On the cat tree

We are so happy to see Aslan out and acting more like himself. You can't see it, but he's getting his nip dynamite here. Hopefully this is a sign that he's ready to venture our from under the bed. 

Under the bed again

Aslan went back under the bed eight days ago. Mom and Dad had been out of town for a funeral and after they came home he and I had a little spat and he decided to go under the bed. Today he finally came out and snuggled with Mom for a good long time. (He did pop out Sunday for a second when he realized Dad had food but quickly went back under.) The photo is him about to come out to visit Mom. Hopefully this is a quick thing. Last time was five weeks. 

We're not sure what triggers it. Mom and Dad think the outdoor cats who visit the deck get me fired up and get Aslan anxious, which is a bad combo. So now we need to figure out what to do about the outside visits. We like to help care for them, especially with winter coming, but if it continues to cause issues with Aslan and me then hard decisions need to be made. Mom and Dad would love to find home for the two sweet, social ones. There's a more feral boy cat who we think is the real problem. We just aren't sure what's best. 

Up in the tree

Baby girl (the outside cat who visits us for snacks) was playing in the tree outside the kitchen window this past weekend. We're not sure what her goal was, but Dad coaxed her down before she got too far up.

She's very sweet and Mom and Dad are trying to socialize her so she ::might:: join our crew. It really depends on how our health is after my big health scare and Aslan's six weeks hanging out under the bed. Mom and Dad are cautious about introducing a source of stress. But we visit at the back door and don't act out. So paws crossed … 

I’m home with new boots!

I'm home after a three-day adventure in the very hospital. On Friday they discovered that I had a blockage in my bladder that wasn't letting me urinate so my bladder was distended and I was in all kinds of pain. My kidney levels were through the roof. The vet was able to catheterize me and drain my bladder. Mom and Dad visited me and snuggled me and I fell asleep in Mom's arms. It wasn't the kind of adventure I was expecting this weekend. But I'm healthy again and home. And I'm sporting some cool Ugg-style boots until my furs grow back. This was super stressful for all involved. I'm happy to be back home, even if Aslan is a little out of sorts and hissing at me. He's coming back around. I just smell like the vet. I get it. I'm not sure why I developed a blood clot that clogged things up but I'm starting on a new kidney food so hopefully this won't happen again. Keeping purring that things continue to go well. I'll keep you posted. 

On the mend

So I'm having an adventure that I really hadn't expected. On Thursday I was being very lethargic so Mom took me to the vet. My blood tests were OK expect for a heart enzyme that was concerning. Friday I was in lots of pain and I kept trying to use the litter box but nothing was happening. Mom took me back to the vet and they said I had a bladder blockage and I needed to go to the emergency vet. As soon as I came in they swept me away to get a catheter and have my bladder drained. Turns out I had a blood clot blocking my urethra and my kidney levels were elevated. I'm spending a few days at the vet hospital recovering. Last night they said my kidney levels are down which is great news for me to return home. Mom and Dad are going to come visit this morning and hopefully I'll start eating again. I'm ready to come home. Mom, Dad and Aslan really miss me, and I'm ready to come home where there are no weird noises and I can rest. I did fall asleep in Mom's arms yesterday so maybe I'll get some rest again today. 

Pretty much back to normal

Aslan is pretty much back to his normal self. He's remembered how much he likes tormenting Mom by knocking everything off her bedside table and then being super sweet and sleeping at her feet in the morning like he didn't wake her up a dozen times during the night. Mom and Dad were hoping during his time under the bed he would have unlearned that one behavior. But he's such a good boy that they just give him all the treats anyway. Thanks to everyone for their support while he was going through his under-the-bed phase. 

Trying to play

I was trying to get Aslan to play again today but you can see my his expressing that he wasn't having any of it. He wanted to relax and chill in bed with Mom and I wanted to run and chase again. That's OK, we don't always want to play at the same time. At least he's out and not hissing at me. 

Play time!

Aslan and I played together yesterday. Actually played! Not fighting, not swatting at each other, no hissing. He would dart out from the bed and we would chase each other, then he'd hide again and start over. We were super cute and kitteny, but no good pictures because we were so fast. 

Downstairs!

Aslan came downstairs last night for the first time in about seven weeks. He had made it halfway down the stairs a few times but never all the way downstairs until last night. Mom was meal prepping for the week and Aslan's under-the-bed food bowl was empty, so he may have been food motivated, but whatever gets him there. He has started lounging on Mom and Dad's bed, and wandering around the upstairs. Dad took the litter box out from under the bed Sunday, which is a big step (and made them very happy). Hopefully Aslan will continue to be a brave boy and get his routine back.

