I Dreamed About Pookie!

It's been almost a year since the worst day of my life, the day that Pookie went to Heaven and I could no longer hug his gangly little body and kiss his apple head...I used to memorize his markings, his cute little black polka dot toes in furry white feet...the big perfectly round black polka dots on his white belly. One white front leg, one black. I used to call him "Polka Dot Pookie." He just purred. He liked everything I said to him. Except good-bye.
Was it almost a year ago in a small room in Dr. Shane's office, since I screamed my lungs out and cried until my guts were grinding as I clung to him one last time before I had to let him go forever. His poor, limp, skinny little run-down body that had endured so much horrific agony. I loved this little kitty so much, I had actually been dreading this day for years, and had even envisioned our last moments together, what I would say to him, I made up a special song to sing to him that would express all of the love that I felt for him and somehow it would be a special communication between us because there would be no doubt that both of us would be very aware that the dreaded time had come when we would be separated not just physically, but by an entire realm of experience, by dimensions, and the thought of it seemed so overwhelmingly insurmountable...would I ever, ever, ever see him again, would I ever truly get to be with him again, as we had been in this existence, or would this be it, forever? I envisioned that I would have to memorize everythng about him in case I never got to see or be with him again, how tenderly I would hold him so he would feel how much I cherish him as I held him. I would bury my face in his fur and memorize his scent, I would pet him and massage his toes, memorizing his adorable crazy markings...and he would purr and purr as he faded slowly away. And indeed that is how it happened. He purred right up until the moment that life left him. He loved me until the very last. He was a work of art to me in every way. How could a kitty, just a little kitty, inspire such profound feelings in me? He just DID, with everything he did. It is still so extremely painful to recall the events of that day. I spent an hour clinging to him after he died, I laid him down on the examination table so I could drape myself over him completely and pet his fur and kiss his face and tell him that I knew his spirit was hovering around me right then, I knew he was trying to comfort me and get me to realize he was all right and I told him that I KNEW he was all right, better than all right, he was in Heaven, out of pain and agony, away from all that is Hell on this Earth, he felt no fear, no sadness, no more being dragged through a godawful life of persecution at the hands of sick, rotten people; FINALLY, he was out of that broken, battered body, he was floating on air, dancing on the stars, running and jumping all around as high and as far and as much as he wanted to, from that moment on, he would know peace, quiet, rest, happiness, nothing but joy, joy, joy! And I told him that this is what I truly wished for him, and not to be concerned that I was so despondent, that I was actually glad that he was in such a wonderful place where he deserved to be...and I was so incredibly sad not because he was dead, but because I knew it would be a long time before we would be together again, and I knew how dreadfully I would miss him, and that was why I was sooo sad, because I wouldn't feel the paw tapping my leg and look down into that sweet little face asking me to pick him up and love him...I buried my face in his fur and showed him just how much I would miss everything about him, and told him every little thing that I loved about him, every little quirk and mannerism, every funny little look, every funny little thing he did that made me laugh, every unbelievably sweet and touching, special little thing that he did that was engraved in my heart forever...for about fifteen minutes I did and said these things, then I very, very carefully picked his totally limp body in my arms and arranged him so that he would not slip out of my arms and cradled him like he was exquisitely priceless, rocking him back and forth, screaming his name and all of my uncontrollable agony into his fur some more. 45 minutes more. Then clear fluid tinged with blood slowly slid out of the corner of his mouth, and I knew it was time to hand him over for good.

I am so grateful to Dr. Shane for giving me as much time as I wanted with Pookie after his death, and especially grateful to Chris, who took Pookie from me when I finally came out of the examination room, and cut off a piece of black and white fur for me as a keepsake.

I still have that piece of fur, along with some of his whiskers and shedded claws, in a bag in the freezer, somethng tangible that I can take out and look at any time I want.

A piece of Pookie, the most wonderful little being I have ever been blessed to know and love.

If I ever have enough money, I will not hesitate to clone Pookie. Some people try to claim that it would not the the same Pookie. Yes, it would. I would just be putting into motion the creation of a physical body, a vehicle, for the soul that is Pookie.

Pookie told me, from the other side, that he would return to me in about six months, he just wanted some time to rest. How could I deny him that, especially after all that he endured? He told me he would return in a better body than the last one, that he would be healthy and we would have many happy years together.

