Conference misery::feline

         Midnight - 3 years old now (I can't believe that she's that old)
    and pure black.  She, like her compatriots, is an indoor kitty, and
    we'll be keeping an extra special eye on her that night.  She's afraid
    of the front door and the noise it makes when it opens, though, so
    she'll probably spend the night snuggled in bed with the others!
    
    					- Andrea

    Feendoonie will most likely be tunneling in the Sunday comics as she
    usually does when I'm done with them! She adores being under
    newspapers! So her costume this year (again) will be a 'living'
    newspaper on the prowl! She scoots them across the floor trying to get
    under them. 8-)
    
    She sometimes sits in the window, but this is usually Furby's spot. She
    looks like fallen leaves with her calico markings. I guess she's more
    of a Thanksgiving color! ;-)
    
    Then Finnigan, the pumpkin cat (and round enough to pass for one
    easily!) will most likely be on the prowl for 'just one more" package
    of tender vittles as HIS treat! ;-)
    
    Even though I don't get any kids around my place (adult mobile home
    park) I make sure I have some treats, and I keep the cats in for a
    couple of days before and after Halloween. Why take chances?
    
    The Framingham Shelter doesn't adopt out black or white kitties just
    before halloween either, unless the adopting party is well known by a
    volunteer. I like that rule myself! (Nancy Cross, isn't this how you
    ended up with Tia and Hasbro? 8-} )
    
    Yonee

    Hotrail, my 10 1/2 year old black 1/2 Siamese... will most likely spend 
    the day harassing the heck out of the kittens.... she sits outside their
    door and "YOWL"s at them, then pushes her arm under as far as she can
    and tried to grab them!!!  What a brat!!!!  She normally sits at the
    front door waiting for all the kids to arrive, and then just stares at
    them... pure black with big gold eyes... she can be spooky to look at,
    when she is starring at you!!!!

    M-L
    
    PS.. my "children" will all be in the house, as they normally are
    (inside cats only)... but the dog will really be watched, as he wuold
    just as soon go pleasure riding with ANYONE!!!  Just jingle your keys
    at Casey, and he goes and grabs his black leather jacket, and
    goggles!!!

         Oh my gosh, I forgot that Loki's an orange tabby, so he's a
    "pumpkin" cat.  He'll never forgive me ...
    
         He loves to watch the goings-on, so he probably *won't* be in the
    bedroom with Midnight and Bigfoot 8-) .
    
    					- Andrea

	Skippy & Wimpy, my two 1 1/2 year old brothers, both pure black (except
	for just a tiny touch of white under the chin) will be inside as usual.
	They do love to sit on the front porch but that's where I give the
	candy out from.

    Try and keep Christopher in around Trick or Treat time.  I can imagine
    him out there with his own bag following the kids around.  He loves
    candy.  Charlie will have to stay in also as he freaks at strangers.
    We have two new cats, one that just came back from vets today, who
    will have to be watched.  And old man Tigger will sleep the day away 
    on my bed as usual.
    
    I'll just sit there and worry that someone is kidnapping one of them or
    they have joined a band of kids and gone too far away or they are
    playing in traffic.  That's right, just another normal day for me.

    Well, Tabitha and I will be doing our typical routine.  I've got this
    harness for her that she doesn't mind too much.  I usually dress up as
    a witch for the kids and carry Tabitha with me to the door whenever the
    trick-or-treaters come.  She loves the attention she gets, and the kids
    love her!
    
    Holly
    

    
    Dominique will be locked in the barn to avoid any mischief....
    
    She should develop quite the attitude from this, but she will
    get over it!

    
    	Whitney will be banished to the bedroom - she loves to dash
    	out open doors - and will no doubt be VERY vocal about
    	her dislike for the arrangement. This should make for some
    	very interesting sound effects for the Trick or Treaters!
    
    	Jebb will no doubt sleep through the whole affair. He's white/
    	beige - so it's not his day to howl...
    
