Daily Photo: Just Arrived
Meet Lakota and JoJo, who are currently sleeping in my bathroom.
Stories of cats in need run past me all day long, every day. After I lost Kelly last year I decided I was going to take a break in fostering, and vowed to stay with Mimi and the kids until I felt ready to rescue, foster or adopt again. And I’ve been happy with that, living with only five cats for the first time in decades with no health or behavior issues, and just tried to do my best to help others who are rescuing.
But I heard about two cats, 19 and 20 years old, who needed a new home, and for all the other cats and kittens and fosters and hard luck cases that run by me every single day I couldn’t see a 20-year-old and a 19-year-old being shuffled around in cages. I’ve lived with far too many geriatric cats, I remember the delicate thinness of their skin, how their bones felt fragile underneath it, sometimes feeling only bones where muscle used to be, how I sensed they were compensating in so many little ways every day just to keep life seeming normal that I did not want to see these two older cats in this situation. I could not to imagine, for instance, Cookie and Kelly in this situation, or Stanley and Moses. I did see Peaches and Cream in a situation like this, and that wasn’t terribly good, and they were younger.
So I said I’d take them in. At their age most shelters would consider them unadoptable and either turn them away, or warn that they’d be put to sleep. Their fur is a little sloppy and their claws need a little trim, but they had a good meal and some exploration, and now they need to rest, no vigorous grooming or mani-pedi tonight.
Lakota is a 20-year-old Siamese mix with a decidedly Siamese voice. He was most unhappy when I met their person to pick them up, sounding off in that characteristic Siamese howling, and growling and hissing when I first had them in the bathroom, but he calmed down soon enough and had a nap.
The fun part was carrying them into the house. They were in a big dog cage and I left them in it on the way home, but there was no way I could carry that thing up my stairs, or even easily in the door. I don’t like to open cat containment items outside of the house, but decided I’d take the chance knowing carrying each in individually would be far more comfortable for them. So with Lakota yowling I actually scruffed him and wrapped an arm around him and upstairs we went. I dropped him off and went for Jojo.
Jojo is a 19-year-old semi-longhaired black kitty with lovely bright green eyes. She’s a little timid, but warmed up quickly after a little solo exploration. We had a great time in the tub with scritches and a little playtime, along with ankle rubs.
“Can I have some privacy?” Jojo asks. “No,” I say, “you’re in my house now. It’s part of the deal.”
My bathroom is 6′ x 6′, and the two are not cuddling in one bed. There is a bed by the toilet and one in the tub. This is going to be kind of confusing for me, but I think we’ll be okay.
Technically, at the moment, they are fosters, but at their ages fosters generally become permanent. We’ll see what happens.
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I am remiss…I missed this story. Bless you for Jojo and Lakota. Our shelter has two 13 year olds and no one will take them after several months now. You give them dignity.
Don’t worry at all, Savannah–you’ve been busy with Leo and I dropped the ball on his journey too! We are all doing good things and that’s what counts. I’ve had so many older cats I pretty much know what to expect.
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You are a cat’s savior, Bernadette. Bless you for taking in these two beautiful senior felines. Looking forward to hearing more of them in the coming days.
Thank you, Pam. At this time of the year there are so many kittens, but old folks take a lot of watching, not a lot of work, and they’ll hopefully fit well with all the rest.
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lakota N jojo…manee blessings oh st francis two ewe both…bean…may God bless yur mom for takin in de seniors……we hope they
had better fishes with gettin their social seCATitee cheks then we did…..still waitin on mine frank lee
butter lover boomer o cat, current senior in TT
~~~~~~~~ 🙂
Greetings to Butter Lover Boomer O’Cat from my two travelers! I think they got their social seCATitee cheks now.
As soon as I got home from work, and fed everyone, I had to check to see if the new kitties had arrived. I’m so glad to see that they are settling in. It’ll be fun to see sketches and photos of them in the days (weeks, months and years) to come. I’m so glad you decided to take them in. You’ve had more experience with truly elderly cats than most people and I know that, with the help of Mimi and the kids, they will have the best possible chance at happy, healthy twilight years.
Amby, they are looking a little brighter already! I found Lakota up on the windowsill, enjoying the view, and Jojo is a professional figure-8 walker. They are absolutely loving their noms, no more hissing at each other, and very little overall–the Five were hissing at each other outside the door, and hissing at the door, but that’s all over now. Wish I could spend more time in there.
Bernadette congratulations. Jojo and Lakota are going to be very happy with you. They are both very pretty. You do have a heart of gold and I know you will give them the love they need in their mature years. They will return that love to you. The 5 will accept them, just like their Mom has.
Bernie, I think the Five will take a little longer than me, but I’m sure in time they’ll be glad to have senior siblings to care for. They’ve been a little bored since their fur sisters left.
You are absolutely amazing! Thank-you for your generosity and kindness to cats – as well as making their lives so much better, you brighten every one of my days!! Lakota and JoJo are so lucky to have found you in their twilight years!
Teddy and Tottie, thank you so much! I’m glad they’re here– I would have been worrying about them, and I hope all my experience with really old cats will help make these last years gentler for them.
Thank you for doing this… on behalf of these two and myself, I needed a warm story like this tonight. You, all of you, are going to be fine.
Thank you, Maru!