Misty

This is my favorite picture of my kitty, Misty. I've taken well over a hundred photos of our spoiled kitty but this one is probably the cutest. I love the light and the look on her face. As she gets older I realize how wonderful it is to have photos and videos of her.

Why I Love Having a Cat

Just a random video of my kitty attempting to distract me from blogging. I love having her around. I know that there are about a billion cat videos out there. But this is different. This is my cat. ;-)

The Joys and Pains of Pet Ownership

Just a warning, this is not a particularly pleasant topic and I apologize if I gross anyone out. If you are anywhere squeamish about body functions, you'll want to skip this one. But it's what's on my mind.

I mentioned two days ago that my kitty was being holed up in the downstairs bathroom for some testing. The cute adorable little bugger wouldn't cooperate by providing the urine sample we needed. She hates the litter they need to use and was simply not willing to cooperate. After 14 hours of keeping her trapped in the bathroom, Jeff released her into the rest of the house and we gave up on getting anything from her. I don't blame him one bit. If I didn't sleep with ear plugs, I wouldn't have been able to handle the constant mewing and pleading from her. Plus the pain and fear that were evident on her face. It was really awful.

So yesterday he took her to the vet's office so they could try to get the sample. The vet figured she would be back by that evening. Boy, were they wrong! Well over 24 hours later and my little kitty is not yet home, still holding out. I knew she could be stubborn but I had no idea that it would be this long. I know that all of this is for her own good, but it still completely rips me up inside. I'm a big believer in not causing suffering to anyone, animal or human, and this test just seems like torture to me. I can't help but imagine her at the vets, scared and in pain from holding out so long. And I can't explain to her why we need to do the test.

I will tell you right off the bat that we have the greatest cat in the world. She is loving and quiet and always excited to see us. She comes to meet us when we come home from anywhere. She loves attention but is not pushy about getting it. She is never vindictive. She sleeps at our feet every night. We adore her. That's why this is so hard for me. I'm just hoping she's home before the vet closes tonight. I don't want to leave her there again overnight. And although a urinalysis is scheduled for every year, I don't think I can bear doing this to her again next year. Call me a bad pet owner, but this is just a little too hard.

Sorry if this was TMI for anyone, but it's been on my brain all day.

Feeder

Jeff had mentioned to me that the hummingbirds were back at my feeder finally. But I hadn't really seen one yet. So today I got a chance to sit outside, let the cat explore the front yard, and read. And in the process saw about eight hummingbirds. It is amazing how often they come with me sitting not five feet away. I can hear their little chirps and even hear the buzz of their wings. Anyway, a hummingbird picture. Sadly this is not one from today but one I took at my parent's house one afternoon. I love the tiny gauzy wings and the total lack of feet when flying.

And a gratuitous cat picture. (I thought about using a different word but figured it would pull a very different type of traffic to the site.)

Warriors

It's been a long time since I hid a book in my top desk drawer so that I could steal a couple minutes to read. But this morning I'm doing some work, and then opening the drawer to get my reading fix. I was late this morning because I was reading. I didn't even touch the computer last night so I could have some extra time with the book. Like I said, it's been a long time since I've had a book I couldn't stop reading.

I'm reading the first book in the Warrior series by Erin Hunter, called Into The Wild. Hunter is actually a pseudonym for three English women who write the books. The series follows several colonies of feral cats who have carefully divided hunting grounds. The book follows Rusty, a domestic cat, (or kittypet as the clans call him) who joins the group and learns the ways of the clan. This is complicated because the different clans are warring against each other for hunting territory. Somehow Rusty and an ostracized medicine cat will save the day and I'm dying to know how. I'm only halfway through the book but hope to be done with it tonight.

