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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | DECEMBER 2020 9 By Sherrie Chaparro, Resident Allow me to introduce our two cats, Sammy and Janie. Both are rescue cats. Bob found Sammy at the Ramona Humane Society. As he was walking down the aisle looking at the caged cats, a six-month-old kitten reached out a gentle paw to capture Bob's attention. Bob brought me over the next day and the same thing happened. We fell in love. After shots and neutering, we brought Sammy home. Janie has a more dramatic history. On his way to the Lodge, Bob heard piteous meows coming from the storm drain. He looked inside and saw a very vocal small cat. He tried, with no success to coax her out. He continued to the Lodge, where he asked them to contact the Humane Society. Later, he opened a can of cat food, took it over and once more tried to coax her out. This effort met with greater success, but the last thing we needed was another cat, so he left her there on the curb. However, later that night, we heard meows from the back patio. Apparently, cats have a greater sense of smell than either of us realized, and she had followed Bob home. We brought her in to spend the night in the garage (she was dirty, skinny and with who knew what bugs and diseases). The next day we took her to the vet to learn that she was part Maine Coon, about a year and half old, and had already had one litter of kittens. Once again, we ponied up for shots and spaying, and brought her home. Both cats have very distinct personalities, in keeping with their gender. If, in Sammy's opinion, I have spent too much time on the computer, he will jump up onto the middle of my desk and head butt me vigorously until I stop to pet him. Although Janie will also jump onto the desk to get attention, she delicately reaches out a paw to tap me on the shoulder. During these long COVID quarantine months, both Bob and I have derived a considerable amount of companionship and entertainment from our cats. Although I have heard that many consider cats aloof, that has never been my experience. They may take longer to get to know, but once you learn their quirks, and they yours, you have found a worthwhile companion. Pet Of The Month Interview Janey Sam the Lion Answers to December in History 1. 1903 Kitty Hawk 2. 1936 Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee 3. 1941 Three hundred fifty-three Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. 4. 1944 Glenn Miller. No trace of the plane, crew, or passengers has ever been found. 5. 1947 The transistor 6. 1955 Montgomery, Alabama 7. 1957 Presley served in Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armor Corps in Friedberg, Germany, where he attained the rank of sergeant. 8. 1963 Frank Sinatra 9. 1967 Dr. Christiaan Barnard. The patient lived for eighteen days. 10. 1975 Lynette "Squeeky" Fromme 11. 1980 John Lennon 12. 1981 She was the first American baby conceived via in vitro fertilization; she was the first test-tube baby. 13. 1985 Ricky Nelson 14. 2000 Al Gore 15. 2001 The bomb was hidden in his shoe.

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