Category Archives: The Kids Photos

No news and no changes

Grendel‘s condition remains unchanged at present.  He continues suffering from trembles that quake him from head to toe.  He also continues losing weight despite this very regular behavior:

Grendel enjoying a bite to eat (188_8890)

His appetite seems normal both for food and water.  His activity remains the same.  Even his attitude and interraction continue on their respective normal courses.

Nevertheless, I know him too well to be fooled by the feline inclination to hide at all costs any sign of illness or weakness.

Yet all the tests have thus far been negative.  No thyroid issues, no diabetes, no infection, no nothing.

I find this very troubling.

We have more investigation forthcoming, more tests, but I refuse to put him through too much considering his overall condition.  Stress is a cat’s worst enemy after all.

Lean into it!

Grendel sitting by the patio door blanketed by sunshine (163_6367)

There’s something about this photo that tickles me.

Is it that Grendel appears to be leaning into the light, as though it exerts a force on him like wind such that he has to brace himself in order to remain within its warm embrace?

Or is that his position makes him look tubby, portly, like a little fatty whose plump belly supports him as much as his legs do?

Something else entirely?

[btw, that’s some portion of Vazra in the bottom-left corner]

An air of entitlement

Vazra lying on the floor near a pool of sunshine (169_6927)

I find myself continually entertained by Vazra‘s air of entitlement.

This manifests evidently in the way he treats personal space, both his own and that of others.

If one of the other cats invades that space while Vazra is sitting or lying somewhere, he gets cranky, bitchy even, and he’ll complain obstreperously until the infraction is righted.  And don’t even think you intend to sit or lie against him in some way.  Why, when that happens, you’d think someone had stepped on his tail with all the moaning and groaning and complaining he does.

Yet when the tables are turned, attitudes change abruptly.

A perfect example is when I’m sitting on the couch.  You can bet two or more of The Kids will be with me.  When I have one on my lap and at least two others spread out beside me, that leaves no room for anyone else unless they choose an arm or the back of the furniture.

Vazra doesn’t see it that way.  When he wants to be on the couch with me, nothing stands in his way.  He’ll step all over any feline already there, and he’ll choose a spot and plant himself—even if that means on top of someone else.

This generally leads to what I call “The Great Upset” which entails everyone being dislocated as cats scramble and protest and hiss and throw a few swats.  All the while I sit and laugh until I cry, for when The Great Upset ends, Vazra is generally left with the couch and me all to himself.

But don’t you dare reverse the roles on him, for any feline assuming what’s good for the goose is good for the gander will find vehement grumbling and selfish hostility as his response.

Vazra sitting next to the patio doors within sunshine streaming in around him (190_9074)