A Sad Anniversary

It's been a year since I have been here at the Rainbow Bridge. I still miss my family a little bit and they miss me too. Mom says that time has healed a lot of the pain, but there will always be a little hole in her heart that used to be filled by me. I am so glad that even if my life was a bit shorter than I'd hoped, that it was a good life and that I was so loved - especially those two years with mom and the pups. I hear that there are more pups in that house now - wonder how I would have liked those little girls? I sure did love Sparky - so maybe the girls would have been OK.
I spend my time here laying in the sun and have made a lot of great friends. We are all doing great here, so if you are reading this and have a kitty here at Rainbow Bridge, please know that we are happy here. And we are watching over you, our beloved families.
Tony

Saying Goodbye

It's taken me a week to be able to write this entry for Tony. We said goodbye on February 8, 2007. He seemed to be doing so much better, as I talk about in his last entry. The evening of Feb. 7 it was getting apparent that he was not doing as well as we had thought. His breathing was beginning to be labored again and he wasn't interested in his food. We tried to tempt him with chicken and he would eat a little bit. He walked very slowly and it appeared that he was not comfortable. On the morning of Feb. 8, he went outside to potty and couldn't. I picked him up to give him a head scratch, and he cried like it had hurt to be touched. My husband and I decided that he was no longer enjoying life and that we had to prevent him from suffering needlessly. Saying goodbye was very hard. Tony had lived with us for about 2 years and had completely stolen our hearts. We loved the way he drooled and talked to us. He really enjoyed playing with Sparky when we first brought him home and I have some wonderful pictures of them together. There are lots of great memories and photos and we will cherish them forever. Tony was a special guy and we think he was put into our home for a reason. The part that is hard is why it was such a short time.
Tony - we hope you are having a wonderful time playing with your new kitty friends at Rainbow Bridge. We know you no longer hurt and you can run and jump like a kitten again and we are thankful for that knowledge. Although I write this with tears running down my face, I am happy for you. Please know that we loved you and you will remain in our hearts forever. Until we meet again . . . Mom & Dad, Sparky & Tucker

Hanging in there!

I am still hanging in there! Mom says I am getting way too thin, and that I don't eat enough lately. But I'm just not real hungry. However, I did really enjoy the chicken that dad cooked for me last night. I ate all of that and left the "cat" food! Mom got me some Natural Balance chicken and turkey canned food, and it's pretty good, but just doesn't stimulate my appetite very much. And to make it worse, she always makes me swallow pills before I can have my dinner. She says that eating after the pills will make them go down better. Not so sure about that - I would prefer that they just go away! Me and mom got on the scale last week and I weighed 11.5 lbs. Then we got on again on Monday night and I weighed 11 lbs. Mom is worried, I can see it, but I just don't feel much like eating. I am still breathing a lot better though. And I talk to her just like before I got real sick. I can lay down and roll over comfortably, so those are good signs that the fluid isn't back in force. I take a lot of naps usually in corners or behind something. That worries mom too, but they are such cozy spots! And I like the bed in front of the fireplace even if it is a little small for me. I may not weigh much, but I am still a big guy! And I am telling mom that life is still pretty darned good. She says that's good enough for her! More chicken please!!
Tony

We know what the problem is

Well, I spent yesterday at Dr. B's office and he did some tests and took some films and he says I have congestive heart failure. This is not a good thing but I can take some medicines that will help me feel better. So it's pill time for me! That's OK I'm sure mom will get much better at hiding them or mushing them or whatever she does with stuff that I don't want to eat! I am very picky! so it makes it real hard on her. They got some of the pill pockets - but I spit it out! So she slipped it right in my mouth and down my throat and I swallowed it. This morning she mushed it in my food and only gave me the little tiny bit of Fancy Feast (chicken only) that had the meds in there. So I ate a little bit then walked away. So she scooped up what was left and put in the rest of the can and put that little scoop right up on top - like it was a cherry on a Sundae or something. Well, I came back and ate it - almost all of it actually. So I do feel better. Dr. B says that my heart is beating 2x as fast as it's supposed to be beating. So the meds are supposed to help slow that down and the other med is to help keep the fluid out of my chest. Then there's the thyroid med - oh well, as long as I can still nap in the sun and roam around outside a bit, I'll be just fine and happy! I did sleep on the bed for a while last night and asked for cuddles and loves! So that made mom really happy. I even let the dogs, Sparky and Tucker, sniff and lick at me when I got home. I think they missed me!! That makes me feel all warm inside!! So I am hanging in there - mom and dad hope for a long time - me too!

