Thanks for your input, all. I think it was stress related, because when I got back 2:30 am on Friday, the house was a total mess and it smelled like a zoo! It seems as though they had been littering every place except in their litter box. What a mess to clean up! (Do you suppose that this behavior is because I was absent from them?) Also, that I left a small bowl of chlorox-water on the bathroom sink board. I noticed that one of my furkids was licking that up! At any rate, I dumped the chlorox -water. 'Noticed that after cleaning up the house, Otis appears to be OK now. He had a touch of clymidia in one eye on Friday, which I immediately washed out and applied some ointment. That appears to have cleared it up. They all appear to have lost weight during my 9-day absence. Fawn, Tiger, Snow Cat, and Amy were very happy to see me return, especially Fawn, he began to meow, when he saw me come in that early hour on Friday. He always sleeps next to me at night. I guess they miss me more than what is realized, as substitute care just doesn't "cut it". They need the loving care and attention that (apparently) only I can give them. Tiger did not jump up in her carrier for my neighbor for special feeding, as I gave her written instructions on caring for Tiger. Tiger is now adopting a manner of placing her front paws on my shoulder and nibbling my hair. I don't know if this is to tell me that she is hungry or whether she just wants some scritchies, but I believe it is the latter.

Silver Prince is nearly 6lbs (5-3/4lbs.) now and is still growing. I suppose that he would have already topped the scale above 6 lbs, had I been here all last week. Perhaps some of you remember Fluffy , constantly attacking Princess about 2 months ago. Since Fluffy has been spayed, she has calmed down. I brought her inside today, so she can get used to all the others, including Princess, as I want to take her with me, and there has been NO attacking, some fussing, yes, but otherwise she is calm. Yet, she doesn't recognize her own kittens (but hisses at them), the 3 Maine Coons. Fluffy has been an outside cat most of her life.

I am now getting things ready to move to Kansas. I wish that this could occur later in the year after cooler weather has set in. I am thinking of placing a blanket in the back of the truck's camper for the two-day trip, and attaching a watering hose with a control valve to a 7 gal. bucket of water, on to the blanket, in order to keep my pets cool, especially traveling through the desert at night. Also, that I plan to have some of the little "safe" houses in there also, so they can hide and won't feel so frightened at the rumbling and moving of the truck. That I will have to reinforce the screens on the camper sides, so as they won't be able to tear them out. It has been my general observations that cats are more content at not watching the scenery go by, not like a dog. I have had a few cats that would travel in a car but they seem most content at sleeping on the floor. That also, I hope to see if any of them will adapt to traveling quickly. Does anyone out there have any other ideas about keeping them cool?

They know something big is coming. Blue is incessantly talking (to me). She has that "worried" look in her green eyes.

When I get to my new home in southeast Kansas, I think that I can let them loose in one room of the house. It is not known how they will react to stopping and gathering them up to place in the house. I hope they don't panic when I attempt to bring them in by pairs. Maybe after being two days on the road they may be too tired to panic! Thinking also to give them a real treat, perhaps two or three cans of tuna. I will have all three of the pet carriers ready. The old (new) house is quite large and it will probably take them several days to explore the entire facilities.

...........wayne