h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

F

I had a nice chat this evening with yet another doctor student - Javier, an allergist, about 55. He's just returned to classes after a couple of months off due to a health problem. So I told him the whole Lua saga while she sat next to us on her stool.

When I finally finished Javier said I had decided the only right thing. He said to have put Lua through operations would have just been selfish on my part. He pointed out that Lua is very happy and comfortable right now. That she would not have understood why I was taking her places and making her suffer and putting her through pain. He also shared Ricardo's opinion that Lua probably already has metastasis in her lymphatic system.

I mean, I know I have said all of these things to myself - and to all of you! - many times. But Javier just came out with it all on his own after I told him what I had decided. And he got quite emotional about it too! He said that my first responsibility was to do what was best for Lua and secondly for myself. And he said in order to do this properly I had to try and see the world the way Lua does, not the way I do.

And so, finally it does feel 'right'. Or at least, it does feel like what is best for Lua, all things considered. My own feelings of fear and of future pain and loss are my problem. And my guilt for deciding not to try and save Lua's life no matter what is no more. Because I really don't think I could have saved her. And now it's up to me to be strong for the both of us and especially when it comes time to put her out of her pain, when things get to that stage.

But for now, man, is she loving the Whiskas!

Plus she probably can't believe her luck that suddenly her human (though I prefer to think of myself as the 'alpha cat' )is actually letting her play with her hair in bed.

And speaking of bed . . .

azzzzzzzzz

thibk of good times with lua. you problaly could write a book.

you should become a expert on crankey cats.

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I think I already have, pheloxi!

az

now collect them and publish it on paper!

On paper! You mean print out this thread?

Found a new gourmet paté today - hake and sole. It smelled so good I was almost tempted to have some on my toast.

I remember once reading about a woman in Nova Scotia who gave Milk Bones to her kids as snacks. She had decided that the list of ingredients looked very healthy and that they made for good low-sugar crunchy treats and - I guess - were also good for their teeth!

az

Az you probhably could a lot of catfoods and dog foods are tatsted by humans!Lua eats yours why not eat hers Sunny might look at you with that look though.


When i used to work in pet shop forever eating Bonios are nice winnalot was bitty ,found a great terrier really oaty,

Some of the rabbit food contained mollaces and carb bean(spain perfect grows wild cultivated) use as suger substetute.Ooops waffleing,You can tell ilike my pet food, goodboy chocs not the best though.!

not print it, but collect it and then edit and print it!

Almost all pet food is perfectly edible to humans but it is illegal to sell it as such because it doesn't have such stringent handling regulations.

Bonios are nice, if a little tasteless and milk bones are probably very healthy for growing kids. Certainly better than a lot of crisps and sweets.

I had a discussion somewhere about mouse flavoured cat food. The point being that someone would have to taste an actual (raw ) mouse in order to say if the flavour was authentic. Yeuck.

If you fancy the paté on toast, why not?

F

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It's too expensive.

az

Apparently, other cats like perching on the top of doors....

http://contests.fotki.com/contests/38/2805.html

Mudhooks,

I love the smug expression! And yes, very reminiscent of this guy:

http://public.fotki.com/azahar/gatitos/sunny_being_tall.html


Sunny has a bit of an eye infection this week so I've been giving him eyedrops (just imagine how fun that is!)

az

you 2 can start club for doors

The picture was someone else's cat, someone who also uses Fotki.

Benjamin is at the vet for his teeth this morning. He will not be particularly chuffed with me when he gets home this evening. I didn't have the time to get him in for a second opinion and decided to get the work done before I get sent to the workhouse.

Phew! Finally caught up with the backlog!

Hi az! Hi all!

I got back from Monaco last night and have been catching up with other things all morning but eventually got here to say hi!

I must first say that photo of the ginger puss on the door had me - waht a fabulous smug face!!

Secondly I must say how pleased I am to hear about Lua being spoilt rotten, enjoying life to the full and having a happier human to go with it. Well done az!

