My Poor Crazy Kitty...

It has been a few weeks since Emmy died, and my other cat Oscar is getting lonely. In fact, when I returned from Pennsylvania Monday night he did not leave me alone - and woke me up about once an hour needing petting and attention.

My best friend stopped by a couple of times over the weekend to check up on Oscar and to feed him, and apparently Oscar wouldn't stop meowing. It was the same when my roommate returned Monday afternoon, and when I returned Monday evening. Oscar spent Tuesday night on the couch right beside me, and starts to cry when I go into the other room.

I guess after Christmas we will be on the lookout for a kitten to keep him company. I look forward to a new member of the household.

R.I.P. - Starrbooty

Please take a moment and send some good wishes to my dear "sister" - Mistress Maddie. Maddie's beloved kitty, Starrbooty - who was a good Dust Bunny - had to be put down today. Maddie called me over the weekend to talk about what was going on - and we had hoped for the best. But unfortunately Starrbooty had cancer and would have suffered greatly - so Maddie and the Boy Toy made the tough decision to let her go.

Maddie and the Boy Toy will be returning to Central Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving - as will I. Maybe we can get together and drink a toast to our departed "girls" - Starrbooty and Emmy.

See Maddie's post - "A Sad Day" - HERE.

Thank You

Thank you all so much for your kind words and thoughts about the loss of my beloved kitty, Emmy. Dust Bunnies are the BEST.

This was SO hard. I could tell this day was getting close, because Emmy wasn't really eating much and she was (literally) almost skin and bones. She was also having trouble walking, but still managed to get around when she needed to. On Tuesday night I could tell things had taken a turn for the worse. Emmy seemed agitated and uncomfortable - and by Wednesday morning she was having trouble breathing - literally gasping for breath. I knew I had to get her to the Vet and have her put to sleep.

I had been trying to prepare myself for this - but it was so much harder than I ever thought it would be. Thank God for my roommate - he went with me to the Vet's office and actually took Emmy back into the Exam Room with the Vet. I don't know exactly how it all went down back there - and I don't ever want to know. I said my goodbyes to my baby girl back at the apartment, and then once more at the front desk of the Vet's office. Then my roommate took her into the back and I slumped into a couch in the waiting room and cried. It was all over in about 15 minutes and we returned to the apartment with an empty cat carrier.

I miss Emmy so much. I had her for 15 years - more than 1/3rd of my life. She was the absolute sweetest cat, who loved snuggling with me on the couch and getting her head rubbed. She also liked to STALK me when I came home from work for her evening meal of canned cat food. Emmy did not rest until she had prodded me into opening that can.

Later that evening I fed my other cat, Oscar, and he didn't even bother going over to his dish. Oscar prefers the dry cat food that I give him in the morning. And when I had to take Emmy's food dish off the kitchen floor and put it into the sink for good, I cried. In fact, I'm not too proud to admit that there are tears streaming down my face as I type this. I am so glad I have Oscar - who didn't leave my side all day Wednesday (I didn't go to work). I know I'm going to sound like some crazy cat lady - but Oscar is NOT a "hang out with Daddy on the couch" kind of kitty - Emmy was. But it's almost like Oscar knows that I need him right now and he has been as snuggly as he has ever been.

I have had cats all my life - my parents are "cat people", and my family always had cats when I was growing up. But Emmy was the first cat that was MINE. When I moved into Manhattan 15 years ago, Emmy was living in the apartment with my roommate at the time. When that roommate moved out a few months later, Emmy stayed and became Daddy's little girl. And even though she is gone, she will ALWAYS be my baby.

The Best Kitty Ever...

Emmy is gone - she was the best cat in the world. Accordingly, I'm taking today off.

More details later, but for now I just need some time...

My Sick Cat and (Almost) Dead Co-Worker

My cat Emmy is sick again. Shortly after finishing this last round of antibiotics, her sinus infection slowly came back. By this weekend it was back in full force. I called the Vet on Monday to plead for more antibiotics without another expensive office visit.

The Vet was out of the office on Monday, but called me back yesterday and prescribed more antibiotics. I left work mid-afternoon and jumped on an uptown train. I got to the Vet’s office, obtained her medication, and went back to my apartment to squirt liquid antibiotics down Emmy’s throat (which she hates). The total cost was $12.90. Yes – less than $15, as compared to hundreds.


