...And to All, a Good Night!

Christmas is almost upon us once more. There is no snow here, except hard, crusty lumps in fenced corners, and the temperature is low but hardly unbearable. Nonetheless, all the beasts are snug inside and appear to be enjoying their cosy spots.

Tucker is eating decently, if not voraciously; the Mirtazapine’s effects seem to have caught up to him, and I am feeding him whenever he expresses a wish for it. I expect to be home for five consecutive days (one of them even paid…) starting on Christmas Day, so I will be able to provide him with sustenance at any odd hour. Maybe I can arrest his weight loss. He is even consuming some of the Aventi phosphorus-binder. Large doses of salmon-oil, meanwhile, have improved his coat. I am grateful for any positive developments.

Cammie is a little more frail than she was, and this week is not eating as much as she has, though I don’t think this will be a permanent change. She sleeps most of the time, but what is an old, blind cat to do when winter keeps windows shut and scents and sounds of the outside hidden? The princess loves her heated cat-bed, next to the radiator and her private cup of water.

Josie is eating very well – for the moment. I gave her as a change some Merrick ‘chicken divan’, and she has been emptying tins of it every second or third day. Will this last? Of course not! She’s a cat, after all. But while it does, she will get as much as she can keep down. And in between, she still likes a little variety.

Raleigh continues well, and now allows me to rub his chest, especially after a full meal. Perhaps it’s good for the digestion. He scurries away from me sometimes, yet seeks me out at others. Despite his FIV and stomatitis, he appears comfortable and content; he plays and sleeps and eats without visible complaint, so I am grateful for this, too.

Renn is my healthy one (knock on wood), eating little yet retaining his vigour and strength. I don’t know how he does it.

Neville, the new fellow, has an annoying habit of pooping in front of the litter-box. But I have changed that receptacle, providing his preferred spot with a larger box. We’ll see if this makes a difference. He is as vigorous as Renn, runs about after a successful litter-box visit and continues to talk while he eats, making himself sound as though he is under water. Nevsky is an entertaining fellow – and is beginning to learn to get out of Cammie’s way when he observes her coming.

So you see that, as we in the cosy apartment head toward our latest Christmas, we are doing well, and thankful for it. We wish everyone reading this – and everyone who isn’t – a happy Christmas, with, at the very least, contentment and security. As always, here is the year’s Christmas card. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Merry Christmas!