Pookie has already returned to me in another kitty body like he said he would, in July 2009, courtesy of a mechanical engineer here at Building & Safety who'd taken in a five-week-old kitten he found wandering in the street. He needed to find the baby boy a home in 24 hours after his landlady heard the kitten mewing one day, so I stepped in and said I'd be glad to help. I had planned to find the baby a home, but then he started doing all the things Pookie did. He even has one of Pookie's ailments, a sinus infection primarily in one nostril, the right one. He has the same sneezing fits that slowly eject the same huuuuge nasty boogers from the right nostril. And so far, no medication has worked to get rid of the infection, just like Pookie. But, this time, I am going to work and work on this illness until it is resolved, no matter what it is. I have the money to do this, unlike when Pookie 1 was young. I was homeless and living on $60.00 a week plus room and board when Pookie first started getting sick. I almost lost him during those years; his stomatitis flared up so bad that he didn't want to eat. No medication would work on that stomatitis, so I had to get creative, or lose him. I started giving him his favorite foods: milk, milk, milk, ice cream, baby food, butter, whatever he would eat, I stuffed him full of it, and it saved his life. I'd put a saucer of milk in front of him so skinny and dejected looking, and I'd sing softly, "Drink your mil-ky, Poo-kie Doo-kie," and he would put his head down and drink it all. I got an idea to start giving him milkshakes, and I'd go to Carl's Jr. and get the hand-mixed vanilla shake and give him as much as he would take, and he thrived. Three times I saved him from the brink of death by doing that.

Not long after I realized that the new baby boy kitty was Pookie, I had a dream about Pookie 1. I dreamt I was lying on my side in bed, and Pookie 1 walked up my side like he always did, stepped off me when he got to my chest, and turned and draped himself over my neck, curled his tail around my chin, and puuurrred his love and happiness to be with me again. I became conscious in the dream and was very still, savoring, petting him slowly, memorizing as much of the moment as I could, and I realized that, for some reason, his presence seemed "murky;" I wasn't sure why at the time, but now I know it's because he'd come back in Pookie 2's body, and it was quite an effort he was making to not only have an out-of-body experience to appear in my dream, but also to appear as Pookie 1. His appearance came the night before a particularly bad day at work in which I had a serious verbal altercation with a co-worker who'd been continually bad-mouthing me to supervisors, greatly exaggerating and twisting around as many things as she could in a blatant attempt to discredit me. Pookie came to comfort me and let me know that he is here for me, in Pookie 2.

When I woke up, Pookie 2 was perched on top of my hip as I lay on my side, like Pookie 1 used to do, and my hip was aching from his weight just like it used to. I called his name and he crawled off my hip and draped himself scross my neck and curled his tail around my chin and puuuurrrred.

Sheer bliss.

Pookie M. Tookie, I'm Waiting For You!!!

You showed Lori three different baby kitties you could be born into: an orange tabby, an all-white baby, and a gray-and-white baby. Lori said that someone will mention to me that "Someone has this baby kitty..." and it will be you!!!! Okay, so it's the 18th, and I know you are probably less than three weeks old at this point, if you were born right after we talked through Lori on the 26th...I'm trying to be patient, but it is oh-so-hard!!!!!! I just cannot wait to hold you in my arms again, PookiePookiePookiePookiePOOOOOKIIIIEEEEE!!!!!! The most wonderfullerest, beautifullerest, marvelouserest, fabulouserest kitty in the entire universe!!!!! Mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah-
mwah-mwah-mwah-mwah.......

I'm Getting Ready for POOKIE "M" TOOKIE!!!

POOKIEPOOKIEPOOKIEPOOKIEPOOKIEPOOKIEPOOKIE!!!!!!!!!!

Your Mommy is getting sooooo ready for you!!!

Weekend before last, I cleaned out that nasty garage, and I got sooooo sick, I stayed home all week from work! I could feel you sitting on top of me a whole lot while I slept. But your presence felt...lighter. Like you're...occupied elsewhere. You're not all "here," you're somewhat "there." My friend Renee's son's kitty just had babies. I'm supposed to go over to her house to see if you're one of them. I want to wait until they are at least five weeks old, because, Dear Angel Pookie, that is how old you were the first moment I set eyes on you, sitting in the palm of that girl's hand, the most adorable looking little "bandit kitty" anyone ever saw.

can't wait, can't wait, can't WAIT to see you and hold you and kiss your precious little face again!

Dr. Shane and Chris are looking forward to seeing you again, too! They sent me a note saying so!

