meow

Weekend Cat Blogging with Sam Sam: Relaxing and Talking

It’s been a little while since we last checked in with Sam Sam. But this lovely Sunday morning seems like a fine time to do so. It’s a good day for just stretching out and relaxing.

Sam Sam relaxing

Or for sitting on a window sill with filtered light.

It’s good to be a house cat.

Sam Sam is quite talkative, as all of my cats have been. It’s probably because I talk to them all the time, too. In this video you can hear a bit of her voice, as well as her loud purr.

This video only shows a small example of her vocal range – it is quite a challenge to get her to talk on cue, especially with her tendency to poke her nose into anything and everything.

It’s good to be a house cat.

An Update on Luna

Dear friends, it is time to bring you all up to date on what has been happening with Luna. It’s not the best of news, but she is most definitely still with us and still the same cat we know and love.

Luna the cat and iPad

A little over a week ago at Luna’s annual checkup, our vet found some rather concerning lumps on Luna’s belly, essentially on her nipples/mammary organs. It was pretty clear that was some sort of tumor, mammary cancer being fairly common for cats. But it wasn’t clear exactly what kind, what it’s status was, and what would be the best course of action. So last Wednesday, we went back for a biopsy, which is itself quite an ordeal. An preliminary X-ray suggested no obvious growths in her chest or lungs, which was a huge relief. So the focus stayed on the two original lumps. The biopsy procedure went well, and Luna came home that evening, albeit with a “cone of shame.”

Luna with cone / bonnet.

Cone aside, she remained in relatively good spirits, and has been as sweet and affectionate as ever – she knows I need her comfort as much as she needs mine. The cone has been a source of distress for her, and she hasn’t been eating much. And she is staying near the bed, sofa or other places that we use for resting or cuddling. I have been removing the periodically and bringing her food over the resting areas, which she devours with aplomb.

Luna eating without cone.

We anxiously awaited results from he biopsy. And on Friday evening, we received them, and it wasn’t good. Not the worst, but not good. Basically, they are an aggressive form of feline breast cancer. They can easily be removed with surgery, but one of them may have already attacked a blood vessel, which puts lymph nodes at risk. So at this point, the situation is quite serious.

Our next step is to see the cancer specialist this next week and decide what is the appropriate course of treatment. Regular readers of this site know just how precious Luna is, and have promised both her and myself that she will get the best care I can provide and will do what it takes to give her a good quality of life. There isn’t much to do until the appointment next Wednesday except wait, spend time together, and continue with the myriad other things that are happening in my world right now. Wednesday isn’t that far away when life is so busy, but it seems like an eternity at the moment.

Please keep Luna in your thoughts and purrs.

2013, The Transformative Year

2013 Year End photo

 

[click image to enlarge]

 

Once again, it’s time for our traditional end-of-the-year image at CatSynth.   The past couple of years have all been good, rich, full, and sometimes complicated.  But 2013 has been particularly significant, certainly one that I will long remember.  As the title says, it has been a transformational time on multiple dimensions for me, indeed it has touched almost every aspect of my being.  There will be more to say on that in the coming days. Music and art have been going very well, too, and one of the main challenges of this coming year will be to build on the successes of this past year but in a more directed way.  If that sounds vague, it’s because I haven’t quite figured it out yet.

For Luna, things pretty much are the way the always are.  Such is the life of a contented house cat.  And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks to everyone who reads and supports this project, whether here at the blog, on Facebook, or through the many personal friendships that grown from here.  You are all what makes this work worthwhile!

Weekend Cat Blogging with Luna

This morning, I acquired the new Silverlake lens and film pack for the Hipstamatic iPhone app and tried it out on Luna. After a few attempts, I got this particularly nice portrait.

I like that even through the filter, Luna’s green eyes stand out.

She was also quite talkative, and I captured a short iPhone video where you can hear her sweet little voice:

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at the Tuxedo Gang Hideout.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Talking and Heatwave

Luna is often quite talkative in the morning. Recently, she started launching into a long monologue while I had my iPhone handy to capture it.

Of course, she gets some scritches at the end. I am always curious what it is she is trying to say.

It has been quite warm the last few days in San Francisco, and CatSynth HQ always tends to run a bit hotter than its surroundings.

Luna tries to balance lying in the sun while trying to stay a bit cool in her fur suit.

Tomorrow (October 16) is National Feral Cat Day (who knew?).

Alley Cat Allies launched National Feral Cat Day on our 10th anniversary in 2001 to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return, and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for them.

Events will be taking place around the United States to demonstrate compassion and support humane treatment of all cats. Follow the link to the map to see if there is an event near you. I also like the poster.

Weekend Cat Blogging #332 is hosted by Jules and Vincent at Judi’s Mind Over Matter. Jules is looking very Luna-like in his black-and-white portrait 🙂

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at iMeowza.

Weekend Cat Blogging #205

Luna can be quite talkative and affectionate, as can be seen in this video:

She is always quite eager to greet me when I arrive home after work or a day out.

Weekend Cat Blogging #205 is being hosted by LB and BreadChick. LB isn’t lonely when BreadChick goes to work right now, because he has “mama breadchick” to keep him company. I sometimes think Luna might enjoy some company, as I am out and about so much these days.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Samantha and Mr. Tigger at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at…wow, it’s also Samantha and Mr. Tigger! Go figure.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.