Big steps for Aslan

The last two days Aslan has been acting more like his old self again. He's been coming out from under the bed and snuggling with Mom and Dad for hours, he's been chewing on the straws of their drinks (not Mom and Dad's favorite behavior, but so Aslan), and knocking stuff off the bedside table (also not a favorite, but his normal). Today he and I played in our new scratcher together. He still won't go downstairs, but he's also not just under the bed. 

Aslan sighting

Yesterday when Mom was on the stairs putting her shoes on Aslan came halfway down the stairs and sat with her for a minute before going back up and getting under their bed. Late last night Mom and Dad's had Sonic for a late late dinner (Mom runs a theater and they're in Tech Week) and Aslan popped out for a sec to see what Dad was eating (he loves Sonic). Then today Mom had just gotten out of the shower and she saw him walk down the upstairs hallway to the back room for a minute then go back to his under-bed apartment. It's a start! 

Happy 5th Birthday

April 30 was our fifth birthday! We celebrated with a Stinky Goodness cake topped with Temptations! Moon and Dad made Aslan come out from under the bed to taste some cake, then I got to finish it. I'll add some more pictures later. With all of Aslan's under bed issues I forgot to post this until today. 

Aslan on the stairs

On Saturday Aslan came halfway down the stairs. Mom was putting her shoes on and Dad was by the door and he said, "Slowly look behind you." Dad walked to the kitchen to grab some treats but I was coming from the kitchen toward the stairs and Aslan heard Dad say, "Loki, you want a treat?" Dad was trying to distract me, but Aslan heard him and turned tail and went back to the bed. A few times last week Aslan came out and even got on the bed when Mom had snacks. He's always been food motivated. I think I'll probably spend some time in the bathroom and Mom may try to entice him with some cheese. He needs to get his groove back. But the stairs was a huge step! 

21 Days

Aslan moved under the bed on April 4. It's now been 21 days that he's made under Mom and Dad's bed his apartment. Mom and Dad have a litter box under the bed for him because they were having to lock me in the bathroom so he could come out and use the litter box at the foot of the bed. They still give me a time out every now and then so he has some space. A couple times he has come out when Mom and Dad have food, but then he goes back under. Mom and Dad will force him to come out and put him in their bathroom where there's a cat bed, food, and litter box. He'll lay in the cat bed and let them love on him and he purrs so loudly! 

There are Feliway diffusers all over the house now and they've been sitting a calming spray under the bed and in the bedroom. He has food and water and gets lots of treats. Every now and then we'll hiss and fuss at each other, but other times we're cool together under the bed. He's got a pretty sweet setup, if you ask me. But Mom and Dad are ready for him to come out and hang out with them again. 

Aslan Underbed

Loki here with a little update. I haven't been blogging much, but I need to get back into it. I wanted to take a quick second and update what's going on with the McKitten-Cats. It's been about 11 days since Aslan decided he wanted to be Aslan Underbed. We won't tell Mom and Dad exactly what happened, but we had a little falling out and now Aslan won't come out from under their bed. Dad thinks I was play fighting with him too hard, but it might be a stray girl cat hanging out on our back deck, or the raccoon that Dad saw one night on the deck. But for whatever reason Aslan has taken up residence under the bed. Mom and Dad set a litter box up at the foot of the bed after a tinkle accident (their biggest concern with him not wanting to come out — although he did try to get it on a paper towel that had somehow ended up under the bed), and he has food and water under there. They also have a camera to check on him. Wherever I go under he'll growl at me, which sometimes turns into hissing and tussling. And if he comes out I chase him back under (Mom says that's "bully" and "brat" behavior). This morning Dad was able to scruff him and put him in the big bathroom with food and a litter box and after Dad left for work Mom sat in there with him and he purred for her and loved on her and used the litter box. But as soon as she opened the door he ducked back under the bed. They have Feliway diffusers set up and will keep working with him. But it's really stressing Mom and Dad out a lot. 

Aslan’s closeup

"Oh hey Dad! Were you trying to take my picture?"

New cat bed

Mom and Dad are trying to entice us into this new cat bed/doughnut tunnel/scratcher by putting catnip on it. We're warming up to it, but haven't had it our thing quite yet. 

Synchronized Cat Snacking

Are the Cat Olympics still a thing, because I think we could medal in Synchronized Cat Snacking. Dad has to space the food bowls out just right so we don't get our tails in the other bowl. I guess he doesn't realize that's how we save a little snack for later. 

Double-decker cats

I've been away from the blog for longer than I intended to. It's easy to get distracted when you're a cat and you have a busy schedule of begging for treats, napping on the clean guest bed (gotta get the right amount of cat hair on the duvet), and patrolling for the outdoor cats who have been visiting our deck. 

Here's a rare shot of Aslan and I making on the couch together — double decker style. We don't do this often, and when we do we usually hop down before Dad gets a picture. But we were patient today.