Everybody loves POOKIE!!!

POOKIE M. TOOKIE, WHERE ARE YOU!!!

This time, the "M" stands for "MIRACLE!"

Pookiepookiepookiepookiepookiepookie, I am counting down the days until you arrive. You said you would like me to be "in a better place..." I am in a better place, emotionally, than I was yesterday, that is for sure. I know you understand how difficult it's been not having my baby with me! But you have heard me as I reassure myself that you didn't suffer, you were very, very happy, you are coming back...Lord knows you have made that clear, to two different psychics who don't know each other! It must be you who reminds me of that every time I start to cry for you, why else do I feel comforted almost as soon as I start to cry, because I remember all these things you told me. And Little Angel sleeps with me every night, though, and she is soooo happy about that. She was your best buddy, I know, even though you really didn't have any "buddies..." you were pretty much a loner kitty, except when Mommy was home, the only place you wanted to be was in my lap or waiting in front of the fridge. I can feel your presence a little more now, especially when I think of you and get upset. Today, while walking down Van Nuys Boulevard at lunchtime to recycle some cans at the Ralphs supermarket, I thought of you! Now, how did that happen? I can hear our Dear Diary Readers wondering aloud! I was walking by a store that sells scrubs to medical professionals, and I thought of you immediately, because the scrubs reminded me of the Animal Care Angels at Dr. Shane's Veterinary Center in Marina Del Rey who were so loving and caring as they helped you cross over that day in December, and I called your name, but I didn't feel quite so sad this time, and you appeared on my right shoulder! I laughed and said, "Are you riding on Mommy's shoulder today, Pookie?" You were purring and your eyes were big and bright and your tail was swishing happily back and forth because you knew I could see and feel you, even if it was just for an instant! What a precious little instant it was, and how resounding its influence in my heart of hearts today, Dearest Angel Pookie! And how beautiful you looked, I thought I could see bright sparks of gold light coming from your swishy tail and your big gold eyes, Pookie! I think maybe you must have put a mighty, mighty love into making that moment happen, or I think maybe you are here again in a new baby kitty body, so it's easier for you to manifest in this dimension now! I immediately heard this thought in my mind: "It won't be long now, Mommy!" I know from a lot of past experiences that when these moments happen so instantaneously, at the least likely moments, they are not coming from my imagination! They are coming from YOU! My hat is off to you for creating all of that just for me, and from that askance chance moment. You were just waiting for that moment to come along, weren't you? You were all ready to reach out and really touch Mommy good, weren't you? You knew that I am feeling a lot better today than yesterday. You saw me saying a prayer next to the water fountains under the orange trees in the courtyard at work during my morning break, you heard me asking God to help me and give me strength, you were so glad when I immediately started doing things to help God work His plans for me, like taking a little walk to enjoy the gorgeous April day in L.A., then telling the little girl walking the puppy on the grass, to go to the ASPCA website to learn about taking care of puppies and dogs...you remember all the websites I visited to learn about you...that's one of the reasons why you came to me, Pookie, you taught me SO MUCH about taking care of cats and kittens because you made me want to learn everything I could, even though there was only so much that could be done for poor little Pookie, so fragile and delicate...you, dearest Pookie, were so devoted and loving, you made me cherish and appreciate all kitties and how extra-special and wonderful they all are...all that you did for me will help me to help so many kitties, now and in the future. You're probably right there on my shoulder as I answer all kinds of kitty questions on Yahoo Answers, together we are helping kitties all over the world, Pookie! You were, are and always will be, The Most Wonderfullerest, Most Speciallerest, Most Beautifullerest Kitty In the Whole Universe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pookie, Come Home To Your Mommy Who Loves You!

