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    izzie
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    Dogs and Cats and critters of all description... their stories go here.

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  • marye
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    Megabeamz!
    to you and Sheba, with an extra dose of tumor-begone!
  • starsleeper
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    Sheba
    Sheba had her operation to remove a Round Cell tumor. Am told the laser surgery lasted about 20 minutes. She is doing very well. Bless you all!
  • iknowurider
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    Marye
    I followed your link & just wanted to say, what a wonderful article. Its great to see how people have changed over the last decade. For those who have felt hopeless in the midst of a trying time & to prevail, giving the animals a life that many thought would be impossible. Right on & thank you that 18 is a cutie, I hope he & Cristal found loving families PEACE
  • marye
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    my Callie's 15 minutes of fame
    I do this somewhat sporadic pets column for one of the local radio stations' Web sites. I set out to write one about a couple of nice dogs awaiting homes at Peninsula Humane, but like a number of things in my life, it wound up being all about Callie. (Introduced in the first post in this topic.) If you're so inclined you can read the result here: http://www.kgoam810.com/article.asp?id=634980
  • BobbaLee
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    My good friends
    We have two cats and 1 dog a scottish terrierPumpkin was chosen at a Cat Rescue event- he is somewhat ferril but very friendly on HIS terms. He is orange and white. He can open up doors and loves to walk around at night turning off and on our lights. He will actually come and touch me with his paws if I am behind schedule in his feedings. He loves Ivory our other cat. Ivory is a white fat cat. She is 90% blind due to her being slammed against a wall by her former owner. Cat Rescue called us because they know we would give her a great home. Ivory "sounds" by sqeeking as she walks. She will cry and cry until someone answers her and then she will find that person. She also brings us her "babies". These are Beenie babies that she carries in her mouth. She deposits 4 or 5 outside of our bedroom door at night. She is very affectionate. she is very spunky and adores Pumpkin but lets him have it if he gets too "romantic" Then there is Barnie a very rascally Scotty he is like a big goofy kid who loves everyone and is full of energy and joy. He loves to play in my garden and is a great friend. I think he likes the GD when I have ona DVD he watches our HD very intently. He does not like the Mickey and Jerry as Spock and Santa he always barks at that segment for some reason. And the road goes on forever.... BobbaLee
  • Melinda
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    3 fat furry muses
    stellablue, that's an incredible story about the peacock! thanks for sharing : ) when i was a little girl i went to summer camp at St. John the Divine cathedral in New York where i live. they have peacocks roaming freely on the grounds, these great beautiful blue regal things. i used to follow them around secretly- they were nowhere near as sociable as your friend - i wish! I've got three wonderful old cats, each with her own little quirks. or perhaps i should say they've got me. We adopted the first, Rosie, when i was just seven years old (i'm 16 now). She used to stalk me and pounce on me from behind. On her first night in our house, she somehow found a way to scramble up the (very vertical and flat) ladder to my old bunk bed. (i still don't know how!) i found her purring next to my face only to have her bite my cheek the next moment! i ended up having to walk around the house with a spray bottle until she decided to be nice. My mother called it "showing her that i was the dominant cat." Over the years we adopted two more, Socks and Angie. Each newcomer on the scene has changed the dynamic of the house in her own way. Rosie is now a fat and furry old lap cat, but still with a temper if you rub her the wrong way (pun semi-intended...). Socks seems to me the oldest soul of the three, a wise graying silky siamese-tabby. I like to have conversations with her - she makes me feel so peaceful. And Angie, our youngest cat is a character if there ever was one. She's black and angular and wired. When we first adopted her, the doctor who was supposed to spay her picked her up, paused, and said "...This cat is pregnant!" She had three beautiful kittens, but two of them died (one shortly after birth, one of pneumonia later on). The last, Pololo, lives in the building next door to us now, and i still occasionally see him. He is pitch black like his mother, except for a white splotch on his chest and all of the area around his nose. His mom's getting old as well, but she still likes to run top-speed down our long hallway and halfway up the wall at the end -- when we're not looking, of course.
