Dear Supporters of Colleen,

I can hardly believe it, but I have been writing for Colleen for close to six months now. In some ways, I feel like I’ve known her forever. We have this quiet kind of sympatico relationship–I trust her; she trusts me. I can go on over and settle down next to her, and neither one of us makes a fuss. On the other hand, some days I feel like I hardly know her. She is a rather private cat, a quiet girl. She is not one for jumping in your lap or letting it all hang out. To me, Colleen is like an onion. Each week we spend some time together and I can peel off, if I am lucky, one more thin layer.

She does crack me up. Most times, she’s got her favorite spot in the lobby, and I know just where to find her. But when she’s not there…I think to myself, what could have possessed her to make such a dramatic change and take herself to a completely different location? The other week she was sleeping in a comfy cat bed underneath the desk area, squirreled way in the back. Had someone chased her there? Or were all the tiny kittens who were scampering around the place getting on her nerves, and had she decided–enough is enough. I need some peace and quiet. Yes, I’ll go there.

I was wondering all those things, even though I have to admit that one glance at Colleen and she looks like the kind of cat who enjoys sleep. She makes sleep look so delicious. Every bone and muscle in her body appears to be relaxed. If I were a cat, I’d want to cuddle up with Colleen. I imagine she dreams of warm, sunny days, cat bowls filled with her favorite snacks, and cool water bowls. And birds tweeting in the distance, which would be Colleen’s version of iTunes.

Especially as the hectic holiday season descends, it’s nice to see that at least one cat seems totally unaffected by it all…our Colleen.

And on the medical front, all seems somewhat stable for now. Although we suspect that her health is not perfect–she continues to be anemic–and that our sweet girl is in the early stages of renal disease, her counts were not that bad this month. Her eye still looks a little strange. Colleen will be going for consultations with specialists in the near future; hopefully we will be able to figure out just what is going on with our girl.

For now, Colleen and I wish you the best for this holiday season. Thank you for your continued generosity.