Dear Edgycat fans, In February of last year I ran away from Chicago. It was just too cold. I felt trapped in the house. My cat, Sally Cookie, felt that way too. Sally could not be left behind. She was ill, an illness with unpleasant symptoms. I couldn't ask anyone else to take care of her so I decided to take her with me to Berkeley, California. Here is our story...

4) The Canary in the Coalmine

Last night there was a funny smell in the room. I decided it was a gas leak. I couldn’t bring myself to wake my hostess to tell her that there was a gas tleak in my room, so I decided to tough it out.

I opened a window and I placed Sally Cookie next to me on the bed. She would be my early warning system. Several times during the night I nudged her to see if she was still alive. She moved slightly and fixed me with a baleful glance. Alive! I slept peacefully through the rest of the night and we emerged unscathed. The bedroom got a much-needed airing out and my hostess was none the wiser.

Join us for next week's entry, "Blinded By Oxycotin."