She's one cranky kitty, but she's eating voluntarily, and frequently, so they let her come home. We have quite the drug regimin to follow, and she has to be kept apart from the other cats (so we can monitor her eating and find her). 

Thanks again for all the well-wishes, prayers, etc.  

Well, an update: we just got back from visiting her. It took awhile for her to get used to us (already), but after 20-30 minutes, she was acting exactly like her old self. I took her a mouse that I knit for her, but she wasn't all that interested in it. Which is typical. She doesn't like things for cats. She likes embroidery floss,* and a felt pea pod I made during my play food obsession. She doesn't like cat treats, she likes queso dip (we didn't take her any of that). After she peed a very substantial amount** while curled up next to my John, she wanted nothing more than to be rubbed down and scritched all over. She even ate some of the chicken treats (Liv-a-Littles, aka kitty crack) she only recently agreed to eat. Watching her eat was the best thing about the visit.

She's not out of the woods yet, but she is improving! Her color is a little better -- her ears are more pink, and her skin is a teensy less yellow.

Cass, John, all the other kitties and I thank you for your prayers and good thoughts. Don't stop!

*She tries to steal it every time I get it out. She doesn't chew on it -- she likes to pull it back and forth and get it all tangled up...then walk away. I got some to put in some swap packages, and she ruined 2 of the 3 within minutes. I keep it all in a latched box and let her play with a hank - supervised - every once in awhile.

**I think part of her angst earlier was from trying to locate a litter box in the room they gave us for the visit, then gave up. She doesn't like to be held; she likes to be rightnext to you, so she cuddled up against John. It didn't register right away the she'd peed -- he just commented that she was really warm. Then I picked her up, and surprise! They didn't seem at all concerned that she'd peed on him, just glad that she is peeing. (Everything we had on is now in the washer!)

Our baby girl, Cass, is very sick. At the moment, we're waiting for a phone call from the hospital. We had to leave her there to get an ultrasound so the doctor could confirm her suspected diagnosis: fatty liver disease. In some cases, if cats stop eating, their liver tries to metabolize fat for energy, but it can't. So the fat gets stored in the liver -- hence "fatty liver disease."

A few weeks ago, we switched cat food. There's nothing wrong with it -- it's an excellent brand -- and it was something we needed for Trixie. But, it turns out, Cass hated the new food. We didn't notice right away that she wasn't eating, because she won't eat in front of us. It wasn't until we noticed that she'd lost some weight -- too much for our comfort -- that we realized she had to be on some kind of strike. We tried supplementing the hated food with some other things she liked, but eventually went back to the original food - the one she liked. John's been paying special attention to her when he feeds the cats, getting her away from the others and left alone so she could eat. Sometimes she'd eat in front of him, but most of the time she wouldn't.

Late this morning, he called to me and showed me that the skin was jaundiced. We were on our way to the hospital in less than five minutes. She had some blood work while we were there, and her liver #s are through the roof, plus one kidney enzyme that points to the same illness. They sent us home, because we couldn't stay with her, and they wouldn't get to her ultrasound for a few hours. It's done now, and the report is being written up.

If we caught it in time, it's treatable. Once the doctor calls (any time now), we'll know if it's the fatty liver disease. If it is, they need to get her to eat overnight/tomorrow, then wait for her stomach to empty again and surgically implant a feeding tube. The only treatment seems to be feeding her VERY frequently. She couldn't take enough by mouth - *if* she was hungry or felt like eating - to take care of it. It's a long process, and there are no guarantees. I think we're helped by the fact that she's young. I hope.

Prayers, good wishes, candles, etc. are appreciated.

I have some sad news to report. Zoe didn't make it. He took a turn for the worst and to spare him more pain, J-dub and her husband had him put to sleep. (They have a visiting vet, so I'm guessing he came to the house to do it.) He was buried in the little bag I made him (in pic from previous post).

I'm sure it's only a small comfort to them, but Zoe was never supposed to make it. They worked so hard with that poor little, crippled runt. They bottle-fed him, gave him physical therapy, massage, etc., and he became a sturdy cat who only walked a little funny. He had a wonderful 14 months with them.