  • heathaafeathaa
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    i love to read and hear animal stories.they all are like angles.well back sometime ago my lovebird had a couple hatchlings,which didnt make it.i was told that the first time parents sometimes it'll happen.well she had another clutch.and one hatchling so far.shes feeding it and keeping it warm.which is good she had nothing to do w/the other two.so hopefully this one makes it.i'll keep ya posted.it's a pretty cool thing to watch how they feed and take care of each other and help out,the papa bird is crazy,he is very proud!!he sleeps in the nest at night w/them which i think is kind of strange,now i know why they call them 'lovebirds',these two definetly live up to the name..ha,ha. peace
  • deadheadkid
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    Jake
    I once had a great dog named Jake who i am convinced was a very confused angel in disguise. We rescued Jake from an abusive home where he was only being used for breeding as it was a puppy mill. Jake had many emotional issues, but was a big sweetheart. He was abused again by our neighborhood teenagers, who shot him with paintball guns. He got along with everyone, and was one of the most gentle dogs ive ever met. He died last year of Liver and kidney failure. I hope he was reincarnated because there are many in need of a dog like Jake.Kid
  • cosmicbadger
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    dognet
    Koki the dog had rice tonight too..we always cook extra when we have it as he adores the stuff (well he was born in Asia..) He is being very affectionate and friendly since his 24 hour escapade, but I know it's all plot to get me to let him off the lead again.
  • marye
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    a hearty repast
    Rex and Callie are enjoying a restful snooze after lunching on the Badger's Dog Diet of boiled chicken and rice. Well, I had some carrots in the fridge so they went in too. Some yogurt on top, too, always good for the digestion. I thought a little change would do them no harm. They clearly thought they were getting away with something, so much that Rex forgot to object when I went outside for a minute because he was too busy eating. So we raise a virtual dog treat in salute to our esteemed colleagues in France...
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oh and... SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS! and also Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die!
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only 4 cats and they call you the crazy cat lady??? peace.
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i have a dog named tiger ....i got him from a shelter when he was 8 monrths old he is now 12 years old....i take him wherever i go we have gone crosscountry 4 times together he even flew back once while i took the train.... he has gone to plenty of shows with me... when my son was born he came in jumped on the bed and licked him on his head (we had a home birth)...i couldn't imagine life with out him when my wife first moved in together he got jellous and ate a small pile of my clothes the vet said he neede surgery...i didn't have the money with out even a second thought my wife (then girlfriend) wipped out her credit card...later on she said she knew i would be a good father cause i treat tiger so good.
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a girlfriend who whips out the credit card to save your dog=priceless! Sounds like a good family you've got there.
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all dogs deserve guardian angels like that!!
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About a month ago some mean hunters near our village here in France shot a mama wild boar who had with her at least 4 little babies . One of our neighbours managed to rescue one of the piglets and we spent ages trying to find the others but without success :-( Anyway the little baby boar was name Noelle and another neighbour offered to raise her. The funny thing is that he is himself a dedicated hunter, but he does not hold with killing animals with young. So he and his wife spent nights bottle feeding this tiny fierce, frightened stripy piglet, while their gang of 9 hunting dogs and adopted strays looked on. Now a few weeks later little Noelle the wild pig thinks she's a dog. She sleeps in big pile with them, shares their food and water and runs around with them. One of the dogs in particular has adopted little Noelle and looks out for her..and he is a specially bred pig hunting dog! It’s crazy and amazing. I will try to post a picture.
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As promised here is a pic of Noelle the baby Sanglier (wild boar). I will try to get one of her with her dog friends! Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
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Thanks for the picture, cosmicbadger, perfect way to start the day.
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Well isn't that the cutest looking thing iv'e ever seen. I like the stripes on the fur.Phatmoye
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Thank you Badger, makes my day! (This reminds me that, thanks to the Asterix books of my college days, Sanglier is one of relatively few French words I know. One result of this is that back in the '70s we had a little catfish in our aquarium whose job it was to eat all the crud, and because of his burrowing ways we called him Yves Sanglier, after Yves St. Laurent. I'd forgotten all about this till I went to the Yves St. Laurent exhibition at the De Young the other week--and let me earnestly recommend that you check it out if it comes to your town. Really brought back the memories.)
