Dereliction of Duty!

Malcolm and little Ruby

Well, it's been a couple of years since I wrote to take over the job of online communications from our dear departed Leia. I should be ashamed of myself! Leia must be chiding me from beyond the rainbow bridge, for sure!

Anyway, better late than never, and I shall try to post with some regularity from now on, as I hope to be reading entries from the cat blogosphere once again on a regular basis! I do remember, when I first attempted to take over for Leia, how I enjoyed reading the comings and goings of so many other feline friends and their humans.

As you can see by the photo above, we have a new addition to our feline family! Our Mum (whom Leia called our maid, but the rest of us have a more familiar relationship with her) was missing having another female in the house, what with all four of us (myself, Nigel, Winston and Charles) being of the male persuasion! She said she need more "female energy" about the house, so her daughter appeared at the door one day last May with an 8 week old female kitten. 

Her name is Ruby and she is a long-haired gray and white kitty with a very pretty little face and a mischievous nature. I became quite fond of her right away. She is almost 11 months old now, but still quite petite and very kitten-like. Mum adores her, and seems more content, now that she is not the only lady in the household!

Ruby

By the way, if you have me bookmarked as Malcolm's Musings, you'll notice the title of the blog has changed, as has the url, so please re-bookmark! I thought that re-naming it Kitty Mewsings would cover me and anyone else in the house who may or may not contribute or take over the blog, at some point.

Ruby

Leaving you tonight with a few more photos of our little Miss Ruby and please leave a comment to let us know you have stopped by!

Malcolm

Malcolm, Beginning Blogger

Hello friends! I'm Malcolm and I've been appointed the new cat blogger since the loss of our noble Lady Leia. 

The doctor (v**) came to the house yesterday to help Leia over the rainbow bridge. We didn't want to make her last moments a trauma by bringing her to the clinic, which she always detested.

Mama held her while she went, and her journey began peacefully and with never-ending love. Her much beloved and soft little body was laid to rest today beside that of her son, Timmy, and a stone was placed which we can all see from the kitchen window. We're all sure that she is cuddling with Timmy now, her tumors all gone, and restored to her full bloom of health. She was a lady with a lot of cattitude, but a loving heart and a gentle soul. She shall be missed.

Mama is doing as well as can be expected. She went to work today and I was in charge for the first time while she was out. The other boys who share our home - Nigel, Winston and Charles - behaved admirably and we all swarmed to greet Mama when she walked in the door. We'll be giving her extra loves over the next days and weeks as she grieves for Leia, who was her dear friend for 17 years.

Just wanted to check in for the first time, say goodbye to Leia and sort of introduce myself. I'm Malcolm! New head of the household and a brown and gray striped tabby. I can't wait to get to know all of you and to keep you updated on the goings on at our place. More later!

Malcolm

Final Message

It has been eight months since I've written, but it has been for a good reason. I have been in good health and enjoying my old age. Yes, I turned 17 on 14th April and was surprised with a birthday cake of people tuna with crunchy treats for sprinkles! It was quite a party, enjoyed by all.

I did have a re-occurrence of the cancer in November and underwent another surgery to remove the tumor on my abdomen. But, the vet told my beloved maid that another surgery would not be wise, as this cancer was quite virulent and would continue to spread and form tumors.

And it did. My tummy became a mass of tumors over the ensuing months, but really they weren't painful at all and didn't bother me much. I've been blessed to have enjoyed dozens of warm fires over this past winter and many, many cuddles with my feline and human friends. My napping hobby continues unabated, and at my ripe old age I have become quite expert at it! 

But here, I come to the reason that I write today. I am near the end now, having gotten weaker over the last few weeks. I am not walking well anymore and really don't feel myself. I have had a long and happy life, have loved and been loved in return. I am ready to go. I expect I will be reunited with my brother Luke and my son Timmy, who I adored, when I get to the other side of the rainbow. There I will wait for my people to one day join me for more cuddles and warm fires and love.

I leave this blog to the next senior member of our household, Malcolm, who himself is nearly 12 years old and will be left in charge of things and our human friends. You'll like Malcolm, he's what my maid calls "a big teddy bear", and his manner is easy going and friendly. It has been a pleasure to follow the adventures of my feline friends online and to share my little life with you all. I wish each one of you even half the love I have shared with my people.... with that you will be well blessed.

Leia

Satisfying Summer

Malcolm and Nigel

Hello friends, and I do hope that you're all enjoying the summer as much as I am. The days here on Cape Cod have been, for the most part, pleasantly warm and sunny, if not a tad on the hot side. I have spent a glorious summer catching up on my napping, which has been a blessing, after my health scare of last spring! The best news is that all signs of both infection and cancer are gone and I am feeling fit as a fine feline should! I'm told that I don't look anywhere near my 16 years, and certainly I have felt the return of my youth this summer. 

The photo is of my housemates Malcolm (tabby) and Nigel, who are best of  friends and tend to pal about all day together. Here they are sitting on the stool, covered with a soft blanket, that the maid puts by the screen door when she is at home during the summer months. We all love to take turns sitting in this prized spot to watch the world go by on a leisurely summer afternoon. The maid snapped this candid shot from the front steps!