This is an old pic of J-dub's oldest cat, Zoe, taken late last August. Zoe was such a miracle baby, and has come such a long way (link to pics of him taken in March), that thinking of him being ill is very difficult. Sadly, however, he is very ill. As of the last update I received, he is improved slightly, but is still a very sick kitty. I stayed with Jen on Friday night and drove her and Zoe to the veterinarian hospital. Honestly, no one really knows what made the little guy start having seizures. It's very likely some kind of toxin, but nothing has changed in the house. There are no plants for him to chew, neither he nor is brother have been treated for fleas,* etc. The results for the FIP test should be back shortly, but in the meantime, all they can do is give him anti-seizure meds and wait.

I already mentioned staying with Jen on Friday. We had to leave Zoe at the hospital overnight, and returned on Saturday morning to bring him home. The hospital was excellent, but they really couldn't do anything besides what Jen could do at home (unless she wanted to spend several thousand dollars on tests the doctor agreed weren't likely to help). I was initially supposed to leave home around 8:45 in order to meet Heather in Lansing, but had to keep calling to push back the time. First because the hospital was just too far away (about an hour each way) to the trip done in time; then, because we had a tire blow out.

As it turns out, we weren't even on the right highway. I was holding Zoe and not paying a lot of attention to the road, but don't remember Jen doing anything different than what I had done the night before. It turned to be a good thing -- Jen pulled into one of those "Authorized Vehicles Only" spots, and it was only a couple of minutes before a car heading the other direction stopped. The couple in that car was heaven-sent. Jen asked me to stay in the car and not disturb Zoe, and she and the wife chatted while the husband changed the tire. Afterwards, they followed us to a gas station and he filled the tire with air, too -- even paying for it (why can't air be free?).

The first time I called Heather to postpone our meeting, she told me about a cat she'd had years ago who had the exact same symptoms. He'd chewed into a garbage bag which, at the time anyway (don't know about now), were treated with chemicals like insect-repellant and odor-control. It took several days for it all to work out of his system, but he was eventually okay (and then no more garbage bags in the house). We're hoping for a similar outcome for Zoe!

Jen called last night to tell me that Zoe was taking some kitten formula (he'd lost some weight, too, and isn't very coordinated) and seems to be a little more responsive.


Sometime on Friday, John went out for provisions and brought me some beef jerky from an outlet he'd been meaning to check out. I threw it into my overnight bag on my way out and I tell you, that beef jerky saved my bacon a couple of times! Both days, my eating (and therefore my blood sugar) were seriously messed up. I tried to get to real food as soon as I could, but the timing was tough. Luckily, I had this bag of beef jerky.

I had a hard time sleeping without a couple of cats right next to me and John somewhere in the house (and no gun at hand), and I guess my household fared about the same. Turns out Sheldon and Charlie can't sleep without me there. (I knew John would probably not be able to.)

After I had Jen and Zoe all settled in at home for their respective naps, I headed to Lansing to meet up with Heather. There was an event -- Knitterpalooza 2007 -- that we were going to attend, but mostly it was an excuse to get together (Lansing is just about exactly midway between us). We wandered all over one of the shops there - Threadbear (lovely, if a little insular)** - and bought some goodies. One of the things I bought was a new pattern for wristwarmers. I have one of my own that I wrote, but wasn't up to recalculating for thicker yarn. I had the yarn in my bag (Malabrigo Chunky in "Snowbird" -- a gift from SIL T). I've been casting on for projects and ripping back out for as long as I've had the yarn! I cast on for a pair of mittens during the BBQ, but the colors screamed for a fall project. Later that night, at home, I cast on for these. Finally, the yarn met the right pattern (fourth time's a charm, I guess)! I'll have enough left for a hat or headband. Perfect for fall, don't you think?

The Knitterpalooza BBQ was a lot of fun. I hope it becomes an annual event! It was hosted at one knitter's home. Everyone chipped in funds and side dishes, etc. and we all sat around and chatted while we knit. I gathered the courage to pass out the little "party favors" that I put together. I wasn't the only one, either! I gave the card to Heather, but one attendee was passing out samples of the soap she makes (along with a card), and another was passing out business/calling cards.


