Cally, A Farewell to My Girl

On Thursday, I got home around lunchtime from a business trip.  Exhausted, I settled into bed for a nap and snuggled with my old girl, Cally.  We had a good purr and cuddle, but I noticed that she wasn't trying to steal the chicken from my Moe's burrito.  Coupled with an accident she had on Sunday, and vet visit on Monday, I was concerned.

Then, suddenly, my old girl was having trouble walking.  She limped to her "safe place", the bath tub, and refused to move.  I put towels in the tub, and tried to give her water with a plastic syringe.

As I tried to figure out what to do, Bear, who never goes into the tub, jumped in.  I was worried he would disturb Cally, but instead he sat almost like a guard dog over her.  Even he knew something was going on.

I decided to take my girl to the emergency vet.  In the end, there was nothing we could do.  I had to say goodbye to my friend of over 16 years, the first furry love of my life.  In her last moments, she gave no indication that she knew I was there.  I wanted so badly to connect to her.  As motionless as she was, I gave her a familiar scratch under her chin, and saw her arch her neck just slightly, like she was enjoying that.  I knew then she was still in there, and that she knew I was with her in the end.

My heart aches.  Even though I've been mentally preparing to lose Cally for years, in the end it all seemed to happen so fast.  It was so tough to go home without her, even though Bear was there to meet me at the door.

I think Cally waited for me to come home.  We had such a good last day together...  I lived more years of my life with Cally than without.  She was my everpresent buddy, and I was her person.  She was a good cat, and I can count on one hand the number of accidents she had.  My girl.

Even as the years progressed and the vet bills got higher, her diet more expensive and prescriptive, her breath and grooming falling by the wayside... I loved her.  She was a part of my heart.  And no matter how many cats come into my life, none of them can ever hold a candle to my girl.  Because this beautiful, green-eyed, talkative tortie was my match.

In older,  chubbier days...

She slept in the cutest positions.

She got in my face a lot to let me know her thoughts.

I loved my girl!

She was so beautiful.

This video reminds me of my love.  Rest in sweet peace, and I know you'll be with me all the time in my heart.

Life with a Senior Cat

Life with a senior cat is never dull.  There's always something going on!  I'm no expert, but somehow I've managed to keep Cally going for 16+ years now... here is what I've learned by trial and error, with some help from amazing veterinarians.

Behavior
Cally was a shy cat when we first got her, but as she's aged she is more social.  She definitely has a tortie attitude, and is very talkative.  Sometimes, though, she cries like she is a bit lost.  The minute I call out to her (sometimes a couple of attempts later, since her hearing isn't as great) she seems to calm down.  The vet confirmed she's probably having some "senior moments".  Also, Cally does pee more than she used to as a young cat (though never outside her box!), which is something you should always keep an eye on; it could be info your vet needs to keep track of.  But she still jumps up on the bed, dances around asking for treats, and enjoys her cat water fountain.

Grooming
Cally has had some issues grooming for the past year or so.  I actually had her bathed and shaved because I couldn't get her matted fur brushed out close to her skin!  She didn't smell great either.  I was snipping little dreadlocks all the time, even when I brushed.  The shaving was great for a fresh start, and now she gets the Furminator to keep her coat nice and shiny.  I don't plan on doing that to the poor girl again, but I've learned that her chest and belly are the first place those mattes start to appear.  Gotta help her out!

Health
Cally's weight loss in her golden years had me very concerned.  She was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid last year, so she's on medication for that.  Her oral care has both me and the vet worried; while Feline Greenies helps some with her horrid breath, she needs some dental work.  My previous vets wouldn't do it because of her age (you need anesthesia) but my current vet feels if we can get her healthy (thyroid/kidneys) enough he might consider it if it's needed and less high-risk.  We shall see.

Cally gets a checkup every 6 months now.  When she was younger, she honestly probably only saw a vet every 4-5 years, usually when something was wrong.  Now that she's a senior and her situation is more precarious, I take her twice a year as recommended by the vet.  It's not cheap, but she gets bloodwork and urinalysis done to make sure everything is working as it should.  (If you're concerned about costs, you can get an Optimum Wellness plan at your local Banfield veterinarian, which for your monthly fee includes these checkups.  I love my vet, so I'm sticking with him, but this is a great option to reduce the vet costs of taking care of your old ones!)

