This, That, and the Other

Good evening friends! We have lots of news to share. I'm going to turn the beginning of this post over to Old Man Bart (OMB). He had an adventure exactly one week ago.

Hi all! Bart here. Angel Clarissa is right about me having an adventure. She forgot to mention that it was not a pleasant adventure. You see, I had a urinary tract infection (UTI). Mom was on her computer and she noticed that I was restless. I would go into the bathroom where there are 3 litter boxes. Then I would pace and walk behind mom's chair. Then I would try to lay down but I would get right back up an repeat the process. When mom caught me peeing on some papers that were on the floor, she knew what was up. She packed my into the Cat Transport Unit and took me to the 24/7 animal hospital. Mom had to wait outside in the car since procedures for the Covid-19 virus are still in place. I was poked and prodded and had one x-ray taken. Mom was right about the UTI.

The v-e-t told mom that I also had an ear infection in my crumpled ear. I was sent home with a bunch of medicines, 6 cans of SO/Royal Canin food, and a bag of SO prescription kibble. My adventure was costly. It was a little over $600!!! I'm feeling better now since I've been taking my medicine like a good boy. I don't like it, so I do have to put up a little struggle. Every med is liquid except for one pill that I take for pain. I get half of one pill twice daily. I have a follow up visit with my regular v-e-t on Thursday. They won't sell the prescription food to mom unless they see me in furson. Our regular v-e-t's office is just blocks from our house and will more convenient for mom to get my food.

And now it is Tovah's turn to tell you all about her adventure which included an overnight stay at a different v-e-t's office.

Hello friends! I'm Tovah and I'm going to tell you about my not-so-fun adventure. It really started on Saturday. I kept gagging and appeared to be trying to cough up a hairball. The only thing that came up was some clear liquid and my breakfast kibble. Like Bart, I couldn't get comfortable. Mom kept an eye me and decided if I didn't improve on Sunday, then she would take me to the v-e-t. I wasn't any better on Sunday so off to the vet I went. I had an 8:30pm appointment at a different office that had Sunday hours. Mom was hoping it wouldn't be quite as expensive as the emergency visit for Bart. MOL (meowing out loud). I had some blockage in my intestines and some pockets of gas. They found that out on my x-ray. I ended up staying overnight so I could get IV fluids and anti-nausea medicine. I was scared and I wouldn't eat anything while I was there. I had another x-ray on Monday morning. There was a little movement, but the v-e-t couldn't tell if I an eaten something that wasn't food. I ended up having to take barium and have another scan that afternoon. I stayed on fluids while I was there. Another x-ray that in the early evening, and then I was allowed to come home. I tried to tell them that I only eat my food and not anything like hair elastics or plastic or rubber bands but they wouldn't listen to them. Friends, if you thought Bart's adventure was expensive, you ain't heard nothing yet. With everything that was done plus tax, my bill was $1007.00!!!! I'm feeling fine now.

Clarissa here again. Mom said it was a good thing she loves us and could use her Care Credit for Bart's and Tovah's visits. Mom went to her own doctor on Tuesday. She had a little red, rough patch break out on the side of her nose about 3 weeks ago. She thought it was acne, but it never cleared up. Sometimes it hurt, sometimes it burned, and sometimes it itched. Sometimes it did all three together. Mom mentioned on Facebook and one of her friends said it might be shingles! That never crossed her mind. Guess what? Shingles it is!!! Mom's been taking a steroid since Wednesday and the area is starting to clear up.

Mom picked Daisy's ashes on Tuesday. We are glad she is home. We want to thank all of you who have left messages of condolences. It means so much to all of us. We also want to thank Ann of Zoolatary for this beautiful memorial pic:

2004 - August 26, 2020.

We wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

Purrs and Whisker Kisses,

Angel Clarissa and Co.

