Leelanau Whippersnapper

Today will be the last time I write about my cats KD and Pooh.  A long time friend of the family has come forward and offered to adopt Pooh as a barn cat, KD on the other hand will likely find a different fate in the hands of my veterinarian.  As you all know this has been a long time coming.  About a month ago I reached the decision that the cats could no longer remain in this house.  Nothing I had tried to fix their problems was successful and their issues were continuing to get worse as time went on.  Couple that with the fact that since I moved in here, cats were not and were never supposed to be permitted in this condo.  I’ve kept them in hopes that I could resolve their problems successfully and they could live here with me without destroying the place.  That has not turned out to be the case and I must do the right thing and the most humane thing with each of them.  Pooh will leave on Thursday to join 3 other cats, 2 calves (yes, baby cows) and a couple of dogs at Lucy’s farm here in Traverse City.  With multiple families living on the farm and lots of kids, Pooh will be well taken care of, will have lots of food and attention, and will finally get to play outside which is something he has been dying to do since my former roommate introduced him to the outdoors against my wishes last year.  I don’t yet know what KD’s fate will be but I will be consulting with my vet on Thursday to learn what my options are for her.  She is sick again and while she is not losing weight, she is urinating everywhere.  I suspect she has another bladder infection which I am told can be a chronic illness in cats and quite often an irreversible condition.  Regardless of the outcomes for both, each cat has lived a long life.  Jirar and I adopted them when we first began our relationship.  KD was just a kitten under a year old and Pooh was about 3 years old.  That makes them today about 9 and 12 years old which by many standards is old for a cats since most don’t live longer than 15 years to begin with.  I’m sad to see them both go, they have been wonderful companions, lap cats, and guard cats.  They are the first pets I obtained in my adult life and they certainly won’ t be the last to be sure.  Anyhow, they will be missed.

Well tonight was the big move for KD and Pooh.  It did not go well.  I went over to the parents house to see Brian, Sarah and Christopher (picture below) and after that I had the arduous task of moving the cats from the old place to the new one.  God I hate moving cats.  KD was easy, she went in her cage but cried for the entire hour trip back.  Pooh on the other hand got wise pretty quick and I had to chase him all over the house to catch him.  Almost immediately after we got underway, he shit in the cage, moments later, he threw up.  He does not deal with change very well although now he is actually exploring the new place a bit.  KD doesn’t seem to care much but doesn’t look very good in general.  She needs to gain weight.  Poor Gavin was stuck in the front seat, his head stuck out the window for lack of any breathable air in the car.  Just as a dog would, he has no concept of why it was so difficult to go from one place to another.

So now they are moved, hopefully they know where the litter box is and where the food is.  This is a trial run for those of you who have been following.  If KD’s health does not improve and if Pooh does not start using his litter box, steps will be taken to put them out for adoption.  As much as they are my children, they are still indeed PETS (not kids).  I am in no financial position to sink hundreds of dollars into trying to cure whatever it is that ails KD, nor am I about to fork over hundreds of dollars to replace carpet and wallpaper in a rental because my pets destroyed it.  It just ain’t gonna happen folks.  Call me uncaring, cruel or whatever, they are pets NOT people, I will love them if they can all be successful and adapt to a domestic lifestyle for which they have been bread over millions of years.  If not, they will have to go.

I got to meet Christopher tonight for the first time.  He’s adorable, funny, and quite small (well normal for 4 weeks old but small to me).  Been a LONG time since I held a baby, can’t honestly say I’d want to do it 24/7 (don’t worry Sarah and Brian, eventually he’ll stop asking you for food every 2 hours) but it is kind of special to have a new person in the family.  It will be fun to watch him grow up.

Well, now I have to go pick the poop out of Pooh’s fur.  Wish me luck.