*Many flea products can be quite toxic - if not deadly - to cats. They are always meant to be used on the skin (usually at the back of the head), but sometimes cats accidentally ingest them. Also, some easily available products (like Hartz) have a high rate of toxin poisoning (best to avoid Hartz in general - they have a poor history of safety)

**There seemed to be a ton of staff, but no one greeted us. I was able to find someone to help me when I needed it, though, so it was okay. I'd rather have that than be followed around the entire time, but a "Hi!" is nice too.

Yesterday, I saw the eye doctor. Of course, my prescription is stronger, but I knew that was coming. The good news is that he photographed both retinas and there is nothing significant going on there -- just a couple of spots he would expect to see in someone who's been diabetic for 10+ years. Sigh of relief, anyone?

I was a little nervous abour ordering glasses from them at first, since they had no prices listed, but I ended up getting a nice pair of frames that cost about $60 over my limit with no extra charge. I did have to pay extra for a couple of things, but my out-of-pocket was only about $160, including anti-glare and transition tint. The actual total was close to $600, but insurance or discounts covered the lion's share.

Knitting: I'm trying a new pattern for a shawl (gift) and, now that I understand it, can highly recommend it: Simple Yet Effective Shawl. Notes for those with short attention spans (like me) or relative beginners (it's a newbie pattern):

1. Right away, put a safety pin on a stitch at the end of the increase row. Since you increase every other row, this will help you remember which one. (remember, these tips are for knitters like me, who can't remember what they just did)


2. Put the stitch marker in front of the center stitch on the increase row, and when you come back to it (on the increase row), do the increase, move the marker, knit 1, increase 1, and continue.


3. Don't forget, on your way back across, that the order will be reversed. Don't move the marker because it's on the wrong side of the knit stitch - it's NOT and this will mess you up when you come back to increase. (and I would know this how?)


4. Always knit the increase row. If you want to do stockinet, purl the plain row. If you want to do garter, knit the plain row, too.

It's a really cool pattern. You cast on FIVE, but are working from the neck down. This confused me greatly until I got a few inches in and saw how the end of every row stayed at the top. It only looks like you're knitting this deep, complicated vee. I picked this pattern b/c I wanted to use this really special yarn that didn't come with much info. (like gauge), and didn't know if I would have enough for another pattern I had picked out. Then, I found this pattern and you just knit until you run out of yarn. It will be either a nice, cozy shawl or a warm, triangular scarf.

Can you make out what's happening in this picture? It's a cameraphone snap of Charlie sharing my low-sugar peanut butter and celery snack. At the moment, his is on our "list," since he's still quite rambunctious and kitten-wild, and his constantly knocking over things or injuring one of us. Right now, John's abed with a pulled muscle in his back and just a few minutes ago, while I was on the phone with him, Charlie knocked the pill bottles onto the floor. John had just endured the agony of going downstairs to get the Aleve, and then back up.

I am having a very difficult time not getting my hopes up over this property that we've both fallen in love with and want to live on. What is working in our favor is that - according to the building inspector for the township - no one is buying right now. So, it's probably not going to be sold out from under us while John checks on a couple of things.

This will probably bore the city lovers, but the country folks and city girls with country hearts (like me) might just swoon.

We went out yesterday to talk to the township building inspector and get as many questions answered as possible, to make sure this property will work for us. (VERY helpful, very small-government.) John's dad and sister went with us to look at the property first. We'd already seen it, and were partway in love, but it was raining a lot that first time, so we didn't get to see much. This time, we walked down one edge, then John and his dad walked through the center. Last night, John filled me in on what they found, and I'm thinking I'd sell a kidney to live on this land!

First off, it's a couple counties away. One drawback is how far I'll be from my brother & his family, but we simply can't afford to buy even an acre in Oakland county, and even if we could, the "country" part of the county would almost double my already long commute. The other drawback is the water situation - you have to get it trucked in. They are working on a plan to bring in city water, but there is no guarantee.

Now for the good part...

2.9 acres in the middle of farm country. Bordered by 2 roads and a creek, so we'd have one neighbor, max (across the street, at least for now, is a farm). The property goes right to the creek. Up front, a big, flat piece of land to put the house. Behind that, a little dip and a wooded area, then a field, then the creek. The little ridge between the house and the wooded area will keep water from the house if the creek floods.

