owlmoose | Entries tagged with cats

New Year, new week, new update. I didn't mean to take this long a break from, well, everything, but I did, and I think it was the right choice. A long enough break to miss it? Yes, but I suppose the true test will be whether I start it all up again -- writing, journaling, fandom.

I think a quick year in review is a nice place to start. The best, most exciting thing, of course, is that we adopted some kittens in October -- calico sisters whom we named Katsu and Mochi. They're seven months old now, and they are huge -- at her vet appointment last month, Mochi weighed 8.5 lbs, and Katsu is just under a pound less. They're also the softest kitties in the world, especially Katsu, and adorable trouble-makers, and I love them.

( Pictures! )

Other things that happened include vacations to Hawaii, Maine, and Lake Shasta, reading almost no books but falling down lots of YouTube rabbit holes, sinking lots of hours into Baldur's Gate (and we're only just starting Act 2), and getting the flu for Christmas (I'm pretty sure -- I tested negative for COVID four times, and the symptoms were distinctly flu-like). Fortunately being sick didn't mess with my holiday plans too much, although I took more time off from work than I would have preferred. But overall I would say things are good.

Will I be here more going forward? It's hard to promise anything. But I would like to be. I at least promise to try.

Current Mood: good

Well, hello. There's no way I'm going to catch up on over six months of life in one DW post, so I'm not even going to try. But the highlights:

( Work stuff )
2022 was a bit of a year for me on the health front. ( Health and medical stuff. )
So yeah, I turned 50 in March. Time comes for us all. I didn't get my act together for as much of a celebration as I might have liked, but my friends R & S hosted a birthday brunch for me along with enf, whose birthday is the day after mine. Then T and I hopped up to Napa for the day where we had a fancy lunch and bought many tasty treats, and it was a gorgeous day, a welcome respite from the five million storms we had this winter (maybe you've heard about those; fortunately we live in a neighborhood that isn't at risk of floods or mudslides, but there were a lot of messes around us and I sure got tired of rain).
We continue to live in pandemic mode, even though much of the world has moved on. I do still wear a mask in most indoor settings and avoid indoor restaurant dining as much as possible (T won't do it at all). Maybe it's not necessary, but the fact is that, between cautious behavior and good fortune, I still haven't gotten COVID (as far as I know), and I would prefer to keep it that way. And it's not a big deal for me to wear a mask on transit, or in the grocery store, or at the theater, etc., even if most other people aren't. T's unwillingness to dine indoors, even in the worst weather, is starting to become a concern, but now that spring is upon us it will hopefully be less of an issue for awhile. The bigger deal is that I've finally coaxed him back onto an airplane, and we're going to take our first two real vacations since September 2019: Hawaii at the end of the month, and Maine for a friend's wedding in July. I am super excited for both of these trips and can't believe that Hawaii is only about two weeks away! Unfortunately, though, the trip conflicts with WisCon, so I won't be attending in person. It was a tough decision but ultimately it made the most sense for me. I do plan to attend at least some events virtually.
CW for pet loss and cancer. ( About Tori )

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Final Battle - FFX Soundtrack

By watching YouTube, specifically work-from-home news bloopers. I particularly enjoyed this one, which includes the old classic of the North Korean expert on the BBC when his kids wandered in to the room, but I mostly share it here for the final segments of cats very much being cats, and refusing to be on camera when the reporter actually wanted them there.

I'll write something real tomorrow, I promise.

Current Mood: amused

I am here to compose my daily entry, sitting at my desk, a kitty loaf beside me. Tori used to come bug me while I was working, but then a few years ago we set up a couple of boxes next to the chair and put an afghan on top of them, and now she sits here quietly, waiting for pets. Works great for both of us.

( Cat loaf )

Today I slept in as best I could, given the time change, went out for a late dumpling lunch and boba tea with T, and then hopped across the bay for pizza and Fleabag at E's place. We watched the entire second season in one sitting -- we all preferred it to the first season, but more about that in my media wrap up tomorrow. A nice day, sunny, although with the slightest nip in the air to remind us that winter is around the corner. Let's hope so; we could use the rain.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Stravinsky - Symphony of Psalms

1. The rain has arrived! Air quality improved drastically within a matter of hours. Word has it that it's supposed to rain quite a lot over the next two weeks or so, which is welcome and much needed, if somewhat inconvenient for holiday weekend.

2. Sadly, my friends had to cancel today, but the upside is that I got to have a pretty relaxed day off instead. I had a leisurely breakfast, then got my toes painted a dark sparkly red.

3. T and I also took advantage of a break in the rain to go look at Macy's kitten windows. This is perhaps my favorite holiday tradition. I can't remember if I've talked much about it here -- it's a partnership between Macy's and the SF-SPCA, where adoptable kittens and puppies hang out in holiday-themed windows. It's a great fundraiser for the SF-SPCA, and many animals find homes. Plus, adorable and fun.

