Running!

Spooky The Cat

January 31, 1999 - October 28, 2011

Spooky left peacefully this morning to run with Those Who Have Gone Before.

Thank you all for your support and prayers as we faced this decision...and now we must learn how to live without our precious little Spooky.

~ Treater and Napper

CATching up...one more time

It's been a very long time since I wrote a post. Ever since my I-131 treatment last year, I just haven't been quite as active as before. That treatment healed my thyroid disease, but other things aren't so good. When I was being examined for that treatment, the vet specialist found that I had heart and kidney problems. I've been on medicine and special food ever since. All was good until recently...

For several weeks I've been slowly losing weight. Then I caught a cold and had trouble eating. Well, that started things. Treater and Napper have been doing an awful lot of stuff to me. I have to see Dr. Steve a whole lot...lots more than I really want to, although he is very nice (except when he sticks me, that is). I'll spare you kitties the details.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell all of my furriends how very much I've appreciated your visits and your purrs. I'm not doing well at all. I'm very weak and I can't eat or drink on my own any more, and I don't care for the syringe that Treater uses to push food into me.

This will be my last post. I had hoped to be around for my 13th birthday in January, but I won't make it. Don't cry for me. I'll soon be with Those Who Have Gone Before.

Play well and purr hard.

Cat Rap...er, Wrap

There is no way I'd stand for this. This poor kitty must be high on catnip or something. (Oh, sorry 'bout that ad...I guess it has to be there.)

Update

Hey, there. I'm back.

As you can see, when I'm awake and feeling good, I usually keep a close eye on all that's going on in the world around my house. All sorts of critters show up outside my window, like sandhill cranes, squirrels, anoles, and golfers.

Treater and Dr. Heather spent a long time talking about me yesterday. Dr. Heather (she's Dr. Steve's wife) said my thyroid numbers are still bad, but they're lots better than they were one month and two months ago. I have to have more of that lab work in one more month. If they're not good, I'll have to have another I-131 treatment.

Some of my other results weren't so good, either, but others were excellent. I don't like one of the two new foods that Dr. Steve wants me to eat, so Dr. Heather said not to worry about it for now. Whew. That's good. I was afraid Treater and Napper would start cramming it down my throat like that ginormous pill they make me take every night!

I have good days and bad days. Yesterday was a horrible day. Today is much better. So far. Except for Treater laughing at me and teasing me.

Yeah, I was sleeping soundly.

Yeah, sleep does ugly things to one's hair fur.

Yeah, I was sleeping on my side.

Yeah, the right side of my face is flat. (For you people who get confused like Treater, the right side of my face is on your left.)

Please don't laugh at me.

Pssst...Orion, did you recognize the blankie you sent me? I still sleep on it every single day. :)

Catching up

The last time I wrote, I mentioned that I had a heart problem. My heart still hurts from missing Tiggie, but my inside heart is better. My health problems were more than just that.

Treater noticed that I was tired a lot more than usual, and she also thought I looked as if I had lost a little weight. I'm not a very big kitty anyway. At my, er, um, plumpest, I weighed 7.5 pounds. I'm just a little gal. Well, she called the V.E.T. and dragged me in there. They weighed me and poked me and stuck me and did some pretty disagreeable things to me! I was not a happy camper!

This was about three or four months ago. The blood tests showed some scary-high numbers, so Dr. Steve sent me to the Big City Hospital. Treater was amazed - she said she never realized there were V.E.T. Specialists at those hospitals. I saw a cardiologist and an internist when I was there. It turned out that my primary condition was hyperthyroidism. Yeah, I dunno what that is, either, but it's what made me tired and skinny. They also found my enlarged heart, but the cardiologist suspected it was a side-effect from the thyroid disorder.

(Yeah, there are some big words here. Treater is peeking over my shoulder helping me with the spelling.)

Anyway, the treatment sounded scary, but it wasn't so bad...except that I had to stay in the hospital for a few days. They gave me something called an I-131 treatment and turned me into a radioactive cat! Napper teased me...he said he knew the things I left in my litter box were radioactive...for a while, they really were! Life seemed no different to me once I got home, but Treater and Napper had to avoid me for a couple of weeks and every time they did anything for me, they pulled on gloves. I tell you what...my litter box leavings must be valuable. They wouldn't throw them away; instead, they saved them in a special box. Now, even I wouldn't want that box after a few days.

Anyway, like I said the last time I wrote, they made me start taking pills three times a day for my heart. After a month, I only had to take two a day. That's no fun. I also had to go back for more poking and other disagreeable stuff. Dr. Steve and Dr. M (my internist) weren't happy with the results, so they told me I had to go back again in one more month. Well, that was yesterday.

More poking and pushing and sticking and all those disagreeable things. This is getting old. On the good side, I gained four more ounces, so I've gained about half a pound since my treatment. Treater is supposed to talk to Dr. Steve today about "my labs." (I didn't know I had a lab!)

Dr. M said that 5% of the felines who have the I-131 treatment have to have a second treatment. I hope I'm not one, but it's not looking great. We'll know later today. Treater said my medical treatments this year already cost more than hers and Napper's combined. Hey, I'm worth it, right?

So, that's why I haven't blogged much lately. I've just been too tired. I still sleep a lot, but I'm feeling a bit better.

Oh, yeah. I got new food yesterday, too. Dr. Steve said I need special food for my kidneys. Gee. This is making me sound like an old cat. I'm not...I'm still a youthful-looking lady. Hmmm, but I do have a birthday in a couple of months.

Twelve's not old! Is it?

Treater said we'll post an update later when we know something. She said she'll do it for me if I'm sleeping. Right now, I need a nap.

I am sad

Please pardon my long absence from my blog. This has been an unusally eventful summer around here. It's a long story, and I may tell all about it later. Right now, my heart hurts.


My heart has been sick lately. The V.E.T. did not like the way my heart sounded, so he sent me and Treater to a cat-cardiologist. They took pictures of my heart (among other things!!!) and put me on special medicine. He said my heart was huge. I thought a big heart was good, but not in this case. He also said there was a lot of fluid around my heart. I had to take three pills a day! I went back last week for more pictures of my heart and the V.E.T. was very surprised and said my heart almost looks normal! Now I just take two pills a day.


I felt better...for a short time. Now my heart hurts again.


My very bestest cyber-friend...my inspiration for this blog...has been very sick, too. Tiggie FOC (that means Faithful Orange Cat) had some surgery a couple of weeks ago, but it did not help him get better. Blondie and Bernie had to make a hard choice yesterday, and they helped Tiggie cross the Bridge. Now Tiggie feels better, and is romping with his old friends, Mac and Tidbit, and a lot of other friends, too.

Treater and Napper went to visit Blondie and Bernie and Tiggie and Hart a couple of months ago. Treater took this picture of Tiggie for me (beautiful, isn't he?). He didn't feel very good here.

It's a sad day when a cat leaves his people. Please purray for his family...they are sad.

So am I.

Quick! Hide the cheese!

I was awakened from my morning snooze by the sound of music playing and Treater laughing. I stretched and yawned and ambled over to see what was happening.

Oh, no. I think we'd better hide the cheese. This cannot happen!