When we walked down the bordering side road, we spotted wild irises in the ditch and a mulberry tree (the purple is finally gone from my fingertips). We stood on the bridge and looked at the water and spotted a fish jumping. SIL T and I continued back up the road toward the cars, while John and his dad hiked cross-country for a ways. They found a very well-trodden deer path, an approximately 20-year-old fox den (active) and a pond with crawdads in it.

Now I wish we could afford to build a HUGE house, but the smallish ranch we have planned will still be lovely. Later, a detatched garage with a studio loft for moi. (See how well I'm doing at keeping my hopes in check?)

When I went to get some cat food for Shel,* I spotted this magazine on the rack and had to buy it. J-dub: You'd love this! Even though it's called "Hobby Farm Home," it has more about country living than Country Living magazine does. We aren't planning to start a hobby farm, or anything, but I really like this mag! We have discussed it, and if we are able to buy this property, we want to leave as much of it in its natural state as possible. I want a basic patio near the creek and a wide enough path through the property to drive the little golf cart back there and set up a picnic.

*It's time for a Sheldon update! The canned food is the way we're SURE his pills get into his system. For the first couple of weeks, he got a whole small can after each pill. He'd eat what he wanted, then the other cats would share the rest. But at almost $2 a day, if it's not necessary, then we needed to cut back. So he gets about a tablespoon of canned after each pill, then eats the 'spensive dry food with the rest of them.

As for his health, he's almost the same old cat. His vision has partially returned! He's started dragging my shirts around the house and yelling, exactly like he used to. He sleeps a little more, but that is probably from one of his meds. He'll have to take 2 different drugs for the rest of his life, but it's worth it.

Ask me how much I'd rather be soaking in a hot, bubbly tub right now, rather than in my desk chair 40 miles away from said tub. Answer: a whole lot!

I endured a little hip injury over the weekend. Other than that, it was a good time. I accomplished quite a lot – maybe not what I planned on, but still plenty. But then… anyone want a fur hat? Mostly gray, with a little bit of white?

John and I are fairly used to being injured by Charlie: we each have scars in very interesting places (I have 3 long ones under my left breast), because he seems to think we are trampolines. This time, though, he really did it. He injured me.

I had a splinter in my foot, and put John to work to get it out. Since he was resting in bed, I stretched out, sideways/diagonally, with my foot on his chest and my head hanging off the side, while he brandished a super-bright LED flashlight and a straight pin. It was a particularly nasty splinter, so I was doing a bit of flinching and whining as John worked. Right after he cautioned me (again) to keep still, Charlie leapt onto my knee and off again, with his weight from the landing and pushing off again forcing my leg sideways, in a direction it did not want to go. I went from whining to literal tears – it hurt so badly!

Achy hip, sore knee. Woot! Glad I got the laundry done earlier, otherwise, I wouldn’t have had anything to wear to work today.

After similar antics caused John’s keyboard to crash to the ground umpteen times, yesterday it finally gave up the ghost, so he went out to get a cheap-o replacement, and came back with something for me to do.

I am not a huge fan of video games. Partly because I suck at them, in general. Because I’m not very coordinated and don’t react quickly enough. And partly because – if I don't entirely suck – I can lose entire afternoons/evenings. I'd rather have something to show for my time. However, since there wasn't a lot I could do anyway, I was happy to give up my day to virtual gardening and piñata farming.

I'm a little pooped, but had to share some of the weekend. First off, Sheldon did very well in the car. (I'm so proud!) John was very worried about him, but I've seen this cat in action, and when he didn't start screaming immediately, and/or pee on my lap, I had a good feeling. I should mention that we followed the vet's advice and gave him half of the tranquilizer the night before, to see how he would react, and it made him a little hyper. So no drugs. If he freaked out, it was going to be a loooong ride!

The pic here is one from today. Sigh. I'd like to say that I just don't photograph well, but this is pretty much what I look like. I had to show it, though, so you could see how comfortable Shel was on the ride home. For the ride up, he was a little vocal - not yelling, just chatting. When we stopped for lunch, John and I got carryout and ate outside, taking turns walking Shel on his leash (he was just fascinated). Then, he settled down on the back seat where the kids sat, and they were thrilled to see that! They climbed in very carefully, and scritched his head. Most of the trip, though, was spent in my lap.

