So Long, Moose

My buddy Lemon went to the vet at 12:00 today. He has gone to have "the unkindest cut of all". After all, he's six months old now and soon to be a man (or not, if the operation goes as planned).

When he wakes up and has recovered from the anesthetic, his new Mom and Dad will be waiting to take him home with them. I miss him already!

Our apartment is very quiet this afternoon; there are no hollow thuds of a hard little noggin against a closet door, no indignant growls and hisses as some thundering, yellow buffoon stumbles over the Big Perfect Cat or crashes into the Little Odd One. Nobody will wake me with a Glasgow Kiss at six o'clock tomorrow morning because it's time for his piddle and he needs a litterbox lifeguard. There will be no one to hog the mattress but the Tall Lady.

There will be no more John Lemon, no Vladimir Ilych Lemin, no Lemon Ranger, Lemon Ninja, Long John Lemon - no more Aquacat! (I'm really going to miss having a cat who couldn't run away from the camera). Of course, the Adventures of Lemon are far from over - his best one is just about to begin.

The Shelleys, who adopted him have been waiting for him for over a week. They are a really, really nice couple who miss their old cat badly. Lemon is not expected to take Clyve's place, Lemon is just going to make a place of his own. Mary and Percy will love him, pet, pamper and spoil him as silly as he deserves. Every day, he will get stronger and more co-ordinated, and soon he will run like a deer. He already walks like Bambi.

Lemon has been an absolute joy to know, a pleasure to foster, and honestly, I'm taking this opportunity to indulge in a bit of a snivel. Our home will not soon see the like of him again (did I just hear Xena and Brie heave sighs of relief?). Well, perhaps the Adventures of the Flying Fellini Sisters aren't finished yet either...

...you see, the Tall Lady took our cat carrier to work with her this morning. On her way home, she is going to stop and pick up our four new kittens (between eight and ten weeks) who have Russian names and a reputation as Devil Babies. I look forward to meeting them!

It's Kitten Season again, friends. VOKRA needs adopters, VOKRA needs foster homes, and VOKRA needs CASH. If you have room in your home or your heart, or some spare cash stuffed in your mattress, give them a call. Who knows - you might just wind up with a Lemon.

Lemon Lennon