For the first time in a while I'm actually writing a recap of the previous year. 2023 was definitely a time of highs and lows.
Our white kitty, Su, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2018. When we came back from our trip to Mexico I could tell that something was off with Su and sadly it wasn't until she was in real trouble that we got her to the emergency vet. She spent five days on an IV getting her fluids continuously flushed until her creatinine and BUN numbers were back to normal. From that point onward her care involved periodic administering of subcutaneous fluid and oral potassium supplements. Her vet told us that her lifespan was going to be shortened significantly and yet somehow she just kept on going for five more years. I knew we were on borrowed time after about three years in because every time we went to the vet for a checkup they were genuinely surprised that she was doing so well.
In November 2022 she was starting to exhibit signs of poor health again and was losing weight. We increased the frequency of fluids, the dosage of potassium, and began a prescription for appetite stimulant. She seemed pretty comfortable through the winter months but at the end of February she was pretty frail and barely eating. The heartbreaking thing was she still had her sweet personality and wanted to be near us at all times. In the end she was too frail to get to her litter box but she could go to the puppy pee pads that were kept close by. At her favorite spot by the living room window we set up a heated pad for her to lie on. This below picture shows the spot she pretty much lived on for the last month of her life. We kept food and water bowls right next to her and moved the ottoman over so that she would be safe from falls. I started to call this area "Kitty Hospice Corner".
(see the link to an excellent veterinary resource website at the bottom of this post)
In January I had to go to Louisville for work.
On the morning of my flight from DC I was fortunate enough to get a sunrise view of the monuments.
A troupe of displaced Ukranian ballet dancers
stopped at the Kennedy Center to perform Giselle
In February we went to New Orleans for the weekend before Mardi Gras
and enjoyed our first experience of parade season
I impulsively bought tickets to see GZA at the historic Howard Theater in DC.
It was a pretty good concert!
On March 11th we said goodbye to Su. That morning she actually came upstairs for the first time in a while and even hopped up onto the bed for cuddles. At this time she weighed about four and a half pounds and had stopped eating about three days prior. I was working on some kind of project in the kitchen while keeping an eye on Su. She was fidgety like she couldn't quite get comfortable and then at one point began trying to burrow under all of her pads and blankets. By mid-day it was clear to us that she was in true crisis. We took her to the emergency vet hospital for end of life care. In shock and completely devastated, we went for a walk in the nature preserve by our house. As we walked around the duck pond it seemed like the sky was sympathetic to our sorrow. The clouds took on the form of a soft feathered wing stretched out across the sky. About a week later I picked up her ashes and set them next to the glass candle holder and framed photo that I had prepared for her. She is forever in our hearts.
As we knew this time was coming, we were concerned about Monti. He was her litter-mate, after all, and they had barely ever been separated before. I did a lot of reading over the winter on how animals deal with the death of companions and it could have gone either way. If Monti was lonely at all he did not show any signs. He quite honestly seemed fine. I did take away all of Su's things and rearranged the furniture in Hospice Corner (mostly because it was too sad to look at) and monitored Monti's behavior. This photo was taken during the same weekend:
Thankfully, Monti seemed fine. He was not especially clingy or nervous. That's one mercy.
The natural world kept on moving and soon it was time to get ready for another garden season. Hans and I dug a trench along the fence line and under our gate so that we could lay several feet of galvanized steel cloth. That measure kept the groundhogs out even though they did try to dig a couple of times. Take that, invaders!
Spring
June and July are the absolute best months in the garden
Late summer
This intermission is brought to you by Bunsen!
In August I was ready to start looking for a new brother for Monti. Hans had been ready for a while longer than me but he was very patient. I talked to a friend who volunteers at a county animal shelter and she set us up with an appointment to look at cats in need of a home.
Well hello, new friend!
In September we adopted Tycho! He's a sweet 13-pound couch potato. Sadly, his former owner had to move to an assisted living place and was only allowed to keep two of her four cats. We're determined to give him as good a life as we can. Getting Monti used to the idea took a few months but they're totally buddies now! Kobuk and Tycho have a bit of a rivalry but overall they're fine. Keeping with tradition, Bunsen is of the opinion that she is Grand Chancellor over all (including me and Hans).
October was a busy month! I almost couldn't handle how much was going on. Every spare moment was spent squeezing in Spooky-Season crafts and decorating. I'm actually pretty pleased with how the outdoor decorations came out this year. I ordered some ultra-bright UV paint and darker-than-dark black matte paint so that I could upgrade my skeleton and skulls collection. The new UV light I bought is kick-ass and makes all of the glowy stuff look incredible.
The 2014 Cartoon Network series Over the Garden Wall has become an integral part of my personality. I watch it multiple times each year, especially in the fall!
Halloween night
For Thanksgiving Hans drove out to his family in Wisconsin with Kobuk and I flew out later to join in. It was a short but very sweet visit. Kobuk is such a good trooper on road trips. On the way back I let him onto one of the hotel room beds and turned on cartoons.
Christmas and New Year's were quiet affairs. I didn't go all-out with holiday meals like in the past but we still had a good time. For New Year's Eve we watched one of our favorite shows and had a night of Tiki drinks.
We received a ridiculously-sized box from Chewy when I ordered Kobuk a new bed and that became the cats' "Gingerbread House". Tycho absolutely loved it :)
