Good bye Magic

I

Today was a very sad day.  Magic, one of my two cats had been losing weight for the last couple of months and drinking lots & lots of water.  He was still feisty though and seemed to feel okay.

Yesterday though he started being sick, meowing, hiding from us, and I knew things weren't good.  He wasn't eating or drinking, was vomiting, and seemed very uncomfortable. 

We went to the vet first thing this morning and found out he had kidney failure.  She was very kind and gave me several options, but all were short-term, temporary fixes that might make him feel better for a short time, but would have just delayed the inevitable.  Also, he was almost 14 years old.

We debated a long time, but in the end decided to put him to sleep.  It was such a hard decision.  He was my baby.  I got his mom from my boss back in 1995 when she was just a kitten.  We had an appointment to get her spayed, but before that happened she knocked out a window screen, got out and got pregnant.  She was just a baby herself, less than a year old.  She went into labor while sitting in my lap on July 4, 1996.  My son, husband and I watched all four kittens being born.  We gave away two, but kept Magic and his brother Onyx.  Of the four kittens Magic was the only one with long hair (obviously took after his father).  He was always the largest, slowest, sweetest, and best natured.  (to humans! he never liked other cats)

 

He tolerated both grands the best and was the gentlest to them.  They both gave him a hard time too.  From the time both of them were tiny they have always loved cats and especially these cats! 

 

B carries Magic around most of the time when she is here.  I would think he would get tired of it, but would then find him on her bed at night, so I think it was mutual. 

 

He was such a good boy today.  He let them examine him and just laid his head on my hand while they gave him the injection, looking right into my eyes.  It just about killed me, but I just couldn't let him suffer.  Goodbye Magic, I miss you. You were loved.

What a Hard Life!

My two 12 year old cats have never had their own beds. It just never seemed necessary, as they have always slept wherever they wanted and had their own favorite places. Lately however, they seem to want to be wherever I don't want them and yesterday I found Magic on a placemat on the kitchen table! Later in the day we went out shopping so I decided it was time for them to have their own special spot. I picked some with cozy bottoms, (catnip zips into a pocket underneath) and brought them home.

I showed Magic his bed, but he wasn't interested and preferred the sun on the back deck.

Onyx wouldn't even come in to look at his bed!

This morning however, I found Magic happily lounging in one of the beds.....

Then the other..........

I'm sure he is staking out his territory before Onyx gets a say. He's always the bossiest brother!

Notice all the hair already in the empty bed. This is the main reason I wanted him especially in one place as much as possible. I brush as much as he will let me, and I could get a basket full of hair off with the fur-ender, but he only tolerates it a few minutes at a time then gets very irritated! Maybe if I can contain it just a little it won't be everywhere!

When it goes well.....

knitting is relaxing, empowering, satisfying. But, when you hit snags, knitting can be frustrating, maddening, humbling, and cause normally placid human beings to become crazy! I am trying to learn magic loop sock knitting and doing a new sock pattern. In retrospect I shouldn't have mixed the two. Also, Friday and Saturday I knitted on a long car trip, which is a challenge in itself. I have two patterns, one for the sock and one explaining magic loop and they kept sliding out of my lap, hitting bumps and going around curves also can be cause for disaster. While turning the heel, picking up stitches for the gusset, and getting my stitches realigned on the needles I ripped out three times before I think I finally got it right. My language was not always PG rated!

My son is in the Navy and was scheduled to go out to sea for seven months August 26th. He was out to sea for a month recently for training and broke his hand while doing his job. At first they thought that wouldn't change anything about the cruise, but now have decided he would be more of a liability than an asset with a cast on his hand, so he has been reassigned. I'm so relieved! I always worry for him, but I also hate for his family to be here alone. They've done it twice before, but now there is another child and that makes it harder.

This weekend we traveled to Norfolk to see them and for daughter-in-law's birthday. We first went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant for a birthday dinner.

Bethany, Nikki, Janet, Jon. Nikki loved the show the chef put on and also the food! She is a great eater. Janet and I both fed her from our plates and she ate the whole time we were there.
When he lit the fire on the grill however, she was scared to death - but in a minute was laughing.

Bethany and me.

Bethany and Grandaddy.

King Neptune and the bandstand at the boardwalk. If you haven't been to Virginia Beach, it is a great place for families. I wish I had remembered to get a picture of all the bikes for rent - large enough for families.

Popular playground area.

View from the boardwalk.

Can you see the lights around the palm trees?

On Saturday, we went with them to a birthday party at their friends' house. Bethany loved the pool, but Nikki wasn't so sure. She hung on to Bethany for dear life for the first few minutes. After she got a little more comfortable she loved it!

It was a great weekend, but I needed today to rest.

My daughter's cats must have had a hard day yesterday - they needed their rest today too! This is Lily and Chloe.