When we got to the cemetery, he wanted out again, so first the kids, then John, let him roam (while on the leash, of course). At some point, Shel just dropped to the ground and started rolling around in the dirt. Great. (He does this at home, but on cement.) We headed to the house, and of course he wanted out yet again. But we were a little worried about all the activity, so I put him his new carrier for awhile. There was a point where he and nephew J went exploring (with me & the camera close behind). That made for some cute pictures, and they both had some fun!

Finally, on to the motel. It's a small motel in Cadillac, a teensy bit dingy (and there was a weird smell right inside our doorway), but it was cheap and had an indoor pool and hot tub. John and Sheldon stayed behind to take a nap, and the rest of us went shopping. Well, it was a small town, and just 5 PM, so only Wal-Mart was open. Sigh. What the hey -- I had fun anyway! While we were gone, John set up Shel's litterbox (I bought one of those disposible ones), which was put to use several times (go Shel!). Sheldon adapted to the new room pretty quickly, but kept wanting "outside," not getting that there was just more "inside" outside of our room.

We picked up pizza, then headed back to the motel. After we all ate, most of us headed to the pool area (SIL napped in her room, and Shel stayed behind in ours). We might have stayed longer, but the arrival of a loud, stoned, stupid couple who were determined to have sex in the hot tub hurried us along. (No trouble with the stoned, but the loud, offensive and stupid part? Oh, and the stripping to the skin and sex in the hot tub? Ew. John described it as "Paris Hilton dates Pedro." I didn't get a look at his face, but I guess this guy was a ringer for the Pedro character in Napolean Dynomite -- down to the terrible moustache. The girl was blonde, with really bad tatoos (blurry), who announced that she didn't have a suit and would anyone mind if she swam in her bra? Then proceeded to discuss - quite loudly - with her boyfriend whether or not she should leave it on. I'll spare you the rest of the discussion.)

For some reason, the ride home went pretty quickly. Shel was much quieter, and slept a lot more. Once we got home, and were all inside, he wanted to go back out, to check out our yard and eat more grass.

Just a little while ago, the weirdest thing happened: I was upstairs in bed, with him at my feet. He climbed onto my hip, then walked over me, hopped onto my nightstand, then onto a chair, and into the window, where he settled down for another nap. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I don't think he could just navigate that path from memory, and I don't think he's done it since he got sick. There is a slim chance that some of his vision is returning. Oh, please!

See each picture for details.

Center: 1. Wild Strawberries,

row 1: 2. J on Swing, 3. Hi, Jek!, 4. Pretty Pendant,

row 2: 5. Body Parts Bubbles, 6. Sheldon,sleeping in my lap (again),

row 3: 7. Shel and I share a cone, 8. Shel, with K & J in back seat,

row 4: 9. Sheldon and J, out for a walk, 10. Sheldon and nephew, J, 11. Sheldon in carrier #1, 12. Sheldon in carrier #2, 13. Sheldon, sleeping on his daddy

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Today was Shel's check-up with his cardiologist. John took him, but was still at the office when I got off work 20 minutes after the apt. time and after my hour-long drive home. So, I got to see and hold Sheldon as soon as the tech brough him into the room. Eventually, he wanted to see his dad.

When I met Sheldon at the shelter, oh, 13 years ago, he must have sensed that I had a thing for "shoulder kitties" and climbed right up. It was a bit of manipulation, because he never did it again. He does a different kind of perch now, more like an infant, but this was the first time since our initial meeting that he climbed up onto a shoulder.

Vet's verdict: his blood pressure is much better, so no change to those meds, except to switch it (over the course of a few days) to evening. His heart rate is improved, but not enough, so she doubled that dose. She also gave us some sedatives so he can go with us on the road trip. That should be interesting.

ETA: I had to add an intersting bit of news about my oldest "son." For 13+ years, he has hated the car. HATED it. Terrible, heart-wrenching sounds. When we took him last week, he was very calm in the car, but we figured it was because he was so sick. Well, he was fine coming home too. He was so traumatized by the carrier today that John let him ride in the car without it: again, quite calm. Then, on the way back today, he sat in John's lap and helped steer.

