101 Things in 1001 Days - update

This week I was able to knock item #76, "Take the cats to the vet," off of my 101 list. Unfortunately that's because we had the rather disturbing experience of coming home the other night and finding drops of blood throughout the first floor of the house. It took us a little while to realize that the problem was one of the cats, and with two cats it's almost impossible to tell which one has a the issue unless it's something visible. So the next day we were at the vet with both cats and lots of worries.

As it turns out both cats had a full range of tests and are just fine. Blessed be! When something like this happens, the world stops until you are assured of their health. And it draws into sharp relief how deeply we love our furry family members.

Our beautiful grey Bascha is 16 years old. She's a little bit of a grump, (well, to be honest, she's a bitch sometimes, as Jinx will tell you), but if you're in her good books, she's as loving as they come. Her instant attachment to Justin was a little embarrassing (I told her to hold out at least for a bit) but also reinforced how special he was. I adopted her from the Humane Society when she was 3. She was so small everyone thought she was a kitten. She had no fur on her haunches from a flea allergy, and they'd decided to stop investing in her medical care. I couldn't resist her. She was so beautiful and immediately and insistently brushed her head up against the cage for cuddles. Her fur is almost silver-tipped, and it makes her appear luminescent. I call her my moon cat.

And then our baby, Jinx. Well, she still seems like a baby to me but she's 11 years old! She's a scaredy cat and, well, not terribly clever, but she makes me giggle and smile. She's a goofball. She'll find a way to squish herself into a box 1/10 her size, and I learned from her what that cat sound in cartoons Pfzzzt! really sounds like! Jinx was also a Humane Society cat. I had gone with my sister just to look at an Abyssinian cat they had because he was so beautiful. Shannon said, "What about this one?" I literally gasped when I saw this little orange boo. Until that moment I had no intention of bringing home another cat. At that moment, I couldn't resist. I had about $25 to my name. I didn't know how I was going to manage. After the interview process, I sat there with little Jinx in that cardboard box and said to Shannon, "I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be doing this." But I did and I can't imagine life without her.

So my wonderful girls went to the vet this week. They are fine, healthy and up to date with their healthcare. And I am now at 100/101 - YAY!

Oh, and I went to 1 Nia class, so only 99 left to go!