    	Heidi

    I'm not sure how many of you will remember my halloween story of
    three years ago but it is so "spooky" I thought I'd share it again.
    As you know...I have a habit of helping strays in my neighborhood...
    well three years ago on Halloween night I was in my bathroom talking
    to who I thought was Barkley!!!  Ernie heard me talking to him and
    asked "who are you talking to??"  of course I responded "barkley".
    Ernie said "you can't be talking to Barkley because he is in the
    cellar!!!    I thought Ernie was CRAZY...until he walked in the
    bathroom with Barkley in his arms!!!  Low and Behold....there was
    a pure black strange cat sitting in my bathroom gabbing away to me!!!!
    Of course since it was Halloween night we felt it was an omen and 
    my sister decided to keep this black kitty who is named Oakley!
    
    This years Black kitties are:
    
     o  Barkley - beautiful big shiny black cat with a small white locket.
        Barkley will be dressing as his usual self.....Bully in Leather!
    
     o  Van Gogh - Big (fat) bouncing black cat with some white on belly and
        feet.   So hugable and sweet to humans....but don't let him near
        another kitty!! 
    
     o  Ziggy (stray who sleeps in cellar) is a gorgeous crazy black cat
        with white on his chest, doubled pawed feet and a small white stripe 
        on his nose.   So adorable....
    
     o  Happy Cat (outdoor stray) big bruiser of a boy who is totally
        black.   I'm nervous about this guy because I haven't seen him
        in two weeks and it's not good to have a black cat on the prowl
        at halloween.  Come home Happy Cat!!!
    
     o  And my one big Pumpkin (orange) kitty is Dirty Dewey who was
        rescued from the junkyard in worcester.  
        
    
    Sandy (Poco, Barkley, Angus, Chloe, Dewey, Abby, J.C. Van Gogh, Bogie
           Moses, Mr Meow and...strays including Ziggy, Rio, and Happy
           Cat and Reggie who are now both missing!)
    

    Well, there are now 5 solid black kitties in the FIRM. They won't tell
    me what they are up to; I imagine that when I get home from my class
    I'll find out; I suspect that the house will be redecorated.
    
    
    Eirene and Panther, the half siameese solid black twins.
    
    Nikoloas, the Main Coon Apparent
    
    Kostas, my rolly-poly 21-lb short-haired sweetheart
    
    and last but not least, the FIRM's new law clerk, Artemios, or "Artie"
    for short. He was born 21-Jul-1993. His mother was a pregnant kitty
    that was adopted from the Waltham pound by the man that owns the
    Waltham Agway, and he was one of her babies. Kostas has taken a real
    shine to him.
    
    Deb
    
    
    P.S. The Waltham pound has several black cats (which they have no
    intention of adopting out until after halloween and after a thorough
    background check), including a Main Coon Apparent and a Scottish Fold.
    
    They also have a mother and daughter calico (who must be adopted as a
    pair, and a himmy (surrendered with papers), and two young orange and
    white 10-months olds that have been in the shelter for several months,
    that must be adopted togeather.

    
    MeatBee will surely be laying on her back, showing everyone that she 
    in fact has a small white patch on her belly, so can't be considered
    a truly black kitty.....  
    
    My parents have 2 truly all black cats.  Fifi and her brother Darth
    (Vader) will be hiding as usual
    
    .

	My cats will be in-and-out as usuall

	The little black one - Chalkie - will be boffed around a bit by Cider if
	he continues to play with his tail after Cider has already given him the
	warning growl.

	Chalkie will also be hissed and spat at if he continues to nudge up t
	Yoda and try to push him off the chiair next to the radiator.

	So he will then go and wreck havock out of the cat-scratching-post,
	and eat anything left in the food bowls.


	Heather

Hello,

My name is Ruth Laursen and have never written in notes before.
I just wanted to ask about the Himmi at the Waltham Pound.  Do
you know how old it is and what kind, i.e., Seal, Flame, Chocolate??
Don't have any cats now, but had a Himmi for twelve years, and I
adored him.  Am considering getting another.

Any info much appreciated.

Ruth

    
    Hi people!
    
    Long time, no write, huh?  Well, I saw this and couldn't resist.
    I have four black cats now, and my husband and I just moved to
    a new home....an old 200 year old colonial in a small town in
    Mass.  There are LOTS of children in our neighborhood, and I am
    earning quite the reputation for being "that lady with the 14 cats."
    The kids love to ring my bell and inevitably say, "Can we visit
    with your cats?"  So anyway, Halloween should be fun.
    
