July 09, 2008
Cat-ching Up
Apropos of nothing, things have been a little weird here at work. Last week one of our employees won the million-dollar state lottery, and, quite unrelated but still odd, for the last two or three days all of our phone calls have been inexplicably routed to the company across the street. Time to check for a full moon.
After a long struggle involving four visits to the vet in six days; one overnight stay (for him, not me); some force feeding with, in the end, cat-food goo splattered all over the examination room floor, the examination table, the wall, and the vet’s coat; some Valium (again, for him, not me, which is good because I don’t think my body could handle any additions to my Preciouses); and lots of baksheesh, Benny is now eating like a champ, after not having eaten anything, except what was force fed, for eight days. In fact, this morning he raced into the bedroom yelling, “FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED ME, YA’ LAZY-ASS BIYATCH!!!” and he attacked the soon-proffered plate of food so hard it clanked against the floor. Let the bonding begin.
We also, somewhere along the way, had a massive fight, which he won by giving me six or seven deep puncture wounds in my palm. Having had cat-scratch fever once in the past, I prefer not to repeat the experience, hence a hypochondriacal application of antibiotic and Band-Aids. Note to self: Benny doesn’t like the sound of the hair dryer.
Other new-cat notes:
I never knew cat poo could be so thrilling. Because the cats haven’t been eating, there has a been a noticeable lack of kitty “tootsie rolls” in the litter box. However, yesterday, Joon sauntered in and made a lovely deposit and I was all, “Yay! Cat poo!” and then I was all clap, clap, clap with the hands, and then I was all patting the cat and telling her what a good kittywittywitty she was, and then I was all, “I am seriously pathetic.”
As much as I’d like to think I’ve lost inches in my chestal region, I knew I hadn’t lost quite as much as I thought when I found myself watching TV with one cat asleep on each boob. Along similar lines, last night Joon decided she wanted to sleep on my lap so she climbed into my lap, curled up, and nodded off. Enter Benny, who climbs up onto Joon, curls up, and nods off. Double-decker lap-cats!
I thought the reason Joon walked incessantly on my laptop keyboard was because I was at the computer and she wanted to get my attention. Until I was nowhere near the computer—I was on the phone, quite some feet away, in fact—turned around, and she was sitting squarely on the keyboard all by her lonesome. (There was an email open at the time she did this. When I went back to the email, the first part of it looked like this: iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee.)
Upon taking a closer look at Benny’s half-white nose, I realized it looks less like a drunken attempt at shaving and more like he laughed until milk dribbled out of his nose, which is kind of ironic because, well, you know, cats, milk, all that good stuff.
The commenters who wrote about my needing a "cat fountain" are most likely right but, in a cost-saving measure, I've discovered that it's equally effective to fill the bathroom sink up half-way and twiddle my fingers in it to make a splash-y, fountain-y, yet free, water sound. I am instantly surrounded by cats competing to climb in the sink.
By the way, loved all the comments. Thanks to everyone, with an extra shout-out to Brian, Kristen's SO, for chiming in!
Mental-health-wise, the darkness is still lurking one millimeter under a veneer of “doing better,” and, unusually for me, I’ve found myself doing a lot of “retail therapy.” Bought lots of yarn at Black Sheep, bought lots of yarn at Weaving Works the week before, bought lots of yarn at Acorn Street just this Saturday, bought the Mason-Dixon book and a bright yellow tea-pot (to replace another one which, um, “accidentally” got broken. Hell hath no fury, blahblahblah.) at Village Yarn & Tea on, it must be confessed, the same Saturday. Other than that, my life has become remarkably busy. Joined this group as soon as I got out of the hospital, and am going to a women-only social on Saturday, and horseback-riding and white-water rafting in Eastern Washington later on. Went to a martini party last week and didn’t get home until 2, 3 in the aye em, and Happy Hour last night. Hey, there may be something to this singles life after all!
