Speaking of "Cio-Cio-San".....Anna Moffo, American Diva, gone @ age 73..debut 1955 in that role, great fame from 50's to 70's, when her voice failed for operatic roles (so the story goes: from "overwork" or "overbooking"). Did you ever meet or know her?

I wondered why the volume of growling, hissing and cat-to-cat-contact had suddenly gone up last week and I realised why - she's irresistably attracted to movement (especially twitching tails!) And since the other two cats are used to her they're more relaxed in her presence and they're not...

With the milder weather, I am getting flies in my home. Rusty likes to catch and eat them which I doubt is good for him. I want to use some fly repellents but wants to make sure it is OK to use around cats. Any suggestions? -- Winnie

Bi-Coastal Boobs - If You Come to the Midwest, Know This Because of misunderstandings that frequently develop when Easterners and Californians cross into states such as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, the Tourism Councils in those states have adopted a new policy. In an effort to help outsiders...

I'm sure there are those of you who remember my father and the sagas of him and his cat Charlie. Well, they are all over as of about two hours ago. My father succumbed to a septic infection. I spent the evening with him as they got him transferred from the ER to ICU. He died several hours later....

For some reason Persia is giving me extra kitty kisses lately. This phenomenon starts with the gentle tap to wake me up; I turn over and gaze into her big green eyes and hear a delightful rumbling soft purr. I swear she's smiling :) I reach out to pat her and she does the duck her head then rub...

I wonder if Persia will look different? LOL I'm sick of the optometrist not getting my prescription right. I'm sick of having to reach for glasses before I can stumble to the bathroom in the middle of the night. A few years ago my parents offered to pay for lasik surgery for me to have my vision...

I'm lounging around, reading ebooks (Honor Harrington) and newsgroups (RPCA of course!). It is unbearably hot because the apartment complex hasn't turned on the A/C yet. So I've got a big glass full of ice and Diet Coke sitting within arm's reach, and a gel cold-pak for occasional use to cool...

Funny and true!! Sends me back to my childhood...my mum's a nurse, and we used to love going into the hospital, as we got to go to all the places 'normal' people didn't, and got spoiled by the other nurses. I had both my children at the same hospital, which was great as I'd known my midwives...

My friend called last night in tears because her doc has suggested that she needs to re-home her husband's cat. Smokey is 17 yo and has been with her DH through thick and thin. My friend moved out here 2.5 years ago to marry her DH. My friend has severe asthma. She used to play in the pit for...

It wasn't a heart attack. That much has been confirmed. All the tests were mind-bogglingly normal. My blood pressure is lower than normal; my cholesterol is so low the doctor couldn't believe her eyes; there were none of those nasty little enzymes floating around that could indicate a heart attack....

Mark Edwards wrote This morning I was getting dressed to go run my morning errands. This involved getting my socks out of the dresser drawer. Dulce Mae was on top of the dresser, helping me select a pair of socks, and I was not paying attention. I closed the drawer on her paw.

A little later, I noticed that she was limping a little bit, which worried me. Until I caught her walking normally, when she thought I wasn't watching her. Little minx! Speedy Joe (RB) once sprained (we think) his foot landing awkwardly and of course, we made a huge fuss of him. After that...

I came to lurk and ended up ranting, which was not my intention. Maybe I should mention the cats. ;-) RL has buried me in work, but of course that means I get to spend more time with the office cat(s). Ozzy the Lawcat is my very excellent helper, as always; he's recently taken to jumping on my...

Mischief and Mayhem aren't fighting anymore........at least not when one immediately comes into the room. But they still keep their distance from each other. However every now and then it will be all quiet and suddenly i hear growls and hisses from the other room. Just yesterday I walk in and...

Tessie is a little hoolikitten... but she has accepted that Silver is THE BOSS (but can be played with, batted at, chased and asked to chase in return), and she has realised that Scouty is NOT TO BE DISTURBED AT ANY COSTS. We let her out all day last week and she was very good until it was time to...

NYC's famous couple of red-tailed hawks appear to have eggs in their nest, according to this morning's news-- a real sign of spring. PM and Lola did not successfully produce young last year-- probably from all the disruption when their nest was removed in the winter of 2004-05. But they were...

I just had to tell ya'll this 'cause it is too cute, and, for me, quite heartwarming... In June it'll be 3 years since we took in feral Tucker boy and shy scaredy-cat Robin and just now in the last week these two boycats have learned how to play with each other. Talk about a milestone, especially...

This is adorable! http://www.australian-native.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=27&produ cts_id=718&osCsid=6639f257c540b7dafac8b1d02af49d19 or http://tinyurl.com/m96ro --

I was looking out in the kitten room at Kaleen and Susie, Susie (three months old) was playing with one of those small grey toy mice, having a great time with it, trotting around with it in her mouth, she dropped it, IT scuttled off down the room, oh no a real mouse, the teeniest mouse I have ever...