My precious Pookie, not a day goes by that I don't think about you, pine for you, wish to GOD that I could hold you, cuddle you, kiss your sweet face. Every night when my head hits the pillow, I call to you, asking you to comer and "go seepies with Mommy," and sometimes, just sometimes,I can feel you walk up the bed and drape yourself across my neck. You told the animal communicator Lori Wright that you would be back in May, and I can hardly wait. Every day as I ride my bike home from the Orange Line bus stop, I train myself to look for you everywhere. Lori says that you will show up on my doorstep, but I am leaving nothing to chance, I am determined to spot you no matter what. I just cannot wait until I see you again! I dream of the moment when I first see you, I can feel my h eart melt at the sight of you, I envision myself running across the grass to you, and I can't reach you fast enough, to get you to safety in my arms, and NOTHING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD could tear you from my arms again, nothing could ever harm you no matter what, if a wild dog attacked me, I would take every bite and kick and hit and scratch and fight like a wild woman to the end to get you to safety! I did that once when a big cat attacked you, and that cat took chunks out of me, but I did it gladly to protect you when you were still just a baby, my precious little angel. You will not believe how clean the house is now that the sick, horrible woman has moved to Oakland with all those poor kitties that she won't find homes for...you will never, ever be in a home that is not cleaner than clean, Darling Pookie, I PROMISE. You will never get sick and die because of some sick-o slob who won't clean up after herself and her poor, poor kitties...I hope that, where you are, you will try to help those kitties as best you can. I know you pray to God right along with me for those kitties, so that they will always have a clean place to live, and clean food dishes with fresh food and water...or that they will somehow find a forever home with someone who loves them enough to give them a clean home with fresh food and water and lots of lspace to run around in and not too many kitties in one small space...pray that all those kitties find the best home possible, Dear Pookie, and please come home to Mommy as soon as you can! Like, at 12:01 a.m. on May 1, 2009!

Guess What! (It's really exciting!)

Now that I'm crossed over, I GET TO JUMP UP ON THE COUNTER!!!!!

When I said this to the psychic, Mommy told her that she would always let me jump up on the counter when we had our own place, I got to go anywhere I wanted in the apartment, she would just clean and disinfect when she wanted to fix some food for us or herself, and it's true, she did let me go wherever I wanted, she said 'cause we're just kitties and we don't know and we just want to get as close to Mommy as possible and jumping up on a counter gets us closer than when we're on the floor. I always liked to jump on top of the dryer so I'd be "eye level" with her when she came in the back door of our new house when she got home from work, she always loved to see me waiting for her, and she would always sing one of my songs to me when she saw me 'cause she loved it when I greeted her every day.

She always makes sure I know how special she thinks I am!

I Get To Go To Work With Mommy Every Day Now!

Pookie M. Dookie sez: Mommy goes to bed really early because she gotta get up to go to work at 5 in the morning. After I crossed over, I got to catch a ride on Mommy's shoulder and ride along and see what she does when she goes away for so long every day. She rides her bike three miles to the bus, and now I get to ride along on her shoulder, it's so much fun, and she talks to me the whole way, she asks me if I'm having fun riding along and she giggles at the tought of me riding on her shoulder hanging on Four Claw Life! I do it every day now 'cause it's so much fun! The bus she gets on is so big, it must be a hundred kitties long, it was a little scary at first, but they got two TV's on it for people to watch, and I saw other crossed-over kitties and doggies riding along with their M0mmies and Daddies, too, and we all talked about them as we rode along, we got to watch the sun come up over the mountain, I never knew my Mommy had to go to so much trouble for us kitties, it makes me love her even more, but I think she likes it, though, I could feel her happiness coming out as she watched the sun come up, I don't think she would be happy if she didn't have something to do for us every day. Then I went to work with her and I saw the nice, big City of Los Angeles building she works in every day and saw all the nice people she works with and the customers she helps every day, and they all appreciate her so much. They stand in line and ask for her by name because she is the best at what she does, that is what they say to her all day long. but the work is hard and the day is long and I thought I would be tired by the end of the day, but now I;m an Angel kitty and I don't have to worry about that, I can be with my Mommy all day and then go party with you and the Angel Kitty Girls all night long, so you'd better get your dancing shoes on, because we gotta knock their socks off, ya know! We got a repatation to live up to. Mommy says Outlaw Bikers are the most charming men of all, she says her greatest loves could kill with their bare hands but they always loved her with a passion larger than life. I gotta find her a forever man, she has so much love in her heart and she gives so much of it to us, but I can tell her heart longs for a man to share her life and her pillow with every night, wink wink, ha ha, we gotta find some big strong guy for her.

Angel Pookie M. Dookie, signing off.

Pookie The Magnificent

I recently consulted with animal communicator Lori Wright. This is what Pookie had to say to me:

He is not in the place where all the kitties are, he is in a place where certain humans are, it is a very beautiful place with green grass and tall trees, and the people there are all very advanced beings, sitting cross-legged in a circle, dressed in white robes, talking about the lives they've lived, experiences they've had, and people they've influenced, they talk about everything in the world. He likes kitties, but he loves to be here with with the humans instead. He is a very old soul, we are soul mates, and he came especially to be with me, to help and love me.

