New Pet Diaries part 2: Furbaby Updates, Mainly Kitten Chaos

[Cass]

Hello everyone,

I'm so sorry for not coming on to the forum for so long, I know I've emailed a few of you occasionally to say hello but not much else. I've heard about Gail's loss of her beloved Dylan and then there was the chain email about the poor missing dog which I like all of you passed it on to all my friends in the UK. I decided it was my turn to tell you how my family and fur babies are getting along.

The first week of August will be the 2nd anniversary of my big brother's death, his friend made a video of snippets of his racing days to the song: Local Boy in the Photograph by Stereophonics. I can't bring myself to watch the video, they say time heals all wounds but I just can't see it as each day feels worse in regards to my brother's absence.

But on to the fur and feather babies, as a whole they are all well.

Pebbles has had a bad spell the last few days, she's lost a noticable amount of weight and I'm wondering if it's serious. She's been refusing to eat her favourite treat: ham and she's just been hiding under the next-door neighbour's tree mostly since the heatwave started. I spoke to one of my workmates and he said his cats have lost a bit of weight in the heat, she been lapping away milk though so I should be thankful for small mercies but realistically a visit to the vet is in order. But our vet of a good few years has just retired, and the vet closest to us was so awful to our neighbours when their cat Tiddles was run over.

I wonder if it's her time, I know I should be positive but she's 13 this year. I suppose I'm thinking she'll be alright because our animals live a good while. But I know if she doesn't eat that's bad, Mum reminded me of a time when she'd had a bad tooth and refused to eat. The vet simply gave her a painkiller, removed the tooth and she ate. I'm praying with all my heart it will be that simple this time, but I really can't say. She's such a loving girl, I alternate between calling her Pebsy, Cuddly Pebsy and Pebbly-poo or just my big girl. If it's her time then I'll have to say goodbye I realise, but I'm just not ready to say goodbye.

Next down from Pebbles is Ash, nearly 10 if I've remembered how old he was when he came to us, I still think of him as my gift from God. He came to me after Buster died, he's still the most loving cat I've ever known. If I kneel down to him he'll run over and give me a headbutt, his own special way of saying hello. Ash has developed a special bond with Cynder, not quite as strong as his brothers but Cynder is really fond of Ash. He's coping with the heat better than Pebbles, and without insulting him he's become fairly 'stocky'. He's easily our heaviest cat now, but still the most loving. Even though we've had some 'intruders' in the form of another local cat and a stray Ash has never lifted a paw against them. He's definately a lover not a fighter, one of my terms for him is 'dopey cat' but not in the least unpleasant way. It's as though he's immune to any unrest around him and he's always a loving boy, except when either Kai, Cynder or 18 disturb him anyway!

Then there's Sassi, by name and by nature. We were only supposed to be babysitting her in the beginning, but when she went home she wouldn't stop crying so she came back to us. Like Ash she's a sweet, loving cat ... on her own terms anyway! If she wants a snuggle she'll come to us, going to her otherwise is a bad idea. She tolerates the other cats, particularly the 3 youngest but she's not above giving them a wallop if they annoy her! She's been taking long naps in the sun but will take to shady places when the heat is bad, she loves drinking rain water off the tarp on our pool even going so far as to venture to the centre of the tarp on the pool! She hasn't had a slip yet, but that won't happen again since the tarp has been replaced with something that just sits on the water ... uh-oh.

Kai is still the quirkiest kitty I've ever known, he announces his presence with a BIG distinctive meow. He's come on so much since the two babies came to us, he's their surrogate Mummy cat now. He'll give them baths and snuggle up to them, even protect them when the local tomcat comes around to sniff out leftover biscuits. This has brought him into conflict with the 2 kittens dad, a local white stray ... for simplicity's sake I've been calling him Whitey.

Whitey tends to run when he sees people, but the other day I just sat on the step in our garden to see if he'd run and he didn't. Next thing I know Kai comes over puffing himself up and chased him away! I managed to coax him back with the promise of a few biscuits and milk which he gulped down. There's another cat that comes to call whom I've been calling 'GT' the Ginger Tomcat. I understand feeding a cat will let it know there's good available so that will make him come more often. We'll leave the biscuits our cats don't eat out for the locals, but then GT must've decided the food in the house must be better and began sneaking in to take biscuits and scare our cats at the same time.

This is where things get a little complicated, the kittens are part of the last litter from their mother before she was spayed and her name is K-Star. Apparently GT is one of the kittens from her very first litter, so he is in fact Cynder and 18's bigger brother! Two of their older siblings from the litter before them lived next door with our neighbours, their names are Lexi and Fudge. Sadly Lexi was run over and Fudge is now pining for her.

