This is Tito Collier, the latest addition to the family of David Collier, one of my former baby boys. Well, actually, I guess David will always be my baby boy no matter how old he gets. :)

Anyway, I am using this picture ~ with his permission (thanks, David!) ~ to highlight my wish for all little animals to have happy endings. Friends repeatedly tell me that I can't save them all, but I surely wish I could. Even good intentions can't bring uniform happy endings, however ~ a fact emphasized to me when I arrived home from school yesterday to find a dead kitten on my doorstep. He was one of those born to one of the strays that hang around Elly's home and mine, and the little guy had been having some problems lately. I *planned* to start dosing him with Albon, if I could catch him. However, a killer-busy week kept postponing those best-laid plans, and look what happened. He had wrapped himself around my angel statue to take his last breaths, so I like to think he had a divine escort to the Rainbow Bridge.

I surely have learned a painful lesson about procrastination.

Ironically, today's e-mail from Petplace.com's Dr. Jon dealt with kitty lifespans:

People often ask me, "How long will my cat live?"

Recently, I saw a client with a 22-year-old cat. If I didn't know how old this cat was, I would have guessed that he was 10 years old.

Today cats live longer than ever. Just 20 years ago the life expectancy of a cat was four to six years; today they live 14 years or more.* Life expectancy in cats depends on many things, but the most important factor is whether the cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat. Life expectancy varies significantly between the two.

The life expectancy of an indoor cat is generally 12 to 18 years. Many indoor cats may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest cat in reported history was 28 years old at the time of death.

Outdoor cats generally live to be around four to five years of age. Their deaths are typically due to traumas like being hit by a car or attacked by a dog. Outdoor cats are also more susceptible to several deadly viruses that are spread by fighting or prolonged intimate contact with an infected cat.

Keep your cat healthy by feeding a high quality diet, and providing routine vaccinations and physical examinations....

I hope your cat lives a long and healthy life. That is one of the reasons why I take the time and energy to write this newsletter and why I started Petplace. My goal is to share practical information that will help keep your cat happy, healthy and alive longer!

Until next time,

Dr. Jon

Hey, Dr. Jon ~ I hope to accomplish the same goals with my blog! Happy endings for everybody! :)