Day 256
My cat, Oscar, is 76 … as of today. He is 15 in human years … and well above that in cat years.
He is a rescue cat. I stopped into the shelter one day, opened his cage and he climbed out (all 20 pounds of him), put his front paws around my neck, burrowed his head into my hair and the rest is history.
I wish animals were video chipped so that when you rescue them you can see their history. Was he on the streets? Did his owner move or die? I don’t know. He has some battle scars and some broken teeth so we think he had a tough life before we brought him home.
But he is a sweetheart – except for when he is swatting dog butts or chasing little girls or German Shepherds from our property!
It didn’t dawn on me until just this moment that except for Gertie, I have a house full of seriously old animals … Henry is 20 (96 in cat years), Mobes will be 12 around Thanksgiving (that’s 84 in dog years for a big dog), Dori is 13 (79 in dog years for one her size) and Gert, the baby of the bunch, is only 7 (a mere 49 in dog years for her), and then there’s Oscar coming in at 15 (or 76).
The geriatric fur factory is in full swing! Well, almost.
As I write Oscar (aka: birthday boy) – who fancies himself more of a dog than a cat – just walked into his newest “fort”. I have a built-in bookcase in my office and it is deeper than it is wide … maybe 10″ x 15″ … so, an awkward shelf for anything other than storage … or maybe a cat fort.
I put a cozy blanket in the bottom shelf a few weeks ago and no sooner was that in place than the cat claimed it. I wasn’t quite sure who would crawl in there – one of the small dogs or him – but he did and it’s obvious, even without a sign, that no dogs are allowed! It is his. If I’m up in my office, he is sleeping in there, near me.
In fact, except for Henry, everyone is always sleeping near me. I go in the family room and they follow me. I go upstairs and they follow me. I go back to the main floor and they follow me! They are probably all really happy when I settle in one place for a while – and once settled in nap time ensues! For them, not me!
And as odd as it is to have one animal fort in my house … I actually have two! The other fort is in a little cubby going down to the basement. It’s where I stashed the cat carrier after I moved in and almost immediately it was taken over by Henry. Sometimes Oscar is in it – but more than not, if Henry can’t be found in one of his other hiding snuggle spots … all I have to do is look into the cubby on my way down to the basement and there he is … all curled up and happily sleeping in the basement fort.
I’m embarrassed to admit it but I have six dog beds in my house and one cat basket. Embarrassed because I keep thinking I need another one! There is one each in my office, bedroom and bathtub (Moby’s hideaway when there is thunder or the smoke alarm goes off – which sadly, is often!), two in the hall between the kitchen and the family room and one in the family room itself.
Gertie seldom uses a dog bed – preferring my bed, the chaise lounge, couch or recliner. Mobes prefers the tile floor – though I know she is more comfortable with some padding, she prefers the coolness of the tile. Dori sleeps anywhere. I think she is narcoleptic!
Anyway … tomorrow is the dog-cat’s birthday. It kind of came up on me, so I am not prepared with a cake the shape of a fish – like I made for our first cat, Emmy, on her birthday soooo many moons ago. I guess I’ll just have to put a candle into his can of cat food in the morning and belt out a happy birthday solo – don’t think the dogs will join in.
In any case … I’m grateful that my pets live long (and happy) lives. Guess I must be doing something right to have all these oldsters around for so long but I’m beginning to wonder if it’s less me that brings them comfort, joy and longevity and more just the beds and forts!