I guess it wasn't just a phase

So much cat drama!

I had to go out of town last Saturday night, and when I came back I noticed that the right side of the accordion panel next to my room air conditioner in the bedroom had been pulled back. And Ivy was nowhere to be found.

I checked all the usual hiding places, but she wasn't there. I checked around the house and yard, but she wasn't there. I thought maybe...maybe she had found another indoor hiding place, but when I got up the next morning and the food had not disappeared as it should in a two cat household and the litter box had not been utilized as it should in a two cat household, I knew she was gone.

I let Marilyn know that Ivy had taken off and she went into Full Missing Cat Mode, listing her with a couple websites and making me a flyer and calling me back at work a half dozen times to suggest places to look and things to do. One of the things she suggested was putting tuna out on both porches. I did that. The next morning both tuna dishes were turned over. I figured I was feeding every possum and raccoon in the neighborhood.

I've walked through the neighborhood and looked under my neighbor's porches. I've pretty much made up my mind that this cat is not coming back. Maybe she got spooked during the thunderstorm on Saturday and just took off in a frenzy.

But this leaves me with a dilemma. I wanted two cats so they could keep each other company while I was at work. I particularly wanted litter mates since they would get along. There are two other cats available from the litter that Fern and Ivy came from, but that would mean dealing with Marilyn and I get the feeling she is a)a little obsessive when it comes to these cats and b)a little distrustful of my ability to care for another cat.

I don't know what to do. Fern needs a cat. She is the sweetest, most affectionate, loving cat and I know she needs a companion when I'm not here. I've already told Marilyn I would like another cat from that litter, but after the last few days of her phone calls I'd just as soon let this relationship wither.

In the mean time, here's Fern. I know her eyes are closed in this picture, but her eyes are closed a lot. Add a deep, contented, purr and you'd have the essence of Fern.

The Tooth Fairy Goes Broke

Fern had her teeth cleaning yesterday, and as part of the process she had eight teeth removed. She can still eat dry food and that's what the vet wants her to stay on. She also has liquid antibiotics that she takes once a day. She's not crazy about it, but she lets me do it. Had I tried this with Olive I wouldn't have any skin left on my arms. The antibiotics may help save her other teeth, at least for a while.

It's good thing Fern is the one who needs all the work, since she's the friendlier one. She has claimed a spot on a chair under the kitchen table as her own, so she's pretty easy to find and can be coaxed out with just a little scritch on her head. Ivy is another story. She managed to find her way into the space behind the drawers next to the kitchen sink. When I brought Fern home last evening, she was perched on top of the cornice board over the picture window in the living room.

I hope this is just a phase.

The Best Cure

I managed to make it through one night without a cat. When I woke up the first morning without Olive, I called the vet about the male and was told he had been adopted the night before but...BUT....if I really wanted another cat, they knew of a woman who was working with somebody in the city who had 28(!) cats in her house and animal control was about to move in. So, I made the phone call.

Marilyn was incredulous when I called, especially when I told her I really wanted two sisters, if possible. She didn't have any kittens, just adult cats. Was I still interested? Of course I was. I don't do kittens anymore (too damn much energy) and my last two adoptions were adult cats. They were just plain brown tabbies. Was I still interested? Of course I was. I don't need designer cats and I'd had plain brown tabbies before and all cats are beautiful. It just so happened she had two sisters of a litter of four who were just Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 and Cat 4 at this point. They were spayed and up to date with their vaccines. They were on the last days of antibiotics and eye drops for a respiratory infection. I told her yes yes yes on all counts and we made arrangements to meet at my vet and do the adoption.

So there I was on Thursday, sitting in the reception area with two empty cat carriers. The staff was as excited as I was, and in walked Marilyn with her two cat carriers. Only hers had cats in them.

And what lovely cats they were! Two brown tabbies, almost identical except for the white patch on one's chest. We went back to the exam room and opened the carriers and I got to see just how absolutely sweet they were. They let me hold them immediately and purred and snuggled and nuzzled and rubbed and frankly, I got more affection in 10 minutes than Olive had given me in six years! The vet checked them out -- no ear mites! -- and found that one had pretty significant gum disease. Marilyn explained that she had just noticed the redness the day before and she was soooo apologetic and said she would have let me know if she had seen it earlier but since both cats had been eating dry food exclusively, she didn't think to do a closer exam. I reassured Marilyn that it was just fine, that there were no perfect cats and I'm not one of those folks who would renege on an adoption because something might be wrong with the baby. The vet explained that with a good teeth cleaning and antibiotics, we should be able to take care of things. Worst case scenario -- all her teeth would have to be pulled and she'd be on canned food. Still, not a problem. We made arrangements for me to bring her back in the morning for her cleaning.

So I took them home and out of the carriers they began exploring. I stuck around for an hour or so but then had to leave and when I got back, they were in full hiding mode. And they stayed that way overnight. I had to call the vet in the morning and cancel because I couldn't find my cat. Later that afternoon I found her hiding place and after a little coaxing, she came out and then it was "Pet me! Love me! Pet me! Love me!" The other one is a little better at hiding and a little shyer. But food has been eaten and litter box has been used, so I think we are going to be fine in time.

I'd post a picture, but I can't get both of them together at any one time, so you're just going to have to wait. In the meantime, I trust you can understand how happy I am to welcome into my home two plain brown tabby sister kitties.

Oh, their names?







Fern and Ivy.