...farewel, sweet Murphy, and Mackie too...

Ms Murphy Brown left this world on her own schedule, about 9 AM on August 28, 2013, on the way to the vet.

She is survived by her brother Mackie,[on the left in the top, the right on the bottom]. They came to me, along with Miltie, their brother, 15 years ago this month and were devoted to each other. Mack sat with Murph for almost an hour the day before she died, washing her face. They always did that. It's taken him a few days, but he's got his appetite back and though I know he misses her, he's better, as we all are, every day. UPDATE: on November 9, Mackie lost his fight. He rallied towards the end, but he was really missing Murphy and when he started passing a lot of blood, it was time.

Murph, I'll miss your trilling calls, your ready purr and kitchen radar, always knowing when I was fixing something with chicken breast. Your lofty perches, amazing leaping ability and ability to put everyone in their place... [including me...] Mackie, I'll miss you sleeping on my bed, perching on the mantle clock, fluffing you lovely tail and parading it around the room. You were so sweet... rest well my sweet kitties, next to each other in the garden,you were a pleasure to know and be managed by and I can just see the joyful reunion that must have taken place on November 9 when Mackie arrived in Kitty Heaven and was instantly pounced on by Murph...

...farewell sweet MJ, we'll miss you...

We lost sweet MJ, [Midnight, Jr, after his daddy...] yesterday. I'd been watching him for a couple of weeks, as he got skinny, but he was still his normal, loving self... getting along with everyone and pestering me for bits of my dinner... until a day or so ago, when he started throwing up, then not eating... yesterday, he didn't want to drink or be held...

I had been trying to get a signature picture of him with the tip of his very pink tongue showing, but had to settle for capturing only his one white whisker.

He was such a sweetie, even when he had to go to the vet and would purr so loudly, even the vet remarked how sweet he was. But yesterday, he wasn't purring anymore and didn't want to be cuddled, so I knew it was time...

He's at rest in the garden under the plum tree with his daddy and all his littermates...

Rest well, sweet MJ... you've left an empty spot in my heart and on my lap...

RIP, Cagney

Cagney seemed to be recovered from her mouth problems. She was eating well and had even appeared to be getting along better with her nemesis, Sneaky Pie, having moved down from the top of the media cabinet, to claim the table behind the sofa, so she could be petted whenever I passed. I was busy last Tuesday and out of town most of Wednesday, so I didn't notice until Thursday afternoon that she had moved to the floor, wasn't eating or drinking and wasn't wanting to be petted every time I passed. I gave her some of the medicine that had healed her mouth just weeks before and it seemed to help, as she actually drank water early Friday morning. I took her to the vet, hoping that there was an easy fix, but the blood test came back as kidney failure with liver problems too. The IV had reversed the severe dehydration, but she had no control of her bladder and the fluid wasn't even urine, just fluid, indicating a total kidney failure. There was nothing left to do for her except hold and pet her. As the injection took effect, her faint purring stopped and she was gone. Ironically, her sister Lacy's cremains were there and I took both my sweet girls home.

I was able to dig a grave in the back yard without much problem. When Lacy died in early April, my back was too sore, I was suffering from the allergy/asthma problems and had to have her cremated because I couldn't dig a grave at that time. I scattered Lacy's ashes in the grave and put Cagney on top of them. I'd always planned to bury Lacy's ashes in the garden. It was a comfort to be able to bury them together. I came back inside and Sneaky Pie came over to me right away. Smelling Cagney on my clothes, she knew what had happened right away and seemed quite upset. Since they had never gotten along until the last couple of weeks, it struck me as strangely sad that she now seemed so sorry for having been such a butt to Cagney all those years. It's been several days now... the surviving 5 were all clingy for a day or two, SPie being the most strongly affected. I told her that nothing could change the past, that I didn't hold it against her and she just had to move on. I know it seems goofy, but she seemed to do just that. As I look at my few remaining kitties, sweet Mack, his diva sister Murphy, shy Charlie, loving purr machine MJ and the irrepressible Sneaky Pie, the house seems so empty. Then, when I dream, there they all are... always young and healthy, playing and chasing... what a blessing they are and have been... rest in peace, Cagney and Lacy... I always loved your friendly, furry faces...

