All of us at Harmony House wish you and your families (2 and 4 legged)
a happy, safe and healthy Holiday Season.

In this time of hardship for many and turmoil worldwide, it is even
more important to treasure our loved ones and hold them close.

Please continue to spread the messages of "spay/neuter" and "adopt
from a shelter" to everyone you meet.

Thank you for all your support during the past year and we look
forward to seeing you at the next big event the Valentine Open House
on February 7th 2009.

Peace, love and many purrs and kisses!!

Just a quick reminder.

26th ANNUAL WALKATHON FOR CATS AND KITTENS

Sunday, May 18, 10:00 a.m.
New 5K (3.1 mile) route

Please call the shelter 773-463-6667 or check out the website
www.hhforcats.org.

Hope to see you there.

Linnea

Most people think they can never have another cat or will never love
another cat when they lose one... I learned from Pierre and my new
cat that this is simply not true.

My first cat Pierre, (thus my screen name Pierrekeet, a nickname my
brother gave him among many) passed away after a 5 year battle with
renal failure, he was 20 years old!!!Almost 21, I could have taken
him for his first legal saucer of cream!!!  He was MY LIFE!!!! He
taught me alot!!! How to be tolerant of cats for one.  My family
really didn't like cats, and we had a dog.  She found Pierre and his
sister under our porch one day and she barked at her new toys
INCESSANTLY!!!! We found a home for his sister but I gave up after
she went... we all got attached even grouchy grandpa liked him (we
would make him go for car rides for weekly visits to my
grandparents).  His personality was so UN-catlike and he just had the
funniest disposition.  By the time he was 15 years old I realized I
hadn't gone on vacation but with his renal failure diagnosis I
refused to let ANYONE care for him during my absence. So I went 10
years and as his health deteriorated, I would tell my boss when he
gets his wings to be the angel in heaven as he was to me on earth, I
will go to Las Vegas and cry and get drunk for 2 weeks....
STRAIGHT!!!!  (it didnt really happen that way) I had one of those
calendars where you pull the page each day and its a different cat...
there was a siamese on the day he died.  Almost 2 years later, a
neighbor asked me if I could watch her cats while she went on
vacation. Of course I agreed, then she admitted that she knew I was
considering allowing another cat to live with me, she told me that
Tramp (a siamese) needed a home, her cat and the siamese didn't
really get along.  So I brought Tramp upstairs by me and checked in
on the other cat and to this day Tramp ALINE (I had to feminise her
name since I did not think it would be right to change it).
I think it was Pierre's way of telling me to help out another cat as
we helped him.
I used to love listening to Pierre purr... well Tramp Aline purrs for
me ALL the time.  she tries to be funny and her cat antics arent as
dramatic as Pierre.. but I know I did not betray him by allowing
another cat in my life. but I still miss "my little feist" as much as
I miss the human family members that I have lost.
Its all about the cats!!!!  :)  meow!

Welcome to all the New Members.

Tell your friends!!!

Let's get some discussions going, stories told and pictures posted.

Hope to see you all at the Spring Dinner/Auction on April 20th.

Details to follow.

SPRING DINNER AND AUCTION

Sunday, April 20, at 11:30 a.m.
Porretta's Banquets
3718 N. Central, Chicago
Free valet parking

For more information and a downloadable brochure, please visit our
website www.hhforcats.org

This is such a fantastic event! Mark your calendars and make your
reservation now!

Hello,

In my neighborhood near the Brickyard Mall we feed alley cats in our
porch.  I want to bring them to a location that they don't kill them.
This organization called my attention after watching a segment on TV
or a magazine article.

I have not been able to go to this location in Chicago northwest, but
in the meantime we are feeding them.  There are about 7.  At the
beginning only one was extremely friendly; with standard grey color
and a long straight up tail.  Now about 3 or 4 are friendly Black and
White but not that friendly as that one. My wife is allergic to cats
since we married in 1976 .  This cat since he or she is so friendly we
let him go inside the house for a few moments when my two dogs are out
in the backyard.

I search Google for a no-kill shelter because when I came from work
the other day my wife was crying feeling sorry for the cats
particularly this very friendly one  that she calls Mr. Cat; because
the temperature was going to be below zero.

Well, I ended up making a little house with a hand cart tied to the
metals from on the front stairs and the wind did not move it.  She put
a cover top towel and inside put 3 towers.  They were cold but they
still walking around.

In coming messages I will tell you the story about the White posum
that came to eat cat food with them at 4AM this morning Monday
Presidents Day.


Sincerely,

Scooter
Chicago, IL

This is a new group so we don't have a lot of postings yet.

Please feel free to post your cat stories and any questions. Also
please respond to any stories or questions.

We will be posting Harmony House news in the future and hopefully some
great photos of some of our beautiful Harmony House cats also.

If you have a photo of a Harmony House alumni, please post to the
photo section. It's always great to see old friends!

Stay warm and let's hope for an early Spring.

I took in my mom's cat Smokey for the last few years of his life, and
he loved to lay on his back under my tree and bat off all the bottom
ornaments. I always put soft unbreakable ones on the bottom half of the
tree so he could play to his heart's content. When I got home from work
he would be waiting for me to hang them back on the tree so the game
could start all over again.

I know that candles are a common decor item all year round, but they
are left burning more often during the holidays. My bad experience was
having my longhaired cat set her tail on fire as she strolled past a
lit candle. Thankfully I grabbed her and put it out right away, and she
just lost some fur near the tip. But I have not had a lit candle in my
apartment after that incident.

Ann

Do you have a favorite Holiday story involving your cat (or dog)?

Please share it with the group, we would love to read it

Linnea

Just musing.

Cats must think we invented the Holidays just for them.

Trees to climb just covered with toys to knock off and then chase
around the house and perhaps break with a satisfying crunch.

Candles to knock over.

Empty boxes to hide and play in.

Crinkly wrapping paper to play in and rip up.

Ribbons to chase and tangle up.

Wonderful smelling food to try and steal.

Lots of new visitors to either pester (the best part is if one of the
visitors is allergic or afraid of cats, those are the ones whose lap
is the most fun to sit in)or hide from (the people who really love
cats and want to pet them are the best to hide from.

Seriously, don't forget your cats and the extra hazards they face
during the Holidays. Breakables to get cut on, candles to get burned
on, ribbons and tinsel to swallow and make them sick, food that is too
rich and unhealthy, bones to choke on, open doors to slip out of.

Keep your Kitties safe and hope you and all your 4 legged family
members have a happy, healthy and safe Holiday Season

Linnea