First the good news, from Saira:
Orville was picked up by his adopter today and is already at his new home, getting to know his new humans and kitty sibling. It goes without saying that the adopter was from the Balloon Juice commentariat.
Thanks again to both you and the BJ community for helping Orville find a home!
Another less-happy update, concerning Hypatia, from Nethead Jay: Poor kitty has run up more expensive health bills, and her owner could really use some help. (For some reason I can’t copy Jay’s message here, but you should be able to read it at the link.)
cathyx
Who is that a picture of?
raven
@cathyx: Hypatia,
NotMax
OT:
Awkward task checked off the list.
Found out this week that a pseudo-aunt had died (she’d been very ill, had gone blind, and was very frail and house-bound for a long time). I say pseudo-aunt because she was married to the my step-father’s first (deceased) wife’s brother, and not in any way related by blood or marriage to me.
Anyway, hadn’t seen or talked to her or her husband for at least 35 years. Called her husband today to offer condolences. Never really know what to say on such occasions, as commiseration has never been my thing. Awkward because he (her husband) went on and on over the phone about how much she had always reminisced and gushed delightedly about the single time I had gone to their apartment for hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails, an occurrence which, frankly, don’t recall at all.
raven
@NotMax: It was the call that counted.
cathyx
@NotMax: She was married to your stepfather’s first wife’s brother. And hadn’t seen her for 35 years. And her husband remembers you and an occasion that happened a long time ago.
I just had to repeat that because that totally amazes me.
JPL
What happened to Snowbell? Also are we still staring at an empty cat tree or has Rosie destroyed it?
Roger Moore
@NotMax:
I believe the technical term is “cousinoid”: a person who is connected to you by a route that is enough more complicated than a traditional relationship that it’s too much trouble to bother explaining it.
@cathyx:
You can be sure it’s not Steve, because there’s no way Cole could take a picture that good.
p.a.
@NotMax: possibly he was confusing you with someone else?
Violet
@NotMax: You did a good thing by calling. Depending on how his memory is, you might never have visited at all and he might be confusing you with someone else, a movie or making it up. You made him feel loved and reminded him she was loved too. That’s what counts.
raven
@p.a.: What’s the difference? It’s over.
NotMax
@Violet
Since he mentioned it, dug around in the dank recesses of memory and now do remember enjoying a good cigar and very good brandy at their place.
Diana
having failed to contribute in time to the Tunch bereavement fund, I will call Monday to the campus vet and contribute to this. Consider it in memory of the estimable Tunch. Thanks for posting.
cathyx
@Roger Moore: That’s so true. Even if he uses his iphone to take the pictures, they should come out way better than what he takes. It’s like he’s using his kodak from 1970.
ETA: On second thought, it’s like he’s using a disposable camera from the 1990s.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@NotMax: Clearly your call made the widowed husband feel good for the moment. That’s what really matters, in my view, and it’s sweet that you took the time to make the gesture.
Violet
@NotMax: Isn’t it nice that you were so loved and appreciated by her, even if you didn’t know it before. How very flattering!
NotMax
Violet, thread was essentially dead when I posted, so don’t know if you saw the link to a mostly unknown Buster Keaton color film short offered in response to your expressed liking of Keaton.
WereBear
I’m so sorry for your friend; you had posted before about Hypatia. I hope she feels a little better knowing she did all she could, and gave her a great life. She would be long gone under other circumstances!
In the end, what else can we do? I donated at the email address… the care page was not up yet?
Beeb
That’s lovely news about Orville, sad news about Hypatia. Jay, you’re a good friend. I’ll donate when you get that page put up. If you don’t get around to it, or I forget to check back, I have written a note to myself to call the vet on Monday.
realbtl
@NotMax:
Doing the right thing is never wrong.
WereBear
Thrilled about Orville. We demand pictures of the little Bat-Eared One.
smintheus
@NotMax: Thanks for posting that film. I’d heard of it but never expected to be able see it; it’s very funny, some really good gags. Keaton’s in top form.
kathy a.
@NotMax: It’s so good you called; that meant a lot to him, obviously.
My favorite great-uncle was in no way legally related — he married the widow of my dad’s uncle,and we all adopted each other. Sometimes family is just who thinks to care.
PurpleGirl
@smintheus: How are the rescue kitties and momcat doing today?
smintheus
@PurpleGirl: They’re being socialized surprisingly quickly. All of them will purr now while we’re holding them, especially when we’re also feeding them. None are hissing any longer when we take them from the cage. We’ve figured out a good trick that works best with the kittens who were most wary of us: We pet them with sani-wipes so that they feel like they’re being licked. They go nuts for this, and the shyest beg to be given a second ‘licking’ and curl up and nap in our laps.
Nethead Jay
To everybody: There is now a page op on Youcaring, here is the address: https://www.youcaring.com/HelpHypatia
Thank you so much from my friend and I to all of you. Donations have already come in to Paypal and several of you have written to say you will be calling Campus Vet on Monday. I have just sent Anne Laurie the above Youcaring page address and added it to the linked document.