My New Fountain & Updates on Dandelion

Dandelion goes to the veterinary clinic tomorrow at 9:30am. I’m to take a stool sample which I hope to find in the litter box because she did her business on the carpet. She is still stinky, so I hope and pray Dani just needs a bath. The groomer has yet to return my call. ~sigh~ Last night I cut out a bunch of the mats, at least, and used a cleansing cloth on her fur again today.

The faint gray patches on her pretty head
match the tip of her floofy tail. :D

Like our other two girls, she loves (!) her catnip flavored treats. But I’m concerned about the fact she doesn’t seem to be drinking. Maybe she needs moving water. If her checkup goes well, I’ll probably buy a new one. The old plastic ones were tough to clean. Terra and Polly drink well out of simple glass bowls.

Terra, by the way, hissed and spit when I brought Dani inside, and hissed again at the ball of fur I let her sniff. I’ll deal with introductions as soon as Dandelion gets a clean bill of health. ~fingers crossed~ Thanks to Eastside Cats (bless you all), I know having segregated cats thrive on separate floors of my home is doable.

Meanwhile, Dani supervised while I played with decorating my new in-ground fountain. I cannot believe how solar panels have improved while coming down in price.

Have you ever used solar power? Are you familiar with the silly website I Can Has Cheezburger? If you’re familiar with their slang, isn’t it funny that I have a ceiling (white) cat downstairs and basement (black-furred) kitties above?

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Eye Twitches and Dandelions

Caring for my husband is not difficult when compared to what many folks face; I’ve nonetheless developed a tic under my left eye. Gardening and/or just sitting outside (such as I am now) help my sanity.

However, I have a new concern. The kitty who’s been visiting my garden is now ours. She belonged to the young couple across the street. But when I spoke to the husband while she sat beside me, I learned he hadn’t seen her in five days (!) and was happy to relinquish her. His wife called her Mama or Blurry Face (?) and let her roam day and night. As is obvious, she birthed a litter and I am told she is about seven years old.

Concerned about our coyote population, I brought her inside one evening and had treated her for fleas a while back. So my husband and I already discussed adoption.

Her fur is dirty, stinky, matted, and she has terrible breath, but good food should help with the latter and disposable bathing cloths from my husband’s hospital stay have helped until I can get her to our usual pet groomer. She resides in our closed basement for now. I’ll call when they open at 9am tomorrow. They’re closed Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, so wish me luck.

A vet appointment is scheduled for Wednesday morning since I must drive him to see his primary care physician tomorrow. This new responsibility feels a bit much, but maybe the distraction will be good. Whether you, dear reader, believe or not, I like to think that God has plans.

Meanwhile, the neighbor’s next door have a severe dandelion problem. Oh, well. That inspired my naming our new kitty. I’m calling her Dandelion, or Dani for short. She kept popping up in my garden, after all.

What do you think of the name? Did you know that white cats with blue eyes are often deaf, and the pale fur can lead to sunburn?

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Second Post of the Day - My Blog-time Visitor

Appreciation Day

I cannot express enough how much comments on my last blog post meant. Thanks to everyone for the kind words, support, and suggestions. My hope is to get back to visiting my blogging family and sharing silly things here. By the way, I’m enjoying a gorgeous day outside (with cell phone in case my husband needs me) surrounded by beauty as I type.

He is doing much better even though recovering has been harder. He developed a urinary tract infection a month after surgery and spent almost a week in hospital. By the way, they kept him one night (or two?) after last month’s surgery and the same with triple bypass open heart surgery in 2011 (!), which still amazes me.

Did you know that dehydration is a major factor in developing a UTI? And such an infection can affect (especially older folks’) cognitive ability?

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Missing

I’ve missed blog posting and reading others’ these past several weeks. Life took an unexpected and unwelcome turn. Following his successful surgery, my husband turned into a lump on the couch. A friend gave me a pep talk inspiring me to get him walking. That lasted three days with him shuffling to the edge of our narrow property and just a few succeeding feet further. Day four, Sunday May seventh, he complained of excruciating pain.

While I shopped for something, anything, he might find palatable, he at last slept in the bed for the first time since his prostatectomy. We thought that might help. Alas, he requested an ambulance late Sunday night. A panicked Polly tried to bolt as paramedics wheeled out his gurney. Gathering her up, thereby getting a favorite shirt plus myself ripped open a bit by one of her many extra claws, I failed to hear where my husband wanted to be transported.

By four o’clock in the morning I’d ascertained his location and drove over to visit. At any rate, he’s home resting after the better part of a week. God forgive me, I wish they had not released him today, hoping his helplessness would remain someone else’s problem for a while longer. ~hangs head~ Bless those who take care of invalids full time.

My mother proved a trial before her passing but at least I had an excuse to leave town and return home. This is home. ~sigh~ Getting him in the car, driving to pick up medications, abandoning that to receive delivered medical equipment, being trained on it, settling him on the aforementioned couch, returning to the pharmacy, and picking up fast food, I found still more needs to fulfill. Thank heaven for kitty antics making me laugh.

His brothers are coming to visit this weekend from various hours away. My tearful conversations prompted the fraternal visit, making me feel thankful and guilty at the same time. His care seemed beyond my ability. But we seem to be doing better than I expected. Forgive me also, dear reader, for my whining.

How sweet is it that my husband’s siblings want to check our wellbeing? What might you crave after a week of hospital food?

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