Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Story Telling Sunday - My Precious 8

The truth of the matter is that I've never truly been adopted as the "human" of choice by any pet. I grew up with dogs, then a cat, guinea pigs, fish.  And we've had cat(s) my entire adult life - but none of them have ever claimed ME as their human.  Tia, the first cat in my married life, clearly adopted Jay as her human.  When Tia went to kitty heaven at age 12, we got Ashley and Kira. And those two immediately adopted the girls (Becca and Rachel) as their humans.  Ashley and Kira are 12 now.  And times, they are a-changin'.

Kira remains true to herself - happy and purring one second, hissing and leaving a 3" long gash in your arm for daring to pet her the next second. BiPolar kitty.  

Ashley, on the other hand is struggling.  The Vet thinks it is a food allergy that has caused her to have lesions on her chin, eyes, and ears which she then scratches until she is furless, bloody, and covered in scabs. Eeew. I've taken her to the vet three times. She has had antibiotic and steroid injections and has been put on a new hydrolyzed protein food. She has been tested for mites, fleas, fungus, and I don't know what else. The vet seems to think all we can do now is wait to see if the new food does the trick.  Meanwhile, my poor kitty is bald on her chin and below both ears and she's starting on her whiskers now.  And I've suddenly become her new best friend.

*this photo also counts for #6 (taking a nap) on Rinda's Summer Time Photo Scavenger Hunt
Yes, this feline who virtually ignored me for eleven years, now spends all day at my side. First it was in the studio on the sewing desk, the window bench, or the table. Then she moved into the office on the floor beneath my feet or under the side table. And this past week she's moved to my work desk - and claimed the vast majority of my work space as her domain, leaving me very little room to work on the computer or write. She tends to show up around 10:30 or so in the morning and stay until dinner time or later.  She likes to use the trackball mouse as a pillow.  She doesn't care what is on the desk, she'll happily lay on top of papers, calendar, pens, whatever might be in her space.  And I'm sort of getting used to this constant companion. And thinking about installing a keyboard tray under this table!

So this month I'm claiming Ashley as my Precious since it appears she has now claimed me as her human!

For more Precious Stories visit Sian's Story Telling Sunday.


17 comments:

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that your kitty isn't feeling well, but happy to know that she's leaning on you for love and support. Isn't that the way it is? We're fine and dandy but when the going gets rough we want Mom!

Funny - I was just thinking about your cats last week and wondering if you still had them.

Eleanor said...

I just can't resist a cat tale (or tail) and yours makes me sad for poor Ashley, and sad for you, for don't we suffer when they do.
One of mine used to drape around my neck as I scrapped, and I love how happy you are to accommodate your girlie in your workspace.
x

Melissa said...

What a great story! I think she's finally figured out who's really been taking care of her all these years! :>)

Becky said...

This is so sweet. I am sorry that she has such problems and hope that the food sorts her out. A lovely precious xx

scrappyjacky said...

I agree with Melissa.....now she's poorly she realises who actually takes care of her! Hope the new food does the trick.

Karen said...

I'm so sorry Ashley is unwell, but your story is heart-warming!

Unknown said...

Awww... she is precious. One of my cats has been pulling the fur off of her back, so she kind-of looks like she has a reverse mohawk. She was on a special diet for a year and had little improvement. Now we have her on steroid pills, every other day, to help control the behavior. :( I am so sorry she is having such a reaction and I hope the food change works for her!!

Unknown said...

Interesting that the cat in your world that is having issues is Ashley; the cat in my world that is doing similar is named Ashes. :)

Maria Ontiveros said...

I think your kitty has moved into another one of her nine lives and has claimed you in this one!
Rinda

Sian said...

She's a beautiful creature. It's lovely yo hear that she is turning to you for comfort when she needs it..she recognises a girl with a big heart when she sees one!

Barbara Eads said...

I think you picked the perfect "precious" for this month. Although I think Ashley has picked you as her "precious."

Ladkyis said...

Give her a box on your workspace. She will either use it or move somewhere else. Make it a smallish one because cats like to fit into spaces. You could try giving her home cooked food because sometimes the factory stuff makes them ill.

Missus Wookie said...

Hope you find a way to help her - always sad when fuzzy friends are having problems. :(

alexa said...

What a lovely post and photo! The fact tha she instinctively knows you are caring for her and seeking you out is indeed precious. I hope you are enjoying being chosen after all this time - you clearly have a lot to offer :).

Sabrina DS said...

Hi,
Sorry to hear that your cutie cat is not feeling well. Long live Ashley! Thanks for your comment on my blog and for making me discover "Being Me", I hadn't heard of it. xoxo from Bordeaux

Unknown said...

That is a cute precious. Cats certainly do 'claim' their owner and not the other way around.

Lisa-Jane said...

I hope the new food does the trick, its so hard when they can't tell us what's wrong. Its lovely to have a companion though and it does make me miss my own moggy even though she was never a lap cat either. She looks gorgeous though!