And then there were six: RIP Daisy

 Dear Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that we tell you of the passing of Daisy. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge sometime Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The last time mom remember seeing Daisy was on Tuesday afternoon. It wasn't unusual for Daisy to go off and snooze is some unknown location. On Wednesday morning Daisy was not in the kitchen. She normally would be having some kibble when mom gets up in the morning. Mom and her brother started looking for Daisy in every place they could think of. They checked the closets, beneath the beds, and in some of the cat beds that are somewhat hidden. Daisy was nowhere to be found. They tried calling her name, although she rarely responded to it. They even thought she may have door dashed. Late Wednesday afternoon mom's brother found her. Daisy had curled up beneath an end table that was in the corner of the living room. Daisy had passed away in her sleep. 

Although Daisy received a good report on her lab work and senior exam earlier this summer, mom was aware of Daisy's activity. Daisy was slowing down and sleeping longer and longer. She didn't think Daisy would be here by the end of the year, but she didn't expect her to go this summer. On Monday night, mom watched Daisy sleeping in one of the cat beds. She told her brother that when Daisy's time came, she hoped Daisy would curl up and leave us in her sleep. Maybe Daisy heard her and thought that was mom giving her permission to go. We will never know.

Daisy was a rescue cat. Mom's best friend had spotted Daisy at a place called Yew Dell Garden. Daisy was living outside and being fed by staff. No one knew where Daisy had come from. Jen asked mom if she would take Daisy in if Yew Dell agreed to trap her. Our vet estimated Daisy's age at one year old and said she had been spayed. Her ear wasn't tipped, so we don't think she had been part of a colony. This was in June 2005.

Daisy had always been a healthy cat until her teeth started bothering her. Eventually she had all of her teeth removed except for her two bottom fangs. She started eating again and even gained some weight. Other that having a wound abscess shortly after her arrival, she had no other problems.

Although we referred to Daisy as Daisy, her full name was Princess Daisy Thistlechaser of Yew Dell Gardens. Daisy will be deeply missed. Fly high and free sweet girl. You have earned your wings.

Purrs and Whisker Kisses,

Clarissa & Co.

The Hots and other News

Hello friends! I'm back to catch up...again...on the events in our lives. I'll start with mom's SUV. She thinks everything is okay with it now. She had to have the radiator replaced ($1300!) and she had a new radio/CD/Bluetooth system installed. Her $6000 vehicles has had almost that same amount in repairs.

The Hots have arrived in Louisville. The temperature has been in the upper 90s and the humidity has been awful. We've also had several rounds of thunder boomers over the weekend. We are glad the we kitties stay inside.

Miss Daisy has an appointment the v-e-t on July 18th (Saturday). She's due for her senior exam. Due to social distancing mom can't go in with Daisy. She hates that because Daisy gets stressed out at the v-e-t. Last year she went into respiratory distress and was put in an oxygen tent for an hour or two. That really scared mom, and it scared Daisy, too.

We may have mentioned in the past that our mom is a bit of a klutz. She seems to fall a lot (at least to us). Back in the spring of 2017, she missed a step and fell. She had carpet rash on both knees from that fall. She was in California with friends and they went to visit on of their friends who mom had not met yet. What a way to make a first impression.

Two or three months ago mom fell in the kitchen at home. She was getting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar when her foot slipped. She didn't hurt her knees that time. Instead she fell backwards and hit the small shoe rack that she keeps our canned food and laundry supplies. The corner went right down the center of her back and she landed on a case of Bubly.

Of course, she was in that accident on April 10th that totaled her SUV. That wasn't her clumsiness.

Almost two weeks ago mom stepped outside to get the Door Dash delivery of Chinese food for her and our uncle. The porch was wet from rain and mom's feet got wet (she didn't have her shoes on). As she stepped into the house, her wet foot slipped on the floor and caused her to fall. Her left foot (the one that slipped) wedged under the front door like a doorstop. Her right arm hit the door frame on the way down and she ended up sliding on her right knee. Uncle brought her a chair and a cushion to put her knees on when she tried to get up. Unfortunately, she couldn't put any weight on the knee she injured. Uncle had to call 911 and get the EMT's to come to the house to help her up. She was so embarrassed. (Mom had lost a lot of weight a few years ago. She put it all back on plus an extra 20 lbs. She has lost the upper body strength that she had gained). They were very nice and got her up from the floor. They also checked her blood pressure (it was fine) and her glucose level because she is a Type II diabetic. That was also fine. They asked if she wanted to go to the hospital but she declined. The abrasions on her knee scabbed over and it is healing nicely. She's still a little concerned about her foot. She can walk without pain, but the abrasion on top of her foot is still very sore. And she has major bruising along with that. Mom highly recommends to never use your foot as a door stop.

