Claudius amazes me every single day. It has been over 9 months since we got Claudius and were told to not expect to have more than around 6 weeks with him. Every day has been a miracle. The biggest miracle for me has been his tail. When we first got him he looked, well, ratty. (no offense to my fancy rats out there...I know you are adorable, it is not you guys I speak of when I use the term.) His fur was thin, especially on his tail, and at about two inches before the tip of his tail it looked as if he had got it caught on something because there was a ring of fur very noticeably missing. His coat was incredibly soft but not very full or shiny at all and I know he had just been groomed. Now I can't even feel the bones in his tail if I tried. The fluff is astounding, especially for someone who has never owned a Persian before. I noticed it suddenly while we were hanging out watching TV one night and I was attacked by its volume. When I moved it out of my face I noticed how thick what I was holding was and remembered holding back a giggle several months before at its sad, ropey mess. I couldn't believe it. I went and got his brush and after a couple of seconds was astounded to see how full his coat was, and how shiny and fluffy. Not only that, he had wiskers! Long, albeit very kinky, but there, keeping him that much further away from walls and furniture. When we got him they were brittle and broken, now they easily reach three inches or longer. The lump in his neck long gone, a healthy appetite and a whole pound gained. His hospice label has been long gone from our house, no matter his age, and now the "foster" is gone as well. House cat, family member, and squishy baby are his new labels.
In the past nine months he ha
s gotten a full coat, lost a lump, gained a pound, became picky about food (with gravy, seafood only, a variety must be maintained) made tentative friends with my other cats, learned to play with toys (his mat and my catnip toys I make him) learned to get his way with his daddy, how to get around the house without running into anything (provided we don't move furniture and he isn't trotting) that he likes to go outside on supervised visits to the backyard and eat tasty grass and lie in the sun on the pavement with his fellow outdoor explorer Dr. Wiggles. He also has gained some strength, now strong enough to hop onto the bed that is a whopping three and a half feet tall, more than double his previous record. He has learned to be a nurse and insists on being with "mom" when she is sick, even if that requires him to have the strength to leap onto a bed three and a half feet tall. He has learned backpacks make good beds, that while the mat in front of the shower is great, inside the shower is nothing but evil! We have learned all of his favorite rub spots and he has learned how to demand attention. He was given six weeks to live and past six months over three months ago. He has secured a very special place in our hearts and of those who meet him. Most excitedly, and recently, we have learned that he has actually gained some sight in his right eye thanks to his dramatic increase in health and is no longer considered totally blind! He still can't see very well but in good light he can see movement and shapes and things very close to him.Now the other babies. Anton the neurotic is getting better on leaving the sunroom and made it all the way into the den and into my chair to give me a kiss before hearing something and dashing back into the sunroom and into his chimney. It is progress and better than nothing. He also did very well on his last nail trimming and did not panic or hyperventilate at all. It sometimes takes work to be able to get a hold of him while someone else is in the room but it helps the nail trimming go faster if there is someone to hold and someone to clip. Speaking of assistance, our pet God-mommy came to petsit for several days while we attended a wedding in Alabama. She did a great job but for all that Anton knows her and will even be seen in her presence while I am around we have discovered that no-one is acceptable if I am not in the same room. As soon as we left town Anton was up the chimney and hissing at poor Lauren. No matter how much you know that it isn't you, it is the cat, it still stings to have a cat you love refuse to let you near. I came back and he was out of the chimney all "kiss kiss" and "where have you been mommy!?!?!" in my lap and still on the outs with Lauren. At least there is me, but I wonder what would have become of him had I given him back to Operation Kindness with the rest of his litter and not kept him for worry over his obvious neuroses. Would he have gotten over his "mommy" issues? Would he have become a well balanced house kitty? Or would he have freaked out everyone who came to play with him and end up growing up and living inside Operation Kindness as one of their long term kitties and never have a home? These are things I worry about with my little Anton. Coy says he is a neurotic ball of nerves because I named him Anton. I wonder if Chekov was this way?
Ani is fat. She is at the ripe age of....somewhere around 13 years old and due to her age her metabolism has slowed drastically. This means me freaking out over her weight gain and rushing her to the vet was met with lots of giggles as all that was discovered in an ultrasound was fat. It also means the midget is going on a diet. Also trying to get her into playtime a little bit more, I think she misses having a kitten in the house to beat up on. Maybe it is just me missing the pregnant fostering I used to do and getting to have a house full of kittens for 8 weeks. She hasn't over groomed in months and I couldn't be happier. I think she finally put together, over grooming means mom puts on the e-collar and has to rub on yucky ointment until I heal back again. She also now thinks it is hilarious to not use the litterbox. Unless it is totally fresh litter she will not even go into the litterbox, she just pees and poos directly outside of it. Off to the store in a bit to buy yet another litterbox and even more litter. The first thing I am going to do if I ever make it rich somehow is hire someone to maintain the litterboxes every single day.
Dr. Wiggles is the same as always, happy, goofy, excited to romp outside and nom grass and get food and attention. He is still always the first in the morning to come out of the sunroom and into my lap. He still amazes me that a cat that is a chunk (though a healthy, maintained chunk) can run so fast and jump so high. Much higher than Pirate Claud and almost as high as the neurotic athlete Anton. He always knows how to get a smile.
Bobo the houdini has now learned how to open the gate and simply walk out of the back yard. That made for a horrifying ten minutes. Thankfully he always walks directly up to the first person he sees for attention and I was called quickly, this time only one street over. Now have the lock on the gate 100% of the time. Has also taken to practical jokes, like entering a room, giving a kiss, farting and then leaving the room with a big goofy smile on his face. I only find this hilarious because thanks to a lingering sinus infection, I haven't had a sense of smell in about a month. Also because Coy is the one who spoils Bobo with people food it is only fair he should be the only one to suffer the consequences.
In other news, I left Starbucks. My boss was horrible, the company is going down hill and in a hurry and I am glad to be gone. I am sad to have lost my benefits and the tuition reimbursement that was going to enable me to get back into school this January that is now no longer possible. But it won't derail my plans for long. I intend to get back to school during the summer semesters. I think that will be a better way to get back into school anyway. Good news is that I got a great new job through a newish company in a brand new store called Village Tea. It is a popular on-line tea company that just opened it's flagship store in Dallas, at Preston and Forest and I got a job there. It is perfect since I love the chill atmosphere and and amazing teas (22 kinds!) and the tasty food. Coy even gets to come play acoustic sets on Friday and Saturday from 8-11pm which I find the best part since I love his acoustic stuff best of all. I get to help the stores expand and use my previous beverage and training knowledge to make the shops a better place. I love it!
Well that is about all for now. If you are still reading, imaginary friends, I applaud you for your determination. Thank you for joining me. See you soon, I promise.
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