and if I don't get to choose the place ahead of time, he needs to find me one that allows cats. No matter how senile I might get I will never not love cats.

By the time I was three years old I was dragging home stray cats, and my poor Mom! She did NOT like cats, but was kind enough to lie to me about how they simply left in the middle of the night. At present I have no cats, but that's temporary. When I can no longer travel as much as I'm currently traveling, I will become a crazy cat lady and will be surrounded by felines.

Those of you who prefer canines, it's pretty much the same thing. Yes, cats and dogs are different, and living with one species is not quite the same as living with the other, but it's the companionship that matters.

And there are independent/assisted living places that allow pets or have communal pets, which is probably much better.

Anyone who moved there could bring any pets they had with them - they were usually dogs and cats, but I remember my grandmother telling me about a guy who brought his horse. They found a place nearby to board him so the man could visit. The only rule was that they couldn't replace them when they passed on. It might have been a problem if 90-year-olds got a kitten or puppy. Though I do remember one time when the community adopted a cat who had kittens. The woodworking hobbyists fashioned a special home for mother and kittens which had a glass roof so residents could look in on them. And afterwards the cat and kittens all found homes within the community.

And in the assisted living sections - two levels where residents who needed more care lived - there was a program called Noah's Oasis. There were dogs or cats who lived on each hall and visited with those who became "patients." When my grandmother had to give up her apartment and move there, two rescue dogs lived on her hall and were very popular. Besides that, my grandmother "rented" a bird. It was her bird, but someone came in daily to clean the cage and feed "Amelia." She just enjoyed the company.

I visited a lot, got to know the pups and the bird, and when my grandmother passed away, I spoke at her "memorial service" there and that was what I talked about - my grandmother is the reason that my whole extended family loves animals and being able to keep pets made it a desirable place to live, or visit, for that matter.

That is exactly the kind of place I want to end up in. I want to be around cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, whatever. I want to know that whatever creatures I've taken in will be cared for, during my life and after.

I might want to know where this place was, just for future reference.

And it's in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It's beautiful country there and I really liked the town. It's a very "artsy" community, musicians, artists, lots always going on there. Most of the people I got to know were "transplants," people who moved there from all over when they retired. We're from NE New York, and my grandmother said she chose the place because the winters are better there, but there is still "a change of seasons." I always enjoyed visiting there.

Of course it's been awhile since I've been there. My grandmother passed away in the fall of 1998 and I haven't been back since the "companion" she met there passed away - early 1999. He was one of the founders of the place and one of my favorite people. He was 101.

I got to know him - and others from the community and the town - when my grandmother asked me to join her peace group on a trip to the USSR in 1986 - they had a "sister town" there and this was the initial trip to finally meet in person. As you can imagine, it really was the trip of a lifetime. We met with other peace groups and traveled to Moscow, Tbilisi in what was then Soviet Georgia, Sochi (the closest city to our "sister town" which was 2 1/2 hours up in the Caucasus Mountains), and what was then called Leningrad (St. Petersburg now - they change names there a lot).

I was several decades younger than most of the group, but they were the best - experienced travelers and I realize now that they were also fellow liberals.

But somehow it fills me with more courage, so thanks so much for posting this.

Thank you for posting

my dad caught fritz. wanted a girl. so t hey had fritz for 6 months. awesome kitten.

A touch at the end