    Bear, my blackest black cat and my first baby, loves to stand on
    the newel post at the bottom of the front staircase near the door.
    Four little feet poised close together, causing her back to arch,
    she greets visitors with her tail flung over her head.  I'm sure
    she will be a big hit.  
    
    Munroe, also known as "Bull", is my buddha cat....he weighs in at
    16 1/2 pounds and usually places himself like a beanbag in the middle
    of the floor.  He loves to trill, so I'm sure when the kids yell
    Trick or Treat, he will trill in response.
    
    Then I have Hasbro and Tia, my twins.  Tia is a big baby and will most 
    likely hide in the upstairs linen closet till the wretched night is
    over.  Hasbro, a bit braver, but still not a mental giant, will perch
    at the top of the staircase and stare down at the invaders, wide-eyed.
    
    Since my husband and I were married by a witch, this is the perfect
    opportunity for us to don our black duds and spend the nite being
    dastardly (NOT!) to all the youngin's.
    
    Sandy and Yon...you should bring your gang down.  We'll have "dance
    of the kitty warrior" contests and we'll make them dunk for Pounce.
    
    N

    hee...hee...hee....I don't think I can fit all mine in ONE car!!!

    Maybe Yonee will volunteer her van....  we can stack 'em.  :-)))
    
    I just get a real charge out of imagining my 'kids' participating
    in what are otherwise 'human' holiday activities.  :-)))
    
    N

    My van will be cleaned out and ready to go!!!!! 8-) I should be able to
    fit everyone!
    
    Yonee

    My cat calendar for today shows a black cat in mid air above a lit jack
    o'lantern.  The blurp says, "To counteract the bad luck of a black cat
    crossing your path: Turn in a circle, walk backwards past the spot
    where the cat crossed, then count to nine."
    
    Obviously, all you black cat owners don't worry about bad luck and
    black cats.  I'm sure your cats just bring you love and good luck.
    
    Steffi

    I love the picture...I have the same calendar!!!  That is one of
    the BEST calendars I have ever own and I just ordered next years
    too!!!!  Seeing a new kitty picture daily...is GREAT!!!
    
    Sandy

Although my (superstitious) grandmother Sarah held that to have
a black cat cross your path was bad luck; to own one was considered
good luck. This was especially true if said cat had mittens (i.e.
was polydactl, with extra toes). I'm not sure what the status of 
having your own black cross your path was (a draw I'd expect :-) ). 
This may be a New Englandism perhaps specific to the Connecticut shoreline. 
Her friends seemed to agree,though the bunch of them loved to play 
pranks like that (wry New England humor perhaps)?

Keith

	Where I come from it's considered good luck for a black cat to
	cross your path.

	One of the "trinkets" that people get given when getting wed is a
	black cat sat in a horseshoe.

	So, I've told Chalkie that he better start picking my football pool
	numbers and win the pools for me. A couple of million quid would
	come in handy!

	Heather

    re.22
    
    That's right: Good luck to own a black cat, Good luck for one to cross
    your path, especially if you stop to stroke him, but bad luck if he
    runs away from you.
    I think the tradition may be different in America, though, because I
    remember having a similar discussion with a friend over there.
    
    Rosie, my own black cat, lost her dinner last night (poor Rosie!). I
    treat them to Sheba (expensive) cat food on Sundays and that ginger
    long-haired stray got in and ate it. I caught him just as he was
    finishing it. He's very dirty and matted and it looks to me like he has
    earmites. I let him go yesterday, but I'm on evenings for the rest of
    the week, so I am going to try and catch him and either take him to the
    vet (to establish that he is a stray/is neglected) or call in the RSPCA
    or CPL. I can't keep this one because he and my own Jimmy fight so
    much.

Hi,

My Harley is all black.  He's also part siamese.  I have never seen such an
affectionate animal.  He loves being with me and he has to be in my lap the
minute I sit downn or he will nudge me as if to say "come on Mom...I want to be
held!)  He now sleeps on my pillow every night.

Gotta love him


Dawn