I picked up the book grudgingly because my nephew told me that I had to read it. I don't read series and thought it sounded kind of silly. I owe him an apology. Although I wouldn't put the book quite on par with Watership Down, it has that kind of feel to it. Each followed animal communities in their quest to survive. Each created elaborate customs and cultural orders in those communities. And each had just enough action to keep the reader turning pages fast to get to the resolution. I claim Watership Down as one of my favorite books. And the book had a number of strange influences on me. I still occasionally think silflay when I see a particularly nice dusk. I almost named a bunny sculpture Fiver. I'm not sure whether Warriors will have as much of an impact on me or even how many of the books (if any) that I read beyond this. But I'm definitely enjoying the ride.

Dewey

Last night my plan had been to relax a little and start the world of warcraft expansion. Of course life is what happens when you are making other plans. About 5:30 my mother calls and want to know if I will go to an author reading with her. At 6:30. So I grab a quick bite to eat, check in on my neighbors cat (who I'm catsitting), and head out the door. The reading is at one of the local libraries.

I get to the building about 10 minutes before the reading is to start to realize that there is hardly a parking space to be had. People are walking some decent distances through the cold rain to come hear this author. Now this library's reading room is not big. I've been in there for several readings and there are normally only thirty or so chairs set up. My mom, dad, and I walk in the door to see that it is literally standing room only. And that standing room is out in the library's lobby. To make a long story short, we spent 30 minutes standing in the lobby listening to the author speak but not able to see her. There were probably 150 people there.

I'm interested in this author partly because she's a librarian. Actually she's the librarian in Spencer, Iowa who one morning found a cat that someone had dropped in the book drop. She managed to talk the city council into letting her keep the cat, who lived for 19 years in the Spencer library. Everyday the cat would wander the stacks, greeting people, cheering people up, and generally finding laps to sleep in. I'm sure for the non-cat lovers this was hell but for people like me, this would have been perfect. When the cat past away, the librarian Vicki Myron was approached by a number of publishers with money to publish the cat's story. The book is currently a best seller and will be made into a movie. Myron announced last night the Meryl Streep will be playing her in the upcoming movie.

The discussion (it wasn't really a reading) was very good and Vicki Myron was enjoyable to listen to. I was not surprised by the number of people who showed up but I wish they would have moved the reading out into the general library area. There were a lot of people who know of this cat before the book was even published. This cat was actually known across the country. When he died, the obituary for Dewey Readmore Books was run in over 200 newspapers. That is some serious notoriety for a cat.

Picture of Dewey courtesy of the Spencer Library

The Animal Rescue League had set up a booth. I was pleased to see the number of people there who gave to the ARL and helped to support the library. This was a very successful event for them. Even without having read the book (I just got a copy last night) I'm sure it will be a good story. Cats and librarians, right up my alley. And more than anything reminds me why I like librarians. I love the idea of a cat in the library. I love that the librarian decided to take him in that cold January day. I love that people have helped support the library and the cat because of it. What a great story. I hope it inspires others.

Natural Order?

You have to know that I spoil my cat. Some people have called her a child substitute but I think she is just too cute to not be spoiled. She sleeps in our bed, she has pretty much the run of the house (except kitchen counters), and I try to let her outside for a little time each day. She loves her outdoor time. She'll sit by the door all afternoon waiting to go out. 

The rule is that when there are hummingbirds out I try not to let her out. On the other hand when there are squinties out (thirteen striped ground squirrels) we make sure she goes out. Those little things dig up my grass and under the house causing tons of damage. I'm pretty sure I have one living in my air conditioner. She caught one once but it got away. 

No I have no idea where they got the name squinties. That is just what we call them in Iowa. 

So last night I was replacing a light bulb after dark and I let the cat out to explore the porch. She found something quickly and went running after it. She caught her prey in the next yard. And it immediately started squealing. When she jumped over the fence I could see that it was a baby bunny. She brought it right to the door and wanted in. And for some reason I couldn't let the natural order go forward. I know they say not to interfere in the wild but my cat is not wild. I touched her and she dropped the bunny, which wisely hightailed it out of there. I grabbed the cat and hauled her inside.

