Farewell to Little Cat -- And, Hello to a New Dog

Sorry for not being around for awhile. I have some sad news - Little Cat (Zoe) started going downhill over the past few weeks, and about four days ago she lost interest in her food. So we took her to the vet on Thursday and they gave her IV fluids and nourishment, but it didn't help this time. She was just fading away. So we took her home and let her be in her own little bed. She spent a quiet day yesterday and slipped away a little after 7:30 p.m. last night. I'm glad she went so peacefully. She looked as if she was just asleep.

The vet had her down as 15 years old, but we've long thought she was older than that. My mother had gotten her at a shelter so her real age wasn't actually known at the time she adopted her. We knew when we got her after my mom died that she wouldn't be with us for that long. I'm just glad she had so many good times up at the cabin with us and that her last months were so pleasant.

In the meantime, we have decided to keep Angel, the pit bull who showed up at our house three weeks ago on a freezing cold night. She was probably used for breeding, as she had obviously recently had puppies. She was also emaciated, very smelly, and had very long toenails, as if she was never walked. After she had a bath we took her to the vet and she got her shots. She's completely housebroken, and sweet as can be. Her only flaw is she goes nuts when she sees cats and small dogs. But we hope training will help. Angel is gaining weight every week and is looking really good now.

Unfortunately, we also realized that she has an itchy skin condition which the vet and I think must be mange. The vet didn't find any mites when she did a skin scraping, but sometimes they don't show up. So we're treating her for mange. Luckily it isn't necessary to do horrible things like dip the dog in insecticide as they did in the old days. The vet gave her a shot of Ivermectin, which must be repeated in two weeks, and we have to shampoo her with a medicated shampoo once a week. It's always something! Sometimes I feel as if I live at the vet's office!

Luckily she and Diva get along well, amazingly enough. I thought Diva wouldn't put up with another dog, especially a female, but she is being surprisingly tolerant. We can even have them in the same room and they get along well. So we are keeping her. She is the most affectionate dog; all she wants to do is sit next to you and cuddle. She walks well on the leash, is great in the car, and just lives to please you. How anyone could have mistreated her like that is beyond me.

Here are her latest pictures. We gave her a toy and she was beside herself. She'd apparently never had one before.


This one is actually from about a week ago but I love the way she cocks her head (which is why it is a little blurry as we captured her doing it!).


So, that's the news from our household. I'll be back again soon and may actually write something of substance now that things are calming down around here. Hope to be visiting your blogs more too!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Yes, I know. I've been Gone a Long Time. Not MY idea, let me tell You. My Humans have been in the Dumps for the past three weeks what with the Election Results and all. Plus they've been taking that Little Cat and That Dog up to their Cabin for the weekends and leaving Me here Alone. I have been Annoyed for weeks now with this Behavior. So I've been taking it out on Them by leaving Turds on the Carpet in the Foyer. I intend to keep Doing This until they Get the Message and stop all this Traveling. I don't mind it once in awhile but This is Ridiculous.

OK, so here I am, and High Time it is. I too am Disgusted with the Midterm Election Results but that isn't going to stop Me from Blogging. All the more Reason to be Involved, I say. I know my Female Human had hoped that the Rally to Restore Sanity might actually inspire Younger People to get out to the Polls on Election Day. Unfortunately it apparently didn't, since more stayed Home and didn't vote compared to 2008. However, those Younger People who did vote, still tended to vote Democratic, so that was still Encouraging.

In Fact, Democrats in General didn't turn out at the Rate one would have hoped, resulting in the "Shellacking" that Democrats received in the Election. Everyone has a Story as to Why this happened. But you know what? I don't care. To Me it just shows that that apparently most Humans are Stupid and have the Attention Span of a Gnat. Economy not fixed in less than Two Years? OMG, Massive Fail! Let's vote out the Democrats! Puh-leeze, it took eight years to get INTO this Mess; Ceiling Cat Himself couldn't have fixed it in two.

So now instead of the BiPartisanship and Kumbya spirit Touted at the Rally to Restore Sanity - or even a Return to Real Values that maybe the folks who showed up at Glenn Beck's rally may have Wanted - we get Two More Years of Total Gridlock in Washington. This isn't really what the Humans were voting for on November 2nd, in My Opinion. It's going to be like a couple of Tomcats sitting in opposite corners of the Yard caterwauling at each other for the next Two Years. And then who knows? The Humans may throw all those New Guys out too. You live by the Revolt, you die by the Revolt.

