My Sweet Sappho
If you know me, then you have probably at least heard of my 14 yo cat Sappho (or Saphie). Some of you may have even seen parts of her as she ran away when you arrived. Sappho is the one with the odd problems that after several hundred dollars end up being unsolvable or just a common thing. She's had some scares, but luckily, she is doing well.
Until yesterday, that is. I awoke and came downstairs to see her staring up at me with an almost demonic look in her eye. Her head was cocked all the way to the right side at an odd angle. It was shocking. I called her name and she tried to stand, but fell over instead. She wasn't meowing at all, but she was purring loudly. I pet her head and back and after a few seconds she was fine. She sauntered into the kitchen had some food, then walked across the room and had some water. I called her over to me, and she came as she usually does. I moved my hand up, then down, left, then right to see if she would follow it. She did, with no hesitation. Just to be on the safe side, I brought her into work with me to watch her. (I had the whole set up: litterbox, food, water, carrier with her blanket.) She had a couple more incidents and she would walk for water or food, but mostly she slept by my desk for the day. She didn't have any incidents all afternoon, but when I brought her home she had another one. It only lasted a few seconds and then she was fine.
This morning, I came downstairs and Sappho was sleeping where she always does. I pet her and she startled awake with a mew and began purring. She seemed fine, but I decided to bring her into work again just to be safe. Well, let me tell you: she is fine. So fine that I wanted to kill her at one point. She was meowing loudly (clearly telling me she did not want to be there) and wandering around my office. She then jumped over the door barrier which had held her in nicely the day before. I brought her back, changed the barrier so it was higher, and she jumped over that too. So, I decide to let her roam the 10,000 sq ft or so of mostly empty office space I am currently enjoying. She walked the entire perimeter checking every room before she let me bring her back to my office. I put an even higher barrier on the door and she just sat there looking at it as if to say "I can do that". Finally, after a couple of inappropriately loud meows from her while I was on the phone, I decided to bring her home. She settled right down the minute I let her out at home. Found a spot and took a nap. I am glad I didn't bring her to the vet this time! The whole strange thing/nothing probably would have cost me $200. (Although, if I had thought she was suffering, I would have brought her in no matter what the cost.)
As luck would have it, today I also snagged a free piece of cat furniture from the email group I belong to called Freecycle. It's a wonderful concept. If you don't want something, post it as "Offered"; if you do want something, post it as "Wanted". I have received and given out so many different types of items. I gave my couch away and some rugs and old magazines. I have received a bicycle, a flatbed scanner (since my bosses were too cheap to let me buy one last year, fat lot of good that bit of savings did us!) and now, this wonderful piece of cat furniture. I was in the market for one since my beloved Saphie had begun scratching the couches and chairs in the living room (basically claiming that room as hers). I needed something smaller for her to scratch on and sleep on (and claim as her own). I knew the minute I saw it that she would love it. Two poles with sisal rope to scratch and a single kitty condo on top of one pole and a square hammock on the other. The fabric? Furry black (like Saphie).
The end of this long blog about Sappho is that she loves sleeping in the hammock and watching outside the window (it's at the perfect height). And since she matches the fabric, it's quite difficult to see where Sappho ends and the hammock begins. She appears some times to simply be floating at the window. I was looking at her just now and felt so happy that she was okay and content, I wanted to share it. (Mostly because there is a very dark side of me that is already worrying that I will find her dead in the hammock tomorrow morning.)
"Find a happy place, find a happy place!" :*) (from "Finding Nemo")
Until yesterday, that is. I awoke and came downstairs to see her staring up at me with an almost demonic look in her eye. Her head was cocked all the way to the right side at an odd angle. It was shocking. I called her name and she tried to stand, but fell over instead. She wasn't meowing at all, but she was purring loudly. I pet her head and back and after a few seconds she was fine. She sauntered into the kitchen had some food, then walked across the room and had some water. I called her over to me, and she came as she usually does. I moved my hand up, then down, left, then right to see if she would follow it. She did, with no hesitation. Just to be on the safe side, I brought her into work with me to watch her. (I had the whole set up: litterbox, food, water, carrier with her blanket.) She had a couple more incidents and she would walk for water or food, but mostly she slept by my desk for the day. She didn't have any incidents all afternoon, but when I brought her home she had another one. It only lasted a few seconds and then she was fine.
This morning, I came downstairs and Sappho was sleeping where she always does. I pet her and she startled awake with a mew and began purring. She seemed fine, but I decided to bring her into work again just to be safe. Well, let me tell you: she is fine. So fine that I wanted to kill her at one point. She was meowing loudly (clearly telling me she did not want to be there) and wandering around my office. She then jumped over the door barrier which had held her in nicely the day before. I brought her back, changed the barrier so it was higher, and she jumped over that too. So, I decide to let her roam the 10,000 sq ft or so of mostly empty office space I am currently enjoying. She walked the entire perimeter checking every room before she let me bring her back to my office. I put an even higher barrier on the door and she just sat there looking at it as if to say "I can do that". Finally, after a couple of inappropriately loud meows from her while I was on the phone, I decided to bring her home. She settled right down the minute I let her out at home. Found a spot and took a nap. I am glad I didn't bring her to the vet this time! The whole strange thing/nothing probably would have cost me $200. (Although, if I had thought she was suffering, I would have brought her in no matter what the cost.)
As luck would have it, today I also snagged a free piece of cat furniture from the email group I belong to called Freecycle. It's a wonderful concept. If you don't want something, post it as "Offered"; if you do want something, post it as "Wanted". I have received and given out so many different types of items. I gave my couch away and some rugs and old magazines. I have received a bicycle, a flatbed scanner (since my bosses were too cheap to let me buy one last year, fat lot of good that bit of savings did us!) and now, this wonderful piece of cat furniture. I was in the market for one since my beloved Saphie had begun scratching the couches and chairs in the living room (basically claiming that room as hers). I needed something smaller for her to scratch on and sleep on (and claim as her own). I knew the minute I saw it that she would love it. Two poles with sisal rope to scratch and a single kitty condo on top of one pole and a square hammock on the other. The fabric? Furry black (like Saphie).
The end of this long blog about Sappho is that she loves sleeping in the hammock and watching outside the window (it's at the perfect height). And since she matches the fabric, it's quite difficult to see where Sappho ends and the hammock begins. She appears some times to simply be floating at the window. I was looking at her just now and felt so happy that she was okay and content, I wanted to share it. (Mostly because there is a very dark side of me that is already worrying that I will find her dead in the hammock tomorrow morning.)
"Find a happy place, find a happy place!" :*) (from "Finding Nemo")
posted by LTV at
5/31/2007 06:39:00 PM
2 Comments:
As a cat "parent" and lover for many years, I'm so glad Sappho is doing well. My older cat has minor seizures where he stands up and meows for a few seconds, seeming not to know where he is, but then recovers nicely. My vet said not to worry about it for now. He also has diabetes - the diagnosis, testing and hospitalization to regulate has cost me a pretty penny. But he's going strong and is still purring and following me around the house. Wishing you and Sappho a long time together yet.
- Lori
By
Lori Desrosiers, at Thu May 31, 07:35:00 PM GMT-5
What a lovely story. May you have many nice mornings to come!
By
Bob Hoeppner, at Thu May 31, 07:59:00 PM GMT-5
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