Today I’m a Grieving Pet Owner

He was just 5 weeks old and no bigger than the size of a softball. It was nearly 17 years ago when the furriest, blackest kitten came to live with me. I named him “Jazz” – as in “all that!”

I was a young, single woman living in a small apartment in downtown Holstein, Iowa. The moment I got my hands on him, I knew it was right. He was quiet, but I could feel him purring like the rumble of a classic car.

Over his long life, he quietly put up with:
- 3 apartments
- 4 houses
- 2 states
- 1 husband
- 1 Jack Russell Terrier (who liked to wrestle)
- 2 kids
- and 1 two-week adventure when he ran away (I still wonder what he did all that time.)

Much like any grieving process, I have passed through stages (often without realizing). Not until I took him to the vet last week did I start to notice all the things he was no longer doing. He was good for me — and I for him. But, sadly, it was time.

Hats off to Jazz — the greatest cat I’ll ever call my own!

Today I’m a pet waste exterminator

I woke up this morning to the sounds of my beloved cat crying outside my bedroom door.  I came out, rubbed his ears and then discovered the choice “gifts” he left me in the dining room. Apparently he doesn’t understand that every time he eats dog food, he gets sick. And if I fill his bowl with cat food before bedtime, he proceeds to binge on ALL of it and purge on the dining room floor. This morning, he also left a not-so-subtle hint that he disapproved of the state of his litter box. He’s getting very particular in his old age (16 years). The dining room again played host to his aggression. Anyone have recommendations for excellent carpet treatments/spot removers? My dining room carpet thanks you!