...rest easy, sweet Lacy

Monday, I got up, took the dog out and fed the starving horde of kitties. While I was in the bathroom, Lace came in and meowed one, LOUD, extremely distressed cry. I picked her up. Both nostrils were closed with dried mucus, which I removed. I took her into the bedroom to give her some antibiotic drops that the vet said to use for colds.

When I put down after the drops, I noticed that her diaphragm was heaving, besides the fact that she just lay there, not running away as she always did when I gave her those drops.

I put her into a carrier, threw on my clothes and we rushed to the vet.

The vet was on his biannual 2 week visit to Argentina, but fortunately, he had gotten a very nice lady to take his patients while he was gone, unlike other times when he had a retired vet sitting in who needed to stay in retirement.

She examined Lacy and told me that she'd need an x-ray to confirm, but she was sure that her chest was full of fluid, which probably meant cancer. Lacy was 13 and had been getting steroid shots for years due to the lesions in her mouth, which had also come back. The vet took the x-ray and the test confirmed the worst. They gave her a sedative, then as I held her, she slipped away, no longer struggling for each breath.

Then I had a couple of problems to deal with. I was not able to bury her. The last kitty grave I dug, still had my elbows and back messed-up and I had to be directing the choir on Thursday, Friday, Saturday night and Easter Sunday. A normal service would make me stiff for a day or so. All these services involved a lot of standing, as well as rehearsing. The high blood pressure issues had me off my usual Excedrin, as it has caffeine and was creating problems. So I bit the bullet and asked them to have her cremated. There are no budget packages there, $240. Added to the cost of the visit, x-ray and euthanasia, that meant I owe them $320... which I'll have to pay in installments.

I know I made the only choice. I physically couldn't bury her and I couldn't just "throw her body away".

When her ashes are ready, I'll scatter them in the garden, so her remains will be with the others who've gone before her.

I can't remember the last time that I had only 6 kitties...

...farewell sweet Lucyfur

She stopped eating on Friday, drinking too, though she still pestered me for food, but seemed totally uninterested, even in the tuna. By Friday evening, she seemed to have become more shaky and spent the evening curled up next to my pillow. She responded to being petted, but wasn't enjoying the attention, so I knew that it was, "time"...

I got up Saturday morning and wasn't surprised to see that she was huddled, head down, in the sunniest spot on the cat tree, soaking up the early morning sun. She came over when I took the dog out, but when I got back inside, she was back in the warm spot and not interested in food. I went back outside and dug a place for her in the garden. Then I came inside, got her to come to me and, after telling the others to say their good-byes, we left for the vets'.

The vet wasn't busy, unusual for Saturday morning, so we didn't have to wait long.
He examined her and agreed with me that she was in the final stage and any further waiting would probably cause her to suffer and I didn't want that for her.

As I held her and told her what a good and sweet kitty she was, that we would miss her but that she'd soon have her brother, Bubba, who died 5 years ago, to boss around again, he gave her the injection and she slipped away...

I brought her home and took her inside, but the others all knew and didn't come from their napping places to say any farewells... so I took her around back to the garden,
where her resting place was prepared...

I buried her with the first purple iris between her paws, thankful that she was no longer in any discomfort and at peace...

In the several days since, the others have become relaxed again. Her illness, since she was,"Queen of Everything", had created some real stress in the other kitties. Even the dog had been much more on edge... Now that she's at peace, things are much more,"normal",[whatever that is...], with Murphy Brown finally becoming the Diva that I always knew she was...

The creeper is showing signs of leafing-out. Trees all over are blooming, including my cherry tree in back, though the camellias in my yard are still not. All around, you see daffodils, tulips, camellias, quince... blooming in the face of the stiff March breezes.

This, however, was quite a surprise ! Just a few days after covering my tomato plants against a couple of frosty nights, I find this !

Now "blooming" is not, "setting", and we'll need warmer nights before any tomatoes actually set, but Spring has definitely Sprung !

...further update

Lucyfur stopped eating on Sunday night and didn't eat on Monday, even when I offered her tuna. So, on Tuesday morning, I rook her back to see the vet. The jaundice was back in her ears and mouth, but she still seemed strong and was coming to eat, even though she ultimately wasn't eating. He gave her a steroid shot that he said should stimulate her appetite and thirst.

