The Opinionated Pussycat

We're Back! Ready to Rumble, Purrin' Louder Than an Elephant!

Good morning, felinity assembled! Did anyone miss us?

Right off the bat Elvira and I wish to thank those who stopped by to read our, specially prepared in advance, posts while we were at the vet for a week, and those who sent support and encouragement to us and Daddy Kiril via various social media outlets and email.

It was greatly appreciated.

As for our stay at the vet I could gloss over it with the cliché "what happens at the Houston Cat Hospital stays at the Houston Cat Hospital" but the sad truth is that not a whole hell of a lot of anything interesting happened.

Elvira holed up in a corner of our cage, with her toys, only coming out for breakfast, dinner, water and litter box runs, checking to make sure I hadn't disappeared, like Daddy.

I think she figured this was the best way to stave off her earlier prediction of doom.

Sassy Lady Says "It's in the Bag!"

 

Daddy Kiril to Get Surgery! All WE Get is a Vacation

Listen up, friends of The Opinionated Pussycat!

Nurse Elvira Mistress of Felinity, here, with important news!

As regular readers of our medical updates know, Daddy Kiril learned he has a small to medium cancerous tumor (malignant melanoma) in his right eye last November.

After many months and many tests he was told what needed to be done; something called Brachytherapy, a plaque insertion and removal/internal radiation procedure.

Yesterday we learned that he has been scheduled for surgery, well actually, a pair 5 days apart.
 
He goes in April 18th, for the insertion surgery, the removal surgery is the 23rd and a post-op follow-up is the 24th.

What does this mean for Nikita and me? A vet vacation, that’s what it means!

Well, hmph, don’t that just beat all? I swear, what the hell is a nurse cat to do when the doctors won’t even let her help in the care of her patient? This ain’t right, darn it all! I demand a second opi…

Well, actually, it IS right, and our extended trip away from home is for our own health because it is not safe for us to be around radiation if Daddy Kiril is allowed to come home between the surgeries.

The cost of our 8 day stay (April 17 thru 25) will be around $260-300.

Daddy talked to the doc about his scheduled trip to the Blog Paws Conference, May 15-19, and he says he sees (pun intended) no problem. His eye may be a little red, he may still be experiencing a little post-op double vision and he may still be taking daily drops, but none of this will keep him from his destiny (or ours, as his fellow writers!).

There is a lot of work to be done before that week; Nikita and I need to have a week worth of blog posts done and pre-scheduled for The Opinionated Pussycat!

One idea we have is asking felinity assembled to share with us, either in blog posts on your blog, or by e-mail, your “Top 5 things a cat should avoid doing while staying at the vet for a week” and maybe a short explanation about why.

Nikita and I may share a space together, or at least be in spaces next to each other for the duration.

Daddy explains more about the surgeries, here:

Medical Update: Bring it on, Baby! Surgery in 2 weeks!

http://www.madmacedonian.com/2013/04/medical-update-bring-it-on-baby-surgery-in-2-weeks.html

This week, Friendship Friday's theme is about doing something new...

Um, does all of this qualify? :-D

Tortie Tuesday: Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It, Is...

Listen to this theme music, as you enjoy this post:

Elvira Mistress of Felinity

Good morning, Elvira Mistress of Felinity,

At 0700 Central Standard Time, after breakfast has been served and the human, known to you as Daddy Kiril, is sitting at his desk checking his messages, and Facebook.....

Your mission Miss Elvira, should you choose to accept it, will be to do something that he would never expect in a million years, and make him smile to start the day. As always, should you be caught before completion of your mission, you will disavow any plan on your part to do what the human, Daddy Kiril, asks you if you were going to do.

This dream will dissolve in 9 seconds. Good luck, Miss Elvira.

Our Secret Paws gift, for Christmas, was a nice little tower with a toy to bat around, 2 scratching posts, and a hammock.

Nikita pretty much wants nothing to do with it, while I have liked everything about it except the hammock....

Until today.

Purrs and Purrayers For a Long Time Friend and Her Humans

Zoe in 2003

 

Zoe in 2006

Nikita here....

Dear friends in the Cat Blogging Community, I, Elvira, and Daddy Kiril, ask you to send much needed purrs and purrayers, to a dear friend of ours, and her Humans.

ZoZo, and one of her Humans, BJ, were, in 2002, instrumental in persuading Daddy Kiril and I to begin blogging, and have been frequent commentors, strong cheerleaders, and advisors as we set out on this continuing writing adventure, ever since.

Her Human sent 2 messages that have us concerned, and sending purrs and purrayers their way:

 1. Zozo has continued to lose weight and is at the specialist this morning, it doesn't look good, tests will tell. It could be hyperthyroidism, but I have a really bad feeling about it. :'^(

2. It's not good news, we'll know for sure Friday if it's lymphoma or leukemia, either way the prognosis is poor and no realistic treatment options given that she's eleven years old. It just wouldn't be fair to subject her to chemo when the outcome will only be a few more months. We'd rather she spend her remaining days laying in the sun in her favorite spots.

We'll keep her comfortable  until it's time to say goodbye.

