OC

Will and I buried OC under the at least 100-year-old maple on the side of our house in a space known as "Vincent's Garden." I would sit under that tree with our Maine Coon cat Vincent and read while he tested the length of his leash and "clawed" (someone had declawed him) the tree trunk and logs in the garden. 

I sobbed. 

I don't handle burial very well, but cremation is too expensive for us right now, I'm trying to be frugal and this was something we just couldn't afford.  After the internment, I stayed in the garden with Veronica and we cuddled and nursed and I read "My Mother Wears Combat Boots" and took pictures of various things.  Eventually it started to get chilly so we came inside and I eventually got a bath while she napped. 

I keep expecting to hear OC crying out from the guest room.  It actually kept me awake last night. 

OC

When my grandmother, Mom-Mom, died at the end of July this summer, I took in her cat OC (Outside Cat when she lived with my father, Olivia Camille when she lived with Mom-Mom). During a moment of pain and weakness, Mom-Mom had said we should euthanize OC when Mom-Mom died and I said "No!" with the understanding that I'm the cat lady of the family and would figure out a way to keep her happy.

The best laid plans...

Shortly after we moved OC here and Mom-Mom passed, Veronica was born.  For obvious reasons I didn't now have time to spend 30 minutes or more a day in the guest room trying to coax OC out for cuddles.  And OC hates the other cats.  When my in-laws came after the baby was born, they required that OC be moved out of the guest room while they used it.  She didn't eat for three days, just hid under the sideboard in the dining room.

When I started scooping the litter boxes again, I noticed that OC urinates a very large amount.  And I saw that she was drinking almost two cups of water a day.  These are signs of kidney failure.  In the three and a half months that she has been here, she has lost at least a pound and appears dehydrated.  She will not come out of the room because she wants nothing to do with the other animals and most of the time she runs from anyone who goes into the room to be with her.  She cries all the time and appears to be painful in her back end.

I have a veterinarian friend coming over this evening to humanely euthanize OC.  Last night I gave her a lot of pain medication because it doesn't matter if it causes organ damage.  She was comfortable and purring and willing to be cuddled.  I fed her treats and catnip and pet her for a very long time.  As much as I know this is the right thing to do, it just breaks my heart.

Luna Moth is aging

It is a hard thing to watch a beloved animal companion decline.  Luna Moth is the matriarch of our feline tribe and has always had health concerns.  When Luna was 10-weeks-old I learned that she had a IV/XI (four out of six) heart murmur.  After a cardiac ultrasound performed by a specialist, we learned that she was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  I cried, a lot.  Then I decided Luna would have the best life I could provide for her.  The vet that we were seeing at the time was uncomfortable spaying her, which went against everything I believe about responsible cat ownership.  Plus, have you ever seen a cat in heat? It's a terrible thing to witness.  Well, Luna went into heat for the first time at about 6-months-old.  Then she went into heat again almost immediately.  And she started to bleed.  Cats don't tend to bleed with their heat cycles.  I had to get her spayed.  Again I had trouble with the vet we were seeing, they actually questioned whether I had let her get pregnant.  Ugh.  Anyway, she was spayed and we discovered that her uterus was in bad shape.  Parts of it were thickened, parts were friable.  It was a mess.  Good thing I spayed her in spite of the risks of anesthesia!  Luna came through surgery just fine.

Fast forward 11 years (Luna turned 12 this July) and my baby goddess has advanced arthritis, is losing muscle mass and really just wants the comforts of a warm place to sleep, food twice a day and the occasional cuddle (only on her terms).  My hubby held her tonight and commented that she is just skin and bones.  She hasn't declined to walking skeleton yet, but it is clear that Luna is in her own twilight and we should cherish every purring moment we have with her.  On a selfish note, I'm glad that Luna lived to see me have a kitten of my own.  Even if she does wrinkle her nose every time she wants to get on my lap and Veronica is already there.

Eco-Frugal Mommy

I have a new blog that focuses on my stay at home mom-ness with Veronica and my attempts at being green while saving money. Hopefully I'll learn new healthy, environmentally friendly, habits along the way that I can teach to my daughter. This is, after all, a learning process. <3 The link is in the title of this post, and in my links list.

One month later

Veronica is going to be three-months-old on Monday and the cats have certainly had a lot to get used to. There's her Pack & Play, which has been three places in the house already, the room they used to own that they are no longer allowed into (her nursery used to be the critter room), the screaming infant/sleeping baby, her toys; the list goes on. How have they done? Pretty much beautifully.

There are quite a few cats in this house and many people would raise an eyebrow or two at the idea of having an infant so close to all of them. I have to say, it has been delightful. And the best part is, kitten cuddle time! Veronica gets to be snugly and warm and purred upon. Life couldn't be better.

I am almost a month into official stay at home mom-ness and trying to learn my new place in the world. I have a feeling that takes a long time. I'm volunteering with my UU Church, taking a class and loving my baby.

As I type this, disgustingly late at night I might add, Luna Moth is purring up a storm and grooming next to me. She is continuously proving to me that she's not done yet. For a twelve-year-old cat with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and severe arthritis, she's doing great.