It seems to have worked, as since late Tuesday afternoon, she has been in to drink several times and has pestered me for food, actually eating when she gets it.

I don't know how long this will last, but it's good to see her eating again, even though the inevitable end will come... I just don't want her to suffer.

In my continuing battle with finances, my health insurance has disallowed all my SG Immediate Care charges from 2/12, so now I owe Sutter Gould $500+. I suppose next, they'll disallow the Dr visit I had yesterday & the routine labwork he scheduled.
Fortunately, I'm getting my taxes done on 3/9 & am due the same refund as last year, which will be enough to pay for having the taxes done, my property taxes AND the medical bills the insurance won't cover.

It's always something...

"Holy Michael, the Archangel, surround me with your holy angels...
protect me from the enemy and all his minions...
by the grace and power of God, consign them all to hell"...

...lucyfur update

Mz Lucyfur is slowly getting used to being back home. She avoided me the first day or so, since I was putting salve in her right eye and she was NOT amused, even though her eye is almost well now.

She was showing up at mealtime, but not really eating much and the vet had warned that if she stopped eating, she would relapse quickly.

She has a history of periods of finickyness, [issues with the "Turkey & Giblets"...]
which has not long persisted, but now is NOT the time, she needs to eat & regain her strength, so I considered getting different flavors to tempt her.

Then, it hit me... tuna...

I had several cans of chunk white or albacore tuna, canned in water in my pantry.

Years ago, when I had a bunch of kitties who would go outside to play, I used to buy tuna by the case at Costco and when I called them in from outside, they always got tuna... not nasty, smelly, cat-food tuna, but nice, people-food tuna... just enough for a taste for everyone, [with quality protein, a little goes a long ways...].

They would all come running... eager for their reward...

So I opened a can and offered it to Lucyfur... she started eating right away...

Of course, so did Cagney, who pushed her way in, while Mac & Sneaky Pie, noticing the enticing aroma, began to "circle".

Understanding that the "jig was up", I put the can, with lots of tasty bits still inside near their dish. Then I opened another can and gave the beggars most of it.
Lucy fur was still nibbling at hers[on top of the TV cabinet]. Later, I gave Lucy some more. She didn't eat as much, but she did come into the bedroom to drink and visit later on.

This morning, she came onto my bed, announcing that it was time to eat, then she came for cat-food, licked some of the gravy, nibbled a bit then retired to the TV cabinet, where I got her to eat a bit more tuna. She seems more alert, but getting her back to her normal weight may take some time. When her eyes are all well, that may help as I think they affect her sense of smell which always is linked to appetite.

So I hope that she's on the mend... she seems better...

...late breaking good news

The good news is that Lucyfur, who gave us a real scare on Wednesday, is responding to the IV treatment at the vet. She is eating, drinking and up & about, so I get to bring her home this afternoon.
I took her in for irritated eyes and on closer inspection, the vet showed me the jaundice. Her eyes, [beyond the inflammation], ears, tummy and gums were yellow. We decided to give her,"a chance", because she hadn't given up yet, [she kept fighting to get back into her carrier] and even though I knew that she'd lost weight, this had just happened over a couple of days since I thought that she had a kitty cold.
This is costing $355, [that's the most I could justify spending], but I consider it worth it since she has responded so well. We don't know how long it'll be before the liver starts to have problems again, but at least she has this time, now...

Time to snooze in front of the fire with her buddies who have missed her...


On other fronts, spring seems to be "springing" rather early this year.

The Meyer lemons have finally gotten enough water to get the right size...
and there are even a few blossoms starting to open. Trees everywhere around are blooming, making my allergies bloom too.

I found these cherry tomato seedlings at OSH. A "Sunsweet" and "Sweet 100"...
just what I wanted to put into my front porch container. They seem to like it there and I get a lot of tomatoes for the water & effort. I tried a smaller regular garden last year. It was a waste of effort, since I can no longer afford to water enough and the big oak shades the yard most of the day. So a small container of tomatoes is about my speed. I also have some herbs on the porch that do well. I may expand the front garden if I get so inclined.