After Emmy was taken care of, I returned to work only to find out that the preparations for a large dinner group had not been done, and the manager was nowhere to be found (he was at the bank, I would later find out). When he returned, I let him HAVE IT for failing to staff enough people for my group, and for failing to oversee the setup himself.

One of the things I do well is win an argument. I’m not going to bother fighting with you if I’m not right, and I’m going to make sure you know that YOU ARE WRONG. I’m sure I got this from Mama Bunny. And, like my mother, I am no dummy, so I know what I need to say to get my point across.

In the middle of my attempt to “enlighten” this manager as to his failure, he made a comment to the effect of: “Well, maybe you should just let your cat die!”. His implication was that if I hadn't left the restaurant to take care of Emmy (which took less than 1 hour), I could have made sure the group was taken care of. Which is HIS job, btw.

I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe my ears. I immediately left the office, because if I hadn’t, I would have gone to jail. I’m not lying, I was THIS CLOSE to grabbing his skinny little neck with one hand, and punching the fuck out of him with the other. I am probably twice his size (even though he goes to the gym daily) and would have hurt him badly.


After a minute outside the manager’s office, I returned and told this manager how low and disgusting he was – as I packed my shit up. I walked out the door 1 ½ hours early – and told him that my group BETTER be taken care of.

I jumped on the #1 Train (that’s when I saw Carlos Leon) and went home and took care of things around the apartment, and looked after my poor, skinny, sick kitty.

I don’t like to talk a lot about work, but this was a MAJOR incident. I still cannot believe someone would stoop so low, just to take the focus off their failures. I have to say, if his goal was to shut me up, it worked. And he and I have argued enough that he KNEW the only way to keep me from “expressing my viewpoint” was with a low blow.

My co-worker is off for the next two days, and I have no idea what I will say to him when he returns. He left a note on my desk to apologize - because he doesn't have the balls to pick up the phone and call me. What do YOU think I should do?...

Zombie Kitties!!!

I took this picture of Oscar and Emmy this morning before I left for work. Don't they look like Zombies?...

Emmy is doing better, although she doesn't eat much - so I'm still squirting nasty "food" down her throat with a syringe. As you might guess, she just LOVES it - along with the pill I give her in the morning, and the liquid antibiotic I give her twice a day. Beside the lack of appetite, Emmy pretty much seems back to normal (knock wood!).

Pity Party = OVER

I'm sorrow that I was so friggin' depressing about my trip to the Vet with Miss Emmy this morning. As I've mentioned before, anything "medical" turns me into a weird and crazy bitch. That crazy bitch must have been the one that posted that whiny, self-absorbed pity party a while ago.

First of all - my cat is alive. She is 15 friggin' years old, and she's still alive. I am THRILLED about that. And as soon as I'm done with this post, I am leaving work early and going home and cuddling with her. Even though she is probably still PISSED at me for making her leave the apartment. In 15 years, she has been outside only 4 times: 3 Vet visits, and last year when we moved (down the block). It freaks her out each time, and it's the ONLY time she "meows". In fact, I didn't even think she knew how to "meow" until that first Vet visit.

Second, I will find a way to get to New Orleans in six weeks. My flight and hotel are already paid for - so all I need is money to spend. And my dear Dan already felt so bad for me that he offered to buy me drinks while we're down there. I declined, but I might just have to change my mind. Note to Dan: I drink A LOT.

And Third, thanks to Laura for the suggestion of a "donation" button into a Paypal account. But absolutely not - maybe if I needed a liver transplant or something - but I would NEVER impose upon you all for something like this. My financial dramas are MY doing, and no one else's problem. And besides, as you may have noticed from the 'layout' of my blog, I don't even know enough to do a "blog roll" - let alone set up a donation button. It's a sweet thought, but I'll make this work.

Every single last one of you gives me joy every single day. I LOVE this blog, but I love you guys even more. Please take a look at today's Daddy "Armando", and my Top Haircut recap. Unfortunately, my Debbie Downer antics put a damper on those two posts.

Now, I gotta get outta here and go pick up some Cat Litter. Because there is NO way I can show up at my apartment without a 'present' for Miss Thang!!

