Itโs been a long, long, LONG month - without internet access. WLTooโs mom sold her farm, so we moved her into the retirement village sheโd chosen. But downsizing from a 3000+ square feet house into a 300 sq ft suite was painful. She was more interested in messing with her sonsโ minds than in deciding what she absolutely needed. We worked like youngsters for weeks, packing, moving 40 miles one way, unpacking, going back for more, taking back what weโd told her would not fit but she insisted on it until she saw for herself it wouldnโt fitโฆ
After we got her moved, we had to empty the house. She again refused to tell them what they were supposed to do with the stuff, so WLToo made the decision for her. A charity came with a huge truck and took almost everything, only stopping because the truck was full. The few things left over went to her friends or straight into the garbage.
Sheโs ticked at them for making decisions. Both sons are ticked at her for acting like they were 20-somethings who could handle all the manual labor without consequences - and for not making decisions. The elder had to go back home before we were done, and his doctor did yell at him for overdoing it. WLToo at least has been working out, so he was doing ok until he caught a cold. I had the stamina and strength to keep going, but had to come back home a few days before WLToo did. Even lost another inch off my waist and added 6+ pounds of lean muscle mass from the labor, but itโs not real high on my list of fun ways to lose fat.
The whole time, Spot and Alex were lounging around the vetโs office, getting spoiled. But just a couple of days after he got home, Spot started squatting everywhere. The bladder problem was back. Then he couldnโt pee at all. Wound up with a catheter for 24 hours. Lab results and a sonogram showed crystals in bladder and right kidney, but no bacteria. So an antibiotic wonโt do anything.
End result is heโs on a pain killer every 8 hours (oral or sub-cutaneous, depending on how hard he fights me), Hillโs CD for a month, then a raw food diet. He likes the CD dry, appears to be tired of the wet, and still wants the treats heโll not be able to have when we finish the transition to the raw food diet. I predict a long and painful process.
Meanwhile, until the CD dissolves all the crystals, every few hours Spot goes into a squatting frenzy, peeing any and everywhere. Iโve gone through an entire gallon of Wee Cleaner already, and the place still reeks.
Then Alex got into trouble by spraying my dresser. Great. Two cats peeing everywhere. Iโm completely exhausted just from cleaning up, spraying Wee Cleaner, cleaning up, spraying Wee Cleaner. Iโve stopped counting the number of bend and squats Iโve done (not my favorite exercise). Today will be steam mopping with distilled water and vinegar, and shampooing the area rug.
The only up side so far is that Spot is using his Litter Robot again, more or less. For several days, heโd put his front into the litter, pee on the step, climb inside and lay down. He leaked on himself a few times, and the litter clumped on his fur, so that was a fun cleanup, too, especially since it was on his hind legs and he hates having them touched.
He knows full well that peeing anywhere he wants is not acceptable, yet heโll literally do it in front of me, then run to the Litter Robot, as though he thinks that makes it all better.
My brother nicknamed him Spotacus; right now, SpotaCUSS! is more accurateโฆ
On the wildlife side, we have barn swallows! They showed up yesterday, examining all the nests. Weโve not seen the hummingbirds since just before we went to his momโs, and we need at least one new feeder, as the old one just plain wore out. Birds are singing โ itโs quite noisy outside โ and the bluebonnets are already blooming.
MDL is quite pregnant. I hope she doesnโt lose this yearโs fawn(s), as sheโs probably nearing her last breeding seasons. Sheโs coming up now after deserting the doe herd that follows her around, so she can get her corn. Smart girl, knows we only feed her, not the rest of them. A couple of the younger does are right bold, standing just beyond the porch and stomping at us while weโre inside looking out. We stomp back and they go away.
Thereโs a very large cat on my lap, sucking up. Will have to keep him away from my glass of V-8, lest he help himself. Will be glad when WLToo gets home to share the load. Heโs back at the farm, clearing out the last of the junk. If thereโs anything left this time, itโs just going to convey.
Time to start mopping. Later, yโall.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Czarny, black cat
Rainbow Bridge: Spotacus, Alexander the Grrreat, and so very many more