A New Blog Look and a New Kitten

Well, spring has finally sprung and lots has happened since I last posted here. Bored with the old blog appearance, I opted for a new one. More importantly, however, is the news on the cat front: last fall, two of our three old cats, Black Bear (my favorite, ahem) and Little Girl, passed away within a week of each other.

Late in October, Bear started acting differently. A subtle change at first, but I noticed. I also had a feeling that it was not just a couple of "quiet days" that cats have now and then. Always a healthy eater, I knew he was in trouble when he began leaving some of his dinner on his plate. When he was six years old, he had been a "plugged" cat, suffering from Feline Urological Syndrome and had to be rushed to the animal hospital to be catheterized lest he die of uremia. Since that time, he had been on daily methionine to acidify his urine. Now, he was nearly 14 years old. I had a sinking feeling that the old problem had returned and morphed into kidney failure.

J. and I took him to our holistic veterinarian, who took blood for liver and kidney function tests. Two days later, I received the news: terminal kidney failure. The vet said his numbers were off the charts, and it was amazing that he had done as well as he had for so long. I attributed that fact to the homemade diet he had been on for the past few years. Once I calmed down, I called back and made an appointment to euthanize him. It was three days hence, and I was determined to spoil him like crazy before the end of his life.

He was still eating, so we gave him all the neat treats we could think of: canned cat food, canned fish snacks, etc. He was pampered more than ever (quite a feat, I assure you). When the time came to bundle him off to the vet, we were sad, but knew we had done all that we could to give him a great life. I had hoped he would live to 20 years, but the end came quickly and he was in fine fettle until almost the very end.

Little Girl, who had been having some recurrence of urinary tract problems herself during the previous summer, became despondent over his loss. The only female, she had "belonged" to Bear, the alpha male, and was despondent without him. She would wait for him, and cry when he didn't appear. She stopped eating. Soon, her kidneys failed, as well; we had her put to sleep less than a week after Bear. To those who claim that animals cannot love, I have this to say: You are dead wrong.

Poor J. buried two cats in one week, the second one on his birthday. As he trudged up the driveway after putting out Miss P.'s trash, looking lost and depressed, I said, "Let's go out to lunch and stop by the shelter to see what they have on hand for kittens." He looked surprised, but agreed. No way was I going to let him remember his birthday only as the day he buried Miss Thing! So, off we went--and found ourselves a cute little bargain.

Next time: A new playmate for Goldie.

A New Kitty for Miss P.

A short while ago, our neighbor Miss P. mentioned to us that she would like to adopt a new cat. She has always had many pets, but over the past two years their numbers have been decreasing. After the recent loss of Mr. D., her German Shepherd, her cat Punkin has been pretty lonesome. Miss Molly, the "retired" old lady cat, isn't much fun for him to play with. Upon hearing this comment, both J. and I immediately offered to accompany P. on this adoption quest. The date was set for a week ago Saturday, the 10th. A local garden center was hosting a kitten adoption day with the Dakin Animal Shelter, similar to what the shelter had done with local banks a while back. It was decided that a kitten would be a better choice than another adult, who would most likely be considered an interloper by Miss P.'s two cats.

At the appointed time, we all piled into our car and set off. As we discussed cats and kittens en route, Miss P. said, "One thing is for sure: I'm not getting another tri-color cat!" Miss Molly is a calico, and, as we have discussed here before, they certainly have their own special ways. We were all sure that there would be plenty of kittens to choose from, so color would not be a problem. Shortly, we arrived at our destination. Happy as clams, we all made for the door of the garden center, sure that many kittens awaited us there.

It didn't take long to ascertain that there weren't any kittens on the premises. We asked and were told that the adoption day was the next Saturday. Miss P. had called that very morning to check on the time, plus there was a sign out front announcing "Kitten Adoption Saturday", but with no posted date. Disappointed, we decided to go straight to the Dakin shelter in a nearby town to examine the merchandise at the very source.

As we entered the shelter, cages of adult cats greeted us. They were all very handsome, but where were the kittens? Oh, we were told again, they didn't have any kittens. What about the garden center's gala the very next weekend? They were going to bring kittens from their larger facility for that event. Did we want to look around, anyway? Well, what the heck, we said. We're here, so we might as well see what they have to offer.