I'll end this on a good note: Mom has been working at the call center since the end of January. She passed her 90 day marks with no problems. She was told that after 6 months she could apply for a full time position that has benefits. She spoke with her supervisor today about that and he told her to drop a message to the team leader. She did that and got her foot in the door (not literally!) She workers for a medical debt collection group. Currently she makes the outbound call to the account owner. Most of the time she gets voicemail and leaves a message. If a person does answer, she says who she is calling from and the hospital she's calling about. Most people have been polite. Once in awhile she will get a jerk. She explains that an account specialist wants to discuss the account and may she transfer them. Some agree, some don't. Some get mad, some agree to the transfer and hang up with mom starts to connect them. Mom is empathic towards them. She's been on the receiving end of one of those calls in the past and it's not fun. So many people are out of work because of the Covid-19 pandemic. She understands that they may have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for their utilities. Anyway, the full time job would be the position of the account specialist. Mom always thought she would have her job at UofL until the end of time. Unfortunately that didn't happen. She has to do whatever she can (that's legal!) to take care of herself and our uncle and we cats!!!

Mom asked me to tell you that she loves you all. We love you, too!

Purrs and whisker kisses,
Angel Clarissa & Co.

Time to play catch up!

Dearest Friends,

I thought I'd take a few minutes to let you know what is going on in our world. After last weekend's horrible riot we are happy to report that protesting is still happening, but it has been peaceful. Mom said she stands with them 100%, but she can't walk with them. She said she is too old and too fat, but she did make a small donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. 

Thursday,  June 4, marked one year since Sable crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It's hard to be that a year has already passed. He was a handsome boy and incredibly sweet. Mom doesn't recall him ever getting into a fight with any of us. We thing Sable and Batman sent Samantha, Bart, and Arson to mom.

Mom had the SUV back in the shop. She dropped it off last Sunday evening and was able to get it back on Tuesday. It had a total oil change, and the repair had something to do with a sensor and the crank case. So far, so good. Keep your paws crossed. Eventually, mom will get the radio, CD player, etc. checked out. Mom misses listening to her CDs or the FM radio. Right now she can only listen to AM radio stations. One is sports stuff and the other is talk radio. There are two other stations that she hasn't listen to yet.

We hope everyone is doing well and enjoy the beginning of summer. The humidity is low here for the time being so it's not too bad outside.

Purrs and Whisker Kisses,

Angel Clarissa & Co.

Two Years at the Rainbow Bridge

Dearest Friends,

It's been two years since I told mom that I was ready to go to my forever forever home over the Rainbow Bridge. I was very old and very sick as my kidneys were giving out. Mom knew it was coming. She didn't want to let me go, but she loved me enough to know that it was time. Dr. Riney saw me at my very first visit to his office and he was with me at my very last visit. He is a very kind man and I'm glad he was there to assist. I crossed over on June 2, 2018. Sable informed me that he left for the Bridge on June 4, 2019. It will be one year for Sable on Thursday.

Mom picked up the new used SUV this afternoon. She is hoping this is the last repair for a very long time. Another $400+. Her $6000 SUV as cost her about $2300 in repairs. It's a good thing she loves the Commander. Did we tell you she named it Vengeance? It's nickname is Lizzie, as in Lizzie Borden. She said it was a personal in joke that a few of her friends understand.

Good night all. Stay safe!!!

Purrs,

Angel Clarissa & Co.

Back to the Shop

Dearest Friends,

Mom dropped the new used SUV off at Goodyear today. It was running fine until yesterday afternoon. Mom went to the grocery and on the way home the SUV wouldn't go faster than 25mph! It was also idling roughly when she had to stop for traffic lights. The mechanic said it could possibly be the throttle body going bad. We don't know what a throttle body is, but if that is what's wrong it will be another $400-$600 spent.