I have a few words of wisdom to impart to my readers before I close out this summer update. I have learned, through the trial of having a very bad bladder infection and a cancerous tumor on my abdomen, that VETS (yes, I said the word out loud!) really are what our human friends are always trying to tell us.... while they may be annoying, difficult, and a bit scary, they really are trying to help us, and when our human friends take us there it is out of love for us that they do so. Try to remember this the next time you are coerced into visiting yours. It won't make the visit any more pleasant (they DO insist on poking so, don't they?), but rest assured that you are loved and well cared for. 

I shall end here for now with end-of-summer greetings to all my feline and human friends out there in the catosphere, and best wishes for an enjoyable transition soon to fall.

Leia

Happy News!

Hello again, and here is a photo of myself napping with young Charles, of whom I am actually quite fond. 

Well, I have some favorable news to share...
my tumor was removed two weeks ago, and Friday I had the annoying stitches removed! There is no telling if the cancer is all gone or not, and no indication as to how much precious time I have left to live. But, the tumor is gone off my abdomen, which is a good thing, as it was growing rapidly. My maid is quite relieved and admonishes me to live at least one more year so she can get her money's worth! The nerve! (Apparently the cost of the laser surgery that I underwent was exorbitant.)

At any rate, we are still waiting for news from the v** as to whether or not the infection I had has been cleared by the three week course of antibiotics that I was forced to endure. If so, then I will be declared healthy and no more trips to the v** in the foreseeable future for me!

I do hope that everyone is enjoying the spring, which is rapidly turning to summer now.... the evening fires have stopped for the time being, but I'm relishing morning naps in patches of bright sunlight every day instead. The "boys" of the household have been attempting to regulate their behavior to something close to tolerable while I've been ill... so all is right with the world!

Leia

Difficult Times

A photo of me taken recently

Well, I've been incommunicado for a time, but my dear house maid has been busy doing whatever it is that she does on this computer, and as I have no idea how to use the laptop, I've had to put my own meanderings on hold. 

However, I think it is time I made a showing, as I have some rather difficult news to announce. My house maid noticed that there was a lump on my chest area and took me to the v**. She told the v** that she had also noticed lately that I've been drinking extra lots of water. Well, the v** did this and that and poked and prodded (as they will do) and took some kind of "tests". 

Turns out that I have a severe uti infection (not sure what that is, exactly), and I am in beginning stages kidney failure, and the lump on my chest is cancer, although that is early stage as well. 

My maid was given antibiotic liquid to give me for the infection, as nothing else can be treated, apparently, until that is cleared up. Needless to say, I was NOT fooled when she put it on my food, even when she presented me with white albacore people tuna, which I normally adore. I simply refused to eat it, and she knows better than to try to put it directly in my mouth.

So, back to the v** we went, and I was rewarded for my selective tastes with a shot of time-release antibiotic, and then 2 weeks later another one! According to my maid, the v** says that my infection is improving, and I have an appointment sometime in April (my maid refuses to tell me when!) for a re-evaluation of my condition.

All in all, I'm content with whatever my fate will be. I know in my heart that my maid has loved me all these years and that she will do what she can for my comfort. But with my 16th birthday only weeks away, lets face it, I'm no spring kitten! She cries, off and on, and is treating me with extra kindness, which I appreciate, but I wish she wouldn't cry. The price of love is loss.

I will endeavor to keep my friends updated with my progress, and in the meantime I will be carefully considering which of the four boys in my household I will entrust with continuing my blog. My maid snapped a photo of one of them, Winston, this afternoon that I thought rather charming:

At any rate, I'll leave you with a poem that I wrote about my maid, who is herself a poet of some repute. Perhaps I still have a year or two left in me to spend with her. Perhaps not. Time will tell.


Leia



A Poet's Friend

My home is where a poet dreams
of love and life and lore in verse.
When tumbling words elude, it seems
her calm and tranquil thoughts disburse.

But in a quiet reverie,
when words give way to weary sighs,
I come to share my poetry-
a murmur; gentle, soft and wise.

The poet's fingers, tired and curled,
find comfort in my sable coat
my soothing rumble smooths the world,
so poet's dreams can lift and float.

I wish that I could pause and stay-
my time with her is almost through.
Old age is calling me away.
I loved her well. I'm sure she knew.

Waiting for Summer

Winston at the Door

The weather has been nice lately, though not as warm as my maid would have it. She has taken to putting the cat scratch stools by the screen door and covering them with a blanket so that we can sit there and gaze out the door. Here is a picture of Winston, enjoying the view. I don't sit there much, but Charles seems to love to watch the birds from this new favorite spot! He insists that one day he is going to catch one, but I don't pay him any attention! He and Winston do enjoy the open door, though. They can have it! 


My favorite person was here last week for a visit - my maid's eldest daughter who lives in some far-away place called California. It was wonderful to see her again, and I was like a piece of velcro, stuck to her all week! I have adored her since I was a kitten.


It is the consensus of the household that I am fairly deaf now, but I don't really mind. All part of being a senior, I suppose. Less chatter to bother about, anyway! Much quieter for successful napping!


Hoping all is well with all of you, out in the cat blogosphere. Enjoy the coming of summer!


Leia