Apparently, my blog went on vacation for a week

Well now, that's interesting.

I haven't blogged in a week.

Funny, I guess I didn't have much to say.

And, last week was just one of those weeks (you know, the kind I seem to have every other week). I was not feeling the urge to blog. I was avoiding Twitter (shocking, I know).

I guess maybe I was regrouping.

Admittedly, I was in a bit of a funk.

One of my very good friends even called me last Thursday to see if all was "OK" because I was 'too quiet' on Twitter.

Yes, dear readers, I am OK.

So, what was going on?

Well, the biggest thing was this - I had to give away my cat. I had to give away my great Gatsby. I am not going to get into the reasons for it, but after loving her for nine years, I had to do it. I feel horrible about it. I feel guilty. I feel like an awful person. I miss her terribly, but I know we did the right thing. And I know that someone else will love her just as much as I do.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

And now, I'm back.
I'm blogging.
I'm loving this spring weather.
I'm eagerly counting down the days until we leave for Disney!

Life with cats...

We have two cats - Daisy and Gatsby (named after two of the lead characters in "The Great Gatsby").

Gatsby is real easy-going, never meows, very mellow. Daisy is high-maintenance, meows all the time, purrs as loud as an out board motor on a small motor boat.

Daisy is also suffering yet again from another health issue. Last summer she had to get almost all of her teeth pulled due to advanced gum disease. Apparently it was genetic - according to the vet.

Now, she's got more health issues -- although the vet isn't sure what exactly is wrong. Could just be a urinary tract infection (aren't you glad I shared THAT with you?), or it could be something with the kidneys. We won't know for certain until the test results come back today. Either way, the "diagnostic" visit on Monday cost $322. I need to get pet insurance.

As it is, Daisy is currently spending her days and nights in our office -- away from the other animals. She is most unhappy about this. Gatsby is spending her days and nights outside the office door, trying to get to her best friend. Poor kitty.

A Daisy update

Picked up Daisy today at 8:30 a.m.

She seems to be doing OK. I have her separated from the other animals -- will probably keep her that way until at least Monday. So, she's in the guest room with food, water and a litter box.

The vet pulled all of her upper teeth, except the little ones in front. So, basically my Daisy has not top teeth. I guess she was in bad shape. The vet said that had we not brought her in yesterday for the unexplainable limping, things would have gone very differently. (I think that means Daisy would have died from the infection....which makes me very, very sad).

I have pain meds for the next 2 days for her, and antibiotics. I hope she cooperates and takes her medicine like a good kitty should.

I apologized to her this morning -- I told her I was sorry she had to go through all this. She seemed to be in a forgiving mood -- she was purring loudly as I told her.

And, a word of warning to all you cat owners out there: check your cat's teeth. Take them to the vet and get them cleaned. No kitty should have to endure what Daisy just wne through.

Daisy Maisy

This is Daisy and Gatsby....they are my kitty babies. Daisy is the black & white cat. She was my first "baby."

Daisy is currently at the vet being evaluated. She was limping around the house today, acting very lethargic. She's always a bit stand-offish (except to me), but today she was unusually grumpy and she was actually looking at my whimpering.

I'm very worried about her. I will post more when the vet calls me.

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. - The vet just called. I am a bad kitty mommy, apparently. Daisy has advanced periodontal disease (basically some of her teeth are rotting out). I had no idea that was even possible. Guess I should have been better informed. As I said, bad mommy.

Anyway, they are pulling at least 2 of her teeth (her adorable fang teeth....very sad). Doc says its a bad infection. I just hope it hasn't spread to her bloodstream. They still don't know why she's limping....I think she hurt herself jumping off the washing machine yesterday. They were going to do an x-ray before her surgery.

She won't be staying overnight because, as the vet put it, "this cat won't do well at the hospital." Translation - my little Daisy is a very unhappy kitty and will probably kill the vet if she stays overnight. Think Cujo on a feline level. That's Daisy when she's irritated. And I'm sure she's very, very irritated right now. So, I will be nursing Daisy back to health.

Oh yeah, price tag for having cat teeth pulled (along w/ all other diagnostic stuff): $400. I need pet health insurance.

UPDATE - 6:30 p.m. - Talked to the vet at 6:30. He had just finished working on Daisy. Apparently he took photos of her rotted teeth to show me (presumably to show me what a bad cat owner I really am). He said he had to pull many of her top teeth, including her oh-so-adorable "vampire" fangs (the canines). I loved those fangs. They were so "Daisy." But if it was going to ease her pain, then it's worth it. Now she'll just have to gum her food, I guess.

He said the rest of her bloodwork was good -- the infection from her mouth hadn't spread. This is a good thing. I was afraid that it might have gone to her bloodstream. That would have been BAD. However, he was still unable to examine her hindquarters -- or determine the reason for her limping today. He hopes to do that tomorrow morning.

And so, he is keeping her overnight. So, my baby kitty is (hopefully) resting somewhat comfortably at the vet's tonight. She was on some sort of morphine-type drip for the pain. I am going to have to nurse her back to health over the next few days. I'm just hoping that she comes out of it OK and is back to her Daisy ways very soon. I miss my kitty.

Oh yeah. Final price tag: $540. Ouch.