All my kitties except Fred were street cats. Poor Ed was dumped on the street in the middle of a blizzard - just a tiny ball of fur left to freeze to death. Lizzie came from LaGuardia airport. I suspect her mother was a stray and she survived as best she could. Alice, the bane of my existence, came to me with cuts and a broken tooth. Some kids thought it was fun to hurt the kitty. I try to remember that when she makes a nuisance of herself. Freddie was born in my closet and has been spoiled since before he was born. Funny - but he is the only thin cat of the lot. The others have known what it is to starve and they eat to ward it off.
Old Lizzie is out in the driveway asleep on her back without a care in the world. She makes me smile.
Thank you for the thread, Dan. Nice.