and laughter is the best medicine, right?

I'm so jealous of your adorable kittens! My hubby isn't too fond of cats so we don't have one. They are both so sweet! But, I'm sure they are really bad, right?! They look very mischievous.

There is evidence that animals can promote healing and effective coping so no, it really isn't a surprise. Your heart is happy. That is a good thing.

Your new babies are so cute and cuddly looking! We are animal lovers too and have 3 and 3 - 3 cats and 3 dogs (5 fish as well since we are counting). If you count all our surrogate kids from the doggy daycare then we have.....a whole lot!

Soph, Frank sent me that animation and I thought of you.

I couldn't agree more about pets having healing powers. I think it works the other way round too because Nermal has been asking for a lot of cuddles lately and seems to be keeping in good health considering her age (nearly 18) and her hyperthyroidism. Of course it's easy to oblige when she sits there and does exactly as the cat in the animation, tapping you with her paw until she gets attention. She even jumps onto my shoulder to tap me on the face or head if she wants a cuddle while I'm on the computer!

I'm so glad that you are feeling well.

Luv & hugs

Shell

Yes, they are complete pests and completely adorable! They discovered the hamster today. The hamster couldn't care less - rodent and feline sniffed at each other through the bars and no fur flew. I just hope the cats don't figure out how to open the cage doors!
Shell, I thought of Nermal when I saw the animation; I remember you saying how she taps you for attention. If you don't have allergy problems, I really do think having a pet can improve your health. I know the theory is flawed in that here we all are with gut problems, but I know I was miserable without a furry body to cuddle (no, hubby's isn't enough, hahaha).

Soph,

Pets are wonderful creatures. They are so sweet and calming, and yours look adorable. I actually had a cat named Cleo also. My hubby is allergic, but we kept her in the family. My Mom and Dad have her now. Good luck with them both.

Big D,

We have a Shih Tzu/Maltese mix-no fur, but hair. No shedding. It's great, because of my husband's allergies. Charlie is NUTS, but he doesnt shed!! I can't blame it on the mix. I think someone droped him on his head when he was only weeks old.

I have tried to get the format right on this picture so I can show you Cleo and Oedipus in typical pose
Whenever I feel stressed out I just cuddle one of the cats (invariably the other one comes along and joins in) and I feel 100 x better.

Cleo_og_Oidipus_i_Stol3.JPG (11 Kb, 13 downloads)

Thanks so much, Copperhead
They are just such sweet-natured cats; we are very fortunate. And I feel so much better for having got pets again. It has had such a good effect on my health. Stroking a cat has a strong stress-reducing effect. They recently did a test where a girl was going for her driving test, really nervous, and they gave her a cat to stroke for 20 mins before her test. They took her pulse before and after cuddling the cat, and her pulse rate did sink. (She passed her test )