Linus 1990-2006

Linus left us a year ago today.
His person misses him very much.

Linus' Birthday

Linus would have been 17 today.
I still see him.
I still hear him.
I still call him.
I still miss him.

Poisoned Pet Food and Linus

With all the hubbub concerning the tainted pet food scandal, the thought has certainly crossed my mind that Linus suffered from similar symptoms before he passed away last year.
However, as he ate only dry food, his food supply doesn't seem to have been affected so it would be a stretch to think that he is a victim of this unfortunate event. While he did eat some wet food in his last days, it does not seem to be the kind that was tainted. And he was already in a bad way anyway. And further, the tainted food only started being manufactured on December 3, and Linus didn't have any wet food until the week of December 11, too soon to get the tainted food on the shelves, I think.
Still, it's a sad, sad thing. My still grieving heart is grieving more.

The Long Recovery Week 4

When I first came home from the hospital, my biggest disappointment was that I could not easily snuggle my cat Linus. Whenever I sat down, my busted left arm and shoulder needed to be protected and propped up with pillows. And my right arm needed to be beside the arm of the chair or sofa so that I could use it to push myself up. I couldn't lower myself down onto my bed at first because it's so low -- it has no legs and sits on the floor.
After a couple of days, I figured out a way to finally properly snuggle Linus.

Only then did I feel like I was finally on the road to recovery. For those first two weeks, Linus stayed near me and watched over me. There wasn't much he could do to help me, but knowing he was there made a difference. When I walked aimlessly around the house, he walked with me. When I came back from the doctor or from physio, he greeted me at the door to ask how I was feeling. When I rested after my exercises, he rested with me.

Three weeks into my recovery, Linus suddenly stopped eating. He seemed mostly okay, he just wasn't eating or drinking. Then he began staring mournfully at his water and food dishes as if he just couldn't remember what he was supposed to do. His urination, what little there was, became more painful. He became weak and his legs started giving out on him. The vet was stumped.
The only choice became sadly obvious.
Linus passed away on December 19, 2006. He was almost 17 years old.

I really miss him.

Linus Two Weeks Gone

It's been two weeks since Linus passed away.
I still see him out of the corner of my eyes, like he's just turned around a corner or into a room.
I still call him occasionally.
Mind you, I haven't cleaned his cat box by mistake yet.
Still, I miss him. Very much.

Linus: March 28, 1990 - Dec 19, 2006

Linus, the most beloved and bestest cat in the history of the world, passed away peacefully in his person's arms today after bravely facing a short and sudden illness. He was nearly 17.

As a kitten, he quickly mastered all the difficult tricks: flying, levitation, wall climbing, and plant destruction. It was during this phase of his life that he earned the nickname "Booger-cat!" which stuck with him his whole life. But he was a gentle and loving spirit that won over all he met, cat-lovers and cat-haters alike.









As he matured, the "boogerish" aspects of his personality faded, and he remained gentle and sweet, and a constant "couch buddy" to his person.




There will be other cats in his person's life; there will never be another cat like Linus.
Linus leaves behind an empty sunbeam, his toy mouse, his spot on the couch, his sixteen-year old scratching post, the cat blanket he never used, and the tears of his heart-broken person.






Linus, my friend, companion, and furry hot water bottle, I miss you terribly...

Linus Health Update #12

Linus was in earlier this week for a full battery of tests and his thyroid meds need to be upped. He was not a happy kitty. He was poked, prodded, drained, squeezed, and probed. He was very brave and put up with a lot. So he'll get some more blood tests in a couple of weeks, but things seem to be okay otherwise.

A Lensful of Cat

Linus Health Update #11

After about a year on his meds, Linus is holding his own and doing fine.
I've worked out the cost of his meds to roughly $3.50 a day, not counting actual visits to the vet.
But he seems happy and healthy and he purrs a lot.

Linus Health Update #10

Linus's BP seems to have stabilized, so the vet seems pleased at the moment. So we will continue with the current course of meds. Linus doesn't have to return to the vet for three months.
(Yeah, I know. It's a pretty flimsy update. Actually, it's really nothing more than an excuse to run another picture of Linus.)

