Devil Eyes in the Cozy!

Reggae has been spending some nap time in a cozy I got him when he was just a wee kitten. He is quite fickle about his sleeping spots at times. Right now he is sacked out on the sofa, since he spent all night last night, and probably most of the day, fixated at the sliding glass door on a black cat who thinks she belongs on the deck. Reggae was not happy with the intruder!
Happy Whiskers on Wednesday!

Two in a row?

Two posts today...AND a Saturday Sky 2 weeks in a row. :-) That is a minor record of late, and I did it without the use of steroids (A-Roid reference...I'm not a Yankee fan and he's been in the news too much this month)

Today was really a lovely late winter day...cool, with temps around 40, but the sun made it feel warmer. The forecast calls for some rain and a mix of snow for tonight into tomorrow. Can't tell by this picuture! This is the sky from 3pm.

While I was outside on the deck filling the bird feeders, Reggae came out to make sure I was doing it correctly. I think he's ready for spring. I know I am!

Ten Plus One

Happy BirthdayReggae!

Today my boy is eleven years old! To think I almost lost him last March, every day he is with me is a gift in itself.

Last night I wasn't feeling well enough to trek to the PetSmart after work but I had to stop at the local drug store to pick up some things for myself. I decided to get him a little pack of treats and while I was there, and spied a silly little cartoonish stuffed catnip mouse. Every cat needs a new toy on their birthday (even if he has dozens as it is) so that came home with me too. I left the bag with the stuff on the kitchen counter when I got home, and while I was doing other things around the house I happened to look in the kitchen to see Reggae on the counter with his head deep in the bag trying to get at the mouse! I told him that was for his birthday, and he couldn't have it until today. Ah, who am I kidding? I took Reggae off the counter and cut the mouse off the cardboard and tossed it to him. He loved it, and he (or we) played for a while until he lost interest. But throughout the evening I'd spy him tossing up his new mouse aorund every so often. The old boy still has some spunk left.

So, happy birthday Reggae boy, I know your time left with me is on the shorter side of long. But if you can give me 5 more years of cattitude, you know they will be full of love and all your favorite things!

You're not welcome here!!

A couple years ago, my bbf Kathy and her husband George came up from the Keys to spend a month up here in NJ. They brought along 2 of their 3 cats, Edie and Dusty. Reggae does not like other cats, but I was determined to make it work. The visitors would be kept in the guest room, and we'd try supervised introductions. If he'd have it.

Reggae wants to know what that stranger cat Edie is doing on that bed!! (All the while I'm saying noooo Reggae! while he's growling...)

Dusty gave Reggae a wide berth as she walked by. I remember waiting for the fur to fly.

Kathy and George took a trip up to New Hampshire while they were here, and took Dusty with them. Edie stayed with me. Edie and Dusty weren't the best of buds either, so the idea was that maybe Edie and Reggae would get along, and they would leave Edie here with me when they went back to the Keys. It was going "ok"...you can see relaxed Edie and watchful Reggae. I thought it might work, and I could have 2 kitties! When they came back from their trip, Kathy said that George was very sad that she wanted to leave Edie here forever! So, Dusty and Edie left for home with their folks. But the thing is...I guess Reggae really was not thrilled other cats were in HIS house. He became extremely agitated and territorial when neighbor cats would be around, even more so than before the visitors. Either from when he saw them from a window inside, or his former "friend" neighbor cat Katie would come anywhere near the gate. So much so that he'd often turn on me in frustration. (that is scary). End of story, Reggae will be an only cat in this life! And we're happy with that.

Happy Whiskers on Wednesday!

Cat Pics from Saturday...

...For Whiskers on Wednesday.

Reggae jumped up on my deck railing Saturday afternoon so I took the opportunity to get some shots clear pictures to show his gorgeous coloring.

He's watching a squirrel on the fence at the edge of the yard:

Getting a chin scratch from Mom:

My most handsome cat. :-)

Please Mom, Not the Flash!

