Meet our new family member:

I know we said that when our Himalayan died we would not get another pet because we like to just pack up and go.  But the house was so quiet and I missed her so terribly.  When we went to our local no kill shelter (The A.R.K.) to drop off our cat food, toiletries, grooming products, etc. there were so many needy cats.  This one caught our eye, she's a Persian mix, 3 years old, seven pounds and a purring machine.  We wanted to wait until after vacation (which starts tomorrow) to pick her up but we couldn't be sure she would be there when we got back.  I had called the shelter on Monday the 30th to see if they could hold her and was told probably not.  When I told my friend Ruthann on Tuesday night that they couldn't hold her, she volunteered to pick her up after she'd been to the vet.  I called immediately when they opened and was told they had just taken a group to the vet and if they had known, they would have included her.  They would try to take her when they picked up the cats they dropped off that morning.  Each cat is checked over, given flea medication, a microchip, all shots and is spayed or neutered as needed.  Adoptions can't take place until that's done but Sherry wanted to work with us.  We stopped there on Thursday at noon and found out they couldn't get her in on Wednesday afternoon but if we could fill out the paperwork, make the donation and get her to the Vet in Wyoming, IL (about 30 minutes away), we could take her home after.  Since she had her front claws already removed, everyone was certain she had been spayed and that was indeed the case.  We did find an infection that was discovered by examining her stool and we're giving her an antibiotic for that.  The downside was she shouldn't be exposed to Ruthann's cat who has an autoimmune disease.  So, we took her home, shot and chipped Thursday afternoon and arranged for a sitter (actually two taking turns).

She's easily started by loud noises, confused when people come and go and sometimes all you see is tail and rear end, but today, Sunday, she's out of hiding more often even coming to the top level to visit my craft room.  She's very loving and seems to like our company because she always hides where we are.  We had a small problem with discharge from her left eye and made an appointment to have that checked in the morning, but today it looks so much better that maybe the antibiotics helped or she had something in it that finally came out.  I'll post updates on the way she settles in.  We leave for Des Moines, Iowa about noon on Monday.  That will shorten our run from home to South Dakota by four or five hours and allow us to eat at the Machine Shed.  By the time we get home, Sassy should know every hiding place in the house.  After our Wisconsin vacation, we are going to get a companion for her so she won't be lonely when we travel.