to keep him company during his final days.  Suddenly, Picasso, a cat who stood no real chance for a normal placement, became the prime candidate to perform this caring task.  The one thing that Picasso is very good at is sitting peacefully on a lap.

Well, Picasso went to his new home and after a couple of days of investigating -- using his whiskers to keep from bumping into things -- settled down and gave the much needed comfort to the gentleman who requested his company.  The gentleman has now passed on and Picasso is back home with his shelter friends.  But the surviving family has many warm memories of the elderly blind cat that came to visit.

Instances such as this remind us that each life has value to us all and should be cherished.  Picasso's own health continues to diminish.  We don't know how much longer we'll enjoy his company, but for those few months he performed a uniquely invaluable task and we're very proud of him.

Dear Friends,
Winter 2001 was an unusually harsh winter and took its toll on the thousands of unowned cats residing in and about Washtenaw County.  Those of you living in the country or near large urban colonies found newcomers at your door seeking shelter and food to make it through the short days and long winter nights.  Cold weather by itself is not much of a threat to outdoor cats, but 40 inches of snow falling with no accompanying winter thaw was a problem that lasted throughout the winter season.  Troopers that they are, most of the outdoor cats survived and with the spring melting can go back to their normal life style.  If you're one of the many people who now find yourself the guardian of one or more outdoor cats, contact us to learn more about our feral cat management and TNR (trap/neuter/return) program.  There's still time to get your new friends spayed or neutered before the first round of spring kittens develop.  You'll enjoy your outdoor cats even more knowing they are not contributing to the cat overpopulation and resultant euthanasia in area shelters.  Happy Spring!
Kitty Zimmer