Lucky 7, Or I Discuss My Cat

I usually try to abstain from discussing my animals.  I think, like baby photos or wedding plans, other peoples critters can be less than engaging.  I did talked about the passing of my cat Grasshopper (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/search?q=grasshopper).  Sorry, but once again I need to talk about a beloved pet.  This last week has been rough, my cat 7 is sick.  Yes his name is 7.  I named him 7 because when he showed up at our door we had 6 cats.  I thought naming him 7 would make me feel very aware that we had too many cats.  I would like to say that worked, but we would also adopt another cat after him.   I did not name that cat 8, I decided instead to call him Dante.

Unlike Grasshopper and the sometimes aloof 8, I mean Dante, 7 is a love of a ginger tabby.  He is the first to greet me at the door and if anything comes in with me he has to examine the new item to make sure it fits his exacting standards. When I am home he is usually not far from me.  At night he sleeps with me right above my head.  In other words the two of us are tight.

Anyway, 7 is ill.  At the ripe old age of 16, he got sick last weekend.  So sick he spent all of last week at the vet's office on an IV and a catheter.  Both he and I were very traumatized by the whole thing.  I have to tell you, bawling your eyes out inside a metal cage while trying not to step on a catheter bag is tragic and ridiculous.

Friday the vet let me take 7 home.  I spent the afternoon holding him while we snoozed on my futon.  He is happy to be home, but I can tell he is still in that grey area of discomfort and medication.  I am hoping he is just in recovery and will come back to some semblance of his former self, but I don't know.  This situation is so hard, you want to make the right choices, but I am struggling to know what that right choice is.  Please send some love to the crazy cat lady and her ailing ginger kitty.