Pretty much why the better pictures of Reggae are taken while he's sleeping.

Happy Whiskers on Wednesday!

Cat Naps

I love to watch kitties sleeping...don't you?

Happy Whiskers on Wednesday!

Butterflies are Free

The hunter cat would rather catch them.

<---Reggae looked to the left.

Then looked to the right --->

Then he looked UP when the butterflies landed on a bloom. He got a few swats in before deciding just to

watch them fly around.Happy Whiskers on Wednesday!

Hungry Like The Cat?

Whiskers on Wednesday...

Always the hunter...never the hunted!

Cat Naps

For this week's Whiskers on Wednesday

Here's Reggae doing what cats do best:

Cat napping!

A Most Handsome Cat

For Whiskers on Wednesday , this is a favorite picture of the handsome dude. In preparation for the last spring and summer Buttercup (the engerizer bunny) was to spend outdoors, I cleaned out his cage for the transfer from indoors to outdoors. Reggae hopped in the cage to see if it passed inspection.

Thursday might be for dogs....

But Wednesday is for Cats! Whiskers on Wednesday is a weekly excuse for bloggers to boast about the felines that allow us to share their lives. If you are owned by a cat...you know what I mean. Those of you who read my blog already know him. But for those of you stopping by for the first time from WoW, allow me to introduce:

CFA: Clarion's 'Reggae Thunder' (Reggae)

DOB: 1/23/98

Breed: Abyssinian

Distinguishing features: tip of his tail kinked due to young kitty mama's over-zealous grooming.

Personality: plenty of catitude. Loves me, but doesn't play well with others.

Likes: Being Brushed. (the furminator is da bomb!) being outside (under supervision only) being on mouse patrol in the basement (and bringing Mom his captures!), naps in a sunny spot, whatever Mom's eating that smells good. (not that he always gets it...) eating grass, 'chattering' at the window to the birds and squirrels outside, and 'protecting' Mom from, well, everything he deems necessary.

Dislikes: other cats in "his" yard, dogs barking, Mom's friends, the Vet, and car rides.

Favorite Toys: 'yellow mouse' sparkly balls, length of leather cord to jump with, cat nip stuffed pillow.

Quick! Look! A Bunny!

Today is the first full day of "Summer 2008". It didn't get nearly as hot and humid as it was supposed to, temps at home were in the upper 70's to low 80's. Very comfortable with a nice breeze. I was able to finally knit out on the deck and enjoy my new chair. Reggae enjoyed the shade it provided. He behaved remarkably well outside today, and spent 4 hours exploring and napping, and trying to catch the unsuspecting birds and squirrels. He didn't succeed, but not for lack of trying.

I've been "practicing" walking without a cane this week, and I am happy to say it's going well. One of the goals the Dr. I saw at Canyon Ranch wanted me to work towards is to stop relying on it. I'm still very unsteady and I limp, but I'm getting better each time I try. Now I just have to get busy and find a gym that has the equipment I need to use...and go there. I seriously considered putting in an ingound pool in my back yard. A pool is crucial for my therapy and I don't care for most indoor pools at the gyms I've been to. But decided against it. For one, my yard is so oddly shaped I'd have to give up a tree, and most of my deck, and for two, the money is something that I don't think I want to part with: the way work is going, who knows what I'll need. But on the flip side, my backyard neighbors practically BEG me to use their pool, and last night dropped off a key to their gates. I've promised I'll take them up on their offer. :-) Then, in the cold months, I will try to find and indoor pool that is pleasant to use. So, it's all good.

Tomorrow will bring a knit with beads class at Wooly Monmouth in Red Bank, which will be followed by a shopping trip at Whole Foods.

Weekends go by too fast....

Cloudy and Cold!