Photos will resume once I find the #$%^!@!# battery-charger cord for my camera.
I love the idea of double decker lap cats.. all that purring must be soothing.
Missing you.. glad to see you are about. Hoping one day to meet in person.
Posted by: anj on July 9, 2008 10:16 AMKitties!!!!! Yay! The only thing better than a good knitblog is a good knitblog with CATS! IMHO, y'know. :-)
Glad to hear you and Benny are hanging in there.
Posted by: Gwyndolyn O'Shaughnessy on July 9, 2008 10:54 AMI know you're still struggling, but MAN is it good to hear you sounding so strong!
Posted by: MaryB in Richmond on July 9, 2008 11:08 AMPyewacket wants to know if you still love him too? He promises to never puncture any part of you.
I'm really glad they are both eating well. Sez and I TOTALLY understand being thrilled about cat poop.
Posted by: Elaine on July 9, 2008 11:34 AMYay benny! I had cats that would get colds and stop eating. did the force feeding and everything. Ugh. Then they're all, "I'm hungry," like nothing ever happened. Bond away!
Posted by: Laura Sue on July 9, 2008 11:43 AMCat-tention: That's what cats want. Do not confuse with simple "at-tention" - that is only good for lowly humans.
Glad to see your family's life get exciting - in a good way!
Glad to hear the kitty's better. And you're not the only one who's clapped over cat poo.
If the water in the sink trick works, keep it at that. We tried the large fountain with 50-ounce reservoir for our faucet drinkers and came home to floods. They LOVED it!
A water park for the home, who knew? Look! The water comes out! --swish with the paw-- More water! -- double swish with each paw-- Maybe if you stand in it to drink something else will happen! -- water slurps over the edges and turns the three-foot droplet spray patterns into rivulets...
The fountain was donated to the SPCA and the poor cats must make do with a plastic dish in the bathtub.
Posted by: daisy in the shenandoah valley on July 9, 2008 01:18 PMYay for Benny and for Joon! Keep doing your little kitty things! My Priscilla has tried on more than one occasion to do the double-decker lap thing, but Sophie is not into the idea. (Or maybe she's just not a bottom. Hee, hee.) This usually results in some hissing and swatting right in my lap, so I've tried to ward Priscilla off whenever she looks like she's going to try it.
On another note, I'm so glad you are getting out and about! Keep moving on--one foot in front of the other.
Posted by: Kristen on July 9, 2008 01:31 PMSo glad to be reading you again. Two times in my life I've been so upset that I threw coffee cups. Both times they just bounced. Trust me, it's not very fulfilling. A new teapot is definately worth it.
Posted by: Carol on July 9, 2008 01:35 PMDear Dear Ryan, I'm thrilled you really are doing better and hear your feeling it's a veneer...
just noticing the Martini party you attended until the wee hours and remembering that alcohol is actually a depressant. Not a criticism..just an well meant observation.
Blessings to you
Jennifer, thank you so much for the kind caution, but I suppose I should've mentioned I didn't drink at either event, just nearly laughed myself into a vegetative state. Smooches to you!
Posted by: Ryan on July 9, 2008 01:43 PMI am not as blessed as you are in the bustline, and yet my daughters cat loves to curl up and nap on my chest. Really gets in the way of knitting socks, I can't see well for all the fluff in my face and nose.
Is your camera cord a regular USB cord with the small connection on one side and a flat connection for the computer on the other side?
Posted by: PICAdrienne on July 9, 2008 01:49 PMYay for smoochie healthy psychokitties! (Someone local, please make Ryan a kitty litter cake to celebrate Joon's achievement. I would do so myself, but I fear it wouldn't ship well.) I didn't know cat-scratch fever was an actual disease.