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we must hear more of the exploits of this remarkable piglet!
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Noelle is growing up now but is still cute and stripey. She now goes off on expeditions to the forest with her gang of hunting dog friends who still look after her. It’s very odd to come across them all when we are out on a walk...she roots around for acorns while they sniff around for...err wild pigs. However our dog is not at all fooled by the pig that thinks it’s a dog...when Noelle and chums come onto our land he sets off in hot pursuit and chases the imposter pig over the stone wall and back into the neighbours field, snapping at its cute little tail. Last time I went over to see little Noelle I asked our neighbour what she will do when Noelle is fully grown and weights 40kg! She said that wild boar females remain very tame and can live more than 20 years..the males though get wild when they grow up and are dangerous with their tusks. All I can say is that she had better stay out of our vegetable patch and flower beds or I’ll be checking out my recipe books....
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Keep us updated about Noelle's fascinating life, when you can, ok?? Is a wonderful tale you told and an adorable photo!********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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I can see it now, the Noelle the Sanglier fan club...
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Who is a grumpy, senile old dude of 17, had been worrying us all winter. Seemed like he was wasting away, getting thinner by the day. BUT All of the sudden he seems to have Spring Fever. He has been going out this week, and even brought home a mouse yesterday (hadn't hunted in ages). Collective sigh of relief. ********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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2 nights ago my little kitten (ok so she's not a kitten anymore, but I can think that) went on an adventure. Trying to air out the house, one of our windows was open, because I hadn't cleaned it yet (snow/ice problems), she got when I was gone. When I finally got home she had been missing for a little while (according to others in the house). Looking at Casey (animal shelter kitty, hand shy but truly an attention-whore, very cuddly) I ask her where her best friend went, and I saw in her eyes "outdoors". Believe me when I say I'd rather have her outdoors, but not with a busy street right next to the homestead. So I looked around the building and didn't find her....oh well, I thought, she'll come back. I was sad or more worried about the drunken driver car people. Knowing that she was brought up right, I just trusted her....cabin fever jaunt maybe. So I go to bed with the window open (can you just do that anytime here? NO, it's usually too cold or too hot) and about 3:30am I'm sleeping away with my ears atuned to the outdoors....MEOW (in a soft yet not-to-subtle Sierrah tone) and instantly I woke up. Hey baby, there you are....I walk outside and click-call her right into my arms. This is not the first cat, nor dog, that has done this indoors or out. Yet I always know they will find their way home because if you bring them up right, they just know! Amazing kitty. _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!
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I consider it a real honor to have a mouse at my door. Glad to see China Cat still has some spunk!_____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!
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Really, it was. Wind howling, rain pelting. My (not yet) wife and I were living on the third floor of an apartment building. Her tom cat Ebony (yes, a black cat) had recently moved in with us after having spent some time in the country. He was very much an outdoor cat, and we were not in a great outdoor cat place, but we had a fire escape off our bedroom window, and he figured out how to get up and down it to go prowling. So, the dark and stormy night...wasn't stormy when we went to bed. The thunder woke us up, and my (not yet) wife said "I think I hear Ebony at the window." Which was my cue to get out of bed and let him in. Looked out the window, couldn't see ANYTHING, but I opened it anyway. The wind and rain came rushing in, practically knocking back off my feet. Lightning flashed, lit up the open window, and there was the black cat, letting out a howl. His front legs were shredded, and blood was dripping out of his mouth. Ok, I screamed. This poor cat looked like something out of Pet Semetary, really and truly. Given that we were living just a mile from Stephen King's house made the possibility all the more likely. Ebony used up a few of his lives that night, but he lived on to have numerous other adventures. And getting to live a scene from a horror movie used up a few of mine as well. Eb was a pretty cool cat, all-in-all. We've had all of our cats (and dogs) spayed or neutered ever since.
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By popular request here is our favourite little pig with one of her friends Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
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Awsome pic...can she catch a frisbee?
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To a Javelina? Badger....love the trotting pic by the way ~peace~ _____________________________________________ Will you come with me? Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right!
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those big brown eyes! that cute little grin! those stripes! and so fond of her canine family!
