Memorial to my friend Zeus.

Well, folks, as some as you realize I haven't posted for quite awhile. And if you read carefully, you might have noticed that the dedication in my blog to my cat Zeus living with renal failure has sadly changed that he has passed on. I'd like to take this chance to post a memorial to my friend Zeus and to remember him for what a wonderful companion he was.





Zeus came into my life 14 years ago as a 5 year old adult cat cast aside by a couple that was divorcing and didn't want to keep him. Their decision bestowed upon me one of the finest creatures I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Zeus was one of the sweetest, gentlest, most affectionate, people oriented cats I have ever known. He wasn't comfortable unless he was on my lap, if something was interfering with him being on my lap then he would place a paw gently on me as if to reassure that he would always be by my side. He was never more than a few inches away, sitting calmly, always interested in what I was doing or ready with a quick purr or inquisitive meow.

Zeus made many life changes with me, moving to many towns in Michigan, to the warm coastal waters of Clearwater, Florida for undergrad school, back up to Michigan for vet school and finally to Houston, Texas. He saw many happy moments in my life, shared his plush coat of fur for me to bury my head in to wipe away my tears through the difficult times, and through it all remained a loyal companion, a steadfast friend, a true warm soul only a purr away. I think only those of us that have had such a wonderful bond with our animals knows what it's like to share such a relationship with a pet and will know what I'm talking about. Others may think, "it's just a cat." Everyone is entitled to think what they may, I'm so glad that I got to spend 14 years with a wonderful friend.

6 months ago Zeus was diagnosed with renal disease. This came as a horrible shock to me because I couldn't bear the idea of losing my absolute favorite cat...the idea of not having him around was unthinkable. After a week in the specialty hospital he rebounded and we were able to bring him home. We weren't sure how much time he was going to have but he gave me 6 wonderful months to enjoy with him. Enjoying my lap, sleeping every night with me, being my shadow, eating and drinking well, basking in slivers of sunshine, strolling outside with me, rolling around on the sunny concrete, nibbling new grass... After he was diagnosed, I only asked for a little bit of time to enjoy the things that I knew I would miss if he would be taken away abruptly and I was given the luxury of 6 months to completely enjoy those things knowing that I would have to say Goodbye.




His passing was peaceful, his last night was spent sleeping with me, right on my chest, he enjoyed some outside morning air and some sips of milk, however when I came home that evening from work, I knew it was time to give him his wings. My friend deserved some dignity and grace and this he now always shall have.




A month of days has now passed and day by day I am healing now, the acute pain and ache of his loss is being replaced by a warmth of his memories. However I often look to see him in his favorite spots and wish fervently that I could pick him up and hear his purr in my ear as I drift off to sleep at night just one more time. You were a wonderful friend Zeus.

Rest sweetly my handsome man....

If you have recently lost a pet or know of someone that has, I would like to personally recommend a website petloss.com that has helped me immensely through some of my hardest days with warmth, kindness and support.

Leave the lilies....

Easter is quickly approaching and something as cat owners that we should all be aware of is the dangers of lilies to our cat friends. Easter lilies are a beautiful plant that many of us are receiving, buying or giving around this time of year. However, if you own cats or are giving this plant to a cat owner, you may want to to think twice about bringing this plant inside your home... or else place it high up in a place that puss can't reach. You may not be aware but all parts of the lily can be toxic, and eating just one leaf can result in severe poisoning leading to irreversible kidney damage if not caught.





This is bad:

After eating a portion of an Easter lily, a cat will generally vomit and become depressed within 2 hours. Your cat may become unwilling to eat, lethargic or disoriented. A veterinarian should be contacted immediately if you think he or she has ingested any part of an Easter Lily. A cat must be treated within 18 hours of ingesting the plant, or the damage to the kidneys can be irreversible. Depending on when your cat ate the Easter Lily your vet may force your cat to vomit and then hospitalize your cat on intravenous fluids monitoring his/her kidney function. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun does it? But something definitely for all of you to be aware of, for many of us have "nibblers" at home, and many plants just cause the occasional tummy upset but nothing too alarming, however this is certainly a plant that should be recognized as a danger.

Have a fabulous, chocolate-y Happy Easter everyone....








Post Disclaimer: The pictures in this post are not mine, I could not find the appropriate people to credit for these pictures, if they are your lovely pictures please let me know so that I can give you proper credit.

Meet Max...the water obsessed cat.

So this is Max. On any given morning, it's a battle for who can get to the bathroom sink first. Usually I can gain the upper hand since he detests the smell of Crest and that will buy me a couple of minutes of time before he's back up there again looking for the water to be turned back on. Most of us know a cat like this. Many of us may actually HAVE one of these cats. The cat that refuses to drink out of the water bowl that you set out. Most of us when confronted with this behavior will begin by placing fresh water in the bowl daily (highly recommended even for those cats that aren't so finicky.) Secondly we then might place another bowl in another location thinking it might be a location thing. Then we might be persuaded to purchase one of those water fountain apparatuses (apparati?) for their pleasure in order to entice them to drink out of some sort of cat appropriate area. (I am a large fan of these water fountains and will address their many uses in another blog, however for said stated purpose of a water snob, it did not address Max's issue at hand.) Lastly, many of us may resort to putting out a glass of water on the counter to appease puss who seems to only like to drink out of the faucet. Believe me, I have tried any and all of the above but as the evidence below shows, I have a very patient and diligent cat that will wait. And wait. And wait. For the water to be turned on from the faucet. And then and only then will Sir Max partake in his imbibement o' H2O.

While this is (mostly) amusing in our house...we certainly have learned to live with it and get our exercise picking him up and putting him down off of the counter, if you have a cat like this at home that seems obsessed with water and might seem that his water intake has increased, it's important to have a veterinarian check him out. Drinking more can signal certain diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease that a good physical exam, questions asked by your vet and bloodwork can help diagnose and once picked up we can help you treat.