Yes, Virginia, Nature abhors a vacuum

....or that other old adage:  the more things change, the more they stay the same.

 Out with the old year and in with new year.  I am moving forward, since there really isn't any other choice.  Courtney, who was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma this past Thursday, Cordelia, with her lymphoma and Celie, diagnosed on Friday with degenerative disk disease, are doing well on their medications.  I'm planning to arrange to have all of Chatsworth's and Cassandra's bad teeth pulled in the next month or two.  Life goes on with me and my menagerie.

In the last few days I have spent a bit more time outside, cleaning up the yard and patio a bit.  Lo and behold a neighborhood cat that I have seen on a few occasions in the past year began hanging out near my driveway.  I've been in this house for 31 years and there have almost always been neighborhood cats.  I and my friend Barb have gotten them fixed over the years and each of us have taken in a few of them.  For me it was Cheech, Sonic, Chavez, Chewy, Ciji and Cinderella.  Ciji is still with me and I found a home for Cinderella.  The others passed on several years ago. 

The day after Barb and I first saw the gray tabby next door, I saw her again with a kitten.  The neighbor's intact white male, who freely roams the neighborhood, was checking out the kitten.  Neither the momma cat nor the kitten would let me touch them.  Momma seemed less wary and let me get within a couple of feet of her.  The kitten raced away whenever I was near.  I planned to trap them and get both fixed before more kittens appeared this spring.  I put out food to get them accustomed to eating at my house.  Well, then a black cat showed up too.  Due to the size of this cat, I figure this is another female.  So, I've been feeding the 3 of them for several days now.  I've been able to pet both Momma and the black cat.  Momma really likes to be petted and vocally gives me a lecture if I don't approach and rub her head.  She also lets me know that the food dish is empty and I need to fill it up.  The 3 of them have decided that they much prefer canned food to dry food.

I put down a dish of canned food this morning and while the 3 were eating, I decided to take a chance.  Of the three, the kitten was closest to me.  I bent down and picked her up.  To my surprise, she didn't struggle at all.  I petted her for only a minute or two and then gently lowered her to the food.  She proceeded to eat.  No harm, no foul.  I may not need to trap after all.  So later today I'll be calling to arrange surgeries for them all, and will hopefully be able to get them in later this week. 

I certainly wasn't looking for any more cats, but I apparently have 3 new friends.  Maybe if I actually ran my vacuum more often I could nullify that "natural vacuum effect."