My coworker Jamie is the kind of son I would have wanted if I had ever wanted to have children. So I unofficially adopted him. This is a great way to get a son, because he was already grown up, working, smart, kind and all-around wonderful.

Jamie was a copy editor when I first came to The Leaf-Chronincle, and he helped to train me. He was a great, patient and understanding teacher. I might have run out of the door screaming if not for him! Now Jamie's a reporter, and a fine one at that!

Here is Jamie's cat story: "To say my cat, Lucy, is needy would be a definite understatement.In July of 2006, I took Lucy off the hands of one of my friends who just couldn’t handle the little rambunctious ball of sunshine, and I’ve been her best friend ever since.

"That works both ways, too, I think. We were so close, in fact, that she didn’t want to leave my side — if I did have to leave her I was met at the door with loud meows of 'Pay attention to me, fool!'

"She had never even been around another cat after her birth until my former roommate brought his kitten, Toby, into the mix. Boy, was she hateful towards him. I think she thought he was taking over her territory, but eventually they went from all hisses to sleeping right next to each other.

"After my roommate moved out, he took Toby with him, and at first Lucy seemed relieved — she could sleep soundly now without tiny paws batting at her head, ready for play. Then, my new roommate and I noticed she was acting kind of strange — she would climb and crawl in places she never would before letting out deep “meows” as if she was saying, 'Where the heck are ya?'

"To make matters worse, she would meow at my door every night when I went to bed, keeping me awake — she was lonely.(I can’t sleep with a cat in the room — she startles me as she’s wandering at all hours of the night.)Of course, we paid plenty of attention to her — my roommate, Holly, even picks her up and she will wrap her paws around her neck as if she’s hugging her.

"But we couldn’t stand hearing her lonely meows any longer.So we paid a visit to Cats Are Us, and upon arrival we noticed a cat that had just been brought in — a male cat with soft, cream-colored fur who didn’t mind being held and loved. We knew he was perfect for us, so we adopted him and named him Jude.(See the Beatles references? “Hey Jude” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.)

"I was careful introducing Lucy to Toby, but we kind of just let Lucy and Jude get to know each other on their own terms — Jude was big enough to handle himself if things got intense. The first few days were a lot of hissing and hiding, but after a week I caught them giving each other kitty kisses, or nuzzling noses with each other. Of course, they still have their rolling-around-on-the-floor” playful fighting moments, as evident by the tufts of hair I’ve vacuumed out of the carpet, but they’re getting along better than I had hoped.

"Even when Lucy has finished with her wet food, leaving a quite a bit behind, she watches as Jude finishes all of his and has a few bites of hers, too, and she doesn’t seem mind.

"Needless to say, Lucy’s too busy to be lonely, and now after we show them both how much we love them with a few kitty hugs here and there, they go on their separate ways playing and eating, and repeating the cycle all over again. Actually, I think Lucy may have found her new best friend, but she still thinks enough of me to climb on my chest while I’m laying down to rub her face against mine as if she’s saying 'I still love ya, man.'"

Another happy ending for a Cats Are Us cat! One thing I must say about Lucy, the cat on the right in the picture. Watch the weight girl! The last time I saw her she was a thinnish cat, and now, she looks like a .... shall I say ... BIG girl! I love Jude's expression here. He seems to be saying, "Okay, there's a new Sheriff in town and I'm taking charge!"

Several of you have met Jamie during our Pet Party gatherings and hopefully we can all get together again soon.

UPDATE: I hope to soon have an update on Golden Huggs pup Bruiser that will truly amaze you, but I want to wait until it's official! It will be a very happy story. I can't WAIT!!! As you know, CJ is happy in her new home and Baby will be leaving for New England on Thursday and has a good home lined up!