Of course, it would be Nice if President Obama finally realized the Republicans will NOT work with him come Hell or High Water, and finally started just Doing Stuff because it's Right instead of watering Everything Down to make the GOP happy - since it didn't Work anyway. Hey, President Obama: When you have a Senate Minority Leader saying Out Loud that his main purpose is to make you a one-term President, doesn't that give you a Hint that maybe it won't help to try to Compromise with his Party?

I mean, I'm as BiPartisan a Cat as you can find; I try to look for Middle Ground with other Cats - but I do draw the Line at Dogs unless they are willing to Meet Me Halfway.

On Other Subjects, it is Almost Winter, and as an Indoor Cat, it really doesn't bother Me at all. But the Humans are acting Dejected. Soon they won't be able to go up to That Cabin they go to. I'll be Happy but Little Cat will probably not be. She'll have to share the house with Me for the next few months with no Breaks. But so far we are getting along a Bit Better. She minds her Business and I mind Mine, and That Dog has been pretty much keeping out of our Hair altogether. I think Little Cat has cowed her and she's more Respectful to Me these days. Guess Little Cat wasn't that bad an Addition to the Family after all.

So, that Holiday the Humans call Thanksgiving was yesterday, and as Usual they had that Cooked Bird they make in the Oven. My Humans don't use the Oven much so I always know it's some kind of Holiday when they turn it on. At least when they're not heating up Pizza.

I had a few Scraps of Turkey but I'm really not big on Human Food. Little Cat enjoyed hers, as did That Dog.

Next I think comes that other Holiday where they put a Tree up in the House. I've never quite Understood this but it Smells Nice for awhile until it dries out.

Of course Today is what is known as Black Friday to the Retailers. I Personally have never understood why Anyone would purposely go to a Mall or other Large Store on a day when EVERYONE ELSE would Be There. Of course, I am a Private type of Cat and prefer having a Lot of Personal Space. But my Humans agree with Me on this. In fact, my Female Human has done all her Holiday Shopping On-Line for at least the last 10 years.

So, in the Meantime since Nobody here is Shopping, I thought I'd try to find some Bits of News that you might like to Know About that have nothing to do with Politics. Let's face it, we're all kind of Burned Out now, and it is only going to get Worse as the 2012 Election approaches. Right now I have No Idea who'll be running for the Republican nomination, except the possibility of Sarah Palin. Makes my Fur Twitch to even think about it.

So...other News.

Of course you are All aware of the Big Furor over the new TSA Scanning and Pat-Downs at the airports. Humans everywhere are talking about what an Intrusive thing this is and how it is tantamount to being Felt Up or Violated by the TSA. Well, now there is a Solution! The wonders of American Capitalism at work. Yes, it's Underwear with "Fig Leaves" to cover the Important Parts. (Actually for Women it's Clasped Hands over those Parts - strange, to Me. Why not Fig Leaves for Everyone?). It also makes Me wonder, if it can cover your Parts, can't this same Material cover the Plastic Explosives? It would seem that having this Underwear on would just make You subject to one of those Feeling Up Pat-Downs You don't want to have either.

Anything to do with Private Parts always bothers Humans. Apparently down in Australia they are having a Big To-Do because of some Art depicting Humans with the Heads of Dogs. It wouldn't be That Big a Deal since the Dog-Humans aren't doing anything Obscene, but apparently they are Naked and since Humans have no Fur their, um, Parts are showing. Check out the Link for more Info.

As for News in the Animal World, out in San Jose, California a Family got featured on the TV Show "Hoarders" for having so many Rats that they were Tearing Apart the House. Afterwards the Humane Society rescued 1000 of the Critters and they are now Available for Adoption. Oh come on, just let Me, Little Cat and That Dog at them. We'd make Short Work of them and there would be no further Rat problem in San Jose!

In a Report that hits - ahem - Rather Close to Home, a recent Study reports that not just Humans, but also Animals that live near them, are getting Fatter. This even applies to Lab Rats, whose Diets are Controlled and have not Changed much over Time. There are several Hypotheses as to Why. Scientists think it could be Pathogens, Hormones or even Temperature that is causing it. Maybe my Humans are keeping the House warmer these days. Or perhaps Global Warming is making us Fat? Either way I'm relieved of Any Responsibility since my Humans control the Food I eat and the Temperature! (For those that don't know, I am a Bit Overweight Myself - 22.5 lbs. last time I went to that Vet Office).

So that's All for Now. I hope you All had a Wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the Long Weekend. Stock up on your Catnip to get you through the Holidays and I'll be Back Soon.