Life with the damn cat

Today he is the damn cat. Last night he woke me up throwing up next to the bed. This morning he was annoying enough to get me out of bed - I thought he wanted breakfast. No, he wanted to go outside and eat grass so he wouldn't throw up inside. I didn't understand. He threw up inside. Then I let him out and he ate grass.

He is an indoor cat and he has a plant pot that is growing grass for him on the window sill. But grass is better on the outside. However he can be very determined.

He is also approaching the ripe old age of 19. He can't hear - we can tell because he is no longer capable of walking quietly. Nor can he tell how loudly he meows at us. He can't see. We can tell this because I can wave my arms at him across the room and he can't find me. He can't really smell. We can tell this because he can't find food unless it is right under his nose.

He also has swollen ankles on his back legs where it looks like some kind of arthritis but it doesn't seem to bother him much. His coordination is bad - we can watch him slide off the edge of the coffee table, miss the edge of the sofa when he tries to get up on it, and all sorts of other things that impair his dignity.

He was REALLY mad at us when we left him on vacation. He had a live in baby sitter who fed him and took care of him. He stopped eating for a few days and left a few presents around the house.

But he is very cuddly. Its now fall. I can tell because he sleeps next to me  and I appreciate it now. When it was hot out, I didn't appreciate it as much.

He was also my chemo buddy and whenever I am not feeling well, he follows me around to take care of me with his snuggles.

That is life with the damn cat. It definitely has its ups and downs.