My Kitties' Page
1998 was a difficult year for me as a cat lover due to the passing of one
of my nearly 20 year old kitties. Early one morning in late September,
Jo purred for a minute and said good bye. It is hard to be sad, because
Jo had a very long and good life for a cat and gave us many years of
devoted friendship.
Jo and Ivy had been with me for many, many years. They were best of friends and loyal companions through thick and thin.
Poor Ivy took Jo's death very hard. I was surprised as I thought that
she would relish having my
time and attention all to herself. I didn't think I'd be ready or willing to consider adding another
cat to the household, plus, with Ivy's advanced age, we served only low protein cat food suited to
felines with ailing or failing kidneys.
But, after witnessing two weeks of Ivy's extreme anxiety, all the time looking for her long time companion, I was worried that the stress would be damaging.
Fortunately, a Persian - breeding friend came to the rescue with Spunky (formerly known as Champion Kitticamp Blueprint of Odin) just in time for my birthday and to salvage Ivy's sanity,
Spunky was 6 years old, and although a retired Champion is unable to be part of any breeding program because she is PKD positive. This means she has polycystic kidney disease (fibroid cysts growing on her kidneys) which can be passed along to any kittens. Although it is not fatal and most affected cats die of other causes, concerned Persian breeders are hoping to eliminate the disease from Persian cats completely through careful screen and selective breeding. To Ivy and me, this meant here was a kitty that could fit into our household, special diet and all.
Royal Canin cat food is the food of choice in our household - although we use Persian 30 and Sensitive 33, there are many types for all types of cats. Please visit their website and learn about the foods they offer.
It took them some time to get along, but they became
fast friends. And Ivy seemed quite happy to have the company all day long. Spunky
has proven to be aptly named, and in fact is almost unnervingly similar to Jo
in temperament and behavior. I never thought I would own a pure bred cat, and
I had mistaken believed that Persians would be aloof and snooty animals. Boy,
was I wrong. They are ideal companion pets, loving and loyal.
Ivy passed away in 2001. Spunky has been an only cat. But , on March 15, 2003, my good friend Martha Kohlmeyer passed away. Martha gave me Spunky, and I am proud to give homes to two of her precious cats, Grand Premier Odin Quantum Leap (QL) and Grand Champion Odin Stop and Smell the Roses (Rosie).
There is a fine tribute page to Martha's accomplishments in the Cat Fancy.
Spunky had to be put down in July 2004. She was 11 years old, older than the average kitty with PKD. Her failure was rapid, and baby food, continental yogurt and pedialyte kept her alive longer than she would have otherwise.
Grand Premier Odin Quantum Leap (QL) adapted nicely
Here is a picture of her checking out her new home. She is curious
and far friendlier than I have known her to be before.
GC Odin Stop and Smell the Roses is beginning to adjust, too. She had a trip to the vet in March and was groomed, so she is much more svelte than usual. Here are her before and after shots:
All in all, I feel quite happy to have a bunch of little furry friends running around constantly clamoring for attention. Not your typical cat behavior, leading a friend once to comment "Gee, your dogs look a lot like little cats!
Rosie and QL head to head!
Well, in food ye shall find peace. The Tres Amigas, or Liz Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Grace Jones enjoying breakfast at the buffet together.
Spunky was a bit of a trouble maker, but I think that she finally settled down and got along with the new girls.
Interested in Cat pedigrees? Check out catpedigrees.com .
Introduction to NLP Hypnotic Language Patterns The Meta Model
The Milton Model Sleight of Mouth
My Kitties My Brother Martha Kohlmeyer
Page created by: nlper999@nlper999.net.
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