Posted by: Carrie on July 9, 2008 02:57 PMGooey kitty food all over, celebratory "happy dances" over the contents of the litterbox, even punctured hands -- all of these things are what my DH refers to (in a wry tone) as "The joys of pet ownership." That's OK - couple hours of lapcatness soothes the heart (lowers the blood pressure) and makes many things better. If I EVER get out to your neck o' the woods (I may have to move there, I yearn and crave each and every one of each and every batch of the Itty Bitty Kitties) PLEASE take me to the Village Yarn and Tea Shop. That sounds like heaven, my two biggest addictions in one place. I could just walk in, dump the contents of my wallet on the floor and start browsing. Oh, and that group? Can I come along with you to some of those activities? (I may just watch, my religious persuasion is Devout Pedestrian & Observer....)
Posted by: dale-harriet in WI on July 9, 2008 03:02 PM"...I found myself watching TV with one cat asleep on each boob."
Way to make the monk bark out loud laughing and blush at the same time.
OK, off to retreat. So nice to hear your voice the other day.
Posted by: Cuzzin Tom on July 9, 2008 03:44 PMYou're doing fine, Ryan. The darkness isn't winning anymore. Keep counting those moments of light. Soon there will be more of them than moments of darkness.
Posted by: Janknitz on July 9, 2008 03:46 PMwow... sounds like an amazing group! You have to tell me all about horsey back riding and white water rafting. So cool.
Posted by: Wendi on July 9, 2008 07:28 PMThere is nothing hypochondrial about slathering Neosporin on your injuries. I sometimes think my cats (Woody & Pepper) have stock in Pfizer, the way they keep me using it. It's my (their) fault for not trimming (making it so hard to trim) their claws more regularly.
I'm very glad to hear Benny and Joon have recovered and are making themselves useful.
Posted by: marcia-x on July 9, 2008 07:48 PMYay! The kitties are feeling better. (Go feed them. NOW! Sincerely, Benny and Joon)
I am trying to send you some extra light to help push the darkness a little farther away. (Does it make you laugh to think that a mostly-Republican, straight, married, dog-owning, church-going Catholic is planning to light a candle in honor of a recently single, lesbian, dual-cat-owner?. It gives me a bit of a ha-ha. But I think that this sort of fellow-feeling may just be what JC was trying to get at.) Oh yes, and I just went to a Buddhist animal blessing a few weeks ago, so I wish I had known specifically about Benny and Joon, but we did pray for all companion animals so I think they were included.
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Outventures sounds like fun!
Posted by: Lynn in Tucson on July 11, 2008 11:24 AMI can clearly see we've been catless for too long now. We used to have two (castrated brothers) who behaved like sharks (circling at feeding time), alternately fought with each other and slept on top of each other. Then when they were 6 one of them died of a tumor we didn't even know he had (it was an incredibly quick death). Interestingly, the other one suddenly seemed to have melded his brother's personality into his own. Before he'd been very much the lap kitty. He became much more independent and aloof, although alternately reverting into lap kitty status. He died at 13 of heart failure as the result of thyroid problems (this after two episodes of draining the fluid at the vets).
We've been catless for awhile. DD's fiance is allergic, especially to long haired cats. Last fall they were going through a rocky patch before they got engaged and were actually broken up over weekend. On Monday she and I were actually on our way to the shelter to look at kittens when he called and wanted to get back together with her. We never did make it to the shelter. Now she says she thinks we should get a cat since she can't have one at their place when they're married, but they won't be here enough for it to really bother him.
I've been thinking that what we really need is not one, but two cats. You're posts about the kitties have me convinced. Now if I can just convince my husband and figure out a better place for both the litter box and the feed dishes than we had them the last time....
Glad you're feeling a teeny bit better.
A Frequent Reader of Your Blog
Posted by: liz on July 12, 2008 11:55 AMOh I miss the thumping of not-quite-so-graceful kitties. They sound like so much fun to have around. I had cat-scratch fever once - ended up off work for 10 days and on IV antibiotics - not sure which made me sicker.
Blessings and light to you...
Posted by: Gina on July 12, 2008 05:11 PM