When last we left our little black cat, she was very hormonal, obsessed with finding a mate, and hoping said mate would walk by the house while she stared out the window day and night.
In fact, there actually IS a cat out there, but it’s a neighborhood stray named Midnight, and we think it’s a girl. Oddly enough, Midnight looks just like Charley. So much so that when I saw Midnight outside one night, I was worried that Charley might have gotten out somehow (she didn’t).
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Since that last story, I’m happy to report that Charley has been spayed and she’s doing fine. I had no idea that cats can run through their heat cycle every 21 days until Dr. Mason at Oakwood Veterinary Hospital told me this bit of news. In fact, Charley was actually starting another heat cycle right before her appointment, but Dr. Mason was still able to do the surgery.
Here’s an interesting tidbit … remember how I told you that Tim sent me Charley the day after he passed? Well, if you’ve been reading Old Mission Gazette for a while, you know that Tim had all sorts of health issues during the past 20 years, starting with a liver transplant in 2003. Back then, the first indication that we knew something was wrong was when his liver enzyme numbers (ALT and AST) were sky high.
At Charley’s vet appointment, they did a blood panel on her to get a baseline on her numbers. Guess what? Her ALT number was high. I told Tim I was not amused. Dr. Mason thinks it’s related to the roundworm we’re treating her for. Her next appointment is March 17 to have that ALT number checked. I’m hoping it will be back to normal. If not, I will have more words with Tim.
Also at her vet appointment, she was microchipped and got the rest of her shots. I’m glad to get these things behind us.
In other news, last night she climbed up on the top of the couch and seemed transfixed at something near the ceiling. I didn’t see any bugs up there, and there’s no window in that spot. It’s a log home, so there’s no mice or anything else in the walls. Whatever it was, she stared at it for a good 20 minutes. I should also note that this is directly above Tim’s desk.
She continues to be a great companion and stays close to me as I grieve Tim. She also knows when I’m having a Sad Day (I will go along fine for a few days and then, wham, Sad Day). Generally, during the daytime, she’s upstairs sleeping in her cat cave and comes downstairs around 6 or 7 p.m. to hang out with me all night. But during a Sad Day last week, she came downstairs and laid on top of me – in the middle of the day. Here she is on that day looking very protective…
Oh, and we finished “The Good Witch” on the Hallmark Channel and have moved on to “When Calls the Heart.” The Hallmark Channel is still the only thing I’m able to watch (I can’t handle anything heavier yet). The other night, she seemed very curious about Jack Thornton, the noble Mountie who’s in love with Elizabeth Thatcher on “When Calls the Heart.”
And her favorite spot in the house continues to be in front of the woodstove. It’s my favorite spot, too.
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
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I love you Jane♥️
Love reading your articles again, Jane, and love Charley! Tim gave you the perfect gift…and at the right time.
Thanks for all you do, and hang in there…especially on the Sad Days. We are thinking of you.
I love reading your articles, and love the black kitty. Take care.
Jane, I am glad things are going well with your companion. She definitely is a gift from Tim. I had a black cat named Midnight when I was little girl. Take care and I look forward to reading more stories.
[…] she goes back to Oakwood Veterinary Hospital to have her labs checked again. I’m hoping her liver numbers have stabilized. After 20 years of watching Tim’s liver numbers, I’m really hoping I […]
[…] Thursday, she goes back to Oakwood Veterinary Hospital to have her labs checked again. I’m hoping her liver numbers have stabilized. After 20 years of watching Tim’s liver numbers, I’m really hoping I don’t […]
[…] at Oakwood Veterinary Hospital to re-check her ALT liver number, which was a little high when I took her in to be spayed. Thankfully, that number is back in the normal range. Dr. Mason thought it might be due to the […]