Cheeseburgers do a body good! ( alternatively titled - cat lady talks cat )

Riley is 20 now.  He's bony and cranky and sleeps a lot which is probably quite normal for a cat his age.
But recently he started losing more weight than the doc was comfortable with so I needed to address that.

His cat food has been upped to the point where he gets at least twice what the other cats do, and his reward for his Monday vet trip has become a stop at McDonald's on the way home to pick up a cheeseburger which he loves. Giving him a quarter tablet of an appetite stimulant in the morning is a regular thing, and a package of hot dogs in the fridge are there just for Riley. He gets to lick the ice cream bowl and anything that has contained some kind of cheese product. He is enjoying his old age!

One of the last visits to the vet - they had to feel his belly to make sure he wasn't constipated - he had gained so much weight!  You wouldn't know to look at him probably, he's still a skinny old guy, but not like before. He still tends to look rumpled and and squinty and disgruntled a lot of the time ...

And his Yoda ears crack me up.

He has to be on my lap all the time ..

.. and if I'm not petting him, he's asking why!

He stalks me while I'm eating ..

.. and sometimes helps himself when I'm not looking!

Wheat Thins!

He enjoys his Monday cheeseburgers ..

... and synchronise sleeps with Norah.

Sometimes he shares space with Abby ...

.. sort of.

Mostly - he's as happy as a crabby ol' man cat can be these days!

.. and since we lost Jake - I can't help but give Riley as much attention as I reasonably can.  And what's a few cheeseburgers between friends, anyway?

In my next life ..

..I mean really, wouldn't it be great to be able to stretch out and nap wherever you wanted to - regardless of anything going on around you?  Nice.  This crabby old man cat increasingly just wants to be with me, on me, near me.  I think he's getting close to the end of his road, he's tired.  He sleeps on my bed most nights, and many times during the day as well.  His life seems to revolve around me now.  That's okay, he could be in pain or uncomfortable or unable to eat or something, but he's not.  So I'll let him sleep on my bed or my foot or wherever if it makes him happy.

On the other hand, he could be putting on a good act just to get more attention.  He's not above that kind of subterfuge.

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And then, there’s Riley~

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He's called the crabby old man cat for a reason.  According to the vet Riley is around 17 years old.  Pretty old for a kitty.  He is the only boy out of 4 cats, yet he has a stuffed lamb as a girlfriend.  Don't ask.
 
He's never been one for cuddling, or much of a lap cat.  He has always been more of the stereotypical ‘aloof’ cat, content to ignore the humans in the room unless they can be useful to him.
 

Now, as he's gotten older, he has become my shadow.  When I am sitting, he is sitting next to me, sometimes on me which is unheard of with him.  Used to be he would nip when he decided he was done being petted, now he will sit and purr and keep asking for more with his eyes - forever.


Makes me crazy that this crabby old man shed-machine is on me, all. the. time.  But on the other hand .. how soon will I be wishing he was still here to 'bother' me some more?  So I pet him and baby him and let him sit on me, and laugh when he sits on the back of the couch and head butts my head. 



I mean really, crabby old man cats don't last forever, y'know?


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Okay so I’m crabby.

I’m not too incredibly crabby. Just a bit cranky. I thought – I’ll get into the kitchen and get my lunch ready for tomorrow early. After that I’ll get my tea ready, my meds ready for morning and I’ll be able to enjoy a few hours without thinking about what I have to do next.

I made my container of roughage err salad, I had chopped up all the lettuce last night, made sure I mixed in the carrots and everything. I cut up a new cucumber, boiled a few eggs and crumbled them. I had all the ingredients so I made it with no trouble.

My tea on the other hand, was another story. I make 2 travel mugs, one is lemon tea and the other is Tetley. I drink the lemon at home while getting ready for work and the Tetley I drink at my desk when I get to work. I had NO EQUAL. Use real sugar? I DO! The Equal is to stop me from using 7 teaspoons per mug. I like it sweet, okay?

Yeah, and then I have no apples. I wanted an apple in my lunch! So while I do enjoy my whining time I decided to do something about it instead.

“ANDY!!!!!”

Yes, I yelled for my son who is now getting me some Equal, a gallon of skim milk, and a bag o’ apples. Yay me!

My meds are ready, set in their cup with care and in a little while with goodies – my son will appear!

Okay, enough of that crap. I might not be so crabby once I have my makeup off, moisturizer on, and my head snuggled deep in the pillows.

Listening to my forensic shows as I drift off. Sounds soothing, doesn’t it? I think so!