This weekend, we're going up north to visit Dad's grave and maybe see some family (just overnight). Since Sheldon has to have a pill each morning and evening, we can't just leave him like the others, with food and fresh water. One option is for John to stay home with him, another is to take him with us. Since I'd rather have my hubby along with me, I got this brilliant idea to make a baby sling to carry him (Shel) in. (Shel hates the car, but lately seems to be calmed by my presence. A carrier is safer, but he does have a heart condition, so screaming for 3 hours wouldn't be good for him (or us).

So, yeah. It totally didn't work. It would work for a small baby, or better yet, a doll, but there is no way that he's standing for it. I don't know what I was thinking! They do make pet carriers, but they are shaped differently. I was just trying to figure out a way to have my hands mostly free for reading or knitting

Does anyone want a doll sling? It would just need to be shortened and hemmed so the doll's mommy (or daddy) didn't trip over it. Sheldon only used it for 30 seconds.

Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

On another note... these are dead easy to make. Just need to find the right rings (why I'm offering it up for a doll instead of an infant) and use sturdier material.

The time is not a typo. I woke up a little bit ago, and wasn't able to fall back to sleep. I have to be up in an hour or so, but am going to try and doze again in a bit.

The pic to the left is one I took yesterday, after we got Shel home and he was resting (and I was waiting for a work email that never came (was busy enough w/o it, though)). It's my twine acorn, the one that SIL T got for me awhile back. There is still some of the white twine left, but ever since the baker's twine arrived, I've wanted to replace the white with the barber pole.

I used my ball winder to make a small, center-pull ball (so the twine can come straight through the opening). I accidentally made it too big, so I had to kind of stuff it in there (pic of it open), but it works perfectly.

I keep the acorn in my packaging basket, and now it's going to be a breeze to add this cute extra touch!

Around 6 AM, I'll be giving Shel his morning pill, feeding him, and hitting the road. Part of me wants to stay behind, but John will be here, and I have promises to keep (and a best friend to hang out with). Heather is an animal person, and if Shel were quite ill, she'd understand if I backed out, but the truth is, she needs me (I'm helping her with the booth she's helping out with, plus, she shouldn't be alone), and Shel is doing fine. (Plus, I miss her!) Last night, I couldn't find my overnight bag, so I sewed up a giant, lined tote. (Then found my overnight bag). It's missing a button and the threads haven't been snipped, but everything I needed fit inside, so I'm happy.

I promise pictures and a mini review after I return (Sunday morning). I've never been to this faire, and it should be interesting.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! John, Sheldon, the rest of the kitties and I all want to thank you for your long-distance scritches, kisses and hugs, for the prayers said and the candles lit. They absolutely made a difference!

Bonus: pics of Sheldon taken yesterday, over on Flickr - #1 and #2.

(Avatar is becase Death (in Terry Pratchett's novels) loves cats, and saves them when he can)

Shel is coming home in about 30 minutes! They said we could call between 7:30 and 9, so I called at 7:35 and asked to get him at 8. We compromised on 8:30, so they could get the paperwork done.

John stayed up most of the night doing research on Shel's symptoms (sudden vision loss coupled with weight loss) and it jived with what the vet said this morning: his retinas have partially detatched, due to a spike in blood pressure, caused by the heart disease. There is a 50/50 chance his vision will restore at least somewhat, but with the beta blockers, he should be just fine otherwise. As long as we don't constantly re-arrange the furniture, he should get around okay as well. (ETA: This also means there was not a stroke, which is a big relief!)

I am so relieved, and so thankful for everything -- the good thoughts I know you all were sending, John (of course), the frantic calls to Heather (who called me when her dog was declining) and John's mom, and the fact that there is a top notch emergency veterinary hospital with an on-staff cardiologist less than 1 mile away. I don't know what would have happened if we'd taken him to a regular vet. If nothing else, the diagnosis would have been delayed. This is going to cost us, big time, but it's worth it. Sheldon is my best (non-human) friend, and I don't know if I could take losing him so close to losing my dad. As it turns out, unless his pills are a ridiculous sum of money, he won't require extensive, long-term care. It's just the diagnosis and overnight stay that will add up. But again: worth it.

I emailed my boss last night, asking if I could work from home today. If he says no, it will be a sick day (but I think he'll say yes).

