Every year it starts earlier and earlier... and every year people are shocked and upset at the gall of retailers to put up Christmas decorations before THANKSGIVING! And, in some cases, before HALLOWEEN! Usually, I'm in the same boat - "Can't we just celebrate one holiday at a time? Can't we at least have Thanksgiving??" But for some reason this year, I was giddy at the first candy cane I saw... back in October. Instead of rolling my eyes at the giant display of Christmas trees, I hopped up and down and clapped my hands. Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!
I think it probably has something to do with this house I'm living in. I feel a sense of permanence here that I haven't had for quite a few years... since high school, probably. This is my house... my home. It's a great feeling to know that my lease isn't going to end anytime soon and I can settle in here. Which means I can buy Christmas decorations specifically for this house and just store them in the basement until next year. This year, I'll create the first of many boxes of decorations that I'll bring out annually... maybe someday I'll be telling my kids about the ornament that I bought this year.
So, yeah... a month ago, I bought holiday towels and a holiday rug. So what? They were on sale. And I waited patiently until the day after Thanksgiving to display any of my Christmas paraphernalia. On Saturday, Brian and I put up a single string of colored lights on the front of the house. After they were hung, I was so proud! Our house is so festive! This will be the best Christmas ever!
I think all of my anticipation has set me up for disappointment, though... As darkness fell and we switched on those lights, I looked up and down the street. Ours is the only house that's decorated so far... and the lonely string of lights just looks sad. But you wait and see, Neighborhood... I'll show you what I'm made of. I'm made of HOLIDAY CHEER, that's what. If I have to buy a string of lights for every house, so help me God, our street will look FESTIVE.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I guess I just have to chalk it up to adjusting to his new surroundings, but Grady is bizarre. Proof:
One. That bed pictured above that he once so clearly loved? He hasn't touched it since that picture was taken. The old scrap of carpeting in the basement that we saved from our renovation? He LOVES it and we always know he'll be sitting on his carpet throne whenever we're looking for him. Is this the equivalent of a kid playing with the box that the toy came in? I call it weird. Did you see that bed? It's FLEECE for crying out loud. C'mon.
Two. He purrs SO loudly when I pet him, so I pet and pet and he purrs and purrs. He's such a happy kitty until SNAP! He turns and scratches me for NO APPARENT REASON. I don't move into the No Man's Land of his belly or anything, I just continue to pet the same area when he suddenly decides he does not want. After multiple wounds on both Brian and myself, we took him back to the vet to get his incredibly long and sharp claws clipped by hardened professionals.
Three. He does not play. Oh he sees that bunch of feathers attached to that stick that you're holding. He just does not care. It is a bunch of feathers. He seems semi-interested in the laser pointer, but it's too much effort to stay focused on it. Yet, when I thought it was okay to knit with Grady next to me on the couch... you know, since he's not interested in playing? He suddenly reverted back to his kitten youth and pounced on the yarn in my lap.
Four. We've been giving Grady full reign of the basement while we're away during the day mainly because we have motion detectors that we'd like to keep armed, but also to limit the possible havoc he could wreak in the rest of the house. In the evenings, he's more than happy to come upstairs, eat his dinner and then hang out on the couch with us. But on Sunday? When Brian and I were both hungover watching football all day in our pj's and looking to cuddle with a furry cat? He wanted NOTHING to do with us. Even after giving him TREATS on the COUCH.
Despite his weirdness, Grady is an awesome cat. Brian is in South Carolina for the week visiting his parents for Thanksgiving and last night, Grady kept me company in the living room. Not exactly the same caliber of companionship, but I'll take it until Brian returns.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Grady's Visit To The Vet
My stomach had been in knots all of yesterday, not just thinking about all the health problems Grady could have, but mostly just worrying about physically getting him into his carrier, to the vet, watching blood being drawn, possibly passing out. Thankfully, the process went rather smoothly. The carrier wasn't too much of a problem and although he was very vocal the whole ride, we got him to the vet's office with no problem. The people there are incredibly nice and, as one would hope, great with cats.