This is the really awful part of having pets.

The Power of the Purr, as shared by our Community over the years, has done wonders in helping our fellow felines, and even their Humans, through times of illness, and provided great comfort as journey's to Rainbow Bridge took place.

On this Day of Thanksgiving we are eternally grateful, and thankful to have Zoe and BJ in our lives, and are sending our own Purrs and Purrayers, and warm thoughts, their way.

(ZoZo's Cheezeburger Debut!)



**** Nov. 23rd - 1245pm****

What follows is a message left by BJ on behalf of herself and Zoe (Keep those Purrs and Purrayers coming!):

Thank you all for your prayers for my sweet Zozo and kind comments.

We're blessed to share our lives with these wonderful creatures.

Zoe's basking in a morning sun puddle nearby as I type this, smiling, winking and nodding at me as usual. She's no longer the chubby tabby in the photos, but she's still bossing her dog, Harley, around and ruling the cat roost.

I'm struggling to not to tear up constantly so I'll stop, again, thank you for your kind words and thoughts.

BJ & Zozo

****END UPDATE****

 

Settling In

Good afternoon, Felinity Assembled, Nikita here, and Elvira Mistress of Felinity and I want to share how we began to settle in.

The 15 Chapter Move Story starts here. :-D

When the relocube arrived on our first Wednesday in our new home, Daddy was so busy bringing boxes in that we decided to play it safe and hide for the duration. :-D

Daddy had to toss the 6 ft. tower because, if he was going to have a desk, a table, a few chairs, and bookshelves, the tower would take up too much room, plus it had too much cat hair, and who knows who hitched a ride from Ca. :-D

Turns out, a day later it was gone from the dumpster so there is at least one lucky cat neighbor. :-D

ELVIRA:

As Daddy put things away, brought in the tables, set our familiar cube tower up, by the bedroom window, the new place was feeling more like home.

As much as we like the patio view our cubes were something familiar to hang out in until all the empty boxes in the living room were cleared away.

Meowsings Moves to Texas 15: Week 1 in Houston!

Good afternoon, Felinity Assembled, Nikita here, to lead off this entry about our first week in our new Houston home. :-D

This ends our series about our journey from Ca. to Houston. :-D

Part one is here. :-D

Once we arrived at our new apartment Elvira Mistress of Felinity set about nervously exploring the place, top to bottom. Daddy actually left us alone TWICE on this first day: Once to go get litter and a litter box and once to go get him an airbed.

 

How we both held it until the litter box was in place, I don’t know! Daddy had set torn pieces of the Sunday L.A. Times and OC Register in the bath tub but, out of respect for our fellow journalists, and writers, we didn’t use them…or maybe it was because we were nervous and out of sorts. :-D

Elvira Reports: Book Shelves for Our Cat Books

Daddy Bought 2 Billy Bookcases at Ikea, the other day.

For now our growing book collection gets 2 shelves, but will eventually get its own Billy.

Nikita and I, of course, investigated the boxes.

I forgot that Daddy would have his camera ready. :-D

Thank goodness it was almost our dinner time. :-D

  Too bad Daddy wouldn't let me help him! :-D

Next up: A place for our Cat Book Collection!

Elvira in...The Chair and I

Daddy Kiril got some new chairs, from Target, for $15 each.

 

While Nikita settled down in comfort, on the one in the bedroom, I have my doubts about and the pair in the living room, as well.

 

I decided to claim the spot behind the bedroom one for napping purposes, and to keep an eye on it, especially when Nikita is using it. :-D

Next up: Bookcases!!

Meowsings Moves to Texas 14: A Lady Cat & Her Human, Traveling Alone

Good evening Felinity Assembled, Elvira Mistress of Felinity, here.

Nikita’s take on our journey, up to our separation, is pretty much accurate.

Yes, I put up a fuss over the harness, but once it was on and I was in the carrier, I settled down to await developments.

Part one is here. :-D

On the Super Shuttle ride my view was no better than Nikita’s, even though I was on a seat next to Daddy. The other 5 passengers were all speaking in Spanish so I couldn’t even eavesdrop.

Where’s the fun in that? :-D

After we parted company with Nikita we got in line for the x-ray and what Daddy said might be a pat down. Being a lady I was concerned over that last part. I didn’t mind being patted, but if they got too fresh with me my claws might have got Daddy and I in big trouble! :-D

As it turned out Daddy had to empty his pockets, then attach the leash to my harness and carry me through the x-ray and that was it!

Easy, peasy, piece of cake! :-D

I behaved myself and smiled at all the nice TSA people and didn’t even grumble when Daddy was told I should keep the harness on because they didn’t know what Dallas airport would be like.

As we headed to where we waited for our plane, Daddy made a stop in the human bathroom for men. He instructed me to avert my eyes but, well, let’s just say that that old saying about curiosity being unhealthy for felines is, in my opinion, a bunch of malarkey and leave it at that. :-D

We met more people curious about me and the flattery was thick and fast.

Once on the plane Daddy stuck me under a seat and, with the lights in the cabin on low there was no point in staying awake so I let the sedative do its thing and snoozed all the way to Dallas.