Back Home

I am home again! Yeah! Still not feeling great, but I am better than I was. And so glad to be home. The dogs were glad to see me to. I am spending a lot of time laying under the table behind the couch though and this worries mom. She keeps coming to see if I am still breathing! Of course I am. And I am still breathing a little hard, but not too bad. I took my pills pretty good last night and better this morning. I ate a little dinner and it was all gone when mom got up this morning. So that is a real improvement. And I ate about half my breakfast before mom had to leave for work. So my thyroid med was back in my food up on top so I wouldn't miss it. And the Lasix she fed me. It's a tiny pill, so that helps, but I really hate her opening my mouth! She tried a little Velveta cheese last night, but I am just not hungry enough to think it was very good. And I am really picky about what I eat. I only want my Nutro Naturals kibble and Fancy Feast chicken flavors! No treats thank you. And no tuna - Harley can have that! So now mom is waiting for our vet to call her. She called a little while ago and they have received the test reports but the Dr. is in surgery so he'll call her when he's done. She is a little nervous about it. Keeping her fingers crossed - so how can she type???

Every kittie has been so nice to me - I have treats and rosettes and lots of mail! Thanks to everyone for keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. Mom says it helps a lot just knowing how many kitties and humans are out there thinking of me and sending up prayers and positive thoughts. Thanks to everyone!

I am in the Hospital

I am in the Emergency Vet Hospital today and have been there since last night! This is not a real fun place to be and they do some yucky stuff to you in here. But I am starting to feel a little better. Mom and Dad brought me in last night when I was having a lot of trouble breathing. They got real worried about me and told me I just had to go now. So I walked into the crate (it had all of Tuckers blankies in there) and into the car we went. I felt so bad I didn't even make much noise and I hate the car. When we got there, they took me in the back and put me in an oxygen incubator. That helped me breath a little bit easier. Then they took Xrays of my chest. They were really nice and took one and then let me rest and breath more oxygen then they took the other one. Then the Dr. showed them to my mom and dad. There was a whole bunch of fluid in my chest so you couldn't even see my heart. The Dr. (who was very young and pretty) said that she needed to drain the fluid off and then they could maybe see what the problem is. She thinks that it is probably either cancer or a heart problem. She could hear a little murmur in my heart. So I had to stay overnight. Mom and dad came back to my oxygen incubator and tucked me in for the night, but I was a little nervous about being in there and didn't really want to be bothered too much. But I did let mom give me some head scratches. They are giving me some heart medication and some directics today and I am still on the oxygen. The Dr. told mom that they couldn't tell yet what the problem is from the fluid she drained off so mom or dad will call Dr. B tomorrow and see what he wants to do. I am still having some trouble breathing so mom and dad will be checking back in on me later this afternoon to see if I am breathing well enough to go home. Mom and dad are real worried about me and Sparky and Tucker miss me a lot. I am their favorite kitty pal you know. And it is kind of lonely in here - I miss the big bed to sleep on in the sunshine. But if they can make me feel better, than I'll stay and do what they want me to. So if all my pals would keep their paws crossed for my speedy recovery, I would really appreciate it.
Tony

A Snow Day

Well, it snowed! and it is cold and wet! rough on these old bones. So I am going to spend my day sleeping on mom and dad's bed. Nice and warm and dry. Not much different for other days, really, other than it is extra cold out today. Probably won't be roaming around the yard today. That darned stuff is still coming down - only now it's just little fine flakes not the big ones that were coming down earlier. It's supposed to get warm enough to melt the stuff and I sure hope that they are right. I'm with Harley - that snow covered all the really great potty spots! But there are still some good ones that don't have snow on them. You all have to understand that neither of us will use a litter box! We are outdoor pottiers only! So this is an important issue to us. Those two dogs - Sparky and Tucker - they are having a ton of fun in that cold stuff. But then this is their first time - the appeal will wear off !!
Back to napping - Purrrrrrssssss

Ha Ha Dogs!