4. I haven't really updated you all on my own kitty in a while, have I? Tori is healthy and happy, if still a bit lonely we think. But we can't really get her a new companion (much as I would love to have a kitten or two around) for two reasons: 1. Tori is very territorial (she would flip out for days every time Lexi came home smelling of the vet, and once went ballistic when he got into some catnip), and we aren't sure how introducing a second cat would go; 2. Tori is immunocompromised because of her medications, so it would be a huge risk to bring home another cat, especially a shelter cat. So she will be an only cat for the rest of her life, and I think we're all mostly content with that.

5. Tomorrow, I will make pie. Mostly from scratch (I bought dough for the crust), which is not a thing I have often done. So we'll see how it goes.

Current Mood: good

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and condolences on the loss of Lexi. All of them are very much appreciated. <3 I'm doing better now, a few days out -- still sad but not overwhelmed with it.

In case anyone is wondering about our other cat, Tori: she seems okay. A little out of sorts, and clingier than usual, especially at night. If we get up in the middle of the night for any reason, she'll follow us around and more likely than not get back into bed with us to demand some attention. And she often gets yowly around bedtime. T's theory is that she thinks we don't know Lexi is missing, and she's alerting us to go find him. :') But she's a little calmer each night, so it seems like she's adjusting. We'll see how it goes, and evaluate whether she needs a cat companion after a while, maybe in a few months or so. She's fairly territorial, so I'm not sure how introducing a new cat would go.

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: "Will You Follow Me?" - Rob Dugan
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/746571.html

I haven't really talked about Lexi's illness since he was diagnosed in January, and I'm not up for going into a lot of details right now, but after a month-long slide with no good outcomes in sight, we decided to say goodbye this morning.

We're all doing about as well as can be expected. I'll do a memorial post with pictures when I'm up for it.

Current Mood: sad
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/746128.html

Something I have been dealing with for the last month, but not posting about: we have a sick kitty. ( Cut for length and details of pet illness. )

It's a little odd for Lexi to be sick. Tori was always the cat with the chronic health problems, and it's weird to think of her as the healthy, stable one. (But she is -- the vet has been very happy with her status at her last two check-ups, and we're cutting back to every six months instead of every three. So that's good news, anyway.) I'll keep you all posted, of course. He's a good boy, and I hope it all comes out for the best.

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: "Mount Gulug" - FFIX Soundtrack
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/732231.html

For my first Talking Through December prompt (many more slots available!),

renay asked for cat spam. I am more than happy to oblige. :) Sorry it took me so long to get rolling on these -- I plan to start doing about one a day for the rest of the month.

These are my cats. They're nine years old, and they're littermates (brother and sister). We've had them since they were about 13 weeks old. The silver tabby girl is Tori (Yakitori) and the big black boy is Lexi (Alexsei).

( Images, so many images. )

So, those are my kitties. My old LiveJournal Scrapbook album, which hasn't been updated in awhile but has lots of good kitten pictures, is here, if you haven't had enough already. :)

Current Mood: happy
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/694013.html

In contract to last years multi-week extravaganza, I had a nice low-key birthday today: vet appointment in the morning, quiet afternoon at home, dinner out with a few friends. The vet trip was Tori's regular check-up, which now happens every couple of months or so. The news was extremely good -- all of her blood tests came back in the normal range for the first time ever, so we can keep tapering down her meds. Best birthday present I could have gotten.

I did get another gift, for myself: an iPad Mini, dark gray with a bright red cover. Finally, a multi-purpose tablet that's exactly the right size for me to use as an eReader! Is this the moment that I being to shift away from paper books? Perhaps, although I don't expect I'll ever ditch them entirely.

Tomorrow will be another quiet day, and then Friday is the first day of FogCon. Yay, FogCon! If you'll be there, let me know and we can find a time to meet up.

Current Mood: content
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/666449.html

Tori went to the vet for her monthly checkup today. ( cut for medical details )

Current Mood: happy
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/647428.html

Wow, have I really gone over a week without posting anything? I'm still around, I promise. Some quick updates:

1. Tori is better. ( Cut for medical details. )

2. I didn't get the job I interviewed for in May, but I'm okay with that, especially since the market seems to be picking up a little bit. I've applied for five jobs in the last few weeks and am looking at other options as well. Something has to come through eventually, right?

3. It has been a movie-filled summer: Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim. Enjoyed them all, though I didn't fall in love with any of them. I probably have the most complaints about Star Trek and the fewest about Man of Steel; maybe real posts on each will come later. It's been interesting to watch my Tumblr dash falling head-over-heels for Pacific Rim: I enjoyed watching it, I understand where the gushing praise is coming from, but my appreciation for it was more distant. But really, the best discovery of all is a podcast: Welcome to Night Vale, which suddenly appeared all over Tumblr about a month ago. It's a fun quirky little horror story about a community radio show in a town where lots of weird things happen, all treated as if they are regular everyday occurrences. That's a juxtaposition that often works well for me.

liri sold me on trying it out by describing it as Lovecraftian horror as told by Chris in the Morning (from Northern Exposure), and then something that happened in the second episode hooked me forever. So consider this a somewhat rambling recommendation.

