Hi, everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted here on a regular basis. Most of the
time I've been posting in fits and starts, during the past few years.

But now I'm here to share some sad and happy news.

The sad news: I did post this on catslaves, but didn't have the heart to
post it twice, so I never quite managed to make my way to RPCA. Last fall,
starting in the middle of October, Harmony's appetite started to fail.
The next four weeks consisted of trips to the vet, blood tests, and meds
for appetite, nausea, and antibiotics (to fix her far-too-elevated white
blood cell count). The vet suggested an ultrasound, but the timing was
bad. First, I needed to wait for a payday, and then I had to wait because
the person who operates the ultrasound was on vacation.

The symptoms, unfortunately, were pointing toward a diagnosis of cancer,
as the vet could feel that Harmony's intestines were thickened. But we
needed the ultrasound to confirm or disprove that theory.

Meanwhile, even with me using a syringe to feed her soft cat food, and
eventually giving her subcutaneous fluids because her lack of appetite was
causing her to become dehydrated, her weight continued to drop.

Unfortunately, we never managed to get the ultrasound. On November 21,
Harmony was extremely weak, and I suspected that she was going to be
leaving for the Bridge soon. She was curled in her cat bed, the one place
she seemed to want to be during the last few days.

So I took her, IN the cat bed, upstairs from the basement. It was too cold
down there, and I didn't want her to spend her final hours alone. She used
to love to sit next to me on the extended foot of the recliner on the end
of our sofa. I'd lay down, she'd lay down next to me, and all would be
right with the world. So that's where I set her cat bed. I lay down
next to her, giving her an occaisonal pet on her side and telling her
how beautiful she was and how much I loved her. Some time after midnight,
we both fell asleep.

When I woke suddenly at about 4 AM, I reached over to pet Harmony, and
that was when I realized that she had passed peacefully in her sleep. She
was 14.5 years old, and as loved of a cat as there ever could be.

And I missed her. Moreover, losing her triggered me to miss her other two
adopted sisters who preceded her to the RB, Misty and Melody. For 28 of my
41 years, I've had at least one cat, and it hurt terribly not to have that
extra brightness that a loving feline brings to one's day.

So I talked it over with my husband, and last week we went to the local
PetSmart. It opened recently, and it has partnered with the Morris Animal
Refuge to help rehome animals.

We filled out the paperwork to be approved to adopt. It was approved, so
we visited the animal refuge this afternoon.

And started the process of adopting two 9-month-old boykitties. I love
them already. I don't think they are biologically related, but they are
about the same age, and they were both brought in as strays. They're
already friends, and they are two incredible love sponges. :o) My
goodness, what purr motors they have!

No cat will replace Harmony. Ditto for Melody and Misty. I was honored to
be their Meowmy for 14.5, 13.5, and 10 years, respectively, and I'm a
better human for having loved each of those cats.

But now it's time to honor their memories, which I'll cherish forever, by
providing a OneTrueHome to two more cats in need.

So please purr that the blood tests, neutering, etc, turn out all right
for my two soon-to-be-spoiled cats. The sooner all those things are
accomplished, the sooner I can bring the boys home. And then we'll have a
REAL home again, the kind that includes both humans AND cats.

Donna (with a couple of names in mind for the new kitties, but I'll
"announce" them once I'm sure the names fit)

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