Brrrr....this is the beginning of May? It felt more like March. Even though the temps were in the low 50's, it was cold and damp with the cloud cover. The trees are trying to leaf out, but they are more willing to drop that brown yuck all over the place first. Cars have that fine yellow dust over them. Ah, the glory of Spring! Hopefully next week will bring a lovely warm blue Saturday Sky!

It was so chilly out that when I came home from errands this afternoon, I had to bump up the heat to get the chill out of the house. During the week, my heat system is on a timer and the temp is kept very low during the day to not waste heat on an empty house. Reggae has a fur coat and cozy blankets to curl up in, so he's fine. It's set to get warmer at 6pm when I get home. More often than not, I'd find Reggae getting his tummy warmed when I got home from work. He knows the cycle, he'd come from wherever he was in the house to take advantage of the warmth at 6pm. The heat hasn't been on much since the weather was warmer, except for today. As soon as the heat kicked on...this is what happened. He loves that floor vent.

Reggae Update

I've put off posting about this for a while...I didn't want to tempt fate. Reggae is all better! I had him in to the specialist this week for the recheck ultrasound, and some bloodwork, and everything is fine. His lymph nodes are no longer swollen, white count is normal, so, we are closing the books on this episode. What ever made him so sick remains a mystery. We sure dodged a bullet this time. Mucho bucks later, I have a healthy cat. I'm to watch for any recurring issues, but for now, we can relax. Reggae has 7 more lives left. I'm counting this one, and the one when he got lost in the neighbors' yard with the dogs as two of the lives lost. Hopefully the remaining lives spread out over as many years. These pictures are after the vet appt on Wednesday...under the influence of drugs.

Reggae Update

My Reggae boy has been home from the hospital a full week. And I am pleased to report that he's doing really well. He's been asking for food, eating, and keeping it down, and being, well, Reggae. He's more active than he's been in weeks, and is right now is standing on my dresser in my bedroom looking out the window watching a stray cat across the street. To him, that's unacceptable. LOL. I will give him the last dose of antibiotics tonight, and continue to monitor him for any recurrence of symptoms, but I think we're out of the danger zone. I hope I am not premature in thinking he's better, but from where we were a week ago, this is a world of difference. I am so thankful I was able to share some good news about Reggae today. But, please go visit my friend Amanda and leave her some kind words; she had to make the difficult decision to help their beloved kitty pass on. If only our fur kids could live forever...

Reggae is HOME!

My boy is home with me, and soundly sleeping on my sofa as I type. He is exausted, and I know he needs quiet and rest before I can see how he is "really" doing. But, he wanted to eat as soon as he got in, gobbled up a small portion of food and managed to keep it down. (whew!) Except for Monday night, he hadn't really eaten since last Tuesday night. He was discharged on a trial, I am to monitor him for any recurring issues. I'm to give him some meds for 7 days (oh joy). The Vet feels that since Reggae is not the model patient in hospital (ha!) he would be better off in his home surroundings. Although, she did say tonite, that he was slowly warming up to her, accepting pets and rubs without hissing and growling, and showing interest in what was going on outside his cage. She'd prefer to keep him a few more days, but since he wasn't eating for the staff and still had a fever which probably was from stress (we hope) she released him, in hopes that he'll return to normal. Still don't know what caused the infection, and still waiting on a few results. I am so glad he's home. And to think I thought it was a hairball he couldn't eliminate! My poor boy is sicker than I realized...I guess it's akin to seeing someone everyday who is losiing weight...it's not noticable until it's, well, noticable! Thank you, again x infinity, for all the prayers, well wishes, and support. I'm taking a personal day off the keep a watch on Reggae, I think we both need a chill day. There will be knitting happening, and maybe those FOs and WIPs I couldn't get to this past weekend. We're not out of the woods by any means, but there is hope, and a little bit of happy in my world tonite.

Oh, the Indignity!!

Will you just look at my poor, proud Reggae boy? I can just imagine what is going through his mind.

