This is Sadie. Of the Three Black Cats, she’s my favorite. It may be impolitic to have a favorite cat; but still, I do. Sadie and her sister, Sally, came to me in December 2003 from a local shelter. I had just lost one of my two current cats, Hobbes. Calvin was sad, and so I thought a kitten might cheer him up. (Or perhaps I was projecting.) When I went to the shelter, I saw two nearly identical fluffy black kitties together in one of the enclosures. I visited with them both for quite some time, attempting to choose which one to bring home to Calvin. Sadie was curious and playful, scampering around the visiting room, coming close for petting and cuddling, and running off again. Sally was shy and frightened, nuzzling my neck and clinging to me, now and again crying with her high-pitched kitten mew. (The shelter had named them Choctaw and Cheyenne.) Well, of course I wanted the gregarious Sadie. But how could I leave needy, frightened little Sally behind, and split her up from her litter-mate, Sadie, with whom she had bonded? So I did the only reasonable thing, and took them both home.
Poor old Calvin died only a few short weeks after I introduced him to the girls. The illness came on quickly and he died before the vet could get the ultrasound technician in. I expect it was his kidneys (compounded by the grief of losing Hobbes), but we never found out for certain.
Sadie and Sally have continued true to form. Sadie is still the sociable explorer, and also has turned out to be quite a lover. Sally remains somewhat shy, but she’s gotten better over the years. Sally still clings (she likes to sleep draped across my neck), and her high-pitched kitten mew hasn’t deepened much.
In late 2012, when Sadie and Sally had been enjoying their two-cat household for ten years, scruffy emaciated Sophie showed up on our doorstep. Like Sadie and Sally, Sophie was fluffy and black. Unlike Sadie and Sally, her coat was dull and matted. After three months of wooing with tuna and Greenies, she came in from the cold and joined our Black Cat Troupe. Now, three years later, her coat is soft and lustrous, and she no longer runs to cower in the corner at the slightest movement or sound. In fact, Sophie has become quite the cuddler.
But Sadie. Sadie is my girl. And Sadie is sick. At this very moment, she’s at the vet having blood work and an ultrasound. Over the past several weeks, she’s been drinking and urinating a lot more frequently. Last week, she vomited twice, and her appetite has decreased significantly. She seems lethargic, not even bothering to chase Sophie out of her territory. My mobile vet suggested that I take her in right away for the testing, and mentioned things like “kidney disease” and “cancer” and “subcutaneous fluids.” When I dropped Sadie off at the vet this morning, they said things like “urinary tract infection” and “diabetes.” So here I am, hoping Sadie has diabetes. The lesser of the evils.
Yesterday, I googled kidney disease and watched YouTube videos on administering subcutaneous fluids at home, imagining Sadie has only months or weeks to live. And then I stopped myself, opting for meditation and Sadie cuddling, instead. Today I am intent on staying in the present moment, not catastrophizing, and laying off the google searches as I await the test results. It’s going to be okay.
Sadie, my favorite cat, is going to be okay.
I send you a cyberhug.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Felipe. Much needed. And much appreciated.
LikeLike
and another big one (whilst keeping fingers crossed)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Yes, lots of crossed fingers!
LikeLike
Oh no, just when you thought you had gotten through the worst and have half-way recovered from the loss of your brothers and your father and have arranged yourself with the idea that your mother is needy and might not be there forever – now this. Sadie is 12, that is NO AGE for a cat, she has to be ok! Though it’s usually no good sign when they finally SHOW they suffer. Those precious little buggers hide it as long as possible – which makes everything worse of course. Hope they “just” find diabetes – can you give her medicine? How do you feed them? All in one room or each to her own bowl? You might have to change the food and that might come with having to have feeding times separate – something cats do not like which are used to being fed together.
LikeLike
You’re right, she has to be OK! The vet tech said they are considered geriatric at age seven. Seven? Who knew? We’ve had cats that lived past twenty. I can give her medicine. She is my most tolerant. I feed Sadie and Sally together (separate bowls), and Sophie in a separate room. We’ll just have to adjust. Fingers crossed it’s “just” diabetes. Waiting!
