Sparky is old now.

[albadger]

You know how cats age? They don't, really... not gradually at least. They're just fine for years, and then all of a sudden everything goes at once, and a once-vibrant, active animal turns into a rickety wraith almost overnight. And so age has finally come to Sparky (see lj icon). This last Wednesday, he couldn't manage to jump up onto the bed, for the first time in 20 years. Not long now, I suppose.

He's been a great cat for a long time, we'll just pretend that stinky episode on New Year's Eve never happened. If you want more stories about how great my cat has been, just email me. I'll answer all emails.

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

We lost our 19 year old dog in October, so I know what you are feeling. It's creeping up, but for your sake, I hope it's not for awhile if Sparky still has quality of life.

HUGS!

[albadger.livejournal.com]

19? That's a long run for a dog. Congrats to your late dog! What breed?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

A little bit of this ... a little bit of that ... We think Dixie was part Chow and part Golden. She was all love.

HUGS!

[progbear.livejournal.com]

Fortunately Alice, at the tender age of 18, is still hanging in there.

Poor Sparky. I saw him last night and for the first time, he was really showing his age!

[albadger.livejournal.com]

Showing his age and smelling it, I'm afraid. Came back just now from a brief trip to Castro Valley and I'm all, "Good LORD, what the hell is that smell... again?" So I probably got a few months of that to look forward to...

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry Sparky and Al!

20 years is a good lifespan for a cat.....Susiebelle had a long decline, and lived to be about 21, so there may be adventures, still!

Meow, meow worm! (Feed Dog says worm..... I'm not sure what she means by it.)

[albadger.livejournal.com]

Sounds like Susiebelle did okay for herself! And Feed Dog is telling you that she wants to switch from whiskey to tequila.

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Oh, Susie did great! She'd disappear for a week at a time in the summer, and come back home, thin as a rail. She was the huntress, and we probably should've called her Diana, but she arrived with the name.

At various points in time, she was hit by a car, went through the fanbelt of our car, knocking it off, and receiving a damaged ear that healed, and survived my mother tripping over the other cat and landing on her, breaking her shoulder! Susie's shoulder, not mom's... even the limp went away, after a few months!

[mhkrabat.livejournal.com]

Al, this sounds all too familiar. We've seen it numerous times and expect to see it again a few more. Sparky's done very well to have found you (or the other way around). Hope he's content and comfortable. Being with you I expect he is. Perhaps adapting a set of steps or ramp to help him help himself to your bed would please him. -mark

[albadger.livejournal.com]

Steps is a good idea, I don't know how his pride would handle it... I did jog the mattress a few inches to the side to expose a bit of box spring, so he could take the jump in two parts, but he'd have none of it -- while I was watching! This afternoon he's on the bed, on his favorite blanket, so I think he'll do that when I'm not around.

Just like he won't drink from his water bowl when he thinks I'm watching. Odd...

[danthered.livejournal.com]

Aw, no. I'm sorry to read it, Al. *HUG*

[albadger.livejournal.com]

Well, *HUG*s right back, and one from the stinky old cat too! Countering the less than fun part of our lives we're going through now, is Sparky & I have all the wonderful adventures to look back on.

At least I do. I have no idea if he remembers anything but chasing cat treats and terrorizing the dog. But those are good memories!

[benpanced.livejournal.com]

They know more than you realize.

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

Sorry about sparky; that is exactly how my cats aged - they're just fine until one day, and then they're not.

20 years is a long time and a good long life.

Sparky is beautiful.

Big hugs!

[beastbriskett.livejournal.com]

Having said goodbye to Mr. Fuzz last year, I feel ya, Al. Here's hoping he has a soft passage. *HUG*