Our friends who had been feeding him for about a year suspected that Grady was almost two years old and needed to be neutered. We were shocked to learn from the vet that Grady is closer to ten years old (!) and has already been neutered. The vain little bastard has even had dental work. With his age roughly equivalent to a 58 year old human, his general health is on the decline, but thankfully he tests negative for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline AIDS (FIV).
We took care of his ear mites (ick), fleas (double ick), and worms (ick ick ick) to provide him with immediate comfort. The vet informed us of some other concerns, but we're going to get some advice from friends (and the blogger community! Help!) before we take action. Expensive action.
The vet thinks that the lens in his cloudy left eye has shifted and is blocking the drainage, causing there to be pressure on the eye, which he says is usually painful. Thinking it might be glaucoma, he tested the pressure of both eyes, but neither were in the very high range. We came home with $16 eye drops which have a steroid in them to reduce the swelling. If turns into glaucoma, we'd have to give him $60/month eye drops and then consider surgery to either fix the lens or remove the eye. Hopefully the drops we have will help... although his eye looks weird, it doesn't really seem to be causing him pain that I can tell. How can you tell a cat is in pain if he doesn't flinch or avoid contact to the eye?
We opted not to get the blood work done to test for a thyroid problem which could be contributing to an abnormal heart beat, or heart murmur. If the $150 tests were positive, it would be about $50/month worth of medication and more blood testing every 3 months... or a $2500 (Ha!) dialysis (or some such - I tuned out after the price) that would supposedly help the problem.
If the bloodwork shows that the heart murmur isn't related to a thyroid problem, they'd do a $300 echocardiogram, which would probably result in more medication if they found a problem.
As it was, we walked out of there $280 poorer with all the vaccinations and medications. The way Brian and I see things, we took Grady indoors into a warm, safe, clean environment where he will get fed and cuddled regularly, so he's better off than he was a week ago. If we see down the road that the cat is uncomfortable or sick, we'll try our best to treat him in order to maintain a certain comfort level. We don't really know what our options are, though. The vet made it sound like we either spend all this money on treatment now or not adopt him. Which means we'd either put him back out on the street or take him to a shelter where he'd probably be euthanized. We're thinking, what if we keep him at home, but don't treat him? Would that be terrible? Would Grady be suffering? This is our dilemma...
Our friends who had been feeding him for about a year suspected that Grady was almost two years old and needed to be neutered. We were shocked to learn from the vet that Grady is closer to ten years old (!) and has already been neutered. The vain little bastard has even had dental work. With his age roughly equivalent to a 58 year old human, his general health is on the decline, but thankfully he tests negative for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline AIDS (FIV).
We took care of his ear mites (ick), fleas (double ick), and worms (ick ick ick) to provide him with immediate comfort. The vet informed us of some other concerns, but we're going to get some advice from friends (and the blogger community! Help!) before we take action. Expensive action.
The vet thinks that the lens in his cloudy left eye has shifted and is blocking the drainage, causing there to be pressure on the eye, which he says is usually painful. Thinking it might be glaucoma, he tested the pressure of both eyes, but neither were in the very high range. We came home with $16 eye drops which have a steroid in them to reduce the swelling. If turns into glaucoma, we'd have to give him $60/month eye drops and then consider surgery to either fix the lens or remove the eye. Hopefully the drops we have will help... although his eye looks weird, it doesn't really seem to be causing him pain that I can tell. How can you tell a cat is in pain if he doesn't flinch or avoid contact to the eye?
We opted not to get the blood work done to test for a thyroid problem which could be contributing to an abnormal heart beat, or heart murmur. If the $150 tests were positive, it would be about $50/month worth of medication and more blood testing every 3 months... or a $2500 (Ha!) dialysis (or some such - I tuned out after the price) that would supposedly help the problem.
If the bloodwork shows that the heart murmur isn't related to a thyroid problem, they'd do a $300 echocardiogram, which would probably result in more medication if they found a problem.
