I didn't realize it's been a month since I last posted here. There've been a lot of not-so-happy things going on; I've been distracted, I guess.
I am seeing odd behavior from little Milk this spring. He's always been a shy cat - never around if the doorbell rings, or if the mail truck pulls into the driveway. And he's not the kind of cat who sits at the top of the steps to greet visitors. But, he's way beyond that this year, and I can't figure out why. He's even reacting with fear and withdrawing when he hears Rege open the garage door. He seems hypersensitive to noises outside. And the things he enjoyed last summer and spring (before the windows and door were closed all the time), like the turkeys gobbling and the birds at the feeder - a lot of the time, he sits on the window ledge, but he appears to be poised for flight, not to just watch the birds.
There really hasn't been much in the way of change for him. He's still not crazy about Cinnaminnie and Tootle - they're both too aggressive for him, and he tends to avoid them. But that's been the pattern for the whole almost-one-year that they've lived inside. Probably the big change has been the decrease in his medications - but you'd think that would make him more normal, not less. I don't know. His balance is still off; he's as likely to tilt over when he's walking along as not. And he's been spending a lot of time sleeping in the closet in Stephen's room. I miss having him beside me. Tonight, I looked for him for more than an hour, walking from room to room jiggling his treat bowl as an enticement. I still have no idea where he was. I crawled all over the place, looking under the furniture and in the closets, and there was no sign of him, until he showed up in the kitchen, yawning and stretching.
And the stupid feline acne has returned multiple times. Every time I think I have it cleared up, it shows up again. He really hates the medicated Stridex pads, and I'm nervous about them because they have salicylic acid in them, which is the same stuff (I think - but then, what's "acetylsalicylic acid"? Maybe they're not the same - anyway, I don't want to take a chance.) that's in aspirin and is toxic to cats. I try to be very careful not to get any of the liquid anywhere near where it might end up in his mouth, and I rinse and dry his chin after I clean it. Poor little guy - he never gets a break.
Burble's fourth birthday is next week, May 3, which means that Milkshake's around three and a half. (I never can remember this stuff. I think I'll just record it here periodically.)
Oh, and hi, Marianne!