Current Mood: okay
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/634411.html

Tori is home! And eating, and walking around, and much more alert. She's a little wobbly on her feet still, but already better today than she was yesterday. I hope the road to recovery continues to be smooth.

Thank you, again, for the kind and supportive comments and hugs and good thoughts and vibes and such. Sorry I wasn't up for replying to everyone individually, but I really really do appreciate all of it. And I'm sure if she knew, Tori would appreciate it too. :)

Current Mood: hopeful
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/633194.html

I'm going to get her after lunch. She's still going to be recovering for awhile, but she's strong enough to finish her recovery at home. Yay!

( Medical details. )

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Dark Tower" - Shira Kammen
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/633055.html

Tori is not home yet. She was doing better but the vet called just hour after I visited her to say she took a turn for the worse. Back to hoping she makes it through another night and bounces back in the morning, but I am not feeling optimistic. :(

Current Mood: worried
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/632643.html

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments the past couple of days. Sorry not to respond to everyone directly. I heard from the vet, and it sounds like Tori is better. ( Cut for medical details. )

If all goes well, they expect to release her this evening, although they may need her to come back for follow-up, further testing, etc. But I'm sure she'll be happier at home.

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: "Signs of Love" - Moby
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/632462.html

Tori got progressively worse all day, to the point that I called the vet in worry, and they ordered us to bring her in. It's not a UTI, it's severe anemia, and they don't know why. :-/ She's staying overnight, to be stabilized, then hopefully diagnosed tomorrow.

It's so weird and strange not having her here. Right now I'm just hoping she makes it through the night.

Current Mood: anxious
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/632087.html

Tori is sick. We took her to the emergency vet yesterday, and they think it's probably a UTI. Poor kitty. :( She's basically been curled up in a miserable little lump for the last two days. But she started antibiotics, and hopefully it will clear up soon.

Rough year for a little kitty. :-\ But at least she hasn't had a seizure since we put her on meds. And Lexi is as hale and hearty as ever -- and is mostly leaving Tori alone, or occasionally standing guard over her. It always touches me, how he knows when not to hassle her, and even when she needs a little extra loving.

Current Mood: worried
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/631885.html

I keep promising to update my journal more often and then not doing it. Well, no time like the present. Five things make a post?

1. The Winter quarter concert is over, and it went well. Now we're on a brief break until April, when we start rehearsals for Beethoven's Ninth. That's such an awe-inspiring piece, and I'm really looking forward to it.

2. DOINK! sign-ups are open through Friday!

It's no exaggeration to say that DOINK is my favorite event on the fandom calendar, except maybe the Kiss Battles. I've been participating in DOINK since the very beginning, and I've gotten and produced some of my very favorite stories in the process. If you are at all interested, check it out. Even if you can't make the official schedule work, the mods are always in need of betas and pinch-hitters (I find writing pinch-hits to be especially satisfying).

3. I just realized that I never posted anything about my latest cat drama. ( Cut for pet health issues. )

4. Is anyone surprised that I started playing FFX-2 right after finishing FFX? No? I didn't think so. In other fandomy things, I am still doing the 30 Day Grey Warden Challenge, but I've decided to post my answers only on Tumblr. If you're interested, you can follow along on this tag, and I'll probably also do a master post when I'm finished. Speaking of master posts, I really need to make one for the DA Kiss Battle, and I'll plan on doing that this week. Hold me to that, Internets.

5. Although it might be a challenge with cat care, I'm planning an overnight trip to Napa with some friends next month, as part of my extended birthday celebration. Hey, I turned 40. That rates a birthday month, doesn't it? Despite living in the SF Bay Area since 1986, I've almost never been to Napa, so I'm looking forward to that, too.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Kanga-Roo" - This Mortal Coil
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/623924.html

Not peace, exactly, but a truce of sorts seems to have been negotiated. Both cats have the run of the house now, and that seems to be working better than confining either of them did, even this morning when Tori was still very much on edge. She still hisses and snarls at Lexi whenever she decides he's invading her space, but the rest of the time they are calm, and he's not striking back at all. After a couple of thwacks when he wouldn't back off, he's learned to keep his distance when she's growling, to the point that I was comfortable leaving them alone for a few hours to go to chorus.

So things are better. I hope they continue to improve -- we could live with the current situation, I think, but everyone would be happier if the cats were friends again. Hopefully all it needs is time.

Current Mood: hopeful
Crossposts: http://owlmoose.livejournal.com/607289.html

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KJ

Entries tagged with cats

That Was The Year That Was: 2023

Is This Thing On?: Five Things Make an Extremely Belated Post

Got distracted...

Day in the life

Five things make a post

Kitties

Lexi

Cat news

TTD: All about my cats

Birthday achieved

Good kitty news

Catchup

Cat update!

Tori can come home!

(no subject)

Tori update

Sick kitty :(

Life with cats

Very random life update

Cat detente