A Sigh of Relief

I felt like a parent of a toddler this morning when I was excited to see Munchkin doing his business in the litter box. How strange is that?! But from a medical point of view it was a milestone in terms of his system. It was the first time in nearly two weeks that I could confirm that he had.

Munchkin

Because the vet couldn't figure out from his exam, X-ray and lab work what was going on - we were both fearing the worst. I am very happy to report that he seems to be doing well and is almost completely back to normal. The timing of his being sick and the fears of something serious were compounded by the fact that it was a year ago that I had to put down Pauline. She was around 18 years old, but he is so young that it would have been so hard to lose him. 

Munchkin is Doing Better

Be All That You Can Be, Read

Munchkin is doing better since Friday. I have been practically holding his hand (paw?) to encourage him to eat. But I was willing to do that if that's what it was going to take.

He looked really odd on Saturday because the fluids he got (injected under the skin) had basically all settled into his left front leg, so it was all puffy and twice as big as the right leg all the way down to the paw. It was all absorbed and back to normal by Sunday morning.

The other weird thing is that he had a ton of nervous energy, even though the vet tech said the pain medication would make him quiet for several days. That didn't happen at all, that's part of why I had to sit with him to get him to eat because he was so easily distracted and unfocused.

His appetite seems to be even better today, but I think his tummy must have been so sensitive from all the vomiting that he was struggling with mentally getting past that. When I came home from work today I did find a small amount of vomit, presumably from him. But it was different from before, it was actually food, which told me he was eating on his own. The emptiness of their food bowl also was a big change from the last week. He's also drinking water more readily, so that is a good sign too.

The strange thing is he didn't really slow down and lay around a lot like you would expect being sick. But at any rate I'm very encouraged by his progress and not as worried about losing him as I was last week. It really stressed me out emotionally and am glad to be past that. I want him to live a good long life.

What's Happening Lately

It will be coming to an end in a few days, but for the last week we have had some beautiful sunny afternoons after the morning fog burns off. The day time highs have been in the upper 40's and every night it has been around or slightly below freezing, but we are due for rain on Tuesday.

A Chart To Explain Why Dating is So Hard

I fell on my left knee a week ago today on the sidewalk about two blocks from the house. It is healing, but I am looking forward to when it is back to normal. I couldn't let that consume me though, because a few days before that, Munchkin started being unwell, vomiting and being off his food. 

I took him to the vet on Wednesday, where he had complete blood & urine testing and an X-ray. The vet called the next day with the results, and there was nothing to explain why. No infections, no obstruction to his system that the vet could feel or see - nothing that would point to a cause.

He started vomiting on Thursday the week before, mostly stomach bile, and it stopped as of mid-week which was an improvement, but his appetite is still a challenge. The vet gave him fluid under his skin Wednesday & Friday, and a anti-nausea medication both days. He also got a pain medication shot on Friday, and the technician said he would probably be quiet for the next several days, but it was the exact opposite, he has been nervous/anxious.

The last injection of fluids on Friday settled mostly in his left leg, so it was kind of bizarre looking that it was all puffed up including his paw. It has finally all absorbed and he looks normal this morning. The only thing he will eat, and only in small amounts is Whisker Lickin's Tarter Control treats, but at least he is eating. He had lost a whole pound by the first vet visit last Wednesday.

I have been on pins and needles because I don't want to lose him, he is only 3 1/2 years old, and as previously noted, he is the apple of my eye. He is still acting normal for the most part in every other respect, so I just have to keep trying to get him to eat more and try to stop expecting the worst. I really want him to come out of this okay.

Jimmy Fallon & Bruce Springsteen Parody

Jimmy Fallon and Bruce Springsteen sing a parody version of Springsteen's "Born To Run" with some very new lyrics......

Wisdom Knows No Age?

So I don't know whether this story is really true or not, and it doesn't matter, the message at the end still means a lot either way. There are two aspects of it that have meaning to me.

The first is that our pets can do so easily what so few humans manage to do, and that's love unconditionally. My cats don't give a rip what I look like, or if I'm overweight, they give back all the love and affection they get from me tenfold.

The second is that we all should be trying to be the best that we can be. And that doesn't have anything to do with looks, or money or religion.

I've been thinking a lot more about my life and legacy over the last year or so, and I definitely am trying harder to be the best me I can in the time I have left.

World's Slowest Going Needlepoint Project

So this is where it all began. I made this 'drawing' over 30 years ago. It was done with colored pens on paper that I had drawn my own grid lines on with pencil. It was my own handmade wrapping paper for a present I gave my mom. Thankfully she let me keep it after she opened the present.....

So fast forward to 4 winters ago, and I was feeling a deep need to do something creative and not wanting to just sit there watching TV during the dark winter nights after work. So I started this needlepoint using the drawing as my inspiration.






My intention was to create a throw pillow cover, and work on it while watching TV. I did not plot it out as much as I should have before I got started, but for being essentially a free hand design, it has worked out pretty well. The shape of the original drawing being rectangular, and the shape for the pillow being square has of course led to some adapting.

I worked on it pretty faithfully up through the summer of 2010, and then an unexpected thing happened. I got a kitten, and then it got put away for a while. A long while.

But can you blame me for falling in love with this little guy? This picture was pretty much me every day with my little boy.

Munchkin as a kitten

So the honeymoon with Munchkin lasted a long time, and the needlepoint got put aside. It had also become apparent to me that even when I wasn't going to be cuddling him all the time, he was so playful that I wouldn't have a chance to actually do anything without him constantly swiping at the yarn.

Well he's 3 1/2 years old now, and I picked it up again in December during our two week holiday break from work. So far Munchkin has been good and not gotten in the way of my working on it. I'll post an update, and hopefully a finished project by the end of the year.

A Day In The Life of a Cat Owner

I wish I could get my cats playing like this on video. They do it all the time, especially Boo. But 90% of the time when I grab my camera, they stop and just look at me.

Message for North Korea

OMG - I just laughed my a** off when I saw this on Meme Base.