Lexi and Fudge's daddy-cat was a cat named Beamer, who from a distance looked identical to Ash, and just like Ash was a really sweet, loving cat. He would come to visit and the other cats didn't mind him being there, unfortunately he was run over deliberately a fortnight ago. I called him the kitten's 'other daddy-cat' because I read that female cats can have more than one dad to their babies but I don't know if this is true.

Now for the babies, they'll be 1 this coming September. They've come on in leaps and bounds since I last wrote. They've begun wearing special collars like Kai which keep them in our garden behind the 'Freedom Fence' we bought, on account of the 5 dangerous dogs on the end of our row who have already killed 2 of other cats. I don't blame the dogs, it isn't their fault they weren't socialised with cats but I still worry whenever the dogs begin barking.

We put the collars on the kittens after 18 climbed into the new next-door's neighbour garden, who very kindly gave him back to me through the gate. The night they wore the collars was funny, I feel mean for saying that. The collars beep if they go near the fence, and shock if they try to go over it. Poor Kai was frightened because he thought it was his collar that was beeping! He ran back inside, followed shortly after by Cynder who got a shock. But 18 ... he got a shock on one side then ran directly the other way and got shocked again, it went on like that for another minute until he finally ran inside. I know cats should be allowed to explore, but those dogs scare us and we know this is the only way to protect our three youngest.

But for all the sadness we've felt, they do make us smile. 18 is the funniest of the two babies, thanks to Dad he's learned how to play fetch! His favourite toy is a crisp packet Mum and Dad tied in a knot for him, whenever he hears a packet crinkle he hurtles inside ready to play! And Mum's trained him to sit down before we give him a treat exactly like a little pup! I wonder if he was a Retriever in a former life, because I've never known a cat to sit down when asked or play fetch. The funniest is when he begs though, when we eat he'll sit up on his back legs and sit up as tall as he can exactly like a little meerkat.

The three youngest are inseperable, Cynder and 18 look to Kai as their big brother. I've included a picture of Kai with Cynder and 18 when they were only a few months old and they're still as close now. Pebbles, Ash and Sassi all prefer to lounge around peacefully.

Next is Holly the Chinchilla is also nearly 10, also known as our resident exotic rodent is 10 years old also. She's developed her own little quirk, which I quite like: whenever she sees a spider when she's out for a run she chases it! I don't know what she thinks they are but it's hilarious to watch. Sometimes she'll sit on the back of the sofa and just sit there watching me, it's almost unnerving but I think the look in her eyes is amazing: so deep and curious yet with a certain craftiness.

Baby Boy is nearly 9 years old, and has also developed his own quirks and the latest seems to be dancing! He stands on the unit next to his cage, he'll walk in a straight line then back up and do a little twirl. He did this on his own accord, I've been trying to teach him new words but not dancing! Like Holly and her spider chasing habbit this shows how smart Baby Boy is. We've never had a parrot before him and I wouldn't trade him for anything.

As I write this Pebbles is looking more unwell, if this is really her time to go then I'm actually wishing she'll pass away in her sleep than us having to take her to a strange new vet to help her pass on. I'm wishing with all my heart that she'll get better and pass on naturally when the time's right, I just don't want to believe that time is now.

No matter how much joy our furbabies bring to us, saying goodbye is the only yet worst downside. Thank you for listening and again sorry it's taken me so long to post. Bye for now.

Cassie

Update

Last night at 1:09am Pebbles passed away with me, Mum and her fellow cats around her aged 13. I'm still reeling from how quickly she went downhill, but I really believe my brother answered my prayer and came for her. Before she passed away her breathing was really chesty and rattled, I didn't want her to keep on living if that was all she could do so I asked my brother to come for her and a few minutes later she passed away. As much as it hurts now I know it's for the best she passed on, I just can't help missing her despite knowing she's in a better place now. I've attached a picture of Pebbles how she was before she became ill and how I hope to remember her as. All I can do now is focus on the cats still here as well as Holly and Baby Boy, thank you all for listening and bye for now.

[mutt]

Hi Cassie. It’s great to hear from you. As usual, your stories are entertaining and your writing makes me feel the full range of emotions. Love the pictures too.

I am so sorry for your loss of Pebbles. As you’ve already said, it’s better that she isn’t suffering any more, but it still hurts to lose someone you have loved for so long.

[crispy]

Hi Cassie, I haven't been in here in it seems like forever but the first thing I saw and enjoyed reading was your new pet diaries. I always feel like I am watching a documentary of sorts when you write. I can picture what you are describing and it is so funny or sad or amazing that I am mesmerized. I don't know how you keep all the lineage straight, it sure is confusing. Just goes to show how much you pay attention and really know your furbabies and all the relatives no matter how distant. I am sorry to hear about Pebbles but it does sound like your brother was there to help make things easier. Pebbles was beautiful, thanks for putting that picture in here. From the sounds of things you don't need to be entertained by t.v. programmes, you have plenty to watch and enjoy. Keep up the writing Cassie we all love it.