Easing back into the blog

After Maggie crossed the Rainbow Bridge we decided to take a break and regroup. She was so important to us little kittens. We weren't sure how to continue the blog without her voice. When Jasper started the blog he was our age, and he had kitten versions of Huggy Bear, Josie and Maggie to post about. The blog passed in succession to the next senior cat: Josie, HB, and then Maggie. But Aslan and I (Loki) are the same age and joined the family together. So we're going to take turns blogging depending on what's going on. 

We are both very loving cats but I'm more of a therapy cat, especially for Mom when she is stressed or upset. I'll climb on her and just love on her. I'm not sure how I know — I just do. 

Aslan is the cat who is always in the room with you. We're both cautious cats, but he's really cautious. But he also always wants to be present when Mom or Dad are doing something. He may be just out of reach to pet, but he's there. 

We'll try real hard to keep updates. I need to find a good "Loki in the Christmas tree" picture because that's been my game lately. 

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Loki

Goodbye dear friends

Today was the day I was dreading, but also knew was coming. I crossed the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon a little after 5:00 pm. I had been fighting lymphoma for a while now, and over the past week or two I was starting to retain fluids. My body was getting weak and I was spending more and more time hiding under the bed. 

Mom took me to the vet yesterday and the vet said I only had a day or two. Unfortunately, she was right. Despite helping hydrate me, my body was just giving up. 

So Dad took the day off and I spent all day with Mom and Dad. I had wet food, rotisserie chicken, whipped cream, and ate Chick-fil-A out of Dad's hand. They made sure I had a good day. 

I'm going to miss my little brothers Loki and Aslan. Aslan was my shadow, and I had finally gotten ok with the boys being around. But I'm with Jasper, Josie, and Huggy Bear now — all four of the original McKitten-Cats reunited. 

Mom and Dad told me I was the best little girl cat they could have ever had. I didn't want to leave them, but it was time. I love them so much. I curled up against Dad's feet the other night and just purred and purred. Then today I just stayed in Mom's arms and napped against her hand like a pillow. 

 

From the time I was a kitten they didn't think I was going to make it. I was sick, which is how I lost my eye. So Mom spoiled me so much and gave me the best life. And I made it 16 years. Not too bad…

(The boys will eventually take over the blog. I realized today they are the age Jasper was when the blog first started.)

Thank you all for your love and support and visits over the years. I truly treasure my blog friends and I know there are blogging friends at the Bridge waiting for me. Snuggle with your people tonight and purr for them. Life is short. 

Maggie McKitten-Cat

6/17/2005 — 10/20/2021 

Eating in harmony

Sometimes we do this. We're all enjoying our food together in harmony, no one nudging into another bowl. My brothers are pretty good about letting me eat, but Mom and Dad don't let them bully me away from the food either. You can see how tiny I look beside them. They are growing into big boy cats. But I'm still the boss. 

Mom’s clothes

Mom has been working really hard these past six months with a new fitness program (meal plan and exercise) and two days ago she purged a ton of clothes from her closet that were all too big for her now. They are all folded on the guest bed for Mom to go through and pull some for a friend who could use them. This morning Aslan found the stacks of clothes and decided they would make a good cat bed. How can he be so sweet and such a stinker at the same time? 

Our album cover

We don't have an album coming out. We don't even have a band, or a band name. But if we ever do I'm sure this will be our first album cover. 

Feeling puny

I've been feeling a little under the weather lately. I'm still on my steroid regime and get B12 shots twice a month (Mom and Dad are going to start doing those so I don't have to ride to the vet) but this past week I've been feeling puny. The vet suggested decreasing my steroid dose last visit to every other day and I think it got me goofed up. So Mom and Dad tried a half dose every day and that didn't cut it either. So I'm back up to my regular daily dose but it's got me out of sorts. My tummy isn't right either. I hadn't been eating much until this morning I ate some wet food. Mom and Dad were encouraged by this so Mom refreshed the crunchy food so it was all fresh and good smelling and then fixed a small portion in a bowl for me and slid it under the bed (because that's where I've been hanging out—not the picture above, which is me on a blanket DKM made me but a better picture than me under the bed). So I did eat a few morsels of my new fresh food. Then of course brother Aslan had to come and eat some of my food—not the fresh big bowl of food but the stuff under the bed. That's what brothers will do, I guess. 

So I'd you could send a few healing purrs my way that would be great. Mom and Dad are very anxious right now. I have been getting up in bed with them at night, which they take as a good sign, but Mom's not too happy about me hiding under the bed most of the day.  Thanks friends! 

Aslan on the stairs

Aslan is such a floofy handsome boy. He is my constant shadow, except during Kitty Cat Nap Time when Loki and I nap and he hangs out with Mom (because he chooses not to nap). 

Nose and toes

Happy napping cat …

Happy 16th birthday to me!

Today is my 16th birthday! I had a nice relaxing day, kind of like my non-birthday days. I did get some birthday snuggling time in with Mom. Today is her birthday too (she's not 16 — maybe in cat years. Does that translate backward?). And as is our tradition, Dad fixed a Stinky Goodness cake shaped like the year. (It got a little blurry, but you get the point.)

The cake…

Whatcha doing?

Mom was trying to have a snack and play a game on her iPad while talking to Dad on the phone. We really wanted to know what she was eating (boiled peanuts). Forget that we all just had treats — her food was surely better. 

Loki's new favorite bed and Aslan's new job

Loki loves a good cozy bed. Mom and Dad were in Atlanta a few weekends ago and brought us this bed back. Loki took to it immediately and has loved sleeping in it.

