StrangeRanger

A few pics

This week I've been doing more watching of Le Tour de France (sponsored by PlasmaBarn) than preparing for a witty and scintillating Catblogging post.  Granted, wit and scintillas (scintillae?)are in short supply around here anyways, so, on to the cats  (yay!).

Here's Maddie, demonstrating one of her new tricks:  scratching her face without sitting down.

Now, I don't know if this is a normal activity for a cat but it's certainly new for Maddie.  She's got to go in for her yearly check-up soon, so I'll get the vet to see if there's a reason Maddie isn't sitting on her rump like she used to.  Any ideas from cat-blog-land?

Last weekend, LadyRanger and I had dinner on the piazza out back. 

It was a lovely day, quite unusual for july in these climes.  We had the windows open all day and Maddie enjoyed them all.  Late in the evening though, we saw this:

Ivy spent some time in the window.  I doubt she wants to go out and stay out, but she was curious about the night sounds and smells.  Sorry for the poor quality of the pic.  I know it doesn't do Granny-cat justice (and it shows off untidiness, which LadyRanger will not appreciate). 

To finish the pics, here's one of Maddie showing off one of her oldest tricks:  relaxing in the sun and watching the household go by.

One other news phenomenon I've been following this week has been the story of Oscar, and now the story of Max, the cats who have been attending the deaths of people in nursing homes.  I don't know how these cats do what they do.  I do not think that they are, as the media seems intent on portraying, little furry breath-stealing death ninjas.  I  think these cats know what they know and are engaged in a signal act of compassion.  I can think of very few things save the presence of my family that would comfort me more in my final hours than a cat curled up at the foot of my bed.  I can only hope to be so lucky.

A really good nap

Not much to say this week.  Inspired by the cats, I decided to nap most of the week.  No pictures exist of me napping, but somnolent cats are well-documented:

Maddie didn't so much as twitch a whisker when the flash went off.  She even let me pat her tummy and give her a kiss on the cheek.

This is *not* a stretch, not some fleeting moment caught by the camera.  Ivy actually sleeps like this.  Didn't so much as twitch a whisker when the flash went off.  Didn't give her a pat, 'cause she's easier to disturb than Maddie, but gosh isn't she sweet?

Remember, this is a trained sleep professional, kids, don't try this at home!

Time Sharing the Sunpuddle

It's been a hectic week, nay, a frantic week here at Chez-Ranger, but we all seem to have come through unscathed.  Suprisingly, Maddie and Ivy seemed to have worked out a time-share agreement onthe sunpuddle:  when Maddie doesn't want it, Ivy gets it.  Not exactly equitable, but since Catzilla likes naps on the bed at least two mornings a week, Ivy gets some sun time.  Here are the pics to prove it:

Maddie is staring at one of those things cats can see but we can't.  Quite unnerving at times, but it got her to hold still for yet another portrait.

Ivy likes to have a look around in the morning to see if Maddie's about to jump her claim.

Ivy is doing well.  She's getting around much better now that she's had the trim.  We're taking her back to the vet on monday for more thyroid work, to see if the meds are doing a suficient job.  Both cats seem to be relishing the kidney-formula food, so all is good there.    We're hoping we can keep Ivy healthy enough for another year or more at least.  I think we can; the tuxie is a scrapper, after all.

New Rug

Well, after nine years of saving and threatening, LadyRanger went out and bought a new rug for the dinning room.  It's not a terribly exalted, high-zoot rug, but we're assured that it's made from the finest Persian Nylon, and it sure is pretty.  Hate to admit it (after nine years of studied indifference to the rug situation) but it really does finish the room.   Anyway, who gives a darn about how we like it.  The important question is:  what do the cats think about it?  Let's see:

Well, what do you think?

Seems okay.  Feels good on the tummy.

The investigation continued for quite a while.  The cats finally reach a conclusion:

Okay.  It can stay.  MY rug.

Okay.  It can stay.  MY rug.

