Cats, cats, cats

What a beautiful girl!

Gorgeous.

This is what you see at my house when you go to make a Turkey sandwich and feel someone

is watching you

You gave them each some turkey, right?

Snickersmom - I cave every time!

hello from Athens, Greece

Left Eftixis our black cat and at right Mafalda

Hello Eftixis and Mafalda! You are two beautiful kitties! And everyone needs a black cat in their lives

Eftixis and Mafalda are beautiful !

FeelingFeline - noted by my cats that finally humans got world geography right

Thank you all for your kind words about my kitten-kids. They are one of the reasons I kept my smile while on chemo and now on radiation. Eftixis (is the male name of "eftixia" which also means happiness in greek) was a stray kitten I found 5 years ago and Mafalda is deaf so her life at the greek streets could be difficult.

I know you will understand me saying that I believe that sometimes they feel me more than humans do

It’s October, y’all.

Sad to say our 5 year old cat Arthur diagnosed yesterday with Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

We knew he had a heart condition since a year ago but feline cardiologist had put him on beta blockers and he ran 2 scans 3 months apart, which showed Arthur's condition was stable. The hope was that the defect might be congenital rather than received, and he could remain stable on the beta blockers.

However his latest scan yesterday, a year since the original diagnosis and 9 months since last scan, revealed massive deterioration. Clearly beta blockers no longer helping and he is now to be on a new regime of anticlot drug + ace-inhibitor + diuretic.

The new scan has led the vet to believe he is more likely to have received the heart damage from a virus early in life. He was 9 months when he came to us.

I saw the scans myself. They were not still images but moving film. Looked exactly like live a pregnancy ultrasound, except a heart instead of a baby. Even as a lay person I could see the one massively enlarged chamber in the heart. Vet was able to tell it had doubled in size since last scan.

Today was the first morning of 3 tablets and he ate them up in his favourite cheese and mayo pill "sandwiches". Did check with vet about the little cheese and mayo sandwiches Vet said no problem giving him cheese and mayo pill sandwiches (Arthur is a serious Hellmans addict, comes when he hears the lid coming off the jar). I think the salt is not a big concern as Arthurs life expectancy is not what anyone would wish.

Anyone have any experience of HCM? - I know you have a lot of experience at the shelter Wren.

I'm so sorry to hear that Feline, but you never know ...maybe Arthur can have a good life with medication

Wishing Arthur all good kitty things for the hopefully longer time he has. Sounds like his mommy know how to make him purrfectly happy.

I'm sorry to hear about Arthur Feelingfeline. He is obviously a very good boy who looks after you. They are such dear hearts and they hide their conditions so well. Glad to hear at least pilling him isn't difficult. Hope the new meds help. Funny about the Hellmans additction.