Bex

My four-year old's preschool class does show-and-tell each week based on a different letter of the alphabet. Next week is X. Does anyone have any ideas of an age appropriate show-and-tell that begins with the letter X?

By the way, we do not have a xylophone - which didn't seem like a big deal until today.

My husband found a female cat locked in a garage a few months ago. We had her spayed about two months ago (as soon as she had gained enough weight - she weighed only a few pounds when he found her). Before she was spayed and fully vaccinated we tried to keep her inside - not always successfully, since we have four boys who are in and out and not always vigilant about closing doors. We noticed last week that piles of leaves keep appearing in strange places in our garage. We couldn't figure it out until today when I saw her trotting into the garage carrying a mouthful of leaves and depositing in on her "nest," then asking to come inside. We have a male cat, but he's neutered. I have never known a non-pregnant cat who makes a nest - especially one who habitually sleeps on our bed - not outside. Has anyone else ever seen this? Is our new cat just quirky, or should I start worrying about false pregnancies?

My husband found a female cat locked in a garage a few months ago. We had her spayed about two months ago (as soon as she had gained enough weight - she weighed only a few pounds when he found her). Before she was spayed and fully vaccinated we tried to keep her inside - not always successfully, since we have four boys who are in and out and not always vigilant about closing doors. We noticed last week that piles of leaves keep appearing in strange places in our garage. We couldn't figure it out until today when I saw her trotting into the garage carrying a mouthful of leaves and depositing it on her "nest," then asking to come inside. We have a male cat, but he's neutered. I have never known a non-pregnant cat who makes a nest - especially one who habitually sleeps on our bed - not outside. Has anyone else ever seen this? Is our new cat just quirky, or should I start worrying about false pregnancies?

I have twin boys who are almost five who have an insane energy level. Lately, probably because it's spring, it seems to have increased, and without a sufficient outlet, it turns into a lot of misbehavior. I am going to try instituting a "phys ed" time in our morning routine, and am looking for kid friendly exercises. I have stuff like tag, tug of war, dancing, galloping, log rolling, hopping, etc. But now I'm out of ideas - and I want a lot because they have a tendency to get bored quickly. It also has to be fun for the same reason. Can anyone help me think of some more?

Thanks

My husband works at an apartment complex and found a cat today that had been locked in a garage for at least a few weeks. Appears to be a Maine Coon - was really dirty, but after we bathed it (THAT was fun) she looks and acts totally healthy - other than the fact that she's a skeleton with fur on. My question is, what is the best diet to put weight on a cat fast (and safely)? I won't be able to get her to a vet until Saturday, and naturally the local emergency hospital won't give any advice over the phone. She's willing to eat anything we put in front of her, and so far she's kept down canned cat foot and a little cooked chicken breast. She's only willing to eat in small quantities, and she does not appear to be dehydrated. We're assuming she was living off snow that blew in under the door. Thanks for any help.