Jennyarn

Each cat is special is his or her own way. That goes without saying. And I have
a different relationship with each cat. Some stay out all night and that doesn’t
worry me. Others I fret over if I haven’t seen them within a short timespan.
Some require a lot of care while others are more independent.

Then there is Tommy.

In some ways, he is the main kitty. He is a very active boy and, I believe,
highly intelligent. He likes to be the first to find out what is happening.

One night when there was an absolute tumult of police activity outside,
I frantically tried to gather and account for all the cats. Where was Tommy?
Hiding under my bed, afraid? No, he was at the front of all the activity like
an investigative reporter! That’s how he is.

Tommy and his brother Huey, now deceased, used to hang out on the tops
of doors. They could climb high into a tree before I could count the seconds.

Tommy likes to wake up each morning around 5:15. It’s not enough that
I give him outdoor access and food so I can return to bed. No, he wants
me to start my day when he starts his. No matter how determined I am
to sleep more, Tommy never fails to thwart my efforts. Little scamp!

So when Tommy didn’t wake me up and didn’t go outside to survey the
neighborhood going-ons, instead secluding himself resignedly for rest, I
was duly concerned. Maybe I wouldn’t have even noticed that with one
of the other cats. But Tommy was just not himself. And he wasn’t eating.

Tommy had to remain at the vets for tests and x-rays. His abdomen was
swollen. Later in the day I learned that his bilirubin level was too high.
That is a substance found in bile. What he probably had was hepatitis.
He would have to stay at the vet’s overnight. He needed an iv for fluids.
He was dehydrated and had lost weight. I was relieved to hear that the
prognosis for his recovery was good.

That he had to be away from home was what really troubled me. Tommy
was born in the closet of my bedroom so I’ve known him since day one. He
is a resilient kitty, but the thought of him being away from all he knew felt
devastating to me! He was meowing so desperately on the way to the vet’s.
If only I could explain to him what was happening.

The good thing is that I was able to visit my precious boy. We spent
quality time together. I’m glad I thought to bring baby food with me;
I learned he had refused to touch the food they provided. He needed
to eat to get well. Baby food to the rescue! I was pleased that he ate it.

I could scarcely sleep that night. I just kept wishing I was with Tommy! It
was agonizing to learn that he had to stay yet another night at the vet’s.
Again I visited him. The veterinary clinic even called me to ask that I would
because he hadn’t eaten anything, even the baby food I’d left with them.

He enjoyed a jar of ham baby food. He loved being petted and he purred, and I
think my being there helped normalize some of the surrounding activities and
noises, some of it from canines. I mean, all the things that would be startling
might be less alarming if he’s being cuddled.

I hadn’t intended to stay until they closed. People can visit but it’s not really
set up for such. It was fairly uncomfortable, even with the towel I brought,
squatting down on my knees on hard floor. Tommy was in a ground level
cage, with another cage above him. I picked him up twice, being careful for
the iv tube, but he seemed to prefer staying within the cage. He was in a soft
oval fluffy cat bed that the tech mentioned giving him when she arrived that
morning. I got up to say goodbye a couple times but then I just couldn’t leave him.

Tommy has made a full recovery. After a week of antibiotics, I took him for another
blood test which confirmed the bilirubin level is back to normal. Now he has returned
to his former antics like expertly jumping onto my shoulder, unannounced, for cuddles.

I knew he was well again when I found myself getting out of bed at 5:00 am.
It never felt so good to have a booklet land on my head! Being awakened in this
manner by my lovable scampish friend seemed like a wonderful thing. Plus, I’m
sure Tommy had my best interest at heart. After all, it was a knitting booklet!

I saw a what color are you? quiz when I was reading Pia’s blog. I took the quiz myself, all the while wondering if I’d achieve orange as my color! I did not. That’s okay. I like most colors really. I can live with cadet blue, which is said to be blue tinted with grey.

These quizzes are amusing. If I am deliberating over color choice for my next knitting project, I am going to take the quiz again and select the attributes I’d like the sweater or hat to have. That could be a fun way to choose a color!

you are cadetblue #5F9EA0

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You’re smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people’s conflicts well.Your saturation level is lower than average - You don’t stress out over things and don’t understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Smart? I certainly don’t know about that! I don’t stress out over things? Ha, that’s a laugh! I see everything as fair game to stress over! However, the cats have taught me the art of feigning disinterest and so I have become adept at appearing calm, cool, and collected like them. I tricked the silly quiz ;)