Well, yesterday was the one year anniversary of our Shivers passing on. Silly, stubborn old thing. It was a tough day, but we made it. It’s still hard to believe she’s really gone. I still catch sight of white things out of the corner of my eye, and think it’s her. I don’t think the loss gets easier, but it gets easier to talk about the good things.
Cornell’s Cat Page
I just watched all the cat-themed videos on this website. I couldn’t help myself. From how to successfully give a cat a pill to brushing their teeth, this website has it all. It’s professional quality, and easy to follow.
Fritz The Brave
This website about feline asthma is the single most useful website on this subject I’ve ever come across. It’s up to date, comprehensive, and easy to understand.
Sockington’s Twitter
Funnier than it has any right to be.
Much love for this new blog and friend of mine. You should check it out!
Really interesting article on treating epilepsy in cats.
XKCD: Cat Proximity
This webcomic by Randall Munroe is a little too close to home. Who isn’t guilty of this? I really, really want a print of this comic to frame.
The video below one of the funnier cat/human games I’ve seen. What a smart cat!
Have a great weekend!
Here’s my weekly round-up of (somewhat) cat-related interesting things I ran across.
National Cat Day is happening on a Caturday. This. Is. Awesome.
What are you doing to celebrate?
Our cats had some suggestions:
Paca Pet are all natural, handmade wool toys.
Ducky World cat toys are playful, fun, and unique. The catnip they use is tops and you can’t beat the design.
The Cat Dancer toy is one of our very favorite. They’re more durable than you might think. For years we’ve called it “the world’s best cat toy.” Cats really go nuts when you flicker it against the wall. Added bonus – they’re very inexpensive and easy to find.
These Creatures makes reaaally cute bowls.
Firecat Pottery has whimsical and fun dishes, some of which are intended for cat use.
We’ve talked about Da Bird before, but it’s worth mentioning again. This toy is so convincing that once Oswald catches it, he growls at any cat that looks at him. He’s utterly sure it’s a real bird. Even cats that are couch potatoes can generally be convinced to play with this toy.
Durapet 12oz cat dishes are what we use. They’re flat, which means they’re whisker friendly. Most cats really hate bumping their whiskers against the sides of the bowl when they eat or drink. The last I checked, H3, Northwest Pets and Bark’n'Purr sell them locally in the Treasure Valley. And, of course, Amazon.com sells them as well.
And, of course, Full Circle Herb. This is, bar none, the very best catnip. In the world. In our humble opinion. It’s what I use when I make cat toys. You can buy their toys online, or check their “where to buy” page to see local sellers.
Oh, and the furry kiddos gave the DIY Kitty Whack-a-Mole six paws up. You can see it in the video below. Check out the sound effects. Our cats would go gonzo over this. We must try this!
Know of some fun or informative links you’d like to share? Post it in the comments! Thanks for sharing. In the words of Garrison Keillor, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”
We lost Miss Shivery Bob last Tuesday (January 18th). We’d always known that when she decided she was done, it would be quick. We just hadn’t quite realized how quick. It was as if she woke up last Saturday, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction that her work was done. There was no long, steady decline. She went from playing and mischief to not eating or interacting, in the space of three days. The change was shocking. She just decided she was done.
It was a very, very Shivers thing to do. She has always been her own cat and wasn’t lukewarm about anything. Shivers made it as clear as she could that she was ready, and even went so far as to cuddle the vet tech – something she has never done before. She curled up in my lap at the vet’s, with Travis petting her. She went peacefully and willingly, and on her own schedule. We should all be so lucky.
Below is what my mom had to say when I told her, and I think it sums everything up nicely. I hope she doesn’t mind my quoting her email.
O, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved her and how she saved your sanity when you got her. I’ll never forget the first time I saw her. It was on our front deck under the bbq. She was so lost and alone, just like you felt. Then Kelly trapped her and took her in to the vet. The next weekend you came home and told me you wanted a cat, and I knew just the one for you. I know how you feel and how you will miss her. I know you have others, but also know they will not take her place.
Shivers, your dad and I miss you very much. It was an amazing 13 years. Thanks, kiddo.
Shivers is down about a pound, and her kidneys have decompensated again. We could really use some good thoughts right now.
We’d got her back on fluid therapy, with the addition of some vitamin B. The addition can’t hurt, and it might help. It makes the saline bag a funny orangey-pink color, though. That’s kind of a trip. She’s also on cyproheptadine for an appetite stimulant. The bad thing is that she just throws up the tablet. So we’re looking into something for nausea and emesis. When Dr. Carney is back in town tomorrow, we’ll check into options for raising her potassium levels.
Big thanks to Dr. Howlett for taking such good care of her yesterday. She’s kind of his nemesis. 
When we gave her fluids at the clinic yesterday, she didn’t even fuss, which has me more worried than anything else going on. This is the cat that’s so needle-sensitive that we have to give her a mild sedative just to vaccinate her. Otherwise someone is going to get bit. She didn’t fuss when the doctor drew blood for tests, either. We could have hospitalized her. It was an option. No one is at the clinic at night, though, and she’d have been alone. Also, with her little needle-phobia it would have been near impossible to keep her on IV fluids anyway. In her case subcutaneous fluids are the best option, and we can give those at home. If she were four years old, or even just ten or twelve, we might have given hospitalization more thought. But this isn’t her first bout with kidney issues, and she’s fourteen. She’s lived on borrowed time for years. We’ve been very lucky.
Shivers is crabbier than usual, and has no energy. She doesn’t want to eat anything – even mozzarella failed to interest her. Travis and I are both pretty worried. Please wish us luck for her recovery, or failing that, for her to be comfortable and happy.