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to answer Canyon Critter's question, Noelle is a Eurasian Wild Boar (Latin: Sus scrofa) and so is a relative of the American Javelina (or Peccary) but not the same. Wild boars are very common around here despite the hunting and can cause a lot of agricultural damage; the males can grow to up to 250 pounds and are very scary. They are mostly nocturnal in the wild, but Noelle keeps the same time as her canine friends. The other day I saw Noelle curled up asleep in the sunshine with her friend Tosca, who is still recovering from being badly tusked by a boar on a hunting trip in the winter! She comes when you call her name, is somewhat shy, but loves being tickled on her belly. When you do that she just rolls over and goes into a trance of delight.
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Love the Noelle Tales and photos, keep em coming please, when you can. ********************************** It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
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between wanting the whole world to know of the lovely Noelle and thinking Badger's village should remain in bucolic peace sans hordes of admiring visitors. Is Noelle showing signs of being as smart as pigs are reputed to be, given half a chance?
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None of it is true anyway, I just dream it up and fool around with photoshop :-)
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us metropolitan Suidae visitors may show up anyways... "right outside this lazy summer home" and when we do, we'll sleep on your couch and eat your food, and quite possible root around in your garden with our snouts... "and sometimes we visit your country and live in your home" peace.
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we should get Noelle a tie-dye t-shirt. To wear in the woods so hunters don't mistake her for one of those other wild pigs!
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about the tie-dye... i would hate to see noelle on the dinner plate
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My she has grown. She has lost her baby stripes and now weighs over 30kg. She still likes to have her belly tickled as you can see in the picture. She begs for treats like a puppy and still hangs out with her hunting dog friends every day. She is going to get a dayglo waistcoat before the hunting season starts and maybe her own enclosure just to keep her safe on hunting days. Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

QuickPost Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!
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they grow up so fast! She looks like a pretty contented sanglier. Stay away from those hunters, Noelle!
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She did get big, I know you told us about the males, but how big or how much will she way when shes full grown?Forever Grateful, Forever Dead, Peace- Moye
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I am very sad to have to tell you that Noelle the orphan wild boar is dead. Last week (while I was away) some government wildlife officials visited our neighbours and told them that they could not keep a wild animal without a licence. Despite pleading for leniency they served notice that they would return in 2 days to collect Noelle and take her away to be slaughtered. There followed two days of frantic searching for a way out. It was not possible to get the required licence in time and no zoos or animal parks wanted her. It was impossible to let her go, as she is so tame she would walk up to the first dog or human she met and soon be killed, or might even starve in the wild. Mrs Badger offered to hide her at our place but that was seen to be only delaying the inevitable. So after many many tears and heart searching discussions late into the night, and hours before the government men came back, it was decided that there was only one option. No one wanted her to experience the terror of being taken away to some slaughterhouse. After everyone had said good bye to her (including me over the phone) Noelle was sent swiftly, painlessly and unknowingly to the hereafter by our neighbour. He had tears in his eyes I am told, and he a dedicated hunter with 20 years service in the Special Forces (if it is ever discovered who turned her in I think they might share a similar fate). We all miss her, the dogs are looking for her and the place is not the same without her. It is hard and Noelle's 'mum' is still crying, but we are happy that she was saved the fate of starving in the woods as a tiny orphan and had the chance to enjoy for 6 months the most carefree happy, loving life a little boar could ever dream of. So say goodbye to the little sanglier who thought she was a dog and charmed every other being she met in her short life. :-(
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poor poor Noelle! Story made me cry too. RIP Noelle, and a curse on the men who wanted to take you to slaughter!!!!!!!!!!********************************** Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. Mark Twain
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or does the notion of licensing to sustain the presence of a native indigenous species on one's property not seem like the height of warrantless government intrusion and human arrogance? Where does it end, licensing for the worms in the dirt? From what I've been able to gather, and admittedly I'm not in possession of all the facts, it appears that a member of this species of indigenous fauna chose to establish a range that included Badger's friends property and was free to leave any time she chose to. The fact that she chose to socialize with the more domesticated species also present in that range says more about her desire to harmoniously co-exist with other species than anything else, and should be an instructive lesson for those wanking government nabobs with nothing better to do than tick boxes on their forms and disrupt the natural order around them. I will remember Noelle as a brave and open minded soul, pointlessly martyred in the continuing struggle for freedom due to the short-sightedness of ignorant idiots who should have their own licenses revoked. My heartfelt condolences to all who were lucky enough to have been befriended by this wonderful creature. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.
