Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Thankful Thanksgiving



What I am most thankful for is I get another Thanksgiving with this girl. This is the same photo as last year because she is currently sleeping in her little house.

These past few weeks have been rough on her - and me. I am constantly trying to figure out how much quality of life she has; when she has a rough day I wonder if everything we are going through is worth it for her. At this point, rough days only last a day and she comes around. She is sleeping more than she used to, but she still is demanding food or attention and giving me what for if I don't jump at her whim. Most mornings she wakes me up, even if she no longer sleeps in the bed.

It has been hard for me.. I am still grieving Jack, and I swear that this slow decline is way way better than the surprise ending Jack had, but it doesn't make it any easier.

She is dealing with failing kidneys and we are giving fluids. She hates it. Fortunately, she doesn't fight it and I cuddle and kiss her while it is happening, but as soon as it is done she runs for the hills. Food is an issue too.. she stopped eating the raw in May when she had the surgery to remove the lump behind her ear. Finding a food she will eat consistently has been a challenge. Keeping her brother from demanding his fair share of her food has also been a challenge 😸

She has also lost some weight. At her height she was 14lbs. When we finally stopped all dry food and got them on a raw diet she went down to 12 and hovered around that for years. She is currently ten and a half on a good day. She has lost most of the muscle mass in her feet and her arthritis are conspiring to prevent her from wanting to walk up and down the stairs these days. Because of this, I ordered an Assisi loop lounge. I had the original loop that I won from The Conscious Cat and that helped her quite a bit. While I was using it she actually wanted to sit up in the cat trees and I even found her in a window!! (granted there was a chair there that helped her get up, but it was impressive none the less) so I am hopeful that the lounge will help as well. I decided on the lounge over the loop because the loop is not rechargeable and it only lasts a short time.

Because of the price of the lounge, I have started selling "Scrapnip" toys again. I set up a Scrapnipping page on Facebook to try to drum up business.. but I am happy to work with you in whatever way you might want to reach out to me if you are interested in buying some. I even listed a few knitted bed I made, but no one has seemed interested in them. Probably because I couldn't figure out a price to ask for them.. people hate it when you don't price things 😸

Everyone else is doing well. Twee loves to sign us opera at 5 in the morning.. Eli likes to yell at us for not doing whatever popped into his head. He is 17 years old and never really bothered communicating with us before now so he is a little unsure how to do it. Fleurp is still fluffy and Skippy is still doing his thing..

This was very much a difficult year for me (see Jack) and I know I have not kept up with my blogging as I once used to. When I originally set up this blog I intentionally didn't name it after any of my cats because I knew there would be a time when they would pass and I didn't want that burden on myself or my blog with changing it or keeping it. When Em, Ollie, Kodi, and Kit passed it was somehow okay to continue on. as if this were independent of that.. but Jack.. Jack really was the inspiration behind starting the blog so I guess it makes sense that it is different.  I am hoping next year will be better.. easier.. heck, I will take just having fewer tears

I know, I know, this post has become such a downer.. I am sorry. Hopefully, it will help you to look at your loved ones who are frustrating you with softer eyes and give them a big ol hug and be thankful that you are able to be with them this year.

If you are facing this holiday without your loved one with you.. I send a big ol hug to you..

Heck, I send a big ol hug out to anyone who got through this with me.. It means so much that you keep coming back and want to share my journey, or at least this little part of it.

So thank you..

And I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of love and delicious foods to eat, and cat fur up your nose.

17 comments:

  1. Thank you, Connie, for sharing your stories with us. We will laugh and cry with you and support you in any way we can. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so glad Muffin is still doing good. If she is demanding attention and food, all is still well for now. I have lost 2 kitties to kidney disease. I know the routine of giving fluids. And eventually they gave up eating...and I force fed them with syringes. Their last few days were very sad. I wish this kidney disease could be removed. Why do so many cats get them? One holistic vet told me that feeding raw food will stop that from happening, and it is the dry kibble that causes kidney disease. But you have fed Muffin raw food...so even raw food doesn't help. I am kind of a hopeless optimist. I always hope for miracles. I am hoping for a crazy miracle for Muffin. I would love to see your post one day sounding really confused and saying -- somehow the kidneys have healed and Muffin is perfectly healthy and happy now. Sending you lots of love Connie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Except Muff ate kibble growing up. She's a total carb addict even snagging poptarts right out of my hand.

      She ate the raw, but it wasn't her preference and I truly believe it is what has given us extra years together. We have been fighting failing kidneys for years..

      Delete
  3. I've quite often told you how highly I think of you, but maybe I've failed to tell you how much I love the pictures and stories you tell of your family. I love cheering Muffin on with you, I hurt over Jack, I can't help but laugh at Fleurp being Fleurp - but the common link between those things is your amazing love for your cats. It shines through every post, every picture, every story. Every post starts and ends with love. You think you're just being you, but I know that your love is extraordinary. I know your love has moved mountains for terrified kittens, soothed kittens who don't understand why they don't feel good, and has shown all kitties and kittens that humans can bring good if just given a chance. And you've fostered over 400 cats? Do you know how much love you've brought into the world kitten by kitten and adopter by adopter? Knowing how much Bear transformed my own life, I can't even comprehend that times 400 (and if you count adopters, at least another 400). All with your love and your open heart.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We know how hard loss can be and we hope Muffin does well for a long, long time. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us, we're thinking of you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. She is a lovely girl, and I'm glad you still have her. It was this time last year that Leia was becoming seriously ill but I had no idea why, and really the vets weren't much help. This is the first year in 15 that my cats have not been with me, so I understand how you feel.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much for sharing this Connie.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We hope Muffin stays with you for a long time.

    Happy Thanksgiving!
    The Florida Furkids

    ReplyDelete
  8. You seem to be doing all you can for Muffin. Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We are sending purrayers and POTP to you and all your fur kids. We just lost our old Beagle to CHF and Oscar had started into kidney failure, so we have some idea...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful post ! Happy Thanksgiving ! Purrs

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sending you all the loves!! Loss is hard no matter the time frame and we recover at our own pace.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I know how you feel. This has been a rough year for me as well. Blogging has been difficult since losing Wally. Sending you a big hug.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Praying Muffin will be with you for a lot longer. Happy Thanksgiving .XO

    ReplyDelete
  14. We are sending you and Muffin lots of purrs and prayers. Happy Thanksgiving, Connie.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Every day we have with our fur babies is a blessing, and for that alone we can be thnakful. It's so tough though when they leave us, whether it is suddenly or over a long period of time. Thinking of you and wishing Muffin more good days than bad.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sending love your way.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...