Dear Nine Lives,

Your product has been part of my life for many years. My cat, Bette, is finnicky, but she absolutely loves Nine Lives, particularly Tuna in Sauce flavor. Nine Lives always has seemed to make Bette happy, but recently it changed my life in ways I never thought a cat food could.

Jeff and I have been living together for six years now. He's a great man and we’ve made a committment for life. Things have not always been easy for Jeff. After he 'came out' to his family, they rarely spoke. When his father died suddenly two years ago, his mother entered a concilitory frame of mind. Sadly, my presence has interfered with their relationship. Jeff has always said that his mother should treat me with the same respect she shows his brothers’ wives, but she has never fully accepted my role in her son’s life.

Tensions were high when she paid a three-day visit to our home last week. She & Jeff clashed; I felt awkward, almost like a stranger in my own home. After a while, we all needed a break. Jeff and I went shopping, leaving his mother at home. When we returned, she was in unusually high spirits. "John," she said, "what brand of tuna do you buy? I made a sandwich while you boys were out and it was delicious!" "Tuna?" I asked. "We don’t have any tuna!"

You guessed it: she made herself a Nine Lives sandwich--and she loved it!

The laughter which followed really broke the ice, and I’m finally beginning to feel like 'part of the family.' Vivian turns out to be quite an interesting woman. But then, I always knew she couldn’t be all bad. After all, she gave the world Jeff.

Thank you, Nine Lives, for helping a family to heal its wounds—and for keeping my cat so happy.

Please write back!

Love,

John Sanchez