And then I felt guilty. She had been bringing me a gift. Cats bring their kittens dead and live animals to show them what food it. She had been trying to show me what food was. And I scared it away. And I have to wonder if I shouldn't have just let her have the bunny. It was so small and fragile though. And for me the thought of injuring an animal intentionally or through inaction is so horrible to me. I just couldn't stomach it. 

Animal researchers say one of the hardest part of their jobs it to stand idle and let things happen. I now know what they mean. And now I know that the cat is only spoiled up to a point. 

Emergency Room

I had an emergency room trip this weekend. No it was not for Jeff, who tends to be a little accident prone. And it was certainly not for me, who has yet to visit the ER for myself (knock on wood). No this was for the third member of our family. The cat. 

I was sitting outside reading on Saturday when a couple neighbors stopped by to talk. We sat out on the porch while the cat wondered around the property. Mostly she stayed on the porch though. We were talking when I saw the cat get down into a crouch. I assumed she was hunting my hummingbirds, who have been making very, very regular appearances at my feeder. When I looked over to see what she was looking at I found not a hummingbird but a two inch wasp. And that's when the cat sprung. She batted at the wasp...and the wasp struck back. 

I saw her paw try to grab it. And then she pulled away quickly. She rushed to the front door and began to lick her paw. She wouldn't put the paw down. I went over and picked her up to look at her foot and she had a dark black mark in the middle of her pad. The stinger looked pretty embeded. 

So Jeff called the emergency animal clinic and we bundled her into a duffle bag (our cat carrier is loaned to a friend) and drove to the kitty ER. They got us in really quickly. We saw the nurse and then the doctor came in. He looked at her paw carefully. The conversation went a little like this.

"Well I'm not seeing a stinger."

"It's in her lower pad." 

"Oh okay." We flipped the cat on her back. 

"Right there." 

"That's pigment." 

"That's what?" 

"Just a bit of pigment. Like a freckle." 

"I've never seen in before." 

"See look how it doesn't move or rub off. I'm not even causing her any pain when I push a little. It's just pigment." 

"So no stinger." 

"Not that I see." 

So I had to go out to the receptionist and explain that I brought my cat in for a freckle. To the emergency room!! There is just no way to do that and not feel like an idiot. The vet was nice and explained that you should always come in for a sting but I still felt like a moron. We stopped for ice cream on the way home (the cat's favorite) but I still haven't lived it down that we took her in because she has a little pigment on her paw. But at least she's okay. (By the way, as I write this she's sitting on the table enjoying being petted. She's a bit spoiled.)

House sitter extraordinare

So I'm house sitting this week for two people. I didn't realize when I accepted the first that I would have the second to think about too. At least neither of them require staying over. The first is for my parents. And that tends to be pretty easy lately. Pick up the paper, water dad's plants twice a week, and fill mom's birdfeeders. Not too difficult. I normally stop by on my way home from work. 

The other is for a neighbor of mine and this one proves to be a little more stressful. It's not that the place requires any real work, and her cats are very easy to take care of. No the stress comes from the facts that these are old cats. Old as in 16 and 18. The 18 year old feels like skin and bones. He's a loving kitty but I keep expecting him to fall over any minute. It makes me very nervous. I'm not all that comfortable with responsibility for other living things. Hell I worry about my cat's mental well-being. As I write this I'm sitting outside so the cat can enjoy some supervised outdoor time. Yeah she's spoiled. 

So I will spend the rest of the week and into next worrying about the cats. I'm sure I will check in on them so regularly that Jeff rolls his eyes. I can't help it. I'm a worrier. Particularly when something is in my care. Another good reason for me not to have kids. I would spend my entire life worrying about their physical and mental well-being. I would truly never have a moment's peace. 

(By the way, as I'm sitting outside the hummingbirds are coming regularly to the feeder. I'm sitting not ten feet from the thing and they just stop by perch and drink.) 

Now I am a great housesitter. I tend to take extra good care of things simply because I don't want anything to happen on my watch. We'll see how I do with this week though. Two might be more then my tiny little worrywart brain can handle.