Ninja's Ninth Birthday Today!!!

Ninja Panther Moonrose Cat is depressed!!!

How can that be?

It's his birthday.

As Queen, I told him he must deport himself in a manner proper for my Guard and main Royal Advisor. He didn't smile, didn't straighten up, didn't purr. But, he did put on a brave Ninja face.

He refused at first to tell me what's wrong. Why in the world is he depressed on his birthday. Finally, he swallowed his pride and confessed that he didn't consider another year older to be to his advantage. In fact, his retirement from his younger, lithe, muscular, martial artist days are over. He feels therefore his life is over.

He feels he's lost his value as a mancat. He said, even though he knew better, there is an old superstition that a cat's nine lives are up when he becomes nine years old!

I told him in no uncertain terms to straighten up and fly right. Suddenly he laughed and told me he would not be doing any ninja flying techniques ever again.

But, his laugh was light-hearted, and more accepting of himself and his situation.

"After all, Queen Bambi," he said to me,  I'm happy to have my forever home and not be in that shelter where my previous people had left me."

I told him I was happy he was here, too.

"And best of all, I am happy to be here living with you and Spyder."

I gave him a nose kiss for that thoughtful remark and wished him a happy ninth birthday.

Adopta-Birthday!

Hey Efurrybody! Guess what? We ben celebratin' my adopta-birthday! I ben living here in my furrever home wiff Queen Bambi, Ninja, and Miss E for one whole year! Seems lyke it was a minnut ago. Huh?

I remembers my adopshun day, and I remembers da furst tyme I saw Miss E, too. It was ryte after dey brot me and my fambly into da shelter. We been livin down by the Watsonville Slew until then. That's kinda lyke a marsh but only better. Dey dint ketch my mama. She too smart for dem guys. But she say, "Be nice kittens. Go wid dem, cos dey gonna give yoo nice new furrever homes. Don't hafta live in da wet water ol swamp ennymore." I kinda lyke da wet water, but I did what mama sez.

So, dat furst day we was all takin' a cozy nap inside da glass room and sumpin waked me up. I roll over and there she was... Miss E! I took one looks at her and I just knew she was gonna 'dopt me. So I blinkt at her with my blue eye. And guess what? She pretty smart! She blinkt right back at me with her blue eye. Then I blinkt at her wiff my gold eye, and she blinkt back wiff her blue eye. She ain't got no gold eye, but that's okay. I loves her how she is.

I was a liddle disappoynted cos she dint take me home dat day. But da older big cats tol' me I had ta stay and get me fixed furst and tested for dehzeezuhs. I dint mind tests too much but gettin' fixed made me hurts. But, now I dont cares bout that stuff no more.

I thot I never gonna see Miss E ever again when dey take me to other shelter. But, lyke I say, she one smart purrson. She hunt me down and bringed me home.

Here I am one year later, I one growed up happy boy cellabraytin' my furst adopta-birthday!!! And I still blinks my eye at Miss E to tells her I loves her.