Lori said that, in all the years she's been doing readings, this is the first time a cat has come through as an entity like this, from a place like this, and says he is an entity comparable to the ones he is with right now.

I told Lori that, about 13 years ago, I had a vivid dream in which, as a reward for showing someone unconditional love, I was given a glimpse by my angel Titus of where I will go when I cross over, and what I was shown is exactly as Pookie described, right down to the beautiful grass and trees and people in white robes sitting cross-legged in a circle, who they werer and what they were talking about!!!!!!!

Best of all, he felt no pain while he was going through all that horrible agony with his heart because he had the ability to go in and out of his body at will. So, he would leave his body when the tragedfies were taking place. He would be on the peripheral, watching and listening to everything that was happening. He tried so hard to comfort me and tell me he was okay, but I couldn't see or hear him. His sickness was planned a long time ago, everything happened as it was supposed to, and I did everything right. He was very happy to be able to spend one more night with me, and was very touched that I cleared my calendar to spend time with him even though I didn't really know how close to the end he was. He was very touched that I talked about setting up a little shrine for him when he crosses, and very touched that I did something especially sweet in his honor (I put his name on prayer request websites all over the world, asking people all over the world to sing his praises to God because wanted God to know I was so grateful to have such a wonderful kitty in my life). He says he is my soul mate and was my teacher/helper. He talked about how I would do tarot readings for people, and I would be explaining a card to them, and he would try to tell me, "No, you need to think about it this way..." but I couldn't hear what he was saying, so he had to try to tell me by going to sit on the card!

Pookie would most definitely come and "sit in" on every reading I did at home, and he most definitely would walk on top of the reading and sit on the cards, but I thought he wanted attention from his Mommy, so I put him in my lap!

Pookie also said he would like to come back, but he has to rest first. He says he will be back in six months, at the most. And I don't have to look for him, we will be together no matter what. He also offered to come back in any color I wanted, and I told him I loved my little tuxedo, and he said, "I can do that."

I've got your shrine set up next to my bed, Pookie, I will be looking for you, Pookie, I can't wait until we are together again!

POOKIE, POOKIE, POOKIE, I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Pookie crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge on Dec. 21st.

I'd been cleaning the carpet in the living room and uncovered a particularly nasty pee spot that hadn't been cleaned in the six years the other woman lived there. Unbeknownst to me, the fumes overwhelmed Pookie and caused a major buildup of fluid around his heart.

When I took him to an emergency vet to get subcutaneous fluids (I thought his listlessness was due to dehydration), the extra fluids pushed his heart down almost to his stomach, instantly reduced his heart function to 50%, and the next day I took him to seer Dr. Shane. She showed me the x-rays, and we both agreed he had to go to the Rainbow Bridge.

This is all I can bear to write.

I am devastated, devastated, devastated, devastated.

WHY ARE SUCH EVIL EVIL EVIL PEOPLE ALLOWED TO GO ON DOING SUCH EVIL THINGS IN THE WORLD, WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO FLOCK TO PEOPLE LIKE ME, WHY DID POOKIE HAVE TO DIE SUCH AN AWFUL DEATH, WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY???????????

POOKIE LIVES!!!! LONG LIVE POOKIE M. DOOKIE!!!!!

Pookie isn't going anywhere.

He is staying where he belongs: WITH ME.

I got a second opinion from a better vet, a holistic vet, Dr. Karen Shane. She has a degree in Chinese veterinary medicine. Her office features a special room for kitty accupuncture sessions, and I will be makign an appointment for Pookie next week.

His recovery has been nothing short of a miracle.

The day after Dr. Sunada told me I should put him to sleep, I went on every prayer request website I could get to in a 10-hour period and posted Pookie's story. I also researched other vets in the Los Angeles area, in Yelp, and found Dr. Karen Shane, a holistic vet who combines eastern and western traditions.

She approved that I'd taken Pookie off the antibiotics and cleaned up his environment. When she examined him, she probed deeply with her fingers and told me he has good "chi." She told me that Dr. Sunada's euthanasia recommendation was "ridiculous."

I couldn't have agreed more. Most of the pictures I posted of Pookie here are very recent ones, check out the one of him in front of the refrigerator, does that look like a cat who's ready to kick it????

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That little cat's life is completely in my hands. What kind of complete moron would I be if I just accepted what SOMEONE ELSE saad, when I knew in my heart, and just by LOOKING AT HIM, that he wasn't ready to go!!!!!