He is so cute. I love how he is peeking over the floof of the bed. It makes Mom very happy to have a cat who actually sleeps in the beds they buy us. 

Also, Mom bought us a new Fish Taco Food Truck scratcher from Target. Aslan claimed it right away, and he's been sleeping all stretched out on the top of it the entire day.

I think he's going to get put to work if he stays this cute in the Taco Truck.

Missing Huggy Bear

 I really can't believe it's been two years since Huggy Bear crossed the Bridge.

 

Huggy Bear was my big brother, but he was also my best friend, and it was rare that you would see one of us without the other nearby. I guess I was his shadow the way Aslan wants to be my shadow (without all the hissing).

Huggy Bear was such a great cat, with an instant purr, and always so happy to see you whenever someone came into the room. And he was so funny because he loved to lay on the TV remotes. We all miss him so much, but we know he's at peace with Jasper and Josie. He would have had a lot of fun playing with Aslan and Loki. House Panthers are so special, indeed.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Today is Aslan and Loki’s second birthday! As is our tradition we had a Stinky Goodness cake in the shape of a 2. 

The boys let me sample the cake first. Aslan was a little skeptical because it wasn’t his normal wet food. 

Loki with the 2 cake. 

Loki was a good sport and wore the party hat. 

The cake!

Loki with Mom. We offered Mom and Dad some cake but they said “no thank you.” Aslan didn’t want to wear the hat. 

Loki being cute

 

 

Loki loves when Mom is home. He's such a sweet boy, and a super big helper whenever she is doing something. This past year with Mom working from home has spoiled him a little. 

In memory of Jasper on his birthday

Today would have been Jasper's 19th birthday. The photo on the left was Jasper as a kitten when he first came home to live with Mom and Dad. The picture on the right was Jasper at 15 years old. Jasper was a great big brother, and laid the groundwork for the rest of us McKitten-Cats. I wish Aslan and Loki had gotten a chance to meet him. He probably would have bopped them on the head with his big paws -- Jasper was funny that way. Well, maybe I'll bop them today for him. We miss you, big guy!

Still a little off

My tummy is still a little off so I had another vet visit yesterday and they put me on some meds that worked well in the past. The antibiotics just weren't cutting it so we're trying something else. If that doesn't work we'll do more tests, so paws crossed this does the trick. 

So, funny story. Aslan likes to put his toys in the water bowl. Last night he rediscovered a red fuzzy ball that he was having a blast playing with. In the middle of the night he must have put it in his water bowl, then decided to give it to Mom (while she's asleep). She woke up thinking the roof was leaking and really confused about this wet ball in her hand. (Better than a bug — that happened once too.) 

Aslan’s tuffet

It's so funny — Aslan was so unsure of this tuffet when Dad brought it home from Mom's theatre. (It was a set piece in a show and they didn't want it getting goofed up in storage so it came home for safe keeping — and cats.) Aslan would approach it like it was an intruder, pat at it, then take off. Now this is his favorite spot to be when we are all downstairs. (He's my shadow so he's usually near me.) He's awfully cute in this picture, showing off for the camera. 

——

A little while back I had posted about a vet visit. I've been on two rounds of an antibiotic. I'm acting more like myself and, although my litter box visits are still not quite like they should be, things are improving. Thanks for the purrs. Keep 'em coming. 

Brothers

These boys are such buddies. They often lay exactly the same way, and while they don't snuggle, they do hang out together. Tonight, they are fussing about how Dad almost stepped on Loki coming down the stairs. Fortunately Dad sidestepped quickly but scared the daylights out of Loki. On the plus side, they got some extra treats out of it. 

Aslan is bored

Dad is having to do some continuing ed on Zoom. Aslan is not impressed with the current speaker. 

Vet visit

Well I had to go to the vet today. My tummy hasn't been right and I've been having some loose, nasty-smelling poops. I've been acting ok, actually playful like the boys, and not showing any distress. But my body was telling on me. It's a good thing I went. Turns out I have colitis and haven't been digesting my food. I'm a tiny girl and really can't stand to lose much weight. I also have an ear infection, which is rare for cats but I somehow managed to do it. So I have some meds and ear drops and am back home now. On the plus side, other than my white blood cell count being high, the rest of my bloodwork came back really good — kidneys and liver both looking good. 

Brothers doing brother things

"No, we're not up to anything..."

Channeling his inner Huggy Bear

Last night Aslan snuggled up against Dad the way Huggy Bear always would, stretched out and pressed up against Dad's body with his back leg up over Dad's arm. Huggy Bear would always kick that back leg up. This was one of the first times Aslan did this and it made Dad so happy. Aslan has his moments where he reminds us of HB and Jasper so much. He's such a good boy. 

Happy boy

Aslan loves Mom so much. He's so relaxed and happy doing upside-down cat as Mom pets his tummy. 

Yesterday I was curled up against Dad's leg and my other brother Loki came and plopped onto Dad's lap and half onto me. Dad thought it was kind of funny, except for the part where I got mad and left. Brothers! 

Buddies

Aslan is my shadow. He loves to be near me. Some days it makes me hiss. Tonight I'm just purring contentedly in my sleep. This picture made Mom and Dad very happy. 

Three years

I can't believe it's been three years since my sink loving big brother crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He was such a great big brother. I'm trying hard to teach Aslan and Loki how to be like him. Aslan certainly has his Jasper moments. Jasper, we miss you bunches.