Charlie has been having setbacks. He has been gurgling quite a bit. I finally pinned Mike down and questioned him. Poor man, he was so overwhelmed by all he had to do while I was at the Cat Writers’ Convention that he completely forgot to give Charlie his Lysine. Charlie is on my lap right now, head bumping my hands as I type and making it a bit difficult to to tend to the job at hand.

Charlie is going to need Lysine for the rest of his life to keep feline herpesvirus at bay. I started him back on it immediately and in the course of about two hours after being dosed, he stopped gurgling.

It has been so cold here and I am stuck on the couch pretending to be a couch potato, which I hate. Months ago, I strained my achilles tendon and it has never properly healed. It flared up a few days ago and walking is next to impossible. Honestly, last night I almost woke Mike up and asked him to get his sawzall and cut my foot off! It hurt so bad. They have put me on some pain medication I have never heard of before; Gabapentin. The stuff knocks me for a loop but it stops the pain. It also stops anything productive I should be doing like writing those two articles.

All the kittens are now fully integrated into the house and the house is a busy place. At meal times Mike says the floor is moving because the cats come running to get their meals. When we want to sit on furniture, we practice what Mike calls “cat flinging.” No, we don’t fling the cats to the ground, but we spend a great deal of time removing them from our favorite spots. Oliver especially is challenging. I will put him on the ground so I can sit on the sofa, and by the time I go to sit there, he will be laying on my spot again! The silly goof! Mike said he slept there the entire time I was gone. I know he likes me and that spot retained my scent, but it would be nice if I could sit there from time to time.
Then we have what Mike calls “Kitten Penning”. This is when we really want a glass of water, or a cup of coffee out of the kitchen, but we can’t move because we have kittens laying all over us! It’s a kitty strait jacket actually! Now there are 8 kittens in the house along with the rest of the clowder. That’s 8 more neuters I need to find the funds to pay for. But God always seems to find a way for me.

Right now the kittens are playing in their new playhouse. Nothing elaborate. Just a large cardboard box that I cut several holes in so they can jump in and out. Oliver in his largeness likes to lay on top of the box and since it isn’t reinforced with anything, he of course either slides off or caves it in. But even if the kittens are inside, they can get out easily through the multiple doors provided for them.

They were ecstatic about all the wonderful goodies I brought home for them from the conference. www.catnipetc.com provided them with primo catnip, www.petextras.com means they have wonderful treats like calamari and freeze-dried mouse treats. Worldwise provided wonderful (if somewhat annoying cat toys; birds that chirp when they are tossed across the room. I have to take those and put them up for the night or we can’t sleep. But all the vendors were so generous we had so much product.

Now I need to send the sponsors a thank you note for without them there wouldn’t be an event! But I think I better wait until my head clears.
Here is a photo of me with the award I won for my website www.felinexpress.com Joan Miller is next to me- she is the Legislative Coordinator of CFA and a woman I completely admire.