Shaved Pussy & Other Tales

I thought that would get your attention.

So today the cats went in for their annual lion cuts.  We should do it twice a year. Long-haired cats shed a lot and as they get older they tend to get mats in their hair and have a harder time with hairballs. So shaving them for the summer really does make their lives a bit more comfortable. I take all three cats in for their annuals at the same time – all at once just because it’s easier to get everyone taken care of in a single day. Of course chasing down and crating three very stealth kitties first thing in the morning is not the way you want to start your day. Or at least not how I wanted to start my day.  As for the two that got shaved – sadly, they’re both 14 years old (litter-mates) and I was told that the female is starting to show some signs of reduced kidney function (via blood work). Same with my 16-year-old female (no official confirmation from the vet on that yet – just a hint from the vet tech). Plus the eldest female has some arthritis, poor thing. So they’re both being put on a special diet to hopefully improve their kidney function. The 14-year-old male had an allergic reaction to the sedative he was given for his shaving. As a result – they couldn’t give him his rabies vaccination so I have to take his little butt back in a few weeks (which I’m sure he’ll be thrilled about).  But of the three – he seems to be the healthiest. So I guess for geriatric kitties they’re really not doing bad, but I hate knowing that they’re getting old because it merely makes the reality that they only have a few years left that much more apparant.  I mean seriously – how many cats do you actually know that live past 20? Not too many. One of my girls died from renal failure at age 14, and another had cancer and had to be put down at age 12.  So having two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old… well, you know. I am not expecting more than six years with any of them (though I would be thrilled if any one of them did live past 20).

Other stuff – got a label maker to label everything from manuscript drafts, to files, to tincture jars (among other things).  Oh – the excitement that is my life. lol! I don’t even want to talk plants just because I’m so disgusted at the transplants at the moment. Should have moved them to smaller pots first, let them establish, and then repotted in bigger pots after a few weeks. Live and learn. 🙂   Really – I think at least three will survive. We’ll see. I’m still hoping a few will bounce back. Did I mention I have a healthy potted pine tree that I have no idea what to do with? Oh – and some nightshade and a few blades of chives. Haha! Big failures but small successes. Such is the adventure in my evil garden.

Back to work with me. Or off to sleep. Can’t decide which. It was a long day.