Tag: Sentinel

Older Cats

As other writers have observed, welcoming a pet into your life gives you companionship and also regular reminders about the life span. My two cats, ages sixteen and twelve, have both entered the elderly stage. And it’s the younger one who isn’t doing very well with this phase of life.

While Sentinel has been aging more or less gracefully (he’s taken prednisone for years to help with his vomiting) Antares has catapulted himself into some sort of herpes thing that has left him sickly and sad and in need of a lot of expensive medication. Plus, he has to start medication for his thyroid.

Having sick cats isn’t fun. Hopefully these medications will have him feeling better soon.

Nope. Didn’t Fit.

One day sitting in the new chair told me that despite all my careful measuring, it did not fit in the space the folding chair occupied. This meant reorienting my bed.

I don’t like beds jammed against a wall because that position makes it difficult to change the sheets. But I happened on a good solution by moving the cat tree over against the wall. When it comes time to change the sheets, I can push the cat tree out of the way.

Sentinel approves of this new setup.

New Desk Chair

Since being laid off in March, I have spent 30-40 hours per week at my desk. For that entire time, I’ve been sitting on an Ikea folding chair. This week my body said, “No more!”

The problem with finding a replacement is that the space between the bed and the desk is very small and the Ikea chair works because the back legs can partially sit under the bed. I took measurements and headed out.

(The red sheet that I usually have over my comforter is in the wash.)

At the used office furniture store I looked around and found this cube to help the cats get onto the bed. Sentinel has been using the folding chair to jump onto the bed for months now. I think he can still jump from the floor to the bed if he tries, but I don’t really want him to try. He took to the fabric cube right away.

I also found this little blue chair that does fit in the small space between the desk and the bed. I think? Stay tuned.

Prepping for the Cats

Sentinel checks out the new pedestal. As supervising cat, he must approve all additions to the household.

After inspecting the cutout for the electrical outlet, he approves.

I find it interesting that the color captured in this photo is green. I think the matte white of the primer reflected the green wall behind it.

I made new tarp liners for the litter box area. Sentinel approved of my process.

One set of my plans, figuring how many sheets of plywood would be needed and how many boards.

My instructions for assembly.

Last Days for Sentinel’s Lump (aka the “ewww, gross! post)

Sentinel has had a growing lump on the side of his neck since last fall. I had it biopsied a few months ago when it wasn’t nearly this size and it came back as not cancerous, so I left it, hoping it would stay small.

But it got a lot bigger. It also, much to the vet’s interest, was a two parter, with one dark black part and another lighter part.

I’ve got one more paycheck coming from my soon-to-be-over job and a big chunk of it is going toward taking this sucker off of the cat. I think it will be money well spent.

I had to get a special dispensation because of the quarantine. The vet’s office was only doing essential surgeries.

Update from the future. The lump was removed, biopsied to find again it was not cancerous, and has not (seven months later) made a reappearance. It was money well spent.

New Spot for Cats

Ikea advertised this cat cave insert for their standard bookcase and soon after I learned about it, I bought one.

This brings the hideyholes the cats have to three: this, plus a tent I bought from Ikea years ago, plus a plush sided tent that Matt’s mom gave me because her cat wasn’t interested.

Reporting from the future I can say that Sentinel uses the plush sided tent multiple times per day, they both go into the Ikea tent when they need to blow off steam, and they almost never use this hideaway.

Catio Finished

I took some time over the Thanksgiving weekend to add shelves to the catio.

And now we can call that project done!

Except not, because the shelves aren’t wide enough for the cats to sit comfortably on. So I might get some boards and add them to the top. Or I might not, because the don’t seem to like to climb when out on the catio.