I've given Cally hyperthyroid medicine in both liquid (with a tiny syringe) and pill form.  The pill form is the easiest to deal with.  She likes chicken Pill Pockets, but sometimes she doesn't want to eat those right away.  So my surefire method is to shove the pill into a little piece of cooked chicken, which she gulps down happily.  Great way to get her meds consistently.

Diet
Since Cally is taking thyroid medication, the vet wants to make sure her kidneys don't deteriorate as a result. So I've switched her to Royal Canin's renal diet for cats, a dry food she has access to all the time.  I have to buy it at the vet or Petsmart, but she seems to have no trouble with its palatability.  I purchased the wet food as well, because I give her a small can of wet food in the evening, but since this food doesn't come in a variety of flavors I may rotate it in and out of her diet so she doesn't boycott it.  (Cally prefers that her wet food be as diverse as possible!)  And yes, wet cat food is smelly.  But I learned that this smell that repulses us is present to attract the cat!  So long as I can get Cally to keep eating, the better I feel she's doing in maintaining her weight and health.

Do you have a senior cat?  What have you learned about senior care?

Glazing Pottery at Brushfire

I've done pottery glazing at a couple of social events before.  It's a fun, relaxing way to spend a couple of hours!  I recently went to Brushfire in Nashville, as part of a team-building event for work.

Brushfire in Nashville

I can't even tell you how long it took me to choose a piece to glaze!  I thought about doing something seasonal, but I bounced back and forth forever.  Guess I should have had a plan beforehand.

Glaze!

I decided to do a giant plate for Cally.  She's such a messy eater, I figured it would be something good to put under her bowl, instead of the normal towels I used.  It would definitely be more easily washable!

Before

Isn't it interesting how the glaze changes after you fire it?  I tried to make it look like her.

After

Maybe I'll head back to make something for myself next time!

Cat Meets Cat

Cally, the Defender, 17 yrs old, female tortie; Sleeps most of the day

Barley, the Newcomer, 12 wks old, female calico; Cuddly and curious, but docile

So, many of my friends and family are asking, how did introductions go?  Most, longtime fans of Cally, were worried how she might feel about an invading youngster.  And I had my reservations too.  That's why I made such an effort to choose a personality compatible to hers.

When I brought Barley home, the first thing I did was exchange socks between the two.  That is, I rubbed a sock on each cat's face (getting that scent on it) and exchanged them.  They both sniffed curiously.  I then let them smell each other through the cat carrier.  No reaction but sniffing!

So finally I let Barley out.  She immediately ran all around the apartment, getting to know the lay of the land.  She and Cally both haven't shown any problems taking turns with water and food, but they don't really interact much.  A couple of times when Barley got close to Cally, she let out a little hiss and Cally gave a low, rumbling meow-growl.  But they coexist on the sofa within a good 2-3 foot berth.

We almost had a litter box issue with Barley (she had a little accident) but when I called her foster mom I found out we use a different kind of litter.  Once I mixed the litter with the one we use, and showed Barley, she went right away!  Smart girl.

If it continues to be a problem, I'll set out the small litterbox I have in the same room to see if she just doesn't want to share with Cally.  But contrary to the people on the internet who say the two cats mean three litterboxes, I have no clue how anyone could find the space in a decent-sized apartment for THREE boxes.  I mean, seriously?  Where?

Here are more gratuitous cat photos of the new baby.

Cat Activity Center

Cally loves cat treats... but she was eating so many, she wasn't eating her food!  (I know, BAD pet parenting.)  But since she's been sleeping more than ever in her golden years, and showing less of her old playful nature, I wanted to do something to make her more active.

So I got her a Cat Activity Fun Board by Trixie.  I bought it on Overstock.com, where I got the best price online, but it wasn't cheap.  Still, the cats at our office love this thing, and I had high hopes Cally would too.

source

Cally definitely seems to be interested in this toy, which is more than I can say about any other toy we've attempted to get her interested in.  She wants her treats, so it encourages her to get them out.  I was on a business trip when she first received this toy, but Duke sent me a photo and video of her playing for me to enjoy.

