Introduction

One could easily say cats are my life, as pathetic as that sounds. Wherever I've lived, I've quickly become known as the 'crazy cat lady.' I currently have four cats, though I've had as many as 13 at a time. I recently lost my 8-year-old boy, Otis, who pulled his leash loose and disappeared into the woods on Aug. 22. Not a day goes by that I don't grieve for him.

But my other four furbabies are a huge comfort. There's Raj, a 19-year-old Tonkinese; and my girls--Shugi, 17; Xochitl, 8; and Belle, who just turned 1. Belle is my little Hurricane Katrina baby. When my vet brought 40-odd dogs and cats up from the Gulf Coast a few weeks after Katrina and Rita hit, she asked me if I'd like to foster two 5-week-old kittens who had no mama. I was thrilled, and would have kept both except one was already spoken for. Little Belle loves water, strangely enough, and adores shrimp--a true Cajun, I guess.

Caring for these kids can get tough at times, as any single mom can attest, but I consider it time, money and energy well spent. I have considered, though, having a bumper sticker made up that says "My cats, and my money, go to New Hope Animal Hospital"!