Of course, now both the girls seem to enjoy scratching on their rug.  Amazingly, Ivy seems to know what "No" means, even spoken gently.  We fear that Maddie may have an encounter with the spray bottle in her future though.  Oh well.  If anyone has ideas about how to keep them from destroying the new rug, please let us know.

Here are a couple of other photos from the same evening or this morning.  I like this first one 'cause you can really get a good look at Ivy.  You can see the sort of bull-doggy set to her front legs that we find so curious.  Never seen a cat like that. 

The vet guesses she had a run-in with a car, perhaps, that re-set her shoulder structure, or that her arthritis is particularly strong in the shoulders.  BTW, please check out the Ivy Update Update Update from last week.  Due to technical issues it didn't get to the carnival in time for Laurence to post it in the main body.  It contains important news from our vet about Ivy's health.

Here are two pics from this morning:  Ivy about to get evicted from the sunpuddle by Maddie, and one of the victorious Maddie posing in the light. 

Lovely, isn't she?  I just wish she'd learn to share a bit more.  Things have calmed down between the girls somewhat.  Ivy's a bit cautious, but when they accidentally come nez-a-nez, the little girl doesn't have an ounce of back-down in her. 

Thanks for sitting all the way through a long post!

Fringe Benefits

Here we see one of the fringe benefits of getting a new rug:  Twine.

Will she take the bait?

Yes!  And Play-Time is ON!

Faster than human devices can record!  There's lightning in those paws, folks!

Ivy Update Update Update

There was a Change of Plan.  You might remember that we'd been planning to take Ivy to the vet for a tooth-cleaning, eye-bump removal and a lion cut, and to talk about the blood work that'd been done for her annual check-up.  We got some news that changed most of the plan.  Turns out that Ivy has developed Feline Hyperthyroidism, and is starting to deal with kidney disease.  These are common enough issues for older cats, and Ivys are not yet too advanced.  With care, and the special kidney-coddling food, and some thyroid meds, we can probably get another happy year or two with her.  I found it interesting that hyperthyroid can actually keep kidney disease at bay.  Dr G wants to find the balancing line between keeping Ivy at weight and heart-healthy by treating the thyroid problems, and still keep the kidneys from deteriorating.  Right now, the biggest problem we've got is trying to figure out how to keep Ivy out of Maddie's non-kidney-coddling food.  Anyway, Ivy hasn't lost any weight recently, weighing in at 10 pounds and she's not restless.  She's bright-eyed and interested in her surroundings and as playful as a geriatric cat can be, so we're optimistic. 

Now for the important news:  yes, she got the lion cut:

  Brrrrrrr...I'm cold

The doc decided that, given the hyperthyroid, it would be a bad idea to sedate her, so the tooth cleaning and eye-bump removal have been put on hold.  The buzz went on as scheduled, and Ivy took it quite well.  As you can see, there is a lot less of this cat than I had thought. 

  Not nearly as much tummy on her as I had imagined.  Of course, she's still got more on her than when we found her.

Ivy is moving around much better since all the mats got shaved off, and she is the most marvelously velvety little creature I've ever petted.  I've started calling her "our little Velvet Elvis".  LadyRanger rolls her eyes at me.  A lot.  At least I've managed to keep the "Kojak" remarks to a minimum... Our girl has adapted well, and is back to serious napping:

We'll do our best to take care of her.  If anyone has any suggestions or advice for us, we'd be happy to hear it.  Keep the foundling in your thoughts.

Catching up with Maddie

Maddie's been having a good week.  She's had a chance to take her sunpuddle back, and she's more photogenic than ever in it:

Lovely eyes, huh?  Maddie also had a chance to nap on the computer room couch.  She and Ivy were both sacked out, but Maddie won this particular contest of cute.  And here, for Fiona, are Maddie's Wee Feet:

This was a very peaceful snooze, especially given the fact that Ivy was only two feet away.  Maybe there's hope...