Kathy Plotkin

Kathy Plotkin was a friend of Cindy Ledbetter. She convinced Ledbetter to keep Ptolemy III the scarlet macaw when custody was transferred to her.

After Ptolemy had been with the Ledbetters for three months, Plotkin agreed to watch Ptolemy for a few days while the Ledbetters were on vaction. Ptolemy found the environment happier with the Plotkins: they followed the recommended schedule, Kathy's daughter bathed and played with him, and he was given a copy of the Chicago Tribune to read. Unfortunately, that night, Plotkin was experimenting with a new facial mask. When she went to tend to Ptolemy first thing in the morning, he didn't understand it was Ptolemy, instead believing it was one of the aliens he'd read about in The Nation's Eye. Panicked that his worldview had been completely wrong, Ptolemy promptly died, leaving Plotking to wonder how she'd break the news to Ledbetter.