The doctor* just called a few minutes ago. We don't know 100% of the answers yet, but it looks like we'll be bringing Shel home - maybe even tomorrow. He's not "all better": he has heart disease, but is not in heart failure. He has (sp) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which means the walls of his heart are thickening, and his heart has to work harder to get the job done. They don't yet know exactly why most of his vision is gone. It could be from a stroke, although there is no sign of a clot anywhere right now. When he is calmer (I imagine he's quite pissed right now), they are going to fully dialate his pupils and try to get a better look at his retinas.

He's not a well kitty, but he won't be in distress or suffering. As much as we adore him, we couldn't make him endure pain just for us. He'll have to take beta blockers for his heart. She didn't sound hopeful that his eyesight would return -- we'll know more about his vision tomorrow. We're supposed to call in tomorrow between 7:30 and 9 to get an update.

We are all grateful for your prayers, candles, well wishes, etc.

*I swear, she's maybe 25, and with a nose piercing. But she seems quite capable, which is all that matters. ETA: Seriously, people - I was never worried about the nose piercing, or thought it had any impact on her professionalism or skills. It was quirky and confident, which I LIKED.

Remember Zoe - the poor, scrawny, handicapped scrap of a kitten my friend Jdub rescued in August? Well... Look at him now:



Jdub and her husband, M, are the proud new adoptive parents of Sprocket (previous post). Of course, we had to take Zoe some of my FIL's famous 'nip and spend some quality time with our other nephew (he's not so keen on Sprocket yet). He has grown into a strong, affectionate young man with barely a hint of his previous affliction.

We have a ton of cat pics that we've taken recently, and I need to start sharing them! Seeing as I have today off, I thought this would be an ideal time to start.

Seeing the kittie's great interest in the tiny felt cherries (they were fascinated/obsessed), I decided to make them one of their own (as a test - more to follow if successful) out of more durable material*.

I used a scraps from a felted wool sweater (already made 2 Christmas stockings from it), stuffed it with scraps from the same sweater, and dumped in a liberal amount of "Grandpa Jack's" catnip (more on that further down), then sewed it up.

I followed the same pattern as the tute, just with larger circles and a thicker leather cord for the stem. Findings: It's actually too big. They play with it, but it's too big to bat around. I will definitely make more, but smaller.

About the 'nip: Not a great pic (right), but I like the action. Cats generally like wool, and many of them (all of ours, but not all cats) like catnip. This one is stuffed with my FIL's super-potent 'nip. The way we talk about this stuff, you'd think we were talking about another herb.

FIL doesn't have cats, but he found this huge, wild patch of 'nip some years ago, and started harvesting and distributing to friends and family. It's very popular: we are lucky to get one or two small bags (his own son!).

He cuts the entire stalk while the 'nip is in full bloom and hangs it to dry, then a small handful of stems is tied into a plastic grocery bag. I'm not sure what else he did to it - I think it involved mulching one full crop into the soil - but this is the most potent catnip I have EVER encountered. The stuff in the cherry is at least a year old - last year, we didn't get much (any?) from him, but Grandma-in-law had gotten a ton, stripped it into jars, one of which she gave us - and it's still WAY strong. I used the last of that jar for this toy.

We got 2 little bags this year. We keep it in the freezer, and pull it out for special occasions. This stuff is so strong that the cats are perfectly content to snuffle and lick the stems, so it all gets used.

Want some? First tiny bag is free. Second is $100. ;-)

*I bought a craft felt toy ONCE for Sheldon (when he was the only kitty). He ate it. All. Luckily, he just pooped it all out (blue felt poop). No more felt toys for the kitties.

Cass says that I can show you the contents tomorrow. But I think you might be able to sneak a peek.

Photo by John.
It's a Justice League lollipop.

Did you know that they've "proven" that cat's can't taste "sweet"?

For Valentine's Day, John got me a heart-shaped box of Dove chocolates & a movie. This ring was on top of the stack. I opened it up this morning and Charlie wanted to sniff. He always wants to sniff. It wasn't my intention to let him HAVE any of the candy, but he really went to town on it. So I let him lick long enough for me to get a picture.

And then, yes, I finished it.

Another angle.