Letter from a Tranquil Lake

My holidays have commenced and, so far, I like them. It has long been a belief of mine that unemployment would be the ideal state for most people in the world, if it were not for the usual accompaniment of poverty. Unfortunately, to forestall the latter, I must have a gainful job, at least eventually. For now, though, I have free time at my disposal. This is where I imagine myself today.

Back in the cosy apartment, Cammie is doing adequately in her new role of household blind cat. She mastered the tall staircase swiftly. The day after I demonstrated to her how she could use the steps to her advantage, I saw her using them on her own, descending hesitantly but definitely to the floor from the bed. She soon decided that what was good for going down served equally well for going up. She now uses the tall staircase in both directions. She continues to use the shorter set at the foot of the bed, but most often for going down.

At night, once I am comfortably in bed, I will talk to Cammie and, if she is in the mood, she will come and lie on my head. Instead of leaping up to the top of the mattress as previously, though, she will climb the stairs. I hear a gentle, repetitious ‘thump’ as she takes each step in turn; then, a grey form in the gloom appears level with my eyes, and the princess finds her spot. This takes a little more time and effort than it once did, and I have been kneed in the chin, kicked in the eye and scratched on the nose as my blind cat settles down.

She wanders about the apartment, trying still to gain her bearings. Sometimes, she may not know where she is, or who is near her. Raleigh has taken a liking to the new towel / blankets, and risked the wrath of the princess to enjoy the one in the bedroom.

I am sad that Cammie does not have much stimuli these days. She never played much before, and being unable to see anything makes any attempt to play more of a threat than an entertainment. But I spend time with her, and hearing her purr in return shows that she still finds some enjoyment in life. As for me, my Siamese girl may be sightless, but she remains a vision.

As for the others, Raleigh is suffering through another illness, something along the lines of a cold. His eyes run, his nose drips, he looks miserable. But he continues to eat, thank goodness, and even gamely tries to play. I am trying to reduce his Prednisolone dosage at the moment; since I am on holiday, I can gauge the reaction better. That drug connives with his FIV to lower his immunity to ailments even further, but he needs it to fight his stomatitis. It is to be hoped, however, that the amount he receives will be increasing diminished. I will be obtaining some anti-biotics for him, and will make a doctor’s appointment for next week. He will hate that, but it’s about time we had a professional look inside Peachy’s mouth, and see its state.

The other three (I am still getting used to the smaller number of cats here since the second day of June) are as they always are. Here Renn and Josie are doing what they seem to love best, roasting in the evening sunshine. And, in case you can’t go without seeing the roly poly being cute, here is Tucker, with his chin resting on a little toy-mouse, the tiniest pillow he could find.