LikeLiked by 2 people
They are considered senior cats – by the cat food industry that loves to sell some extra and extra expensive food .. my Tom is 10 and while he is rather sleepy most of the day, he still runs with the little one (which is 6) and shows his usual antics when it comes to getting treats out of an empty toilet paper roll. Something the agile and very greedy little one has not yet mastered.
LikeLike
Treats out of an empty toilet paper roll? I’m doing that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the cardboard roll is good for that. Just make sure the cat sees that the treats go in there.
Kitchen paper rolls need some more sophisticated cats who love to solve puzzles … We tried that, too. Tom is pretty sophisticated … and loves to work hard for his treats. My Kessy is more of the bootlicking kind – purrs till I just cannot resist, prods me with her nose … Yes, they both get a lot of treats …
LikeLike
It’s time I start challenging the girls. Their treats come way too easily. I suspect Sophie is the most sophisticated. We’ll find out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sadie is beautiful! Prayers that her health returns.
I usually blog about Purrseidon, but in truth Mr. M is my favorite. Like Sadie, he is black, so I usually wear black jeans, since he loves to sit in my lap. I would blog about him a lot more, if his main thing was something other than napping … how many posts can I write about that?!?
Were Calvin and Hobbes also black?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jeanne. I hear you. Here is Mr. M napping in his favorite chair. Here he is napping in a sunbeam. Here he is napping in my lap.
Hobbes was a blonde tabby. You could see his stripes on the tip of his tail and a faint M on his forehead. Calvin was a gray tabby with a white belly and paws. They loved to spoon each other. The girls don’t do that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Purrseidon spoons with Saphera, but Mr. M will have nothing to do with either of them. Yet, I consider him to be the cuddly one.
I’m not sure how old Mr. M is because he was a feral cat when we discovered him … took a while to earn his trust, but it was worth the effort.
Fingers are crossed that Ms Sadie will soon be home and healing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, so hopeful that she will be and so sorry for all the stress.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cindy. We’re doing OK!
LikeLike
I hope everything is okay. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, LittleMsJones. It is!
LikeLike
I hope your girl is okay! I love how the cat people are coming out of the woodwork to comment 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Cat people are extraordinary humans.
LikeLike
You write so well, and from the heart. I used to be the director of Cat’s Cradle of the Shenandoah Valley. So you can imagine that my heart is with you!
LikeLike
Oh, thank you, Josie! What a neat job that must have been. We ❤ kitties!
LikeLike
Sending you thoughts and prayers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Anne. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh no 😦
LikeLike
It may be a curable kidney infection. We’re waiting for test results. Paws crossed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We will cross our paws and fingers too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The human touch is healing and soothing. Paws crossed.
LikeLike
She has been getting lots of soft pets and cuddles. We’ll have the results early next week. Paws crossed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Certainly all paws crossed here. So far so good. Cuddles sent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so sorry to hear that Sadie is unwell. It’s tough having a sick cat. As you know, I just lost my last kitty, and the house is rather empty without her.
I’m sending you a hug, and praying for Sadie to get well soon.
Saludos,
Kim G
Redding, CA
Where we can’t persuade my stepfather that he and my mother need a cat.
LikeLike
Thank you, Kim. It is hard to see her feeling unwell. Yes, houses are very empty without kitties. Soft paw pats to you, from Sadie.
I agree, your mother and stepfather need a cat. My parents were petless for a very short time a couple of years before my dad died after their last cat and dog both died, and I insisted that had to be remedied. So I arranged for a Christmas kitty from a local animal rescue. My parents went and picked him out, or rather, as my dad said, he picked them out. The kitty is now living with my mother at her assisted living, and I know she is much happier with his company.
Merry Christmas, Kim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merry Christmas to Sally and Sophie too! Darlings! Now that I know them, a cuddle each!
LikeLike
I am one of those people who feel compelled to baby talk when meeting cats and dogs. It is a disease. So forgive the ‘lithp’ and the gushing.
LikeLike
A good disease to have. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! We are getting lots of cuddles in today.
LikeLike
Lots of love and strength to you and your sweet kitties.
LikeLike
Thank you, Dinah. 🙂
LikeLike