We don't normally comment on the news here because we want this to be a mostly fun place. However, we can't let the events of the past few days go by without a mention. First and foremost, we hope you and your purrents are safe. We want you all to stay that way. We are sure that you have seen or heard the news about protestors and riots regarding the death of George Floyd. There was a similar situation in Louisville. It happened earlier in the year, but the unfortunate event has made the national news. A young woman, Breonna Taylor, was shot 8 times by police who had a "no knock" order to enter her residence. Her boyfriend thought it was a break in and shot a police officer in the leg. The police opened fire, which resulted in the death of Ms. Taylor. The person they were looking for did not live in the residence.

Thursday and Friday nights started out with peaceful protests. As soon as darkness fell things turned ugly. Friday night was the worse night. A curfew went into effect last night. No one was suppose to be out on the streets from 9:00pm - 6:00am. As far as we have heard the situation was better last night.

There is unrest in the USA. All we are asking is for you to purr and pray for peace and positive changes. We want everyone to be safe.

Know that we and mom love you all!!!

Purrs,

Angel Clarissa & Co.

The Accident: The dust has settled

Dearest Friends,

I have good news! The insurance company did considered mom's SUV to be totaled. They paid out more than mom expected. They also are paying for the rental car that mom had for 5 weeks. Mom has to pay the insurance portion of the rental car bill. Since she had dropped the collision portion of her car insurance, she thought it prudent to take the rental car company insurance. Mom has received the payout on the KIA, and a check for the day's wages for the day she was in the accident. She finally has all of the medical bills to turn in to her insurance company. Her insurance will pay those and then get reimbursed from the other guy's insurance.

On the day of the accident a friend of mom's gave her the name of a injury lawyer. This friend had been in a horrible accident and is lucky to be alive. Mom had a meeting with the lawyer a couple of days after the accident. She has decided against using the lawyer to get a high settlement. Mom wasn't seriously hurt. She was checked out at the ER on the day of the accident. She saw a physical therapist and nurse practitioner about a week after the accident. Mom is fine and her upper back and neck pain is mostly from arthritis. She was aware of the arthritis in her right shoulder and upper back. She did not know she had arthritis in her neck! Anyway, her medical bills are far less than she expected. As long as the insurance covers them then she says she's good.

Now for the new used SUV. After searching high and low, she ended up buy a 2006 Jeep Commander. It's a bigger SUV and has three rows of seats. The third row was lowered so there is more room for groceries, bags of cat food, and bags of litter. The mileage was low for a 14 year old vehicle at 162,034 on the day of the purchase. The windshield had a huge crack in it so she has already had that replaced. The air conditioner was blowing cool air, but not cold air. Mom took the Commander to Goodyear to get the condenser checked out. She told the mechanic to go on and check the entire thing out since it was bought "as is." The condenser was replaced, along with some belts, a drip pan, and a new catalytic converter. She trusts Daniel, one of the fellows that works there and has dealt with him for several years. The only thing to fix now is the CD player/radio/viewing screen. The screen is dark, the CD player doesn't work, and the radio is set to several AM stations and can't be changed. For the record, mom knew that didn't work when she bought it.

Mom sometimes names her vehicles. The Commander is named Vengeance. Her nickname is Lizzy (for Lizzy Borden). Mom told us there is a reason for the name, but she can't share it yet. It has something to do with her trip to California last November. Mom's weird, but you all knew that.

Everyone is well here. Arson is having some issues. He has started marking areas in the house by spraying. Mom thinks he is action out because Cinnamon and Samantha hate him (they really do). Bart doesn't like him either, although it may be that Arson doesn't like Bart. If Arson walks by Cinnamon, she will hiss, yowl, and whine. On occasion swatting is involved. It's the same with Samantha. If Bart crosses Arson's path the same thing happens. In that case mom is unsure of who is starting it. Bart is pretty low key. It's all frustrating for mom. 

