In November a charming friendly cat adopted a chair on our neighbor's front porch. The poor thing was starving, nothing but skin and bones. Bud started feeding her regularly, and after a few days brought her to the Nine Lives Foundation, a local no-kill shelter. They determined that she was probably about 17 years old (judging from several missing teeth, and others in bad shape), declawed, and suffering from hyperthyroidism. Bud so wanted to adopt her even though we were repeatedly warned against having a cat by the greyhound rescue organization. We tested Kasi with the cat a couple of times (using some of Bud's climbing gear to securely anchor him to the house, limiting his reach), but as soon as he saw four little feet on the ground, his instincts kicked in - much lunging and barking ensued. We may have been able to get them used to each other, but for the safety of the cat, and the mental well-being of Kasi we couldn't risk it. Luckily the shelter took her in, Bud pays for her care and gets to visit her a couple of times a week. Bud named her "Troisième" because she has an endearing habit of sitting with her front feet in third position, and so that her nickname would be “Trois cat.” Anybody want to adopt an older cat? There’s got to be a safe, loving home out there for her somewhere! Or, you could always just send a donation to the foundation. They do good work caring for hundreds of homeless cats. Check out their website, perhaps sponsor a cat.

Unfortunately the vet was unable to get Troisieme's hyperthyroidism under control. Despite eating anything that wasn't nailed down, she continued to lose weight. She passed away sometime very early on New Years morning. She did get to spend her last days warm, well fed, cared for, and loved; we're happy about that, but so sad that she's gone.