I must just tell you all that I fed Jake on Hills maintenance food and I always knew when he had snuck around to the neighbours and had a quiet snack because he used to fart so badly!! He never seemed to get that with the dried food but a quick munch on the old Whiskas and he could clear the room! Charlie is the same!

It's good to be home. I missed many things while I was away but that daily "cat fix" was the hardest. Imagine not having a warm purry thing nearby for 2 whole weeks! Not good.

- Lady

hi Lady,

Wow, you got through two weeks of backlog!

How was your trip? I mean, besides missing the daily 'cat fix'?

Yes, Lua is quite happy. She is curled up next to me now on her favourite stool. Honestly, if I didn't know the tumour was there I wouldn't know she was ill at all (well, as was the case before I accidently found it). So, as I said to Kaz awhile ago, I think I'm a bit in denial about it all. Or perhaps better said that I am just focussing on the positive. That she is here, that she is happy, that she is eating well.

I've actually had to start giving her a bit of her Hill's senior dry food, otherwise I'm afraid she might explode! She has taken to asking for second and even third helpings (she especially likes the sole and hake paté) but now, after she has had quite enough, I put out some dry food, reckoning that if she is truly hungry she will eat that. And of course she doesn't. I mean, I am quite happy to spoil her - and I am spoiling her! - but I don't want her ending up with gout as well.

Anyhow, it feels like quite a special time with her now.

Have you given any more thought to getting a pal for Charlie?

az

Benjaimn had his dental work done yesterday....

He was not a happy or comfortable camper when I went to get him. They had expected to do one, possibly 2 extractions which should have taken 12 minutes. However, they discovered that there was a 3rd, and that the roots were completely destroyed. It took the technician an hour to get them out and the debris cleaned out. What was supposed to cost me $340 or so, finally came to $500 and change! Luckily, the vet who was there did a reduction on the total amount and I paid $400 and change....

I have to give him antibiotic drops for 10 days. I went to find him this morning, and looked high and low. He didn't come when I called, he hadn't slept on the end of my bed, as he usually does, even shaking the laser pointer or his tub of catnip, which has him down like a shot, resulted in nothing.

I hunted for nearly an hour, and then found him hiding under my Mom's bed. I lay on the floor for a long time trying to talk him into coming out. Finally, he darted ut and moseyed downstairs. I managed to get MOST of the dose of antibiotics into him. Hopefully, he will be feeling better and I can get a better grip on him this evening.

Mudhooks,

Oh, the poor thing.

Put the antibiotic drops into Whiskas paté! I usually give antibiotics to my cats in chunks of tuna. Special treat. Though my sneaky black cat Azar *always* used to smell out the drugs in his food and refuse it! But Benjamin does need to finish the entire course of antibiotics, so I wish you luck with that.

$400!!! Ouch!

As I said before, I am presently having to give Sunny eye drops for runny eyes (this happens to him sometimes in spring time, though not every year). Happily he is such a big baby that I can just grab him, put him in a half-Nelson and administer the drops. Afterwards he always gets a treat. So now, bless him, after having the drops plunked into his eyes, he immediately races to his food dish expecting his treat. This guy is so sweet. So much so that after I have tortured him with eye drops (and after he has had his treat) he will immediately leap back onto my lap. He is sooooo trusting.

The other two probably wouldn't come near me again for ages!

You have a laser pointer? I used to have one of those. But then I got afraid in case sometime the laser beam might be accidently caught in their eyes and damage them. I know, I worry too much.

Anyhow, good luck with the medicine. I'm really glad he got through the procedure okay, poor lamb.

az

Well, as for the laser pointer, I have only once gotten it too close to his eye. Generally, I aim it on the ground, up the wall, or up onto his kitty "tree". He loves to run up to the top and try and catch the little red "bug" on the ceiling.

If he sees you reaching for something on the coffee table, he assumes the "bug" will be appearing shortly and rushes over.

If he gets out, I can often lure him back in by shaking it and making the chain rattle.

How is everything at your end of the world, Az?

It only just occurred to me when I passed a newspaper box, that you are in Spain. Of course, the bombings were in Madrid, but there must be strong emotions all over the country.