Business are slowly opening up here. Mom hasn't ventured into any of the stores other than the grocery store and Dollar Tree. She said she isn't ready to go to the mall. She and our uncle have gone out to eat a couple of times since some of the restaurants have opened. Both Denny's and Cracker Barrel have done well to keep customers apart. The staff all wore face masks and gloves. Mom said she will be happy when things go back to normal. On the other hand she wonders if things will ever really be normal again.

On that note, I'll end!

Stay safe.

Love to all,

Angel Clarissa & Co.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming

Dearest Friends,

We hope this finds you and your families well. We are well, both cats and humans. Mom and Uncle are doing the "social distancing" and avoiding areas like grocery stores whenever possible. Mom has used Uber Eats and Door Dash a couple of times. One night mom put in an order for Chinese food and didn't think it would ever arrive. The order was placed at 6:15pm and was expected to arrive between 7:30pm-8:00pm. Dinner did not arrive until 10:30pm!

Mom had some excitement that she said she could have done without! She was in an automobile accident on Friday, April 10. Mom left the house early because she said she was wanting Krispy Kreme donuts. It's not far from our house, so her plan was to get 3 donuts and a milk, then sit in the parking lot and eat them. From there she was going into work. She had 1.5 hours to make up due to an appointment she had earlier in that week.

Mom drove to the main exit of the shopping center so she could go out with a traffic light. The light was red. When the light turned green she waited a couple of seconds to make sure the car across from her wasn't going to turn left. As mom started to cross the intersection, some jacka** ran the red light and hit the left front fender and the edge of the driver's side door. The side window airbag deployed, and mom was jerked to the right. Thank goodness she had her seat belt on! The man that hit her got out and said his car system automatically called the police. He also called for EMS because mom said her neck hurt.

While waiting for the police to show up, three different people came to mom and said they saw him run the red light. Two of them stayed to talk with the police when they arrived. EMS took mom to the hospital to have her checked out. Although the x-rays didn't show anything broken, mom was still hurting a little bit. She had to call Uber for a ride home.

Her car (KIA Sportage) was towed to the police impound lot. It took forever to find it because a couple of numbers in VIN were transposed. Mom finally saw the vehicle on Tuesday. She wanted to get her personal belongings out of it. The left front tire is bent, leaving the tire at an angle. There is a strong possibility that the axle may be broken. Of course, the left front fender is damaged and the hinge on the driver's side door is sprung so the door won't close all the way. Since the SUV is a 2008 model with 145,000 miles on it, she's pretty sure it will be totaled. Right now she still has a rental car while it's all being sorted out. It would cost more to repair the KIA than the blue book value. At least that's what mom said.

Mom said the only luck she's had lately is bad luck. But she is okay and the KIA can be replaced.

Stay safe friends. Pictures of mom's KIA are below.

Purrs,
Angel Clarissa and Co.

Checking In - Covid19

Hello friends! We are checking in to let you know we are well. Mom says these are scary times and we agree. She is glad most of her coworkers are working from home. She was going to do that too, but our house arrangement won't allow her to do that. Her job would furnish the two monitors, CPU, and the box that allows her to make calls. The CPU would have to be hooked up to the modem. Simply enough, except the modem in her brother's bedroom. There isn't enough room for her workstation in that room. Her office workstation is so far away from the next person she doesn't worry about picking up the virus there. No one else uses her desk or computer.

We are glad to have mom home with us. She said she misses going to the mall, not to shop, but to get Chinese food from the food court! Mom has been doing a little cooking at home, and a lot of going through drive-thru fast food places and eating in the car.

Our state's governor is on t.v. everyday at 5:00pm. Mom doesn't always watch him, but when she does she gets the number of new cases, the number of deaths, and the counties where these things have happened. He also reiterates the need to stay home, washing your hands, and social distancing. We can't believe how stupid (or selfish) some people can be. Some people think the rules don't pertain to them. She heard today that a gym owner was opening the back door to the facility for members to come in and work out. The gym was not to be open period!

Anymeow, we hope you and your humans are well and stay well. If your people are the purring type, ask them to purr for an end to this pandemic.