Linus Health Update 9

Linus's new blood pressure medicine seems to be working well. His BP is in the 150-160 range, which is still high, but lower than the 220 it was hanging around in earlier.
Linus even had that rarest of treats, a housecall. We've discovered that he really doesn't like visiting the vet and his BP becomes quite elevated during his visits. So last week a tech came by the house to check his BP and catch it (and him) in a relaxed state.
Can't wait to get that bill!

Linus Health Update #8

Linus went for another blood pressure check and blood test. Unlike his last visit a couple of weeks ago where I had to leave him there all day for his urine test, I was with him the whole time and usually he is very calm when I'm there.
His blood test was good, his thyroid medecine is working well at the moment. However his BP was still elevated. So his dosage is getting increased and he gets another BP test in two weeks. Because of this, his dental surgery remains in a holding pattern.

Linus Health Update #7

Linus went for a check-up yesterday. He had a full exam, and blood and urine work-ups.
Things are mostly okay -- his blood pressure is a little high and his meds are being adjusted slightly to compensate. Otherwise, he is fine.
Except... it looks like a tooth has to come out. The root of one of his lower fangs is showing signs of being absorbed into his body, basically turning to bone. This is something that is not uncommon in cats and it will become very painful if left alone. (Interestingly, the vet noted that occurrences of this condition are on the increase. I'm sure it's nothing to do with the poisons we pump into our environment.)
If the condition is farther along, that is if a lot of his root has become bone, the procedure for removing the tooth is fairly simple: lop it off and sew up the wound. If it's still early on, then they're going to have to go digging for the root. Ouch.
So the plan for now is to adjust his BP meds and recheck him again in two weeks. If his pressure goes down back to the normal range, then we'll schedule surgery for his toothectomy.

Linus Health Update #6

Linus went for another blood pressure check and has passed with flying colours. His BP is in the 150-160 range, right where it should be. The vet doesn't want to see Linus until sometime in May, good news for my Visa card!
Also, Linus wasn't liking the new liquid formula for his bp meds. Basically, a small amount of liquid in a syringe is squirted into Linus's mouth. Linus thought I was drowning him, of course.
Now I've switched to trans-dermal formulation that is rubbed in his ears. It still comes out of a syringe, but now Linus is a lot happier because he thinks he's gotten away with something: "That dopey person of mine keeps missing my mouth and getting it in my ear. Well, I'm not going to tell him!"

Linus Found His Spot

Linus Health Update #5

The latest news is that Linus's blood pressure meds have changed over from a pill to a liquid. The liquid, which is administered via a little syringe into his mouth, seems easier to into get him than the pills, but he doesn't seem to like it as much even though it's fish-flavoured.
He goes and hides after each dose, so he's clearly not liking it, although the length of his hiding is decreasing with each dose. I guess he's starting to come to the conclusion that I'm not trying to drown him.
I'm told that both his meds can be administered via a gel or paste that is rubbed in his ears. I used this method for his painkillers after his recent minor surgery and it worked great. So I'm going to look into that when he needs more meds.

Linus Health Update #4

About two weeks ago, Linus went in for another bunch of blood and urine workups. Everything looked fine except for his blood pressure which was quite elevated.
His BP meds were increased, doubled in fact, and the vet was quite worried and puzzled by this development.
Yesterday, Linus returned for a further BP check. Instead of his BP being taken in the surgery area of the clinic as has happened before, it was taken by a tech in a quiet exam room with Linus relatively content and sitting in my lap.
His BP was low. Almost too low!
The tech adjourned to discuss matters with the vet. The vet, while pleased that his pressure had dropped, was not entirely convinced that the sudden change was not a result of equipment or operator error. The tech and the vet entered the exam room, and redid the blood pressure check. Linus's BP was now elevated, still much lower than the previous visit, but higher than just a moment previously.
We figured out why. This was the vet that had operated of Linus's foot a few months ago.
Yes, even cats can have "white coat syndrome."

Linus and Blankets

My sister gave my cat Linus a Christmas present, a lovely cat blanket that looks like this:














However, Linus has an uncanny knack for totally ignoring or avoiding blankets that are laid out just for him. He will snuggle up right beside the blanket and will not lie down on the blanket itself. In 2006, he continues this tradition by refusing to lie on his new Christmas present:

Linus Enjoying Some Sun This Afternoon