Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine
This one is supposed the be the post of those things I consider MINE. I am not really a person who doesn’t share. Ok, well, I don’t share my beverages well. I tend to like to make sure I have my Coke in the fridge for my daily dose of yum! So don’t be the one to drink the last Coke! But, alas, these are those that emotionally I feel are mine – those I love and care about intensely. Now just to set the record straight – Most of these are my family. We do have more pets but I added my cat Tori, who is now gone to Heaven to join all of our family that is there. She was mine before I met my husband and had my family. Enjoy!
Part of the Weekly Photo Challenge by WordPress.
The comforts of Fall
It’s almost fall. The weather today was rainy & overcast. The temperature was well below the sun-bathing minimum for me. So it’s time for coffee & Bailey’s caramel now. I’m missing my Tori (who we had to put to sleep on 8/3/12) so here’s my coffee cup with her photo, too. Have some coffee & Bailey’s, too!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Hands
For this week’s challenge word I dug waaayyy back in my photos to one that is of my hand and my beloved cat, Tori’s, paw. It was an experiment when I got my first “digital” camera.It has special sentimental value to me today because Tori was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure in September of 2008 – at just over 4 years of age – when she spent 9 days in the vet ICU. She is still quite spunky and a Diva today – almost 4 years later!
The many faces of Tori – pictures from yesterday
I dearly love my cat, Tori. She has been a constant in my life for the last 7 & 1/2 years. We’ve been thru two near death experiences for her together – one with tapeworms when she was 5 weeks old and 1/2 pound and another when she was 4 years old and in kidney failure. She is one of my children – though some people don’t think that pets fit in that category. Since her kidney failure incident – which one can be treated but always is there when it happens – she has become a much more affectionate cat. She has no issue with requesting/demanding her lap time and attention. Some call her a diva. Yet, she is my baby. I fear the day when her kidney failure kicks back in full force so I am especially grateful for the time with her now. I miss her while I am away at work. If she were in better shape to travel – though she’s always hated travel and is quite the homebody – then I would love to bring her with me during the week.
So I wanted to share some of my favorite photos of her many faces. She is quite the pretty cat, and I am prejudiced. But don’t tell her! It will go to her head and she’ll be even more of a diva!
"you weren't supposed to find me - I'm hiding"
waiting on the feather to play with
the infamous "die, b*#@h look" - named by my sister
serious pose
ready to play
"play with me, please"
"go ahead - say something - I dare you"
bliss
almost asleep
"ahhh.... the outdoors" pose
My miracle cat – pictures from yesterday
My cat Tori is really my little miracle. She certainly has proved that cats have nine lives. I picked her from at least a dozen other kittens in the late summer of 2004. She weighed 1/2 lb. She already had an attitude. While sitting in the room with all the kittens she was one that seemed to not care much if you paid her attention. She showed curiosity but that was about it. She did keep a watch on me the entire time. I have to admit I chose her because she intrigued me and she was cute. So on that Saturday I took her home with the help of my nephew and sister. By Tuesday she wasn’t eating or drinking so off to the vet we went. He diagnosed her with tapeworms. The problem was that she was now down to 0.3 lbs and they didn’t dose that low of weight for the treatment of the tapeworms. So the vet adjusted to his judgement and then it was a waiting game. For the next 24 hours I fed her wet food and water with a syringe, minus the needle. She slept on my chest in between feedings. All went well and she was back in action by the end of the week.
Tori's baby picture
my nephew Nicholas and Tori watching TV
Her next encounter was an eye infection that scared the vet and I both. With some antibiotics and about 48 hours of patience it was cleared and we were all relieved.
In the meantime, Tori was enjoying life in her usual Diva way. She loved to play with toys and feather and we spent much time with feathers under the door and her paw chasing them. I have several videos of her playing with what can only be described as a chicken bird toy – tossing it in the air and stalking it.
Tori on cabinets
We made the move to a house in 2007. She quickly declared it her house and I just the person who paid the bills. I was gone during the week with work and so she had her Aunt Becca, my sister, to feed and play with her. I usually paid for being gone by being ignored for the first 15 minutes to 24 hours depending on her mood.
Then in September of 2008 we had a horrific experience. On a Saturday I just had a gut feeling that she wasn’t healthy – perhaps sick or such. I didn’t think it was anything severe but she had lost a little weight – barely noticeable. So off to the animal ER. About 20 minutes after they took her back the vet comes out to talk to me. She was in renal (kidney) failure and her BUN was off the measurable scale while her creatinine was at the max of the scale. The news was that she might not make it thru the night. I was shocked and devastated. They let me in the back to see her. It broke my heart to see the IV in her and her sitting in the little cage while they treated her. I visited her every couple of hours and sometimes got to hold her in an empty exam room.
The next news was that the vet would ask a specialty vet to accept her for treatment on Monday morning – we would have to wait until then to see if that was a possibility. So I picked her up and got the news that she was accepted. Then we had a late morning appointment at the specialist. They kept her in the ICU there for 7 days. I could go once a day and visit which included me holding her for up to two hours at one point in an exam room. I brought a blanket for her to curl up in and try to sleep. Only one of the days could I not get her to calm down and sleep. Finally, she got to come home with her BUN and creatinine at a high average. I was amazed and thankful. She slept in a basket for about 3 days – I guess catching up on all the sleep she likely missed and just recovering. We changed her diet to one with little to no protein.
Today she is fat and happy and has done extremely well. Her prognosis when she came out of the hospital was 2-3 years of life. We are over 3 years now with diet change. I pray every day that she continues to be healthy. She is my miracle. She’s certainly still the Diva but has adjusted well to the move we made and my marriage and family. She loves my husband and children.
So that is her story so far! Every day is a blessing!
sleeping in basket after hospital
Christmas 2008
Tisha Clinkenbeard
