Monday, January 14, 2013Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2005. Mattie was almost three years old and FULL of energy. Mattie
loved staying close to me and if I was working in the kitchen, he wanted to be there too. That particular day, I picked him up and put him on one of my counters so we could work together. It is hard not to have this wonderful helper around on a day to day basis.
Quote of the day: When your cat rubs the side of its face along your leg, it's affectionately marking you with its scent, identifying you as its private property, saying, in effect, 'You belong to me.' ~ Susan McDonough
When I brought Patches to the vet last week, they weighed her. She was a shocking 7 pounds. It is hard to see Patches shrinking before our eyes. Patches spends most of her daytime hours now napping. She is still up throughout the night, some things don't change. However, her howling is more intense and sounds like the crying of a baby. Peter noticed that the pain medication was making her sick to her stomach and therefore couldn't hold down anything she was eating. So we are trying to figure out that balance so she is comfortable. If she can eat, respond to us, and seems to be comfortable then from my perspective it isn't time to put her to sleep yet.
I have noticed after Mattie died that there are times during the year when I just get very tired. Perhaps the tiredness results from projects I take on, and then the accumulative effect occurs, and I get worn down tremendously. But I have noticed I am hitting one of those brick walls now. I am currently involved in multiple projects and the stress associated with them weighs on me. However, I think it is more than just the physical projects that wear me out. They all have an emotional component to them, and somehow post-cancer, it is much harder for me to manage and cope with various tasks. Mattie had the cancer, but his disease impacted both Peter and I in so many ways.
This photo was taken of Patches tonight. It may not seem unusual to you, but to me Patches' face looks sullen, she looks very thin, and doesn't have the life and sparkle she once did. Nonetheless despite her physical condition, she stays close to us and is a beautiful cat. 
1 comment:
Vicki and Peter, I'm so sad that you are losing Patches! Yes, she looks thin, and the late night howling is most likely related to her hyperthyroidism and to senility. If you leave nightlights on throughout the house it might help her not be disoriented in the dark; it helped both of our elderly kitties somewhat in their last year. We still have about 5 different nightlights on all night! We had to put Holly down in July - she looked so much like your Patches, that I still get choked up when I see the photos of Patches with Mattie. Honestly, you just keep loving her until it's time. You two will need to come to that time when you are "ready" (not that you ever will be). My thoughts are with you two and with Patches. I think of you often throughout the day, I know how hard a decision it is. Cassandra
Post a Comment