She probably isn't thrilled about having to work harder for her treats, but so far she is eating her food when she is supposed to and not overdoing it on snacks!  :)  But it's hard for us to say no when an old lady kitty wants a little noms.  This way, it's a little more fun for us both.

Cally, age 17 #crazycatlady

After hearing of my dear cousin's beloved dog passing away, I realized that despite my crazy cat lady presence on Facebook and Twitter, I haven't posted nearly enough about my beloved cat Cally here on the blog.  And that is unacceptable!

I've written the story of how Cally came into my life, but here's a little bit on how Cally has been lately, in her golden years!  Yup, we're guessing she is about SEVENTEEN years old now.  Yowza.

Mischief!

Big Changes:  As you know, I moved to Tennessee in 2012... this is Cally's third state of residence!  It was definitely an adventure.  Cally spent some time in Indiana during my move, so that the transition would be easier for her.  She had to spend a lot of time in the car, including an overnight at a hotel (her first ever!).  She did SO well, without any drugs or sedation at all.  No accidents!  I was so impressed.

Health:  Cally has always been a pretty healthy cat, but in her age has come down with some terrible cat breath, which unfortunately we just have to deal with... removing teeth/cleaning would require sedation that she might not be able to handle.  So we feed her plenty of treats like Temptations and Greenies to attack some of that tartar!

She has also lost a significant amount of weight, at one point weighing under 5 lbs.  For a formerly chubby cat, that had me worried!  Luckily, the veterinarian was able to diagnose her with hyperthyroid, which comes with chicken-flavored medication to help her out.  I think it's helping her gain weight, and I've noticed a little less night "crying" since we started giving it to her.  She also gets a can of wet cat food every night; she likes Sheba's chicken Premium Cuts especially.

Cally also has some trouble with grooming, specifically dreadlocks forming in her fur where she can't reach very well!  I've tried trimming and the Furminator (which is AMAZING), but I can't keep up with how quickly they are forming... so she has an appointment in a couple of weeks to be bathed and groomed.  What a spoiled cat!

Cat-itude:   Cally is extremely vocal in her old age.  She wants to drink from the bathtub faucet.  She wants treats.  She wants to sleep right next to my face.  But I love her companionship and social nature!  She's really come into her own as she ages; when we first got her, she was always hiding from us.

She was even the featured cat on the Temptations cat treat Facebook page!  Cally is famous!  :)  Isn't it fun to brag about your wonderful pets?

Random Internet Purchases

Sometimes I buy random things online.  Here are two such items:

Merry Pet Washroom:  I love my cat.  But the litterbox is an eyesore.  There just isn't a good place to put that thing, you know?  I saw something like this in Skymall once, and decided that if I could get it for the right price (about $60 once I shopped around), it might be good for my apartment.


I found this "washroom" for Cally to be easy to put together and WAY better in looks than the old litterbox.  It looks like furniture right?  Two thumbs up... I recommend a litterbox with high walls to place inside, to keep it from getting too messy in there.

Autochron Automatic Wall Switch Timer:  My apartment doesn't have a security system, and so I like to make it look like I'm in my apartment even when I'm not.  So I bought a pair of Autochron timers on Amazon to install for my porch light and living room light.

LOVE IT.  It goes over the switchplate (i.e. no wiring) and is powered by battery.  The mechanism that flips the switch is a bit loud, but I love the programmable switch for when I'm traveling.  It's way better than a lamp timer, because this switch uses lights that people would assume you can only turn on from inside the apartment.  I don't know why, but this definitely makes me feel a bit safer!

The Litter Genie (for my fellow cat owners!)

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One of my concerns with moving from a house to an apartment was finding a good place to put Cally's litterbox and disposing of her, um, stinkies.  The dumpster just isn't that close to my apartment.

While browsing my local Target, I spotted the Litter Genie, and its refills, sitting on a shelf.  I remember my friends telling me how much their loved their Diaper Genies, and figured this little contraption could actually help me a lot.  Playtex makes both products.