Love and purrs,

Angel Clarissa & Family

We Are Well - Covid-19

Hi friends,

Mom asked me to let you all know that she and our uncle are fine and have not been infected with that nasty Covid-19 virus. Locally, schools will be closed for the next three weeks. The same goes for the public library branches in town. Our aunt works for the library and still has to go to work, but she won't be dealing with the public. Our other aunt, who lives in North Carolina, can work from home for her job.

I don't remember if I told you that mom is working again. It's only 20 hours a week for now, but if she makes it for six months she should have the opportunity to advance to a full time position that pays $2 more per hour. She's working at a call center.

Mom worked a temp job for most of January. She worked the night shift in a mail room, opening and sorting incoming documents. It should be starting again soon. Mom said she wants to work the 10pm - 6:30am shift. It pays more. She doesn't have to report to her part time job until noon.

All of the kitties are well. Bart is spoiled. He gets a few Temptation Treats in the morning and at bedtime. Now he thinks anytime mom goes into the kitchen she should give him treats!!! Silly Bart.

We hope all is well with your purrents and that they stay safe and healthy during this difficult time.

Purrs,

Angel Clarissa

And Then There Were 7: RIP Ginger

Hello Friends,

It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news regarding Ginger. Our sweet sisfur crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday, February 18. She had kidney disease. Even with prescription food she could not fight it any longer.

Ginger was one of the five cats mom brought home from Cleveland, Ohio. Mom's friend told her about them. They lady who had them was selling her house and moving into her boyfriend's house. He didn't want the cats, so she got rid of them. Mom said she would be getting rid of him if it were her.

Ginger, Panda, Puff, and Spunky were littermates. Batman was a year older than them and not related. Mom was going to take Ginger and Spunky only. They were a bonded pair and they had to go together. Then mom said they couldn't find a home for Puff, so she said she would take him. Then there were some red flags going on regarding the foster home that Panda and Batman were going to. So...that's how mom ended up with five adult cats!

Panda crossed the Rainbow Bridge in April 2013. Her kidneys gave out. Spunky passed in October 2017. He had cancer. Puff crossed last year. He also had cancer. And now Ginger has joined them. Batman passed in June 2018. He had saddle thrombosis and lost the use of his back legs. The Cleveland Crew are back together again.

Mom and her brother are having some hard times. If your parents pray, ask them to send a prayer for our household. They are determined they will do whatever it takes to keep the house. I can't go into the mess mom has gotten into, but she is doing the best she can to try to make it right.

We love you all!!

Purrs,

Angel Clarissa

 Ginger in her box.

Spunky and Ginger.

Welcome Arson Wells!!!

Happy New Year, Friends!!!! Okay, so we are a bit late, but it's still January so it's all good. We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Ours was quiet and that's just how we like it around here!

Bart has settled in and is enjoying his new life with us. He is very low-keyed and tends to be a loner. He is very sweet and will come seek pets and a brushing, but he isn't a lap cat. He's found a couple of spots where he likes to hang out and sleep. Mom was hoping he might be a bed buddy, but so far it hasn't happened. Mom thinks her bed might be too high for Bart to jump up on. He is an old man and doesn't move fast.

We have some more exciting news! Mom has brought another new guy into the clowder. On January 13, our next door neighbor showed up on the doorstep with a cat in a carrier. The neighbor remodels apartments, etc. She said this guy had been left behind by his person! She and her partner had been caring for him while they were working, but it was time to get him a forever home. She knew about mom and her cats, so she brought him here. He came with a bag of food, a new litterbox, and his bowl.

Mom and uncle took him to the 24/7 vet to get him checked out. That when they found out that the kitty was a boy and had been fixed. He even had the tip of his ear clipped. His age was estimated to be between 3-4 years old. For some odd reason, there was a disposable lighter inside the carrier with him!

Kitty did not have a name and one of the tech's suggested "Arson" because of the lighter. Mom thought it was cute (she is weird) and she loves puns, so the nameless kitty was name Arson Wells! That's a play on actor Orson Wells name, for you younger people. Look up the movie Citizen Kane.

Without further adieu, here is Arson Wells!!!

Arson is so full of love!!! He loves to be petted and have his ears scratched. And he sleeps with mom!!! That makes her so happy. Mom now has three house panthers!!!