Each Day Already is a Challenge

And Now It's Piewacket

Sigh. Animals can cause you just as much grief as kids. Perhaps more, since they cannot tell you what's happening with them.

Our adult cat, Piewacket or Pie for short, used to be such a talker. I think I wrote about that a while back. She knows by the tone of your voice if you're asking a question of her and is always apt to respond. Her meows are different for different things.

Lately, though, she hasn't been doing much meowing. I thought that it might have something to do with having the kitty. She has not been too sure she likes sharing her house with that new kitty. She never minded having Allison's dog here. But another feline? She's just not sure that's the right thing for all of us.

This weekend, I noticed (or rather my son pointed out to me) that Pie opens her mouth to meow an answer when you ask a question. But nothing comes out. It appears that she's lost her voice.

Pie and Opera were both scheduled to see the vet on Feb. 7. But those plans have changed now. When I checked with the vet's office, they said she needs to be seen - today.

Let's hope this doesn't cost an arm and a leg. My own sore throat and cough is back to being annoying and I'll probably need another doctor's appointment this week.

Bird poop!

What's that? You don't understand my reference to bird poop? Well, hubby would. A while ago, our pastor (and it might have been sooooooo long ago that it was the pastor at Jim's old church), told a story about a man whose life was in shambles. I can't remember all of the things that went wrong for that fellow, but there were many. And when he complained and shook his fist at the heavens, wondering how much more he could take or if there was ever going to be an end to his troubles, the answer came. Some bird pooped on his face.

That's what I was thinking. You know, when it rains, it pours. (And it is raining here today, by the way. Some areas of Cincinnati are expecting flooding.) Or, when you really think there cannot be any more bad stuff happening in your life, a bird poops on your face.

The shorthand version of saying all of that is to just say, "Bird poop" when someone is having a bad time.




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We're back from the vet's office. Seems like she's mimicing what I went through. We can't pass the same viruses around. But I guess while we're suffering a bunch of viruses, so are our pets. Grrr.

Blood tests show that she doesn't have anything bacterial. But the vet couldn't really see down her throat. I guess cats are the worst for having you look in their mouths.

So...tomorrow Pie will arrive at the vet's office somewhere between 7 and 8:30 a.m. to be spayed. While they have her anesthetized they'll also be able to look at her throat.

Thankfully, while we were there, Pie tried to meow for the doc. She moved her mouth and nothing came out, just like at home. (Riding in the car, which she didn't like at all, she tried doing a loud cat howl. With all that effort, a small squeak did come out, but that's all. Poor thing.)

The vet said Pie could have any number of problems. It could be that she has a sore throat and laryngitis like a human. Or, my son could be right about the hairball. Doc said sometimes they actually get them stuck around the vocal chords. Who knew? The doc also said it could be something worse than that but we're not going there until she checks Pie tomorrow. Good idea. We're not ready to think bad thoughts. Happy thoughts, that's what we're thinking.

The folks in the waiting room were all impressed at Piewacket walking on a leash. One couple had tried that with their cats and had nothing but scratches to show for it.

Tonight, we have to take up the food and water bowls after 8 p.m. That's going to make two felines very unhappy. Maybe we'll have to put the young one in our bedroom with the door closed and some food and water on our floor. She eats and drinks all the time!!!!

That's all about Pie - for now.

Meanwhile, if you didn't look at the new picture at the top of my page, you probably missed that I made an album of pictures of downtown Pittsburgh, the inclines and Kennywood. Here they are:

My Hometown  (E) Pittsburgh, PA. Where I was born and raised. #1202853 by Kenzie