Getting Better

Getting Better

Billie had an intestinal bug! Her poor immune system just makes her so sensitive to things like that. She doesn't need IV fluids, just an antibiotic, rest, small meals and plain yogurt. She had really bad loose bowel movements and she was very messy and smelly. I gave her a bath with some conditioning kitty shampoo yesterday and she seems to have forgiven me.
Her Vet says one kidney isn't working too well, but the other is 100%. Kitties can manage really well like that with minor setbacks for a long time. The only thing she has against her is her age. She feels that Billie, while irritable and of a certain senior age, is not ready to go yet. Billie will let me know when she is ready. Yesterday and today she ate really well and she had a normal, non messy bowel movement.
I have been so worried and scared. I just couldn't believe that I would have to possibly say goodbye to her. I certainly would never want any of my kitties to suffer, but Billie was still eating and alert and she is prone to a grumpy disposition when her tummy is bothering her. Every time she gets sick now, I fear the worst and every time she bounces back. I know the day will come when that won't be the case.
Right now she is sleeping peacefully in her cat carrier. The picture of her and Toeshee was taken a week and a half ago. Billie was sleeping next to me on the sofa and Toeshee jumped up in between us. At first Billie looked really mad, but then she realized he just wanted to snuggle too and not put the bitey on her. They both closed their eyes and slept like that for quite a while.

Thank You all so much for your purrs and prayers! I am so, so sorry that I have not been by to visit. I just want everything to get back to normal and it looks like Billie may be on the mend.
I went to the doctor too and she changed my prescription and agreed to schedual my x rays for later this spring. I should be applying heat to my hips and resting them when I get a chance, but sometimes that is easier said than done.

I appreciate the friendship more than you can all know and I will try very hard to get back into the swing of things as soon as I can. If anything changes with Billie I will let you know too.

I hope everyone is okay. I have a lot of catching up to do!
Hugs from Billie and me.

Very Worried, Very Sad

Very Worried and Very Sad.

Oh, I do not even want to type this. Billie is not doing well at all. She is barely eating except for bits of Fancy Feast and she growls at me whenever I try to touch her. She has crawled into the cat carrier we keep out for Toeshee's timeouts and will only come out once in a while to use the litterbox. I have had to coax her to eat and she will drink a bit of water. I asked my husband what we should do? Is it time for sub- cu fluids, or should we be thinking about something worse? He is not happy about taking measures that may not help and the Vet says it is up to us and she will help us make Billie comfortable. I have a bad feeling about that word; comfortable.
I know what my husband thinks is the best thing for her. I am just not ready to give up on Billie yet. I just don't want to do this again. Not my Billie, not now.
I am supposed to go in for x-rays on my hips, but I'm going to cancel so I can stay with Billie and save some money in case I need it for her. If I can just keep her eating and hydrated she may get some strength to bounce back a bit. She has done it before. Please keep Billie in your thoughts and purrayers.

Hugs. <3 (I will try to update and visit when I get a chance, okay?)

We Are Still Here.

We are still here.

What a yucky weekend and week so far... The flare in my hips and hands will not go away. I fear I will need hip x rays and I know for sure that they are not ever going to be the same. Hmm... do you think they can give me thinner ones? :)
Our internet is being very wonky and I was only able to upload one picture out of a few that I had ready. Hopefully it will straighten out soon.
It was actually sunny when I took this picture! Cody loved it until Toeshee invaded his space. Toeshee doesn't quite understand the concept of personal space. Aren't they handsome though? :)
The good news is my fever is gone and I'm up and about. So now that I'm not in bed anymore I can start visiting, internet and fingers willing. (Like I said; not a fun weekend!)
I miss you all and I hope this week will be very happy for you!

Grooming The Floof

Grooming The Floof

Toeshee and his comb do not have a friendly relationship. He thinks it's a toy and swats at it, usually getting my hand in the process. After a few minutes of this I put the comb down and he put his paw down. Okay, I get it. You've had enough!

Not much going on here. It's beyond cold! I am so stiff. We are all so tired of it and I for one am more eager than ever for Spring.

I need to make my visiting rounds in Bloggieland and I hope everyone is doing well. I'm so sad about PooPoo and I haven't visited the Catblogosphere yet, so I hope all is well. I will keep up with the candle lighting.

Billie is sleeping a lot, but she's eating okay. I think she stays warmer curled up tight, so I don't blame her for the power naps next to the heat register.

I know winter has it's icy grasp all the way down south, so I hope everyone can stay warm and snuggly.

Warm Thoughts and Hugs!

Goodbye Sweet PooPoo

Goodbye Sweet PooPoo

I have learned that JB's sister PooPoo went to the Rainbow Bridge very suddenly. She was such a beautiful little handful and her Mommy Deb loves her (still loves her) very much. I will miss reading about her antics and her "Cattitude".
You can visit JB's Small World to send condolences if you would like.
I feel so bad for her Mom. But, I will try to picture PooPoo happy and healthy now at the Rainbow Bridge. Bye bye Sweetie.

Go Away Cold, Go Away!

Go Away Cold!

