Musings on a Small Life

I made the agonizing decision, after a sleepless night and torturous morning, to let Derry go this afternoon.  The bloodwork didn't show anything dire, though I personally feel he might had bladder cancer, not cystitis, as he did not have the typical symptoms of cystitis that he has exhibited in the past. Either that or he was just done, after his latest vet poking and prodding on Tuesday. He had 10 vet trips in 2022 and 7 or 8 in 2021, what with the IBD, the chronic eye problem, the Diabetes and now this. He just shut down after his Tuesday appointment, stopped eating and took to hiding. Not even Cerenia, Buprenorphine and Gabapentin, along with multiple doses of an appetite stimulant, got him eating again. Yesterday morning he refused even his treats, and he lived for his favourite treats. I know I could have extended the life of his body with multiple daily pharmaceuticals and frequent vet trips for sub-q fluids and Cerenia injections, but I also know in my heart that was not th...

I debated on waiting to post until I get the results back tomorrow (Thursday), but then thought it might be better to give readers a heads-up on the latest with Derry, in case the news is the worst-case scenario. As he's gotten older, he's become a bit messier in the litter box when he pees, and I frequently have to wipe his backside, otherwise he does it himself--usually on the carpet. On Sunday I noticed that the colour of the urine on his butt fur was brown, not normal. I told myself not to panic, but the same thing occurred on Monday. So off he went to the vet late yesterday afternoon, for a urine analysis and full bloodwork. They took a look at the urine in-house (just a "quick" look) and there IS a lot of blood in it. The vet said that Derry's bladder looks irregular, possibly a benign polyp, or possibly a cancerous tumour of course. (I brought up the cancer possibility first.) He's NOT exhibiting any clinical signs of cystitis or a blockage such as bein...

Happy Boxing Day! We made it through the epic blizzard unscathed, except for a few power blips on the 24th and 25th, and a one-hour outage of our internet/cable/tv. We were extremely lucky, as power was off in numerous areas around us, even in our greater neighbourhood (i.e. not the complex itself). I hope anyone else reading this who went through the storm also remained unscathed and is okay! Below, a couple of snaps from the front bedroom window on Christmas Eve. We've had a lot of bad snowstorms in the 26.5 years I've been living here, but I think this was the worst in terms of duration and winds. Crazy. I know most of North America was impacted, and I truly hope this was, indeed, a "once in a generation" event. Below, Derry on Christmas Day. I had a lovely Christmas Day in spite of the weather. My aunt (Mom's younger sister, who lives with Mom in Halifax now) had suggested that we video chat while opening our presents, so we set up our phones and did just tha...

Never in a million years did I think Derry would be with me for 15 years, through so many changes and challenges.  We all know that life can turn in an instant, so I don't take our time together for granted. I know it's drawing to a close, as he's elderly in terms of a cat's lifespan and now has some health issues. I've been blessed to share my life with him for this long, and whatever the next year brings, I hope and pray it will be merciful and free of suffering for him. I love you, my Baby Bear, more than any words can express. Happy Gotcha Day! 💖

I have a mix of "funnies" today, some winter/holiday themes, some cat themed, a few more of a social statement. I'll have an update on Derry (all is fine) below! This (directly below) from a B.C. SPCA website, I think. (It popped up in my Pinterest feed.) A few winter/holiday ones. The first, below, was actually posted in Teams by one my co-workers, for a morning smile. This is the response I'd get if I tried caroling, with my croaky, off-key voice.  My favourite is the third one, personal triumphs. Alas, this pretty much sums up life in the age of social media. Below: Not a "funny, and one you've probably seen before many times. I love the "Peanuts," whether Charles Schultz's original work or others' artwork. I had so many of the books when I was a child, and I wish I still had them! As for this fellow... I took him back to the vet clinic on Wednesday (originally had been scheduled for Thursday) so I could have his left eye re-checked, as w...

We definitely dodged the winter "bullet" in our region, with 8 cm on Friday and probably a few more on Saturday, a dusting early on Sunday (or that could have been blowing snow). Nothing like other parts of Ontario and oh my gosh, upper New York State. I feel for them! Snapshots below from a walk on Friday. Snow makes everything look so magical, but the reality of getting around, especially on foot, is vastly different. Our city must be the worst in the country for sidewalk clearing (lack of), even at bus stops, and I don't think they ever have sanded or salted said sidewalks, even when/if they get plowed. I'm sure long-time followers of this blog are tired of my annual complaint! Anyway, we're supposed to have a warm-up this week, so most of the snow should disappear--I hope. It's too early for it to come and stay. Some kitty has ventured outside into the (enclosed) back garden a few times, but mostly he prefers to be inside and warm. BTW, I had made a vet te...

Yesterday morning during our snow. I can't decide if he was brave or foolish! I doubt he'll be so adventurous tomorrow and Saturday, as we're bracing for a significant lake-effect snowstorm. I'm flexing my work time today (started at 5 AM, the benefit/down side of working from home), so will take an extended lunch break and go for groceries, enough to tide me over for several days. I doubt I'll be out again until Sunday or Monday! Take care, everyone, and if you're in an area of impending inclement weather, stay safe and cosy.

Some Pinterest "funnies" to celebrate the end of the work week: Me, on Sunday after the time change . Life with cats .... It's the status quo at my end, nothing to report. Derry had his second sensor removed yesterday and a new one put on. So far his numbers remain within the normal range, knock on wood. If that continues through the next thirteen days, I'll likely wait a few weeks before taking him back, just to give him a break from the frequent trips to the vet clinic. Morning sky on October 31st . Cuddles on Friday October 28th, after I got home from the work "sprint." We both needed that snuggle time! (And one of us needed wine too.) As for non-cat things, now that we're into November and well past our Thanksgiving (October), I'm mentally gearing up to do some Christmas decorating. I love holiday decorations and I seem to start earlier every year. I saw a cute idea on Pinterest, using dollar store ornaments, and decided to try it in my own bat...