Nico's Journal

We took Claudia to the vet yesterday afternoon for the last time.

She had gone downhill very fast since the weekend, when we saw her jumping up onto the deck railing, and coming to greet visitors in her friendly, eager way. She stopped eating on Monday and became very weak and dehydrated and was finding walking increasingly difficult, but her last few days were the best we could give her.

She spent her last three nights in bed with us. She hadn't come upstairs for a couple of weeks, but came meowed to be lifted up on the first night and slept between us. The next night we took her bed upstairs, and she actually jumped into bed (not that well, but successfully) with me and spent the night snuggled against my arm. The last night, she was between us again.

Yesterday was a brilliantly sunny winter's day, and I expected her to spend it all borrowed into her bed as she had been doing, but she surprised me by getting out the cat door when I wasn't looking and sitting in the sun in the garden. The cubs and I stayed out there with her for a while, then she made her slow way back inside for a drink, then to her heatpad in the TV room. I thought she'd stay there, but I could see she wanted to jump up beside me, so I lifted her into a snuggler and she spent most of the day there in the sun beside me, curled up peacefully while I talked gently to her and stroked her sweet head.

We took her to the vet in her bed while it was still sunny and bright.

I miss her so much, but given her health and frailty, it's much easier to bear than Tessa's sudden passing.

She was a lovable, funny, and quirky cat--as they all are--and Greg and I have been remembering and talking about all the things she did and liked.

Greg called me from the salon where he was getting his hair cut and asked me to bring one of the cat carriers over. A few days ago, one of the hairdressers found a cat living under the local diary (convenience store?) and wanted to take him home for the night as the salon will be very cold tonight. So of course I had to look at the cat. He's about four years old according to the vet she took him to, and unfortunately not microchipped (most animals aren't here) and is lovely! He's obviously been well looked after and loved as he's friendly and likes company and being held. He's at least part-oriental with a long face, green eyes, and solid light brown fur. I'm sure that if they can't find his owners (he may be far from his home) he'll find a good home.

I'd be tempted to see if our cats would accept him, but I don't want to stress Claudia. I think she's near the end now, being so thin, frail, and no longer eating much (anything at all today) or able to walk well. Yet I saw her jump onto the deck railings last week, and she did come outside with me today. I suppose the end comes quickly when they finally stop eating though, and I think she's hit that stage. I'm well prepared this time as she's been ill for so long; Tessa's passing was a huge and unexpected shock. I'm hoping that this time, for the first time ever, I'll be able to have a vet come here so that she goes in familiar surroundings. I just don't know at which point to call them. I don't want to end her life prematurely.

I took Jasmin back to the eye specialist yesterday, and she had healed up really well and didn't need sutures! [dances] I didn't post then because I haven't put up any pictures of the cats lately, and it's about time I did. So here we go!

( The three girls; 12 photos, but all under 90kB )

I went to the pet supplies place today and on one of the toys (a sort of springy octopus I resisted buying) there was a label with a happy cat face you'd swear was Ashley. Pity I can't hire her out as a model and live off her earnings. :-P Anyway I realised that I hadn't posted any pictures of the little fur-balls for a while.

( Nine pictures including a cat pile )

I now have another lovely cat card from entropy_house to join kalypso_v's beautful Rosie and Tabitha. Thank you!

And now for some cat and kitten picspam. jthijsen wanted to know about my cat tunnel, so I finally got some photos of them playing. They're action shots, so a little odd, but you'll get the idea. There is also an Ashley close-up, and pictures of cat and kitten snuggling. And copycats! :-) I need to make an icon with both kittens in it.

( Cats and kittens )

And here's Jasmin with Claudia and Vic.

Claudia weighs less than 3kg now, and her kidney function is down, though she's still quite active. I'm not sure how much longer we'll have her though, and Jasmin's really attached to her (and vice versa, when Jasmin's not being too annoying). If anything happens, I think we'll have to adopt a cat from the Lonely Miaow charity, which houses abandoned cats and kittens, because she's never cuddled up to Vic. She's a bit wary of him; I don't know why.

( Five pictures )

I had to do this cat meme before I went to bed.

Post a picture of a cat in your journal. (Your cat, a lolcat, or someone else's cat. But preferably yours, if possible.)

( Claudia, Vic, and Jasmin )

We've had a couple of sunny days this month--ones in which the sun shone for more than five minutes--and I have picspam. Yay, it's almost spring (I think it officially starts on Monday). Not before time either; it's been a long and very wet winter.

( Flowers and cats )

It turns out that Claudia's teeth are absolutely fine! She has a sore throat, but her temperature's normal so that's a relief. I have some paste to put in her mouth twice a day, and the vet gave her an injection to stimulate her appetite.

She had cat flu as a kitten and I read recently that it can come back when a cat's under stress, so I suspect this is something like that. She knew Tessa wasn't well and of course she's now missing her lifelong friend, but she's still eating, and purring when we cuddle her. I'm so relieved she doesn't have to have an operation.

August really is a crap month. Claudia isn't eating much, and it's not due to Tessa being gone. She has a sore tooth or an abscess (I've seen the signs before: opening her mouth, rubbing her paws repeatedly over her face) so she has to go to the vet tomorrow. Oy. Now Claudia's had kidney disease and been on a special diet for over a year, and is quite slender and frail--in fact it was Claudia I'd steeled myself to lose first--and of course she'll need an operation. [panics]

And yeah, on top of all this, the theatre sports evening is tomorrow as well and I can't get out of it. I also have to bring some of the supper, which will be damn well bought from the local baker.

You don't have to reply to this, really.

And I will get round to answering all your kind and moving comments about Tessa when I can handle it.

Today's entry for the naarmamo National Art Making Month challenge is my cat Claudia curled up in a ball on a mat.

( Claudia in a ball )

I just saw Greg and his sister and father off at the airport, so I'm now home alone (well, except for cats) for the next five weeks.

They arrive in Singapore about midnight my time, spend two days there, then fly to Athens, then Sofia the next day, then take a train to Varna where they'll spend about four weeks with family and seeing some of the area and the famous rose festival. Then they get a few days in Greece and fly back here via Singapore.

Yeah, I sort of wish I'd gone too, but it really is mostly family stuff and also trying to sort out Atanas's citizenship so Greg can get a Bulgarian passport which would mean we could one day live in Europe.

As for the cats, one of them, probably Tessa, vomited on the kitchen floor while I was out. Oh joy.

( Tessa and Claudia just before we left for the airport )

When we went down to Vilagrad last weekend, the train passed Avon's Butchery in Glen Innes. I was too lazy to get the camera out to snap it on the way back so I went down this week and took a picture from the railway station car park. So while Vila has a winery, Avon has a butchery; seems appropriate. BTW the guy who runs it really is called Avon; it's his first name.

There is also a picture of the girls being copycats again in the exact same position, taken on the same day.

( Avon's Butchery and copycats )

And here's some picspam before I go away of the cats and some fluffballs at the pet supply store, all taken last weekend.

( Cats and fluffy puppies )

I finally downloaded the pictures that have been languishing in my camera for up to six weeks.

( Three animals and an afternoon tea )