Of course, I couldn't resist these "johnny jump-ups"[violas]. They will do well here until it gets into the 80's regularly, then I replace them with portulacas which take even the hottest days. I was hoping to plant the "johnny jump-ups" in December, as they don't mind cold, but didn't go looking for any since I was having to be so careful with money. To fill these 2 big containers cost about $11.

I never got around to cutting back the roses and they are all showing new growth. The creeper is still "asleep", however...

As you can see, it still has quite a ways to go before its buds even begin to swell.

...kitty roll call

It's been a nice holiday season for me & the kitties. They've feasted on kitty treats from their benefactor, scarfed their favorite canned & dry food, had roast beef scraps, chicken from my New Years' Chinese food treat[chow mein with chicken, shrimp & Chinese sausage, fried shrimp & almond chicken... got 3 good meals from the one order...] and soon, more turkey bits, after I cook the turkey I have in the 'fridge. The dog has also shared in the bounty, including beef rib bones, but this isn't about the dog...

Since opening my bedroom to all kitties after losing Fluff & Piglet last January, several things have happened. I found that I need to keep the dog in her crate when she's inside, because she will be aggressive towards any cat moving past her lair, especially when she's chewing on a bone. This has resulted in cats moving less fearfully through the house, though she still barks at them when they scamper past her den, often in the middle of the night, waking me up.

Another habit they have established is taking over my bed. I try to keep the thermostat around 67/66˚ day or night, otherwise they surround me, pinning me down, opportunistic heat seekers that they are, and I wake up stiff from being immobile.

Their crunchies and water dish are on my old dresser, so I can monitor their individual health situations more closely. This is also a good way to have frequent interaction with those who need medication as well as the three who don't spend the day or night on my bed.

MJ,[Midnight, Junior], is the last of a family of 5, all with short black hair, who were raised in my back yard by their Mom, who was a neighborhood cat with long black hair that came regularly for food and I had spayed after the kittens were weaned. The Dad, [Midnight], was a short-haired black, neighborhood cat who also came for food, that I found sleeping peacefully on the foot of my bed one summer night. He was never aggressive with any of my kitties or the kittens after they were born, quite an unusual demeanor for an intact tomcat. I had him neutered after I realized that he was the daddy of the kittens. I remember one really nice late spring morning, when I saw he and the momcat, sitting together in my driveway, watching the 5 black kittens play and frolic. Shortly after that morning, I captured the kittens and took them inside so they wouldn't get hurt outside, and took both "parents" to the vet to be neutered.

Here you see him with the treat ball he loved, until the dog took it. These days, I really enjoy watching him search for the treats I hide on my bedspread and dresser. Whenever I sit on my bed, he is instantly there, snuggling-in on my left side, wanting to be petted, to have his tummy scratched and purring, with the tip of his pink tongue showing, his eyes closed in pure bliss. He is the sweetest of the 5 kittens and was named for his sweet daddy, who also loved a good snuggle.

Lacy spends much of her day & night snoozing in a front window. She does come in to eat and drink often, which is good since she has tongue lesions and needs monitoring.

She recently had a steroid shot and is almost done with her antibiotic drops, so she seems to be lesion-free at the moment. It is a reoccurring problem though, so I watch her closely, which is not hard, since she joins me, hoping to drink from the faucet, every time I go into the bathroom for any reason. She also loves to be petted, but will complain loudly if I try to check for fleas.

Her sister Cagney, is the loner of the group. She has, "issues", with MJ, who loves to chase her,[his only bad habit...], Lucyfur and Sneaky Pie, and spends most of her time on the mantel, the TV cabinet or in a sunny window when it's warm. Sneaky Pie will ambush her after a food or water visit and chase her until she returns to her "spot". Lucy will confront her at the food or water dish, exerting her dominance.

Cagney is also a frequent bathroom visitor, as she has had a "thing" for drinking from the faucet since she was a kitten. I intervene when I can, letting Cagney know that she is safe near me, but the control mavens persist. So far there have been no bloody physical altercations, just a lot of nasty name-calling and boxing.

Mz Sneaky Pie, is also ,"bossed", by Lucyfur, so her aggression towards Cagney is probably some of the frustrations she can't show to Lucyfur.

