It is clear to me by now that my old Post Office Box is not big enough to handle the mail I’m getting, I didn’t know there were so many letter writers left, so I just switched today to a larger box. It is number 205 and mail sent to the old address will be forwarded to the new box. The new address is Jon Katz (or Maria Wulf or Bedlam Farm), Post Office Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Today, the box was filled with letters but most of them were addressed to Minnie, I opened them and shared them with her. I was not expecting mail for the animals, but the cat people are a world unto themselves, and a good number of people sat down and wrote sincere and heartfelt letters to my wounded barn cat, I wonder if there are any other barn cats who get letters sent to them.

One unsigned but carefully typed letter came in with paw prints and photos of a cat. There was a time when I would not have read an anonymous letter to a cat, but that was then and this is now, I was intrigued.

“Dear Minnie,” it began, “I’m sure you are concerned on how you look without that leg and that cone wrapped around your head, but you look marvelous…I think Lady Gaga wore something like that to a premier.” The writer told Minnie that she should she this as opportunity to regain the “Queendom Of Bedlam Farm,” and she felt this experience would help her to overshadow Flo, “if you play this right, you’ll soon be the queen.” Flo will have no choice, she said but to fade back into her life as a barn cat and chase mice.

More advice for Minnie: “Take over any bed you can find, even Frieda’s. She has four legs, she can find another spot. If she gives you a hard time, just get under the bed.” Find sunny windows for afternoon snoozes on cold days, hobble around and look for sympathy, go online to order nickel bags of catnip.

I didn’t realize at first that the sender was a cat, described as a DSH yellow tabby, with his photo attached. “You as a country gal and me as a city slicker could go places with this, perhaps writing a blog on how to manipulate humans.”

I chuckled at this – perhaps I am getting old – but then realized there were at least a half-dozen letters addressed to Minnie, one from a donkey with three legs and two from cats with three legs and one from a Golden Retriever from three legs. I know some animal lovers are odd, but the wonderful thing about a P.O. Box is that you never quite know what to expect, up until today all of the letters have been from humans. Minnie definitely needs to get back to the barn. I could use a trip myself.

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