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Pid! forgot to add my condolances too. Is just heartbreaking. ********************************** Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. Mark Twain
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my heart felt condolances go out to all friends of noelle..i will miss reading about her adventers...right on mr pid...
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i am so very sorry for your loss, that sux to no end......rest assured, god will take care of the rotten, lowlife, scum, bastard, fink, s.o.b. that turned in poor little noelle....but if you hear that the aforementioned slime happens to be in my area, pls let me know....justice will be swift, i promise you!!
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I've been relating the story of Noelle to my wife, animal-lover extraordinaire but a non-Head and not too fond of computers. I think that I'll not tell her this part of the story...she's likely to jump on a plane, hunt down the evil-doers and...well, do something. Condolences from both of us, even if the Mrs doesn't know she's sending them. (Can't believe that I just referred to her as "the Mrs". She better never see this post...)
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in the Bible, the lion lying down with the lamb heralds the dawn of a new era where things work in peace and harmony, free of all the evils with which humans and their behavior and trips and general creepiness have blighted the planet since the dawn of time. We did not get the lion lying down with the lamb, but the hounds lying down with the sanglier works for me. Every day I could look at Noelle's picture and know that somewhere in some unknown corner of France, things were working as they ought to work all the time, and that maybe there was hope. It goes without saying that some twit organization regarded its institutionalized authoritarian power and the preservation thereof as more important than this miracle and saw the miracle as a threat to their soulless domination, and refused to see any option that did not involve the utter destruction of this threatening miracle. Their stupid creepy evil power trip was more important than this baby's life or the well-being of those who loved her. I'm sitting here dropping tears onto the keyboard. I cannot express the anger and despair this is causing me. I can't imagine what it's like for her loved ones.
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Unfortunately laws are needed about keeping wild animals because of the macho idiots who decide they want to keep dangerous animals such bears and wolves, who encourage trade in endangered species and who often mistreat these creatures when they become demanding and troublesome. What makes me so sad and angry in Noelle's case is that those mean officials followed the letter of the law not the spirit, and did not allow us more time to find a more suitable and kinder solution. They could see that she was not dangerous and she was beautifully cared for. If they had given us a month we could have got a licence or found somewhere to take her or would have at least had more choices. It is so touching how many of you have expressed your feelings about this and how many have offered all sorts of help. Thank you. I will pass on your sympathies to Noelle's family. If you want to pay tribute to little Noelle then please make a donation or volunteer your time for your local animal shelter or do what you can to help wild creatures wherever you are. Actually this little corner of France has a terrible history of unimaginable atrocities by ‘authorities’ against the local population: by the Knights Templar when they were Cathars, by the forces of the King when they were protestants and by the SS in WW2. Country people learn how to dry their eyes, pick up the pieces and carry on. But they also have long memories.
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RIP, Noelle. may the 4 winds blow you safely home. ********************** "Why else would you concoct such a delicious revenge? It must be a gesture of love." - Rostand
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I'm not sure where to introduce myself but I'm new here. I'm a single mom who lives in Connecticut with 2 daughters. I enjoy the dead music, but enjoy the community more. i like to meet new people and I love live bands. My name is Mari.
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posted in the wrong forum, i'm new here, and not sure how to move or edit this topic. Well since it is about our animal friends, I'm a crazy cat lady with 8 cats and a Geico. Recently I lost 2 of my precious kitties and I think about them every day and hope to see them one day on the other side. I just read the story of Noelle and it is completely heartbreaking. I am at a loss for words.
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no need to apologise, Mari, and welcome to the forum. once posted, you can not move anything, but it don't really matter. by the by, there ain't nothing crazy about being a cat lady. love and peace, cc (crazy cat)
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bring any cake?.....or cookies?