As it was, we walked out of there $280 poorer with all the vaccinations and medications. The way Brian and I see things, we took Grady indoors into a warm, safe, clean environment where he will get fed and cuddled regularly, so he's better off than he was a week ago. If we see down the road that the cat is uncomfortable or sick, we'll try our best to treat him in order to maintain a certain comfort level. We don't really know what our options are, though. The vet made it sound like we either spend all this money on treatment now or not adopt him. Which means we'd either put him back out on the street or take him to a shelter where he'd probably be euthanized. We're thinking, what if we keep him at home, but don't treat him? Would that be terrible? Would Grady be suffering? This is our dilemma...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Grady is home!
The rescue mission went very smoothly. Our friends knew we were coming at 10 to pick Grady up, so they fed him shortly before our arrival so that he'd be nearby and ready to go. They scooped him up and, with little effort, dropped him into our cat carrier for Brian to load into the car. Grady was very vocal during the car ride and clearly didn't like being trapped. His meows are more like baby wails - guttural cries to signal danger... I'm hoping his voice might soften after being indoors for a while.
Upon opening the cat carrier in the living room, Grady cautiously explored his new home. He hid under the couch for a bit, but I coaxed him out with treats. I picked him up and placed him in his litter box, but he wasn't having any of it. After a few more minutes of acclimating to his surroundings, we showed him his scratching pad sprinkled with cat nip. He loved it... rolled around on it, licked it, and then tried to squat and pee on it. I snatched him up and plopped him down in the litter box and he used it! Yay! Later on, he went #1 and 2 in the basement litter box, completely on his own. So yay, he's house trained! That was easy.
We let him explore the house on his own for a little while... He liked our nook on the second floor the best and every time I would creep upstairs to check on him, he'd be laying on the bathroom rug. He found one of the few scraps of soft flooring that we have and he claimed it as his own. Then it dawned on me to show him the cat bed that we bought for him, duh. Of course, he snuggled right into it.
Grady is a great sleeper. Almost too great. In fact, Brian and I are a little worried that he might have some of thyroid disfunction causing him to be lethargic... he's got a couple other symptoms that are of concern, as well. So, in addition to his SPCA appointment to get neutered and vaccinated, I made an appointment at our local vet's office for tomorrow evening. He will likely have his ears cleaned out, get de-wormed, and be given anti-flea medication. Hopefully a little TLC will be all Grady needs to be healthy and happy!
Introducing, Grady:
Upon opening the cat carrier in the living room, Grady cautiously explored his new home. He hid under the couch for a bit, but I coaxed him out with treats. I picked him up and placed him in his litter box, but he wasn't having any of it. After a few more minutes of acclimating to his surroundings, we showed him his scratching pad sprinkled with cat nip. He loved it... rolled around on it, licked it, and then tried to squat and pee on it. I snatched him up and plopped him down in the litter box and he used it! Yay! Later on, he went #1 and 2 in the basement litter box, completely on his own. So yay, he's house trained! That was easy.
We let him explore the house on his own for a little while... He liked our nook on the second floor the best and every time I would creep upstairs to check on him, he'd be laying on the bathroom rug. He found one of the few scraps of soft flooring that we have and he claimed it as his own. Then it dawned on me to show him the cat bed that we bought for him, duh. Of course, he snuggled right into it.
Grady is a great sleeper. Almost too great. In fact, Brian and I are a little worried that he might have some of thyroid disfunction causing him to be lethargic... he's got a couple other symptoms that are of concern, as well. So, in addition to his SPCA appointment to get neutered and vaccinated, I made an appointment at our local vet's office for tomorrow evening. He will likely have his ears cleaned out, get de-wormed, and be given anti-flea medication. Hopefully a little TLC will be all Grady needs to be healthy and happy!
Introducing, Grady:
Friday, November 9, 2007
The News!
So... That news I was going to announce next week? Yeah... I can't wait any longer. It's no secret anymore... Are you ready?
Brian and I are adding another member to Wagner's House! Yippee!
Yes, we have plans to adopt a cute, cuddly cat. (What? Were you thinking something else? Tsk tsk...)
On Halloween night, while visiting our friends in their garage*, we met Grady and (I) fell in love. He's the friendliest cat ever! And cute. Our friends made him a bed out of a cardboard box lined with hay so that he'd be warm at night and they've been feeding him daily for almost a year. They've built a relationship with the cat and say that he'd be a great addition to any family... they would probably have taken him inside already had it not been for their other three house cats.
