As a total cat person, I say...um, they are kinda nuts. MK is a total attention slut, but Devi is more typical. She acts as if other people will eat her. She also has treated me as prey. I have scars. I adore her to pieces and her presence is a comfort to me, but it is very dysfunctional. At least she no longer tries to kill my head at night anymore. She's a fucked up cat, but man, she's cute and cuddles when I need it.

As a total cat person, I say...um, they are kinda nuts.

What? How come no one told me that?

I'm not sure what sort of cold-weather dog Mackenzie is, but she also sheds her undercoat like craxy every spring. When we lived in an apartment, we'd take her down to the yard to brush her out and leave the hair. I swear, I saw a dozen birds' nests lined with her fur that year.

It's very soft and I've had a friend offer to spin it for me but I just never got around to bagging it up.

My guess on the killer toddlers is 5-7. But I'm wimpy and can barely handle two at a time.

My friends cat peed in my shoe tonight. My left foot is VERY interesting to my cats.

Mom's taking care of my cousin's cats and was attacked the other day by the non-fraidy one. Multiple bites that broke the skin, and with Mom's tendency to bruise it looks like she has defense wounds from a knife attack on her arm. She felt compelled to reassure me that her cat would never do that (conveniently forgetting that I was around years ago when said cat was more feral and would communicate that she'd had enough petting by doing an exorcist spin with her head to bite the offending hand).

I am all packed for Atlanta except for my computer stuff and shaving/toiletry kit. It weighs nearly as much as the 2 weeks' luggage I was staggering around with at the 2004 f2f.

Is there a time limit for the killer toddlers or is this a gladiator style contest?

aurelia asks what I was thinking. Also -- what's our definition of toddler; and how *alone* with and responsible for them would one be, and for how long? Where are we? Do any of them have a stomach virus? Do I have access to tools such as cribs, play yards, high chairs, videos? Is it sunny? Is there a fenced in area outside, in which they can play? Is there a limit to how much junk I can pour down their gullets? Do I have to keep them?

My guess on the killer toddlers is 5-7. But I'm wimpy and can barely handle two at a time.

You're hardly wimpy. Olivia's been an apprentice in the let's-see-how-close-I-can-come to killing-myself stage for a few months now, and Owen's got his License for Destruction of Self and Parents.

Mom's taking care of my cousin's cats and was attacked the other day by the non-fraidy one. Multiple bites that broke the skin, and with Mom's tendency to bruise it looks like she has defense wounds from a knife attack on her arm.

Oh my word, did she go see a doctor, Matt? I bet you can get Sophia to nag at her, if need be. I hope she's okay.

I hope you and all the Atlanta F2Fers have a fantastic F2F. I'm now officially entering sour grapes mode.

The killer toddlers came from a question asked at our library, which was (roughly) "You are on a limitless plain being attacked by an infinite number of children who are trying to kill you. At what age will they succeed?" Unfortunately there was no information about weapons.

I believe the collected Buffista wisdom put the age at somewhere between two and three. (I mean, obviously even infinite numbers of 6 week olds can't kill you, since they can't locomote.)

Menu foods has yet again expanded their pet food recall:

[link]

what's our definition of toddler; and how *alone* with and responsible for them would one be, and for how long?

and is there coffee??