Another Farewell

We almost made it through the whole year without losing a cat. Alas, it was not to be. We inherited Bob and Tippy when my daddy died in 2016. They have been my gaming buddies for several years; I play video games while they lay on my chest.

In mid-November I realized that Tippy’s left eye wasn’t opening fully. I then realized that she had a small bulge in her forehead over that eye. I took her to the vet where x-rays revealed bone cancer. The vet wanted to see her in a month so we scheduled a follow-up on December 26th.

Tippy, just after I discovered the bulge over her left eye.

I spent that month loving on Tippy extra hard while the cancer progressed rapidly. By the time we returned to the vet, the bulge had grown to the point where her left eye was a mere slit and it showed no signs of stopping. I made the decision to let her go.

So, as I always do, I held my girl while the vet administered the euthanasia meds. I made sure that the last things she felt were my hands petting her and the last thing she heard was my voice telling her how much I loved her and how much I will miss her.

Farewell, Tippy. Bob and I miss you.

Meet The Clowder

A few of my cats have made appearances in various posts, but it’s past time to introduce y’all to the whole clowder. So, here they are in all of their furry glory.

  • Name: Molly
  • Age: 16
  • Nicknames: Molly Mayhem, Molly Mae, Girlfriend
  • Notes: Molly is the sister of Desmond; they got their names from the Beatles’ song, Ob-La-Di.
  • Name: Nellie
  • Age: 14
  • Nicknames: Nelliekins, Nellie Girl, Miss Thang
  • Notes: Nellie is the last of our outdoor cats; she made her transition indoors almost a year ago and is doing well.
  • Name: Cricket
  • Age: 13
  • Nicknames: Beaver Butt, Brick, Baroness von Underbite
  • Notes: Cricket is probably the clowder member I worry about the most. She has feline herpes which manifests in her as respiratory issues. The poor girl sneezes constantly and always has a snotty nose. Steroid shots only help for a few days so we deal with it the best we can. As for her nicknames, Beaver Butt is due to the fact that she has a really thick tail. Brick comes from the character of the same name in the television show The Middle. (I love that show.) Brick has a verbal tic of saying “Whoop” and Cricket frequently makes a similar sound.
  • Names: Bob (r) and Tippy (l)
  • Ages: 11
  • Nicknames: Bob the Blob and Tippy Cat
  • Notes: We inherited Bob and Tippy when my dad died in 2016. They are my gaming buddies and insist on lying on my chest while I’m playing video games.
  • Name: Nyx
  • Age: 10
  • Nicknames: None
  • Notes: Nyx has adopted the kitchen as her territory. She’s fairly aloof unless we’re in the kitchen, then she comes in and weaves around our ankles and “talks” constantly. It’s not exactly a nickname, but we call her our house panther with kitchen specialization.
  • Name: Kota
  • Age: 9
  • Nicknames: Floofy Butt, Princess Floofy Britches
  • Notes: Kota’s name is an acronym which stands for Kitten of the Apocalypse. Kenn found her near the storm drain behind our old house and was upset that yet another cat had shown up. I said something to the effect of “Dude, it’s just a kitten. It’s not even the kitten of the apocalypse,” and it stuck.
  • Name: Bear
  • Age: 5
  • Nicknames: Old Man, Baby Bear
  • Notes: Bear has probably made the most appearances in my blog. He’s just an all-around cool guy.
  • Name: Roxie
  • Age: 2
  • Nicknames: Roxie Pants, Bunny Butt
  • Notes: Roxie’s biggest claim to fame is always looking shocked about everything. She also has the quietest meow of all the cats.

Do you have any pets? If so, what kind and how many?

Friday Funnies

Bear was having a clingy day and climbed up on my chest while I was exercising so, I decided to snap a close-up; it wasn’t until I looked at it later that I noticed the “dent” in his fur where I had petted him. (I tracked him down to make sure that his head was really okay and it’s fine.)

Friday Funnies

Yes, Bear is back for another Friday Funnies. What can I say? He likes his time in the spotlight.😹 Bear’s favorite toys are fuzzy balls; he’s kind of obsessed with them. He carries them all over the house, shoves them under doors and furniture just so he can try to get them back. One of the only places he can’t reach is when his toy has gone into the depths of the opening between the fridge and the cabinet. He has us well trained. We’ve learned that when he assumes this position, we need to grab the yardstick and retrieve his lost ball for him. Apparently, we are now supposed to get the ball even when it is within paw’s reach. I guess the saying is true – “Dogs have owners, cats have staff”.