Dear Friend,

      Hello! I'm Jimmy, a dog who lives on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. My good pal Joey and I are ambassadors for the Rainbow Bridge Newcomers Club, and it is part of our job to get new arrivals settled. We wanted to let you know that your cat Gertrude safely crossed the bridge and is doing great!

      After the big welcoming reception we give all newcomers, Joey and I took Gertrude over to her new house, which she shares with two great dogs, Madge and Arlo Jean, and a cat named Helen. You won't be surprised to hear that Gertrude was a little worried about sharing a house with Helen, who, let's be honest, wasn't very nice to Gertrude when they lived together in their past life. "Don't worry! Everyone - even Helen! - is friendly on this side of the bridge," I told her as Joey pressed the doorbell with his paw. Madge and Arlo Jean rushed to the door to greet us, wagging their tails and licking Gertrude on the head until she was damp and smelled faintly of dog kibble. "Welcome! Welcome!" they barked.

      The noise woke Helen up from her nap. We all watched as she stretched lazily and sauntered over, rubbing her cheek lightly against Gertrude's before turning toward the kitchen for a mid-morning snack. "Wow!" Gertrude said. "I think Helen missed me!"

      Excited by Helen's show of affection, Gertrude darted around, jumping in and out of the cat-sized cardboard boxes scattered around the living room floor and scampering along the pathways and perches that covered the walls and ceiling. (The architects here know how much cats enjoy looking down on others!)

      Each house here comes with a big-screen TV for watching all the classics: Tom and Jerry, Lassie, past Puppy Bowls. Gertrude, who speaks a little Spanish, wondered if she'd be able to watch telenovelas. "Of course," I told her. "Anything you want. And I think you'll love like channel 118, which broadcasts all the news, 24/7, from Park Boulevard."

      "Seriously?" she asked, her green eyes wide. "I can watch what my family on the other side of the bridge is doing, anytime I want?" "Yep," I told her. "This is the most amazing place. You won't believe what we have here."

      "Hmm," she said, flicking her tail. "Is there a place we could get something to eat. I'm feeling a bit peckish." So, off we went to the food court, with its dozens of stands. Gertrude headed straight for the kababs place, ordering a big skewer of shrimp. I suggested that one day she should set aside an afternoon to explore Cheesemongers, a buffet of every fromage in the world - and a popular dining spot for both cats and mice.

      After Gertrude got her fill of shrimp, we took her over to the avian hunting grounds, where cats can stalk songbirds, although just like in all the live-chase games here, as soon as they catch a bird, it turns into a plushie toy. The cats love it and are having a contest right now to see how many birds each cat can capture. The winner gets bragging rights, which cats really enjoy! Before we knew it, Gertrude had nabbed a cardinal, finch, mourning dove and nearly snatched a robin. With her hunting skills, she's going to be at the top of the leaderboard in no time! Joey, helpful dog that he is, volunteered to carry her plushie bird trophies home for her.

      "Thanks, Joey," Gertrude said. "I do think I'd like to go home now. With all the excitement of the day, I've missed my mid-morning, late morning and early afternoon naps. I'm sleepy."

      When we arrived back at the house, Madge and Arlo Jean were in the front yard, dirt flying everywhere as they raced to see who could dig the biggest hole. Joey and I cheered them on before escorting Gertrude inside, where we found Helen lying on a squishy recliner shaped like a pair of people legs. She looked up and, with the slightest turn of her neck, invited Gertrude to join her in the lap.

      Gertrude looked at Joey and me. "Did you see that? Did Helen just invite me up for a cuddle?"

      Joey and I nodded. "Go, go," we whispered. As we let ourselves out to join the other dogs in the Big Dig, Helen curled herself around Gertrude. They slept that way for hours, Helen the big spoon, Gertrude the little spoon, sunlight warming their fur.