The refills are basically a continuous plastic bag that sits in the Genie itself.  You tie off the bottom, then deposit the stinkies into the genie.  When you pull the inner shelf, it cuts off the "open" litter bag from the top dumping portion, so you don't smell anything!  Once the genie is full, you tie it off and take the sealed bag to the dumpster.  This it perfect for a small apartment/space, so you don't have to make dumpster trips every time you scoop!

I know it's a random thing to blog post about, but when you're a pet owner you always look for solutions to the everyday problems.  Now if only they'd invent something for stinky cat breath, locating hidden barf, and excessive shedding!  :)

Crazy cat lady.

Cally

My coworkers think I'm a crazy cat lady.  I mean, who else has to leave work because her cat has a Senior Wellness exam appointment at the vet?

On Christmas morning of 1996 (or 1997?  I was like 10 or 11), I woke up around 3 a.m. needing to go to the bathroom.  It was too early to wake my parents for presents, but I was so excited that I just couldn't sleep anymore.  Since the bathroom I shared with my sister was close to my parents' room, I didn't want to wake anyone up by flushing... so after sneaking a peek at the gifts under the tree (and doing a victory dance!) I tiptoed downstairs to use the basement bathroom.  (I was such a considerate child...)

I love when she naps and rolls around into cute poses.

When I opened the bathroom door, I was immediately surprised to see a little cat, very timid and adorable, sitting by the toilet.  I quickly shut the door, screamed internally (you know, when you're so excited and you're screaming on the inside and your mouth is open and your eyes are closed because it's just so much emotion?) and ran back upstairs.  I totally forgot that I had to pee and climbed back into bed, waiting with my eyes wide open for four more hours to wake up my parents.

Sure enough, that little kitty cat was one of our Christmas presents that year!  We named her Cally (for California, I might add) and the little tortie (tortoiseshell cat) became a fixture in my life.  She chose me as her person, and even though I worried she'd forget me when I went to college, every time I came home she slept at the foot of my bed.  When I got my own place, she made the 15-hour drive to live with me and kept me company.  She's the one animal I think my anti-pet Mom secretly cares about, and I'm convinced Cally thinks she's a dog; she greets me at the door every day, knows when I'm sad and need a buddy, and spends every night at the foot of my bed.

She likes to sit in my bags to prevent me from going on trips.

Today, when I took Cally to the vet for her checkup, I was worried.  She's 15+ years old, and I've spent over half of my life with her.  As I watched her have blood drawn, I felt like a nervous parent at the doctor's office.  She was so scared to be out of the house, it made me an emotional mess!   But, in spite of some weight loss (she's so skinny now!) and being a senior citizen in the feline world, Cally's tests all came back normal.  The vet just came in and said, "This cat is great!"  I smiled and thought, "That's an understatement."

She's the subject of 99% of my iPhone photos.  :)  What a great buddy I have.  So call me a Crazy Cat Lady...  because I'm definitely crazy over this one.

Woman vs. Cat

I have a cat, named Cally. She is a "tortie" with an attitude, and it seems that as she gets older, she gets more and more brazen and weird. I love her, and she's been a part of my life for about 15 years, but lately the battle of Woman vs. Cat has escalated.

The most recent offenses:

-barfing on the bed

-no longer making the effort to bury poops in litterbox

-stealing half of my sandwich off the coffee table

-passing a hairball on the brand-new loveseat

-begging for food constantly

Everyone who has a cat knows that this kind of behavior just comes with the territory. From the moment you open your eyes, you're fair game.

My friend JM sent me a bunch of haikus (written from a cat's perspective) that had me rolling with laughter. If you're a cat owner, I'm pretty sure these will hit close to home for you too!

You never feed me.

Perhaps I'll sleep on your face.

That will sure show you.

You must scratch me there!

Yes, above my tail!

Behold, elevator butt.

In deep sleep hear sound

cat vomit hairball somewhere

will find in morning.

You're always typing.

Well, let's see you ignore my

sitting on your hands.

Small brave carnivores

Kill pine cones and mosquitoes,

Fear vacuum cleaner

I want to be close

to you. Can I fit my head

inside your armpit?

Wanna go outside.

Oh, poop! Help! I got outside!

Let me back inside!