With any luck, if things remain status quo, I may be bringing Reggae home tonite. I was able to get him to eat some food for me last night, only about 1/4 of a 6oz. can, but he kept it down. He won't eat for the staff at all. He seemed better too, more alert and less clingy, but still purred and loved on me much of the time. He is exausted though, I doubt he's resting. There are still some things that are of concern to the Vet, but it might be better if he were home and I could monitor him in his own surroundings.

Thank you x infinity for all the well wishes. I can't answer each of you individually because the emails don't link in the comments, but I've read them all and appreciate all the support and prayers.

I will update again when I have more news.

No Results, But I Saw Reggae Last Night.

I don't know who benefitted from the visit more, Reggae or me. When the tech brought him to me he was covered in a towel to prevent any "incidents", when he uncovered him, Reggae hissed at the tech and was growling, but I said "Reggae!" He turned to me and started purring, and pretty much didn't stop the whole time I was there. Poor guy was wearing that silly collar because of the catheters in his leg for the fluids, etc. I gave him the chin and cheek scratches and he gave what head butt he could with the collar in the way. I'd brought his brush and brushed him alot...he was shedding dander due to stress I am sure. He looked and seemed a little better, but not being in his own surroundings I couldn't tell exactly how much. I know he was glad to be with me. At one point, I was holding him, and he fell sound asleep with his head on my shoulder with soft little snores and all for about 10-15 minutes. Poor guy must be so exausted, if he's anything like his human Mom, he can't sleep in the hospital. I spent an hour with him, it was difficult to leave. It was so good to see him, but not having any results is still weighing heavy on my mind. Hopefully today we will have some answers. Thank you all so very much for the prayers and well wishes. When I know more, I will post.

March Sucks

So far it hasn't been very good. Thank you for all the kind words on my bunny Buttercup this week, they meant a lot. Losing him was sad, but expected and I am OK with it.

I had planned to post some WIPs and FOs today, but I can't manage happy just now. There is no happy in my world today. This sky is about as bleak as I am today. I probably won't blog for a while, until I have some news.

My dear Reggae cat hadn't been feeling well this week. I attributed it to a hairball he couldn't eliminate, as he was showing the classic signs, (you cat people know, I won't detail) so I treated him with the medicine, and hoped he'd get it up. His appetite decreased since Tuesday night and by Thursday had diminished: yesterday, he ate nothing, but still threw up liquid and bile, was lethargic and just not himself. I (2nd time this week for pet advice--glad she's a vet tech) called my sister-in-law last night, and she said to call first thing to see if Dr. Hudson wanted to see him. Possibly he swallowed something? I was hoping, that or a hairball. They can do surgery for that. I called and was told so bring him in , so I had to give him the sedative so he'd be semi-capable of being examined without going wild. Reggae has a temper around strangers, to say the least. The car ride to the vet was quiet, and that's not Reggae, even with a sedative.

Blood was drawn, results inconclusive but did show some anemia. X-rays were taken, didn't show if there was a blockage but for some blurring, but an ultrasound could better tell. He was a little dehydrated, and his gums were pale. Concerns are possible kidney, possible pancreatitis. I was advised to take him to the specialty hospital asap so they could start him on fluids and run further tests. My SIL forewarned me, that it being a weekend, I might have to do that, but when Dr. Hudson told me so, reality sank in that I might lose my Reggae. I am not ready for this! So, up we went. I am not giving up hope because I haven't heard anything yet. Leaving him there broke my heart. I asked how they deal with a "mean cat", do they keep them sedated? The vet said no, but they deal with it. He was so stoned on the ace and being sick that he was able to be examined by both vets with only some growling and a little hissing. But he is in the best place for treatment right now. The people there were very nice, and I liked the vet I was assigned.

I am going to focus my energy now on some knitting, and put some hope into each stitch.

Good vibes and prayers are needed, so when you say goodnight tonite, send some light up for Reggae, please?