just a cat...

have a 17 1/2 year old cat--- his name is Mikhail-- I call him Misha-- This photo was taken about a year ago when I was wrapping my sister's birthday gift and he surprised me by attacking the ribbon and jumping on the table to continue attacking the package.

that was a year ago....

this morning I had to shove his bowl of food to his face while he sat under my roommate's bed.

It's been about a month since I returned from my trip home to find him skinny and very sick. He apparently is no longer anemic and has gained a pound since my return (yay!)

But after a month of progress, he stopped eating a day ago and has now planted himself under my roommmate's bed and I can't get to him right now as it's 5:30am and of course my roommate is trying to sleep-

If you've got any spare time to think about a sweet cat who's not feeling well. And his owner who just wants the best for him, regardless of what that might be (is it time? I don't think so, but am I one of those pet owners who keeps a cat alive well beyond the reasonable time for him? I'm starting to wonder...)

.....oh my gosh! he just walked in, jumped on my bed and is drinking!

whew


maybe I'm overreacting. it's so difficult to guage.....overreacting? underreacting?


he's been with me over 17 years and I'm such a bloody workaholic I've spent most of those years running from one job to another leaving him home......and I hate myself for this. And now I want to stay home with him and I can't. I've pushed my boss's patience enough working from home those 4 days last month and coming in late so many mornings due to Misha not eating or me having trouble with his IV treatment or....or....something anything.

And I sit at work angry that, if he was human, my employer would gush with sympathy urging me to take all the time I need. She would gladly help me arrange to work from home (there really is no reason why I can't work from home given my job is graphic design-ish.). But since he's a cat, and few people respect life forms other than human, people just roll their eyes and snicker that I'm so worried. One person said, "wouldn't you just euthanize him vs. spending all that money? I mean, he's just a cat"




Just a cat.




Just a cat who's been my best friend for 17 years. That's more than any man has every stuck with me.



Second best is my father and he only stuck around 5 years.

So Misha's a pretty big deal in my world.


if you're reading this and you can spare a min or 2 for him- please think some good thoughts for him-

thanks for reading-