Henry was adopted from an animal shelter in Kansas by a couple who later moved to Florida. My then-girlfriend and I adopted him from them in mid-2004 and, except for a 10-month stint in Vilnius, Lithuania, he’s been with me ever since. So far, he’s lived in Kansas, Florida, Minnesota, Connecticut, California, Wisconsin, Florida again, Slovakia, Lithuania, Spain and Slovakia again.

18 is getting old for a cat, and unfortunately Henry’s beginning to show his age. Late last year, he gave me several scares. It seems that Henry’s kidney function is in decline. In August, September and December he had urinary infections. In the first two cases, I took him to the vet for a bunch of tests, antibiotic injections and overnight infusions to flush out his poor tired old cat kidneys. He hated it, of course, perhaps more than anything else he’s experienced (and he’s no fan of travel). When it happened again in December, I monitored him, but he fought it off by himself. Since this started he’s been moved completely onto a special diet for cats with kidney issues, and he seems better. Hooray!

Alpha chordate Henry wrestles a puppy

However, in the past month or so, Henry’s vision has really started to go. I first noticed that he had cataracts (CATaracts, get it?!) about three years ago due to a bluish coloration in his pupils, but they haven’t affected him until recently. Now, however, when he’s not curled up comfortably sleeping on the bed or amidst my clothing, he often either bumps into the wall or things on the floor, or comes close enough to doing so to need to catch himself.

At the same time, Henry is more and more lovable as he gets older. He sleeps against my side or chest now instead of exclusively at the foot of the bed. He comes to me regularly hoping to receive (and sometimes to give) affection, whereas some years ago he was really quite aloof, preferring to be admired from a distance and generally left alone.

So, happy birthday Henry! It’s time for the hookers and cocaine, yeehaw!

In closing, I’ll leave you with this photo. Henry was always the alpha chordate, but this picture — from before I knew him — really sums it up. Poor puppy. Maybe that’s why the folks who gave him to us wanted rid of him!

All your carrot are belong to me!

Just since the last post, even…

MH sent $15

JT sent $20

WM sent $200 – double WOW!

Anonymous sent €200 – quadruple WOW!

This lays the Phone Bill o’Doom well to rest, and I’ve taken the ChipIn widget down.

Thanks a bundle, folks! And I hereby promise never to be so careless with my calls again — or, at least if I am, to not come ’round asking for help with such a goofy thing.

Another cat pic? Yes we can! This one’s from Santa Cruz, California, circa 2002. Henry doesn’t seem to want to eat carrots, but the smell does something to him that approaches the effects of catnip on the old boy.

Enjoy!

As always, Henry and I thank you!

Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to those who have responded to my Phone bill of doom! posting and ChipIn. Y’all rock!

I’ve asked donors in the past, erratically, if they want to be named, linked, etc. Answers tend to vary quite a bit, with most tending to not want to be named or not caring either way. So, I’m adopting a new policy. When donations come in and I post them, I’m just going to list initials. If you then want to be linked or named, you can do so yourself in the comments or email me privately with your request and I’ll update the post.

• JS sent $15 (a while back)
• T sent $25
• JB sent $25
• JE sent $25
• AM sent $10
• M sent €100

I’m still about €321 short on the phone bill, and the ChipIn — which doesn’t update properly and doesn’t include some out-of-band donations — is still running, so of course your contribution is welcome!

Thanks very much to all of you!

Big thanks this week to all who responded to my shameless blegging post last week:

Aaron Kinney sent US$20.

James Tuttle sent US$100.

An anonymous donor sent US$50.

Nick and Thalia Puglia signed up for web hosting with BlueHost, which brought me a US$65 referral fee.

I thank you, Henry thanks you, and Henry's reflection thanks you!

These sweethearts don't share your definition of property rights. Should they be killed?

First of all, everyone knows I love cats, right? KITTIES!!! You go, kitties!

Now, to serious matters.

With homeowner in doghouse, bobcats move in

Cute uberkitties challenge capitalist property rights

A family of feline squatters has moved into a foreclosed home in Lake Elsinore. Residents of the Tuscany Hills development first noticed the bobcats about a week ago.

With real estate values plummeting and foreclosed homes sitting empty, a family of bobcats apparently decided the time was right to pounce.

So last week, they slipped out of the parched foothills of Lake Elsinore and into a spacious, vacant home in well-groomed Tuscany Hills.

Residents of the development got their first look Aug. 27 when the feline squatters — at least two adults and three kittens — lolled atop a wall outside the Spanish-style house.

There arises now a moral question, the resolution of which sits at the base of your conception of property rights.

Get offa mah property!

Very likely there is a bank that is presently the legal owner of this house. Can the bank come around randomly shouting “get offa mah property!” like Fuzzy Lumpkins, and if the cats disobey and refuse to vacate the property be justified in shooting them? Regardless of whether they were cats, moral actors, Randian ubermenschen or even Republicans, I should say no, and not wish to share my table with the type of folk who would believe that was really okay. Can the bank transfer legal title to the place to another party, and therefore be justified in killing the bobcats if they fail to timely vacate? I say that the bank may transfer title, but it may not evict the tenants (assuming that, quite characteristically, the bobcats have executed no auditable contractual agreement with the bank). Could the new owners evict the bobcats? To be consistent with the values that underlie the foregoing, I can’t permit them to do that. Could any of the foregoing (presumptively) evil owners delegate killing the bobcats to a disinterested third party charged with handling such matters, in the interests of all? It would all be legal, of course, approved by democracy of the highest quality and refinement.

If you’re the bank, is killing the cute, fuzzy kitties okay? If you’re the new owner? If you’re a delegate elected by the neighbors? If you’re the employee of Bob’s Ancap Defense Services and Pizza Company, Ltd.? If you’re the toppermost of the topmost federated syndicalist committeemen?

It is not okay to kill the kitties in these scenarios. If you kill the kitties under any of these scenarios, I don’t want you around me.

There are other scenarios. Maybe I’ll think about them while I go hunting for more photos of these adorable anarcho-cuties.