I grew up with cats and love them, but it's been about 10 years since I've lived with one. Brian had a dog when he was a kid, but it died when he was (I think) still quite young, probably 20 years ago. He's not exactly a "cat person," but I (maybe mistakenly) just interpret that to mean he's never had experience with cats. It's no big deal, I say. Ha ha!
We had been discussing the adoption of a rescue cat for a few weeks. Brian is graciously open to the idea, although he does admit that it would never had crossed his mind had it not been for me. See how much he loves me? He's willing to torture himself... what? NO! Not torture... he's opening his heart and home to a lovable kitty. There will be much cuddling and laser-pointer chasing. It will be fantastic. Will. Be. Fantastic. (I promise!)
After even more discussion when we met Grady,Brian caved Brian and I decided together that we should take him home with us. We went to PetSmart this week and I emptied my wallet buying a bed, litter box, carrier, food, brush, toys, etc. Last night, we set everything up for the little guy to feel at home. The plan is to pick him up tomorrow morning!
Of course I have an appointment set up for his vaccinations and neutering (poor lil' guy!), but since I went through the SPCA and their spots fill up fast, the appointment isn't until November 21. Meanwhile, I'll brush him and clean the city grime from his fur, teach him about litter boxes, and feed him some delicious flavors of Friskies. (Seriously - Country Style Dinner, Shredded Turkey and Cheese? These sound tasty.)
I can't wait to show Grady his new home... and take lots of pictures and make LOLCats! Yay!
*Our friends own a ~4 car garage behind their house. The inside is decorated with all sorts of English/beer/sports car/Baltimore paraphernalia, including a Jaguar dashboard on the wall with actual beer taps attached. Behind the wall is an industrial sized refrigerator with room for 3 kegs, at least one of which is always active. It's a place for neighbors to gather and socialize, and a place for cats to keep warm behind fridges. We love our friends and their garage.
Brian and I are adding another member to Wagner's House! Yippee!
Yes, we have plans to adopt a cute, cuddly cat. (What? Were you thinking something else? Tsk tsk...)
On Halloween night, while visiting our friends in their garage*, we met Grady and (I) fell in love. He's the friendliest cat ever! And cute. Our friends made him a bed out of a cardboard box lined with hay so that he'd be warm at night and they've been feeding him daily for almost a year. They've built a relationship with the cat and say that he'd be a great addition to any family... they would probably have taken him inside already had it not been for their other three house cats.
I grew up with cats and love them, but it's been about 10 years since I've lived with one. Brian had a dog when he was a kid, but it died when he was (I think) still quite young, probably 20 years ago. He's not exactly a "cat person," but I (maybe mistakenly) just interpret that to mean he's never had experience with cats. It's no big deal, I say. Ha ha!
We had been discussing the adoption of a rescue cat for a few weeks. Brian is graciously open to the idea, although he does admit that it would never had crossed his mind had it not been for me. See how much he loves me? He's willing to torture himself... what? NO! Not torture... he's opening his heart and home to a lovable kitty. There will be much cuddling and laser-pointer chasing. It will be fantastic. Will. Be. Fantastic. (I promise!)
After even more discussion when we met Grady,
Of course I have an appointment set up for his vaccinations and neutering (poor lil' guy!), but since I went through the SPCA and their spots fill up fast, the appointment isn't until November 21. Meanwhile, I'll brush him and clean the city grime from his fur, teach him about litter boxes, and feed him some delicious flavors of Friskies. (Seriously - Country Style Dinner, Shredded Turkey and Cheese? These sound tasty.)
I can't wait to show Grady his new home... and take lots of pictures and make LOLCats! Yay!
*Our friends own a ~4 car garage behind their house. The inside is decorated with all sorts of English/beer/sports car/Baltimore paraphernalia, including a Jaguar dashboard on the wall with actual beer taps attached. Behind the wall is an industrial sized refrigerator with room for 3 kegs, at least one of which is always active. It's a place for neighbors to gather and socialize, and a place for cats to keep warm behind fridges. We love our friends and their garage.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
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