I got to work today, and discovered that while I had made it to work, my laptop had not. Con permisso of El Jefe, I worked from home today.

I love where I work, and I really like the people I work with. But some days, working without the noise and the constant interruptions is really, really nice. I feel like I got about a ton of stuff done, and it was peaceful. Pendergast supervised from the kitty-cup on the table and the rest of the kitties visited from time to time. (Gracie tried to use my laptop to send an e-mail when my back was turned, but I caught it, and her, in time.)

I forgot that you guys have never met Pendergast. This is a picture of the dude on arrival.

We buy food from a lady (to be known henceforward as "K") that also runs a rescue organization for cats. I've pretty much been able to harden my will and resist all the cats who need a good home, but she had this stunning Flame Point Himalayan who looked sad. All the time. He wasn't overly outgoing, but he'd purr if you picked him up and cuddled him. His previous owners had divorced and abandoned their pets in the process. K wound up with a pure-bred Himalayan, and NO ONE WOULD TAKE HIM. (?)

Now, I already had four cats of my own, and the roommate has two more, not to mention Zach the DinoDog and Tabitha. My house is not that big people, there's No More Room. However, sad was wearing me down, (like the steady drip-drip-drip of chinese water torture.)

I asked about the adoption policy, hoping that it was unreasonable, or that the adoption fee was unrealistic. K said I could have him at half the regular rate, he'd been there a year, he was neutered when she got him, and she knew he'd be in for the good life here. *sigh*

I checked with the roommate, hoping for "are you out of your flipping mind?" and I got "Poor Kitty. He'd be so much happier here." *sigh*

The next time I went to buy food he curled up in my lap and purred. It was pretty much all over at that point. I brought him home, installed him in the back room and set to work integrating him into the home.

He had what I thought was the worst case of shelter cold in the history of cats. We had to wipe his little nose constantly (Puffs with Aloe, highly recommended, cat approved.) He also had an on-going ear infection that K had been battling since he arrived. No ear drops solved the problem and no amount of amoxycilin was helping that cold. One of our vets gave me a pamphlet that discussed Bartonella. There was a picture inside that looked Just Like Him, dripping snot, boogies, the whole nine yards. The treatment was three weeks of Zithromax. (Cats do not like Zithromax.) However, at the end of the three weeks, all the snot was gone, all the boogies were gone and most of the ear infection was gone. It's like a miracle.

(Continued Tomorrow, Dinner's ready)