Life of a country gentleman/old man cat

Back in the day, I would find Mommy's constant babying of me to be embarrassing. But now I realize...I get lots of cool stuff from acting cute and needy!

Most of my time is spent asleep on the big bed or the smaller guest room bed. Lately my preference is the guest room. Everything around the house is designed for my convenience and comfort. Stairs for both beds, litterboxes everywhere, a fountain upstairs so I don't have to walk all the way down the stairs if I get thirsty, etc.

I am getting skinnier and less active, but still seem happy, alert and definitely have my appetite.

But sometimes I like to surprise my mom by showing her I am not a total invalid. The other day, she had chicken noodle soup from Panera. She ate all the stuff but left the broth. Well, that broth smelled so yummy that I climbed all the way up on the couch by myself, climbed over the arm and got on the table with the cup of broth! It was so worth it...delicious!

Mommy let me have as much as I wanted, and then she cuddled me to sleep by her side.

Today I got up for a bit and seemed to need some attention. Mommy surprised me by heating up the leftover broth and giving it to me! I did not realize she saved it for me! It was so yummy, and when my tummy was all full of soup, it was time to go back to my nap, which I did.

Every cat loves the wood stove, but they always also want to go out on the porch because it looks nice out. After they get outside on the porch, they realize that it's actually much nicer inside by the fire. Silly youngsters. There is nothing better than the warm bed and warm house and warm broth from Panera...and cuddling with Mommy.

Power of the purr...never question it!

Well, thanks to all of your purrs, our friend has located the kitty that escaped last Monday while she was catsitting for it. Sam was found back at his own house half a mile away this morning. He found his way all the home by himself and was sleeping at the bottom of the people bed!

That Sam sure is smart! Although I don't know why he decided to check out of the house he was staying in and try to find his own house for almost a week! But he did, and we are so relieved and grateful for our friend, who was distraught at the thought of losing her friend's cat.

Never question the power of the purr!

Purr power needed here!

Our Mommy has a friend all the way in California, and she accidentally lost a kitty she was minding for a friend. She is freaking out! Please send some purrs so our friend can find the kitty!

About to turn 17!!!

Monday is the day when we celebrate my birthday! I was born in 1994, so that will make me 17 years old.

Momma watches me with a worried face. I am showing my age. Daddy and Mommy are giving me extra lovies and hugs and kissies.

I was sent to my family by Angel Abby, my Mommy's precious dog, the weekend after Abby left for Heaven. I heard Mommy tell Daddy that Abby came to her in a dream last week to tell her that she is coming for me soon. Mommy was very upset by this dream! She wants me to stay here with her. Hopefully it was just a silly dream, because I plan to stick around.

Someone has to be HOH and keep that little Orange Gilmore in line!

Meatloafs and jellybeans

We all know what a meatloaf is. It's a kitty laying down in a loaf with its paws hidden underneath where you can't see them!

But my favorite new pose is something Mommy calls the jellybean. I lay on my side an curl up like a little letter C. Then I put my hand near or even over my face. Mommy says I look like a cute little bean, and then the term jellybean started! Cas was doing the jellybean today too!

Are you a meatloaf or a jellybean?

I am just fine!

Aside from some blood in my urine, my test results were all as good as can be expected for an almost 17 year old mancat! The medicine I am taking is slowing down the progression of my kidney disease...for now. I lost some weight, but my weight fluctuates quite a lot, so it is nothing to be alarmed about just yet. I don't have to go back to the doctor for six months! Yiiipeeee!

At home I have been getting friskier. My arthritis slows me down a lot, but I want to do more stuff because I am feeling better and the weather is getting warmer. Mommy says she will continue to baby me like the precious little guy she thinks I am!

Who would have ever thought I would be the GOOD kitty?

You might have read in my sister Hazel's diary that she and I went to the vet today.

When the door to the exam room opened, there were THREE white coats. They know me so well now that they don't even attempt to get my blood without three of them. I put up a fight, but they seemed to outwit me, and before I knew it, I was on my side getting blood drawn. Mommy collected my urine sample at home, so there was no pee-pee needle this time...THANK GAWD!

My health is pretty good for an old man cat, but my urine still has a little blood. We have to wait for my blood test results to come in and then the doctor will know if I need anything else.

Compared to Hazel, who sent Daddy to the doctor today, I practically had a halo over my head!

I am mostly bald :-(

Now that I am old, I can't groom my furs that much. My furs got very, very matted. Mommy and Daddy tried to help me, but it hurt too much and I would not let them help.

So today I got packed up and taken to the vet. Butters went too. They gave me something to make me sleepy, and when I woke up, the back of my body was almost bald. I went to get groomed before like this, and they only left one little bald spot and combed out the rest. But this time they cut my fur off. They said they had to because they could not comb it out.

Oh, and I also got something called a bath!

I was very, very irate, to say the least. I am not talking to Mommy or Daddy or any cats right now except for my Catster pals.

I guess I do feel more comfy. I got two pieces of great news today too. I gained one pound, and hurricane Pee-Wee (the dog) is not coming to visit for Thanksgiving after all. His folks decided to leave him home rather than take him flying on the plane.

Humiliated purrs,
Mouse

Hurricane Pee-Wee

I don't spend too much time listening to the ramblings of my mother, but I have heard quite a lot of her yammering at Daddy lately. I did not know what it was all about...something about luggage and new sheets and Thanksgiving dinner...and Pee-Wee. What's a Pee-Wee?

I asked Kiki, who hangs on every word the people here say. She said that for this Thanksgiving, Mommy's Uncle Lou and Aunt Marilyn are coming from Georgia and staying in our house. I said, "What's the big deal about that? I met Uncle Lou before, and he's a cool dude." But then Kiki revealed some disturbing news.

Apparently, Uncle Lou is extremely attached to his Pomeranian dog, and somehow this dog got booked on the same flight as them. Dogs can fly on planes? Who knew? Oh, yes, it will cost extra, but who cares, as long as Pee-Wee gets to come. Pee-Wee!!! His name is Pee-Wee! Oh, brother.

Gilmore said he can't wait to meet Pee-Wee. Mommy told him that she met him already, and he's a great guy. Also, he was rescued from Hurricane Ike in Texas and then found a new forever home in Georgia. He can't wait to ask Pee-Wee all about what it was like being in a hurricane!

Even Kiki started looking forward to meeting him when she found out that he has a job! Yes, he works as a therapy dog. Wouldn't you think that after living through a hurricane that the guy could just chill instead of being forced to work?

I guess he does sound kind of interesting. If nothing else, he will be outnumbered by us kitties seven to one and will not be able to abscond with any of our turkey. With a name like Pee-Wee, how tough can he be?

Purrs of worry...
Mouse

Tomorrow I turn Sweet 16!

Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of the day I adopted my family. Mommy put her sweet Abby dog to sleep on Friday, August 13 of 2004, and on August 15, I appeared to help mend her heart. That is the day my birthday is celebrated because I don't know my real date of birth, but we know I was born in 1994, which makes me Sweet 16!!!

Mommy says I have always been sweet, but now I will also be 16. My health is ok, but my activity level continues to decline as Mommy's obsession/worry over my daily activities grows.

My birthday wish is for lots more time with my family and for all Catsters and their people to get past any troubles they are having. I guess that is a lot of wishes, but I think when you are 16 you should get lots of birthday wishes and they should all come true!