I just have to write it down and rub it in their little doggy faces - I am sleeping on the bed with Mom and Dad and you two are in crates! The Big Black Cat Rules! Finally - I get to sleep in peace - no Sparky or Tucker licking my ears or jumping on me trying to get to each other! No more puppies under the covers making getting comfy really difficult. No more mom and dad telling those two delinquents to lay down and go to sleep. Now I can walk right up and claim all the pets and sweet talk that I deserve. And you should have heard them carrying on when mom put them in there. Man, it was down right embarassing! No cat would ever act like that! Mom says the final straw was when Sparky just used the carpet for his potty instead of waking her up to go outside. He used to wake her or dad up and there was never any messes on the carpet. But he stopped doing that. So mom got tired of it and put him back in his crate and Tucker in his too. But with Tucker it was because he could be all yawning and tired before we went to bed, but the minute he hit that bed, all he wanted to do was play! Mom was getting sleep deprived! So the end result was that mom and dad had to clean all the carpet in the house. Then mom rearranged the furniture a little bit and moved the kittie condo into a little corner and that it made it oh so comfy and cozy. I spent a last evening checking it out. Not bad. And then she put two beds right by the fireplace. Now it's a gas fireplace, and so it's always just a little warm there. So I tried out one of those beds and it was pretty comfy too. The other two beds are clear across the room, but I checked them out to, and they'll do. They are the bigger, fluffier beds so they are pretty good no matter where they are. So all in all, it was a pretty good weekend.
CATS RULE ! !

The Black Cat Shop

I am famous!! How cool is that? I am the featured Black Cat on The Black Cat Shop pages! Wow, made mommy so proud! And we got little Harrisburg, Oregon out there for everyone to hear about too! Not too bad for a one-stop-light town of 3400 people!!

Other than that, not much happening at my house. Just that darned puppy, Tucker. He is getting bigger and braver all the time. Mom and Dad finally gave up and let me sleep on their bed - I'm not the one Dad is allegic too, it's Harley that makes him sneeze and wheeze - so they said I deserved to get away from the Tucker puppy. But he sleeps on the bed at night and when Dad travels, so do I. Now he is getting really brave and comes up and sniffs at me and tries to give me kisses! NO WAY so I swipe at him and give him a little nip. It makes him cry a tiny bit and then he goes away. But last night, Sparky decided that if Tucker was crying then something was wrong, so Sparky stood between me and Tucker. Man is he brave. He could've got the worst from both me and Tucker - but I really like Sparky so I wouldn't hurt him on purpose. But Tucker, he bites everyone. I heard Mom tell Sparky that he should be over this biting thing in about 2 months! That's forever! I can tell she's sick of it too, but what can you do? So I sleep on the bed most of the time. I just love having an excuse to do that. It's big and comfy and the sun shines on it during the afternoon. So I guess there is some good stuff even with Tucker puppy around.

I wander around a little in the evenings and I drove Sparky nuts last night. I found something in the driveway and was pouncing on it and chewing on it a little bit (Mom was to chicken to come out and see what I had, so the identity of this plaything is a mystery to her) and Sparky barked and barked at me. I think he wanted to come out and join me, but he is not allowed past the gate unless he's on a leash, so all he could do was stand there and bark at me!! HA HA - being a cat has it's advantages!! Mom finally got him to shut up and go back inside. Thank goodness for that, cause he was ruining my concentration! So all in all, Life is Good!!

Summ Summ Summertime

Life is really great! The sun is out, not too hot and there are lots of places to nap! I have discovered that sleeping on mom and dad's bed is the best place to nap. I have never gotten up there before, but mom had to wash all the bedding because that puppy, Tucker, pottied on the blankets! So when it was just nice, cool, clean sheets, I jumped up there and checked it out. So nice. Now even with the blankets back on the bed, I still jump the baby gate (key word there is "baby") and hop up on the bed every chance I get. Mom comes in and carries me out when she catches me, but she's gone all day long. So there is still a lot of nap potential on that bed! I have also discovered that if I do not come when she calls me for dinner, that she'll come pick me up and carry me in and put me on the windowsill by my dish! What a sucker! She says she knows what I'm doing, but she does it anyway. She thinks I just want a little snuggle and that's my sneaky way of getting it without having to rub her leg to let her know I need attention. I think she's right, but don't tell her I said so!