We are tired of shivering and looking out the window to see only endless white. I get the feeling from Cody sometimes that he thinks I can fix it somehow. He just gives me these looks like, "Momma, you make food appear and you clean the litterbox to make poo disappear, so why can't you make the cold go away?"
I think he misses the garden as much as I do.
The other kitties just sleep and eat to pass the time. Cody does that and shreds paper and roams the house like a caged tiger. That's what I get for letting him go out with me in the warmer months, but he just loves it! We adopted him from the "street." He was the neighborhood cat that everyone knew, but didn't want, except for me. I fed him and sweet talked him until one day he sauntered into the house and behaved like a perfect gentleman.
In the summertime he is so relaxed and happy and in the wintertime he's cranky and bored and depressed. Kind of like a lot of people huh? ;) See animals aren't so different from beans are they?
Well, I am going to finish up some chores so I can enjoy some free time later to visit some blogs. I wanted to last night, but my daughter wanted to go to the mall to look for a dress for the Sweetheart Swirl dance next month. So, we bundled up and headed out. We found a really pretty dress and it was marked down from $60.00 to $14.97!! Even if she never wears it again it was a deal we couldn't pass up. Now she says her next dress will be for prom! *o*
I don't think we'll find one for that price again.
I will see you soon! Hugs!

Once In A Blue Moon...

Once In A Blue Moon...

Here are two images we don't see often in our house; Cricket sharing a piece of furniture with another kitty and Toeshee calming down long enough to snuggle. Both of these event had to be photographed so we could remember them with fondness. I'm hopeful that as Toeshee gets older he will be cuddly more often. He's so soft and he has such a nice rumbly rich purr! I'm not sure what possessed Cricket to share the chair with Billie. I'm wondering if she is sensing that Billie is not feeling her best. I am a bit worried because Cricket seems to be very in tune with how others are feeling. As Tookie became worse Cricket would share the bed with her instead of leaving in a huff.
Billie seems about the same, pretty good appetite, normal fluid intake. She did brave the stairs last night to lay down next to me at bed time. She hardly ever does that. Maybe she was cold? My husband says, "don't look for trouble, she's fine for now." She seems ok today. I do tend to worry a lot. But, isn't that what we do with those we love?
I am behind on visiting blogs AGAIN! Where did the week go? That's what I get for getting caught up on house work and too much napping. I will try to get around as many as I can my friends. There are some I haven't visited in quite a while and yet they still pop over to say hi. I feel so bad! Please know I really do like you all very much! :)
Sending Hugs from me and my kitties.

New Year, Same Kitties

New Year, Same Kitties

Here is an example of a typical day here. Billie is being an angel as usual, snuggling in for a cozy nap. Meanwhile Cody and Toeshee are working on their wrestling moves. Toeshee starts it and Cody just has to much pride to walk away. We let them wrestle for a bit unless it looks like Toeshee is using too much tooth and claw and makes Cody growl and hiss or meow in pain. Sometimes it seems like Cody is having fun, but I don't think Toeshee has figured out that playing shouldn't include hurting the other kitty.
There's a 13 year age difference between the two of them too, so I don't want Cody to get too worked up. Poor old guy!
It's cold here and supposedly it's going to get really really cold later this week. 10 to 15 degrees for a "high" temperature with a low around 0 at night! One of our tv weathermen said that since November we have been cloudy over 90% of the time. Michigan is one of the cloudiest places in the world right now. Yuck! No wonder we are all so depressed! Whenever I go out to do some shopping, I notice no one is smiling. We all shuffle around in our big coats, looking tired and down. I think everyone should be allowed to buy one of those sunlight boxes and their health innsurance should cover the cost. I have read that light boxes really do help with winter SAD. Let's see, my countdown to spring... two more months? Hopefully we won't get snow in April, but I won't get my hopes up. My tulips will stubbornly bloom anyway. :)
I hope you are all warm and smiling. Hugs. :)

Candles and Naughty Noodle Make the New Year Bright

Candles for Healing and Cricket for Smiles

I have been lighting candles for people and their pets for quite a while. I bought that cute little kitty votive holder just for that purpose. Last night I lit candles to remember all of the loved ones who left us this past year and in the years past and for all of those who are sick right now as we begin a new year. Please think of all of our beloved ones and feel a sense of hope and Healing. Jelly Bean's sister Misty is very sick with kidney failure, so I made sure to let her mommy Deb know I had her in my thoughts. I know there are many more and I wish health and healing for you all. The Lilac candle is so fragrant and reminds me that Spring is coming and the sun will warm us all again.

Now, Cricket would like to share something very naughty that she did.

Hello, everyone. A few days ago I held my own little New Year's Eve drop. Toeshee likes to drink milk from a little cream cheese container that momma fills for him and she lets him drink it on the counter by the kitchen sink. (spoiled little brat!) I decided to jump up there and help myself to some and Toeshee sat on the kitchen floor and watched. That's when I had a wonderful idea! I knocked the dish over and it landed on him spilling milk all over him! Muhaha! He ran into the living room drenched in milk! I sat there innocently. "Oops! I accidently tipped the dish over!"
Momma didn't buy it. She knows me too well and knows how smart and coniving I am. She couldn't help but laugh and of course I didn't get punished. Toeshee doesn't even smell like spoiled milk anymore.
I took a chance getting into trouble and poor Momma had to clean it all up when she was hurty, but it was so worth it!
Happy Naughty New Year Kitties!
Hugs!