can you spot ...

... something unusual in this photo?


...

Maybe a closer look is warranted ...

...

...

...


Ahhh, there it is ...

harry — what we'll miss

The kid was understandably quite upset when I broke the bad news to her about the loss of our beloved Harry. But she, on her own, channeled some of her grief into this lovely little photo illustration.


I thought it might help if we not dwell on the sad last few days and think instead about some of the good times we had with Harry. What we liked about him and what we'll miss.

He loved water. He used to try to get into the shower with me every morning, and then run out and shake water off on whoever had the misfortune to be in his path. 

He was an amazing jumper. 

He had the typical Siamese cat meow, or more correctly, MMMowwwww. He was a talker, and would answer me back if I asked him a question, many times sounding like he was saying, "now" or "wow." 

Like all black cats he had some white in his fur. In his case two vee shapes, one on his chest and one on his belly.

There's lots more, of course. Our pets have individual personalities and quirks, just like we do. RIP Harry. I love you and miss you. ♥

not harry ...

I first met this crazy Black Siamese cat three years ago August. Someone thought it would be a good idea for us to get a pet, a cat, and somehow we ended up with two — this black cat and his litter mate, a tabby. I named them Harry and Dash. They were about five or six months old and full of mischief. Dash was a scratcher and a biter. Not Harry. It took a while, but I broke down Dash's resistance. He's now a cuddle cat. Harry was the alpha cat. He was smart, adventurous, but he was also extremely affectionate. He and I bonded big time.

Dash and Harry, six months

Brothers

I like boy cats, and like to play with them, but Harry always knew to keep his claws in and not bite too hard when it was me he was "wrestling." His brother can not always be counted on to remember to do that. Harry could jump higher than any cat I had ever seen, doing flips and somersaults in mid-air. But Harry also developed a delicate tummy and had to be on a special diet.

Harry rescues a balloon

Harry liked to keep up with technology

Last Thursday he threw up multiple times, so I took him to the vet first thing the next morning. They said it was a recurrence of his tummy issues (gastroenteritis) and gave me some anti-vomit pills and some more of his special food. Over the long holiday weekend he didn't bounce back. He was thirsty and drank plenty of water, but wouldn't touch his food. I brought him in again first thing Tuesday morning and after some bloodwork and x-rays it was determined that he had an intestinal obstruction, and that the vet would operate the next morning. The vet offered to bring him to the emergency clinic to stay overnight, but Harry seemed to be doing well, and the vet was going to check in on him later at the clinic anyway at 10pm.

I got a call just after 10 that Harry had passed away, probably a few hours earlier that evening. I am now filled with not just pain, but regret and so many "what ifs?" What if we had agreed that he should go to the emergency vet? What if the vet had been able to operate that afternoon instead of the next morning? What if the damn cat hadn't swallowed whatever it was that he did that caused this whole mess in the first place?

My gorgeous Harry

None of those questions really matter. Harry is gone and I already miss him so. I have to find a time to tell the kid today. After school. There's really no good time. Dash is sitting at the end of my bed as I type this, in his usual late-night spot. Will he notice that his brother hasn't returned? Or understand my sadness? You were supposed to have nine fucking lives, Harry. You were only three years old. It's so unfair. I'm so sorry. You were such a great cat.

dash, supermodel

kitty tummy troubles

It never ceases to amaze me that our pets can have just about any ailment that we get, too. My wonderful Harry has been having tummy troubles of late, and I can relate. He doesn't seem able to process hairballs, and then was having trouble using his litter box. After staying overnight at the vet and being pumped up with fluids the good news is that the bathroom troubles were nothing serious. (Whew!) But he is now going to have to eat special food, and will have to have a B12 shot for a few weeks to get his tummy back in shape. Poor baby.

Harry (R) getting some love from his brother Dash

Hopefully this will all do the trick and he will not have to struggle to hawk up a hairball anymore. The last one was so solid it must have been in the poor guy's gut for a while. Happily that's not one of my issues. The big question is will the other two kitties forgive Harry (and me) for them having to eat the special food, too. Sorry guys, that's what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

it's the weekend

I really want to be able to hang out and relax like Baby Boy. Cats have it all figured out.

introducing ... baby boy

Our newest family member is a four-month-old kitten that my mom and daughter flipped over and I just couldn't say "No" to.

He loves to cuddle

The kid loves to cuddle, too

But like all kittens, he can only sit still for so long

A dramatic pose

cat people

Some of my favorite people are friends to felines. Here's some fun pix from one of my Pinterest boards, Cat People.

Source: img.izismile.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Source: s-ak.buzzfed.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

dash and the rope of yarn

weekend fun

Stuffed animals

Rock on, kiddo

Angel, Santa's helper

put away the glass ornaments ...

This is not the year to hang up the most fragile items, as Christmas tree climbing is definitely an indoor sport here ...

cats and dog

Harry in the perfect fall kitty photo

Brothers Dash and Harry

It's finally stopped raining and the sun is back: the doggie joy of Angel

pthooeey!!!

it must be something in the water ...

Because that is some triffid, I mean, hibiscus ...

the cats of palm beach

Every city has stray animals, but this island near the sea seems to have more than its fair share. Every morning as I walk the kid to school I see at least three or four stray cats. They are all breeds, shapes and sizes.

A long-haired ginger bobtail, a black and white shorthair, some gray tabbies, black cats — one who has really lived a street life, as he only has one ear ...

Some are friendly and some are very standoffish. It's hard to tell how many are strays and how many are just outdoor cats, as some always seem to be hanging out around the same houses. This little ginger kitten was very friendly, but I only saw him once this week.

It's so tempting to rescue these critters, especially Ginger Boy. But I'm not sure how our two cats would feel about him, and I don't want to bring any street cat diseases into the mix. I don't want to become a "crazy cat lady," and apparently Palm Beach has already had one of those.

When we adopted our dog from the local shelter it was depressing to see the dogs and cats in pens and cages and know that I couldn't help them all. I know the shelter is doing its best, but wouldn't it be nice to create a space for cats to roam free, but also be fed regularly and get their shots, etc. On the kid's favorite show on Animal Planet, Must Love Cats, they profiled a woman who did just that. Of course she also has a monthly cat food budget of over $20,000.

Even if I could solve my stray cat guilt, what about the gray fox roaming the streets at night ...

out on a limb

I'm so glad I decided this year to only hang up the unbreakable ornaments. It may not be as shiny and glam as I usually like it, but it still looks festive and fun. I suspected that the tree might be a source of interest, but not that it would become a place to (literally) hang out ...

art cat

There's something about this recent photo of our black Siamese kitten Harry ...


... that reminds me of this famous Japanese print, Cat and Spider, c.1868 - 1912 by Oide Makoto (Toko).


Art from life, art is life, etc.

cats + water = bath time?

Cats are supposed to hate water, correct?

Not this crazy feline . . .

He can't get enough of the kid and the tub at bath time. No need to tell you that he has taken a few dips. So far, unfortunately, none caught on film. But there's always tomorrow . . .

nancy drew and the case of the cat's footprints

We had heard that some stray cats might visit the balcony or roof of our building from time to time, but apparently they can get into the garage, too. My daughter is now on the case to track down the hiding place of our furry neighbors. A clue . . .

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love is all you need

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love, but then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love, to be happy then is to suffer but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore to be unhappy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down - Love and Death

Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable - Wizard of Oz

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