A heated panel discussion

Every evening in prime time, four provocative panelists discuss the hottest issues of the day -- or the hotness of the day.

Cameo cats

These kitties now have updated profiles: Pincurl Homer, Disco Amy, Redhead Hooch, and Dreadhead Puppy.

What's new, pushy cat?

Puppy (left) and Hooch are opposite but equal -- he is smotheringly sweet, she is bossy and sour. They are constantly invading each other's space, double-parking on top of one another. Neither of them seems to mind; they enjoy the squeeze play.

Matched pairs

Betty looks remarkably calm considering that feral bad boy Jerry is just behind her.Puppy, who's been wallowing in dirt, and kitten Ida are unrelated but so alike. They're both lovey pushy lap hogs. (That's my lap.)

We too are trees

I'm grieving trees. The new owners of the house across the street cut down two beautiful tall old Italian cypress trees and two shade trees. It was senseless and horrific.Trees are rare here on the arid plains, and in my old neighborhood the trees have survived for decades against the odds.

I won't even cut down the dead tree in my back yard. Linus (above) climbed it this week -- it's the first tree he ever noticed. He's my toothless wonder, a 7-year-old FIV survivor and ultra love Puppy.

Seen in the same tree are Flip (top branch) and lookalike tuxedo boy Jerry, who is a new feral.

Flying cat-shaped particles

One minute earlier reveals the reason for Natalie's sudden propulsion: the uncomfortable proximity of Waldo. Also seen are black Linus and tabby girl Cricket. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Group portrait with benches

I made these 14 benches from old discarded wood left over after I rebuilt my fence. The benches are perfectly proportioned for me and the cats. I rearrange them all the time, all over the yard.The kitties-in-the-round are, clockwise from center bottom: Natalie, Linus, Olga (face and paw only), Gidget, Daisy (back only), Alvin, and Betty.Gidget (left) and Betty prefer the top bench.

Still life with tomatoes

The kitties love our tomato "forest" -- tall metal cages overflowing with tomato plants. What the cats don't get is my obsession with this sticky, sweet, tangy colorful fruit.

Puppy poses with Celebrity tomatoes. Jesse is in the background.Alvin does a prim white-glove pose, with Juliet tomatoes (a paste/roma variety) in the background.Cosmo complements the cream of the crop, a Green Zebra heirloom tomato.

Boy Scouts

This meeting of the Boy Scout cats will now come to order. Scoutmaster Homer presides, as he appears to be awake. Puppy and Cosmo are in attendance, but nodding off.For today's troop activity we will be using this tarp, rope, and wood to build a clubhouse that the Girl Scout cats will be so jealous of.

Pain-free Puppy

Acupuncture works! It was just a shot in the dark, and Puppy was desperate for relief. But not only has acupuncture removed his mouth pain, it also seems to have healed his chronic gum infections (stomatitis) that returned even after full tooth-extraction surgery.After just two laser-acupuncture treatments, Puppy is off his liquid diet, pigging out on his beloved dry cat food (it's possible without teeth), and acting happier and more energetic than ever. This makes me want to get back on the acupuncture table myself -- I want to feel like Puppy does!

Acupuppy

Puppy had his first acupuncture treatment this week. His tooth-extraction surgery was a short-lived success -- it did not cure his stomatitis (painfully infected gums). The fact that he is FIV-positive is the biggest problem, because his immune system is weak. For a few weeks after surgery, Puppy did great -- he ate dry food (possible even without teeth), gained weight, and even played a bit. But the gum ulcers returned, and he's now back on a liquid diet.Puppy is nearly 6 years old, so he's now one of my oldest cats. He's an absolute doll, a pure love. In this photo of strange bedfellows, Puppy is the black shape next to big bossy Natalie.

We'll be doing laser-acupuncture treatments for several weeks. After just one treatment he seems to feel better and more eagerly "drinks" his food. The acupuncture sessions are also mama-puppy love time, because the only way the vet can reach all his body points with the laser "needle" is for me to cuddle purring Puppy in my arms.

Happy Puppy New Year

It's been two weeks since Puppy's difficult tooth-extraction surgery, and he's doing way better. After he spent days running terrified from me and hiding in a closet, one night he finally got in bed with me and cuddled and purred just like his old self. It was so wonderful I cried -- never was I so glad to be socked in the chin all night by his lovey head butts!

Puppy still has a way to go in terms of eating, but he's gaining weight on pureed baby food and Prescription Diet a/d -- a soft comfort food for post-trauma cats that I wish we'd discovered long ago.

All I want for Christmas is my teeth...

...pulled out, followed by lots of morphine, then an easy life of soft food and lazy living. That's my wish for Linus (Puppy), my black kitty. He had major dental surgery Friday -- all of his teeth extracted to treat stomatitis, chronic gum infections that make eating excruciatingly painful.The post-op period has been a trauma for both of us. Puppy is so freaked out, reverting to his feral ways. He's not letting me give him enough pain meds. He hides under the house. He growls at me -- I've never heard this sweet kitty growl before. He still can eat only liquids. This surgery might not even help him. If this doesn't work, we've run out of options.

In this photo taken days before his surgery, Puppy snoozes alongside Natalie. She's mean to every cat except Puppy, and he's the only cat that's not scared of her. They cuddle on top of each other and me in bed. Natalie even licks his face. That's how irresistibly lovable Puppy is. He so deserves to get well and happy (and fat!) again.

Puppy the Muppet

Linus (Puppy) wants to be Oscar the Grouch for Halloween. It's the opposite of his real personality. He loves everybody and everykitty.

Puppy's health condition of stomatitis (chronic mouth ulcers) is getting worse. Monthly steroid shots are the only known treatment, and they've stopped helping. Though he can't eat normally and has lost a lot of weight, he can eat soft food that's pureed until liquid. He doesn't like kitten replacement milk or CatSure, but my other cats are more than happy to drink up Puppy's rejects.

Summer love

Liesl and Linus skip the fireworks show for a romantic rendezvous.The 4th of July is an ordeal for us. Neighbors set off fireworks all night long, terrifying the kitties. Last night I had a bed full of scaredy cats. Ordinarily in summer I can't pay a cat to stay in bed with me.

Alvin was the most fearful kitty last night. And former feral Olga got in bed with me for the first time! It helped that Alvin was there -- Olga has a huge crush on him.

A kitty named Puppy

Linus is his real name. But he answers to Puppy, Pup Tart, Dr. Pupper, Jiffy Pup, Pupsicle, Mary Puppins, Pup Pup Cheerios, Pup Tent, Pup Squeak, Pupto Bismol, Pup Boys or Puppy Chow.

If you loved playing with a baby doll as a child -- that's what Puppy is like. He cuddles in your arms like a dream-infant. That's all he ever wants to do. Just cuddle and love.

You'd never know this 4-year-old former feral is FIV-positive (a weak immune system). He's not immune to Puppy Love.