"SPie", as she is also known, can be very sweet... but if she gets too "stimulated" by petting or grooming, she will bite or swipe at me with claws extended. She was raised for the first 6 months, by someone who played too roughly with her. So I have to be on my guard not to arouse her catly ire... She is a very loving and companionable kitty when she's in the mood, which is most of the time and being the youngest by about 5 years, she often will go on a mad dash about the upper reaches of the house, especially when the moon is full.

Murphy Brown, [Murph] and her brother Mack, [Mackie], are like most siblings, they can be together quite peacefully, and then, suddenly, for no apparent reason, will stand up and one will smack the other, with a full-fledged boxing match breaking-out, complete with loud catly insults.

Then, as quickly as it began, it's over and they are snuggled next to me, washing each others' faces.

Mackie has gray/black accents and is the ultimate cuddle cat. I can shoo him off of my bed, climb in and there he is, snuggled next to my left arm wanting to be petted.
If I don't move him back to his spot, he will climb on top of me. From the first time I looked into his green eyes, with the direct, pet-me, gaze, I was toast.

Murph is more golden brown, though they both have big white paws with very sharp claws. She was always much more aloof, but since the bedroom door was opened, she has become a super cuddler too. Mackie will meow for attention, but Murph is like Fluff was. She has paws with claws that she knows how to use to her best advantage, all the while purring so loudly in my ear that I've been known to have to turn up the volume if I was watching something. She also mews from time to time and after being petted a satisfactory amount of time, [somewhere between 3 minutes and infinity...], she will settle down, generally just above Mackie, claiming my left shoulder. If Lucyfur is on the bed to the right of my pillow, she may settle there, giving my right shoulder the same treatment and purring, loudly. She was sick in early December, but is fine now.

Lucyfur considers herself "Queen"... no further modifiers needed, she is simply that, queen...

She assumes her position to the right of my pillow nearly all the time, but she has her moments of camping-out on my feet, a practice I always discourage. She is the Alpha, therefore, she eats first, etc., and bosses everyone. Mackie doesn't always appreciate her bossiness and will swat her if she gets too pushy. Murph stays out of her way, as does Lacy, but Murph will curl up with her and Lacy will not. Sneaky Pie generally gives her her "due", and stays clear. Cagney is completely cowed and is always submissive when confronted. MJ is one of Lucyfurs',"boys",[Charlie is the other...]. Both MJ and Charlie curl up with Lucyfur and she will groom them both. They both are small, having been rather shy all their lives.

Charlie was adopted along with Lucyfur and her brother Bubba, from my vet after the death of Dexter. From the beginning, Lucyfur "mothered" Bubba and Charlie. MJ was just a young kitten when he came into her sphere and as a result, became "hers" too.

Charlie is quite shy, so the bedroom opening has been good for him. He and Sneaky Pie were the 2 that stayed with me when all the others went to stay at the vets during the bathroom rebuild in Jan, 2009, because they would not be caught. I captured them both, several times, but could get neither to stay in the cat carrier long enough to secure it. Scratched and bleeding, I gave up. They lived in the bedroom with the door closed, but got to go into the rest of the house at night when the workmen were gone and it was safe.

Since last January, Charlie has been becoming more secure in coming into the bedroom. He makes daily appearances near mealtime and I often awake from a nap to find him standing on top of me, purring and angling to be petted. As long as I'm laying down, or sitting, he'll approach. The moment I stand or move around, he's a ghost... But if I let him lay on me, he'll purr happily while I pet him or scratch his ears for quite a while. As a result, I have discovered that he has something in common with every red cat I've ever been owned by, and that is that if I scritch his tummy, he'll grasp my hand with all his might and kick scratch me until I can extricate myself. I know... not all red cats do this, but all I've known well have...

...the usual suspects

things have really changed with the passing of Fluff & Piglet...

for the kitties anyway...
since now the bedroom door is open to them...
though not for Molly, since on the first visit she made...
she went straight for the cat box and...
well, you get the picture...

so she sits in the window or stays on her bed...
or on the couch, without much feline annoyance...

like here where Lucyfur is telling her where she can stick it...
and where she can't...
because now, all but 3 kitties have staked out their territory in the bedroom...

Lacy...

Cagney...

and Murphy are still in the LR/DR at night...

since Molly's in her crate then...
they now have the house to themselves...
and are making the most of it...

MJ has become the new cuddle boy...
and was the first to claim a spot...