It was lucky that we did. In another room, we immediately noticed a young female, very frisky and friendly. A four-month-old tortoiseshell, she was incredibly cute. But, another tri-color? Miss P. looked dubious, but was soon under her spell. We all took turns petting her and unanimously decided that this was the one. Wouldn't Punkie be surprised!

As the shelter employee clipped her nails, she writhed and squirmed in a most entertaining manner. When we got back to Miss P.'s house, Libby (as she was to be called) immediately set out to make the place hers. As Miss P. said later, "It's like she's been living her for years."

Another happy adoption story...with a moral. If you are ready to open your heart to a (or another) pet, don't be discouraged because the "ideal" you had in mind is not available. Look around the shelter, take it all in. Chances are the one you didn't know you wanted is right there waiting for you!
Chat later!

Two Cats are More Fun than One

Now that you've decided to share your life with cats, all you need to do is come up with a number. Do you want only one cat, or two? How about three? Before you go to the animal shelter, you should give this matter some consideration. While it's great to be flexible and just "wing it", be assured that you will love every cat you see when you go shopping, and you can't take them all!

For many years, I had only one cat at a time. Of course, I was living in apartments where no pets were allowed, so technically, that was one cat too many. When J. and I got married, I brought my illegal cat Sweet Pea to our new home. Shortly thereafter, Min, a stray living at the shop were J. worked, came to live with us, too. I can say that I have never gone back to having only one cat, once I discovered the joys of the multi-cat household. Even though they have occasional disagreements (just like people), I believe cats are happier living with other cats. For us, of course, watching them interact is a real riot at times, too!

So, my advice is: Take home at least two cats. They will keep each other company when you are not around, and watching them play is really entertaining. Plus, if you live with a partner, you can each say you have your own cat! Additionally, you will know that you have given an extra one or two deserving animals a home that they may not have gotten otherwise.

Before you go to the shelter, make your decision about how many cats you plan to bring home. Get the appropriate number of litter boxes, and set them up before you leave so that you can give them their first lesson in box etiquette as soon as you all get home. Have a good supply of food, and fill the water bowl. After a few days together, it will be like you've been pals all your lives! Enjoy!

Chat later!

The Cure for "Lonely Hearts"

Are you lonely?  Bored with your life?  Feeling unappreciated, unloved, unneeded?  Want someone to talk to?  Do you need a hobby or a new love interest to fill up your empty hours?  Well, look no more. Right now, at your local shelter, waits the answer to all your problems:  Free cats!  That's right, not far from your very doorstep there are scores of adorable, soft, loving cats just waiting for you to come and take them home!  Young ones, middle-aged one, older ones--there's one (or two or three) just right for you, all you need to do is come on down!  And, of course, the best part of all this is--they are free (except for worming, shots, neutering, etc.)!  But, hurry to get the best selection!  For an unlimited time only.

Seriously, even if you only sometimes feel lonely, bored, blah blah blah, you'll still benefit from having a cat.  For example, the other morning I was trying to get to the computer to write this blog and Little Girl kept yelling at the top of the stairs until I went up there to give her the usual morning massage.  Now, J. usually does this, but he wasn't here, so the responsibility fell to me.  After she'd had enough and started licking herself all over, I heard Bear and his signature "Mwahhhh-mwaaaahhhh" yowl that means he's bringing me a sock and, dang it, he'd better get some petting for it.  So.  By the time I actually had time to start writing, it was time for lunch.  How time flies when you have a houseful of cats!  Just so you don't think I was ignoring Goldie, he got his share, too.

Another benefit of having cats in the house is that you've always got someone to talk to.  Whether it's whining, chit-chat or just sharing your day, cats will always listen.  They'll respond, too if you play your cards right.  We can get any of our cats to "speak" just about on cue.  Of course, we brought them up that way, because we like chatty cats.  Also, we can tell when they're in a talking mood (which is almost always)!

Let's face it--when you've got cats around, you've always got someone to love.  And, of course, they love you right back.  They'll even tell you so.  By the way, if you're really starved for conversation, get a Siamese (or two)!

Just So You Know:  All of the above will work with dogs, too!
Chat later!