I had this image in my mind, of me blithely taking Pookie in to be euthanized, holding onto him on the steel table as he wriggles like a wildman...

I thought to myself, "Could I REALLY let her slide that needle into a cat that is struggling ferociously with so much LIFE???????"

THERE
IS
NO
WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

I knew it wouldn't happen.

In my heart, I knew that he was being overwhelmed by his surroundings, and, since I was largely responsible for putting him in those surroundings, I was totally responsible for CLEANING IT UP, LIKE, YESTERDAY. Get him off the drugs, get him some fresh air, a clean house, a clean kitty box, clean water, fresh food, peace and quiet...

I kept him hanging on until the storm passed, and pass it did.

The cat hoarder roommate has finally moved out and taken all of her cats with her. Thirty of them!!! Poor things. There were a few she could not catch, ferals who'd been coming around for food, and she wants me to trap them for her so that she can fly down from the San Francisco Bay Area to come and get them. It's just sick. She never cleaned up after the cats, I DID. All the time. I spent no less than 100 hours, probably more, cleaning up after her just in November alone.

She only had three cats when she moved in!

She had twenty cats in the house and ten in the yard when she moved. They were mostly kittens she'd taken in (by pretending to be a rescuer, her "rescue" is called "Purrful", she even has a website), but she, in her own words, "just couldn't bring herself to post ads to find them homes."

And she could noo bring herself to clean up after them, ever. Poor Pookie was so overwhelmed by dust, dirt, filth, debris...so many of the cats and kittens had eye infections, diarrhea, URI's, skin infections...I was working night and day to keep everything as clean as possible when I wasn't at work. A week before she moved out, she had boxes and boxes of stuff everywhere, the house was a complete wreck, there was debris everywhere: scraps from the scratching pads, sisal from the cat trees, pieces of carpet fiber everywhere, pee and poo all over everything, so much torn-up paper and just DEBRIS everywhere. One morning, Pookie just couldn't walk, and he had this faraway look in his eyes, and I knew he was leaving me. I knew that the sick environment was killing him. Luckily I got him to the right vet to support my hunch about our unfortunate living situation. The other vet was just compounding the awfulness by giving him those strong anibiotics. And I doubled my cleaning efforts. I was completely exhausted all of the time, cleaning until two in the morning most nights, had to get up at five, slept through the alarm, was late for work, but there was no doubt in my mind that I had to just DO IT, and not let up for a second, for Pookie's sake. I could not bear the tought that finally I was getting rid of this madwoman and Pookie would not be there with me to enjoy our newfound peace and quiet.

I told Pookie that I just couldn't bear the thought of a future without him. Life just would not be worth living if he isn't there to greet me at the door when I get home from work. I would terribly miss him tugging on my pant leg to be picked up. I would miss carrying him around like a doll as I go about my day at home.

I would miss him draping himself across my neck in bed at night, lulling me to sleep with his purr.

Lately, we have been enjoying all of these things as we never have before.

Last night, when I got home, he tried to escape outside just like he used to. (I have a little harness and leash that I put on him and take him out walking.) The house was still clean. I swept the floors and there was only one little pile of debris. I still haven't had to empty the four trash containers in the kitchen after four days of blissful solitide. Pookie watched me while sitting on the kitchen table, and he actually meowed, repetedly, for his kitty din-din, something he wasn't able to do for a long time. He used to just open his mouth and nothing would come out. (I think that's why he learned to tap me on the leg with his paw, to get my attention some other way!) He ate two plates full of food and drank a bottle of KMR that I prepared just for him. He loves to drink it from the baby bottle; I think it is more comfortable for him to be able to sit upright and lap from the nipple. He came and sat on my lap as I ate my dinner and watched the Channel 9 News. I brushed his fur and fed him his special diet, as much as he wanted to, and he got down on the CLEAN carpeting and played with the little mouse on a string with the other cats.

I am SO GRATEFUL for a second chance with him. We have been scrambling for a home of our own since April, when we were forced to leave my cramped studio apartment because the landlord wanted to tear open a ceiling full of asbestos to "inspect and repair." It was either spend hundreds to move, or spend thousands on an attorney. It's not at all easy to find a home in Los Angeles when you have five cats. I make good money, and I've spent it all, trying to find us a little piece of Heaven of our own.

Praise God that Pookie found it with us.