Ms Sneaky Pie arrived very shortly there after...
claiming the Piglet side of the bed...

then Mackie, who loves to "perch", discovered the TV...
though he's moved to the foot of the bed when he's sleeping...
after he fell off of the TV 3 times...

and Lucyfur generally sleeps with him...

and last night, Charley, who is very shy, arrived...
purring like a chainsaw...

it's taken some effort on my part, but after 3 nights...
I no longer wake up with cats on my feet, chest, legs, etc...
and we seem to be settling into a routine...

the daytime snoozing spots used to be...
in front of the fireplace...
[Lucy, Charley & Murph...]

or in front of the window...

from a different angle...
[Mac, Murph, Lucy, Charley & MJ...]

I have a feeling that when the newness wears off...
the favorite places will be favorites again...
they just now have more choices...

...remembering Piglet

it was nearly Halloween in 1997...
1st period had just begun and I was taking roll...
when the head custodian walked into my music room...
he came over to me and then I saw that he was carrying a kitten...

"Mrs. H[my good friend & fellow animal rescuer]...
told me to bring this to you...
she was found by some kids out by the gym...
who saved her from some others who were going to hurt her..."

she still had spittle on her head from where some kid had spit on her...

the PE teacher had called him because she didn't like cats...
and the ones who were "protecting" it...
were yelling at the ones who wanted to hurt it...
so she just wanted it,"no longer her problem..."

as he carried the very scared and almost limp kitten back...
fully intending to call the pound to pick it up...
he realized that it was very thin and weak...
so he went to Mrs.H's room [on the way...]
and she instantly recognizing that it needed care...
sent him and the kitten to me...

2nd period was my prep and my vet was nearby...
so I took her to him & left her there for the rest of the day...

when I came by after school to pick her up...
he told me that she was completely starved & dehydrated...
probably only hours from death before I brought her in...
he'd given her an IV and offered food, which she nibbled...
but there were no fresh injuries...

her tail had been broken in several places before the kids hurt her...
and had healed crooked, looking like "Peekachoo's"...
she had probably been kicked repeatedly...
and had finally run away from that abuse only to be found by cruel kids...
who wanted to "stomp" her as she was black & white and it was almost Halloween...

I'm grateful that there were good kids who stopped them...

when we got home, I set her up with a warm bed & cat box in the bathroom...
so the "others" could get used to her...
she was so weak the first few days that she crawled to food...
and lay down to eat & drink...

but she loved to be cuddled and learned early on...
that I was there for that purpose, as well as food, etc...
and was always very grateful for having been rescued...
rewarding all cuddling & petting with loud purring and head rubbing...

she never really got along with the others...

perhaps a holdover from her abusive early life...
so she became a back yard cat, coming into my bedroom to eat & sleep...
but she loved the outside and was always very vocal in her desires...
make that her need, to be outside, whenever she felt the urge...
which was always...

she was not at all shy in making any and all other desires known...
we often had lengthy "conversations"...
regarding her displeasure with the staff[me], Fluff's selfishness...
or any other impediment to her total self-gratification...

sometimes, after a lengthy confrontation where she had been denied her desire...
she would flop down noisily and sulk, muttering asides at me...

other times she would just let it go and go find Fluff...
sometimes to aggravate or annoy her...
other times, just to "snuggle"...
made even better if it woke up or disturbed Fluff...
as she did in this picture...

but most times...
after a sulk or bugging Fluff, she would return to me...
to further plead her case or to see if pestering would "change my mind"...

if that didn't work, she would often go take a nap...
trying to look pitiful, or even "wronged"...

sometimes she would attempt a separate peace & "maturity"...

often, then next move was aimed at annoying either Fluff or me...
by crawling into whatever we were doing...
insinuating herself into the middle of it and eventually taking over...
then though she wasn't happily outside, we weren't happy anymore either...

so now she'll be happy always...
outside in her garden and I won't be calling her in...

she's sleeping next to her buddy Fluff...

farewell, dear sweet Piglet...
you were a sweet kitty and quite a character...
I will really miss our "conversations" and cuddle times...
but I know that you & Fluff are at rest now...

always remember that because no one wanted you when you were little...
we found each other and you were always loved & wanted here...