XOXOXO

Emmy Update:

First of all, thanks to all my Dust Bunnies for your concern about my Kitty. I really appreciate it

So I took Emmy to the Vet this morning, and she isn’t doing too well. In addition to the sinus infection, she has lost a lot of weight – and may have liver complications. The Vet wanted to admit her overnight, but I honestly didn’t have enough money. So instead, I have to give her a liquid antibiotic, liver pills, and I have to literally force-feed her semi-solid food with a syringe. The whole trip was NOT a pleasant experience (for Emmy or myself) – and her continued treatment will continue to be hard on both of us. I just DO NOT deal with this kind of thing well, and I’m a little bit freaked.

And to make matters worse, today’s Vet visit pretty much wiped out my money for my upcoming trip to New Orleans. Unfortunately I’ve always been a complete asshole when it’s come to money and credit cards. After maxing out a jillion cards in college and moving to NYC, I maxed out another round of cards a few years ago. Hell, I’ve never even paid my student loans. As a result, I have no credit – and not even a bank account (a creditor seized that a year ago). So I had to use my vacation money today, and it made me sad. And I feel HORRIBLE that it made me sad – after all, I love Emmy more than almost anything.

I know it was my irresponsibility that caused my financial problems, and my Kitty is way more important than a stupid vacation, but I’m feeling pretty damn miserable and sorry for myself right now. I just hope Emmy is feeling better…

Miss Emmy Is Feeling Better

Some of you have asked for an Emmy Update - so here it is. She is doing wonderfully! She finished her antibiotics today, she has her appetite back (more than she's had in MONTHS), and there is very little coughing or sneezing. She is back to her old self - although I must say she is skinnier than she was when this old picture was taken.

Again, I must thank my roommate for making sure she was taken care of. She thanks him also...

My Little Trooper

Here is a picture of Miss Emmy Louise – it was taken a few months ago. She is 14-15 years old – give or take a few months.

Here is her saga thus far. Emmy had a cold for months – coughing and sneezing occasionally, but nonetheless acting normal. On Friday, my roommate and I noticed that Emmy seemed REALLY congested – and by Saturday evening she was having trouble breathing through her nose. She also refused to eat and/or drink anything and basically just lay on the pile of dirty clothes in my room.

Unfortunately, during any kind of medical “crisis” I simply shut down. I hate doctors, dentists, hospitals, and even veterinarians. In fact, the last time I went to a doctor was about 5 or 6 years ago – and he told me he wanted to run a bunch of tests due to my weight. He said I could have an enlarged heart or diabetes and scheduled a battery of tests. In my typical fashion, I cancelled all the tests and proceeded to lose 90 pounds on my own – just so I didn’t have to go back to the doctor. Of course I’ve since gained those 90 lbs. back. My fear of doctors, etc. prevents me from thinking rationally when faced with a health issue.

Anyway, I hemmed and hawed and didn’t know WHAT to do with Emmy. Frankly, I was terrified of losing her, but just as terrified of having to take her to a Vet. and watch her get poked and prodded. Luckily, my roommate doesn’t have this same phobia/mania. He decided that Emmy REALLY needed medical attention, and on Sunday night he took her to the 24-hour animal clinic in my neighborhood. After they tried to get him to agree to $650 worth of TESTS (not treatment, only tests), he finally asked the Vet. for an antibiotic to knock the congestion/cold out of her. They gave him a liquid antibiotic and instructions for its use – for the bargain price of $210.

Even after the first dose I saw an improvement in my kitty. She started purring when I rubbed her head – and she stopped sneezing. Her runny nose dried up. Yesterday she started drinking water – and today she actually ate some dry food. As is her habit, she even jumped up on the couch with me while I ate my eggs this morning. I was thankful she didn’t sneeze into my breakfast like she had been doing recently – but honestly it would have been fine if she had. I was just so happy to have her acting “normal”.

I love both my kitties (see pic of Emmy and Oscar – my other cat – below) – but Emmy has been my “roommate” for 14 years. In fact, she has lived in Manhattan longer than I have. I had been renting a room in Brooklyn when my friend Shanta asked me to move into her apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. I moved in with Shanta and her cat Emmy shortly thereafter. When Shanta moved out, Emmy and I stayed – and Emmy became MY kitty. That was 14 years ago, and we’ve been together ever since. And I wish to God she could stay with me for another 14.

Caturday

It's official - I've become a CAT BLOGGER! Oh the shame...

Here are my two precious babies - Oscar (black and white) and Emmy (gray).