Daily Photo: Second Round of Renovations are Done!
AUGUST 23
Mr Sunshine inspected the renovations done on the bathroom so far and has approved. He has the plaster dust on his face to prove it. He’s also standing on my foot so it must be really good.
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This is another catch-up post of photos I’ve shared on Instagram over the past few weeks so you can see what’s going on.
The last two weeks of renovations were pretty intense and the cats were pretty over it the second week, especially when it ran three days over. Not that I mind because it really took that long to do it right and the contractor and workers were willing to make sure it was! But I could tell by the pee on the basement floor that nearly everyone contributed to that the cats were getting a little shell-shocked with the continuing strangers and noise and being confined in the kitchen and basement and I just hoped they could hold out until it was finished. Also, the plumbing and electrical issues that made it run overtime prevented me from working on anything at all in the basement, like filling orders and framing artwork for Rock the Quarry because they needed constant access to the water shutoff and electric service box.
Since then I’ve honestly tried to sit down and focus on work but inside and out so much needs to be cleaned and moved back into place and organized so we can stop stepping over boxes and stepping on plaster and pieces of wood and such. I found I couldn’t get much accomplished if I tried to work on cleanup and organizing a couple hours a day so I just gave in this week and let myself work most of the day on it while the weather was pleasant. Outside, I hadn’t cut the grass since June and still had miscellaneous things in the grass as well as about two shelves full of tools and small items underneath a tarp in the grass. I really wanted to get it cleaned up before the current heat wave and also before the rains that will follow, so in the past few days I worked outside. Glad I did!
Scroll down to see more from the end of August.
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Supurrvisorcats Mr. Sunshine and Giuseppe make a fine pair of inspectors. And Mr. Sunshine is definitely feeling better today!
They are so happy to finally be involved in the work. I have kept them confined all along in one way or another because this is what they do. At this point they are waiting for their beloved green sink to be reinstalled so they can hop in for a drink.
But this is apparently the last day of work on the bathroom and everything else except the kitchen cabinets so I’m letting everyone figure things out for themselves because it’s fairly quiet. They all need a break from the confinements and the noise and the dust though I’m sure if they could say so, they like the new things. They’ve been busy investigating things every evening.
(It wasn’t the last day of work. The GFCI outlet in the bathroom had to be replaced and they found it was wired to a wire on the first floor that made no sense. In order to change the wiring they had to cut holes in walls and ceilings to run the wire, then repair all the holes. They also set up the bathroom on its own breaker. That took August 23 and 24 while they also finished other things.)
AUGUST 28
Kind of how I feel this morning.
All the work in the house was finished at 6:00 on Thursday evening, and my exhibit at Rock The Quarry began at 5:00 on Friday evening, and I had a pile of framing to do in those 23 hours along with prints to get together and other things to pack. Because I had to move things around so much to accommodate the work and stash things where they would be protected, I couldn’t even get a start until everything was finished and I could rearrange the basement and pull my things out from where I’d put them.
All the things that were done here are beautiful, I have the nicest bathroom ever. I feel like I’m in a hotel it’s so nice. I’m so grateful for all this.
Rock the Quarry as always was fun, great music, lots of conversations with people about the trail we love, and lots of conversations about the subjects of my artwork which people have fun identifying and telling me their stories.
And the kitties had a pretty good time of it because I knew I would be late so I put out an extra meal of food before I left on Friday and Saturday so they got to just eat and sleep, and quiet and peace all day long for 2 days. I’m sure they were grateful for that.
So now it’s time to get back to work, at least until my kitchen cabinets are ready.
AUGUST 29
The face of a cat who is aware you are standing there because you probably want to get into the bin she is sleeping on but has no intention of moving and just wishes you would go away and let her get back to sleep.
This is about as belligerent as she gets.
I waited three hours.
AUGUST 30
Returned home from shopping and the big three greet me at the door, Mr Sunshine, Mimi and Giuseppe.
Of course, up to a few months ago all five of them would have greeted me. I guess we’re all finding our way in this.
SEPTEMBER 2
Why, yes, thank you, the clean sheets are quite a comfortable bed this afternoon.
They don’t even like oatmeal.
From around this date in past years
Comfortable Autumn Naps, 2022
We were so happy to enjoy cooler temperatures—relative to what our summer was like—earlier this week, but autumn brought with it a real cold front yesterday. We are not fond of heat, especially those of us with fur! But we will miss the open windows and doors of summer, and the longer days and more activities outdoors to watch.
But naps on the bed are once again comfortable to consider. Hamlet settled in “his” spot on the throw at the foot of the bed; when it’s not baking hot he likes it there and sleeps there overnight too, so it has his scent and he feels secure. But I haven’t had a throw on the bed for the summer months so he’s happy it’s back.
He’s watching Mariposa be silly and cute, but I know she’s enjoying a roll around on the bed, now comfortable again that it’s cooler.
Up on the pillows you’ll see Giuseppe peering at us from between Preppy Kitty’s ears. He settled there because the sun was warming the pillows though it’s just moved on, another nap that would have been impossible just last week.
Happy Autumn everyone! No IG or Today photos for today, but I’ll be resuming soon. I do, however, have several daily sketches featuring September naps on the bed. None are listed on my website though all are available for sale, so enjoy, and if you see one you like, please ask! I have another featured at the end of this post that is on my website, though it’s not from September. (Yes, you’ll hear a few sales pitches here and there as Mr. Sunshine has more tests done.)
From around this date in past years
Mr. Sunshine is Back in the Exam Room(s), 2022
Mr. Sunshine missed the days of visiting new people in his Sleepypod and getting all the attention so we decided to go on a whirlwind tour of emergency hospitals over the past week. He’s okay, and though we’re still not sure exactly what he has, he’s on the mend.
He’s been feeling generally great for months now with no sign of anything that beset him in the spring coming back, except maybe his blood pressure. I had noticed in July that his pupils, which had reduced to a more normal size and shape after he started the Amlodipine in April, were once again expanding to nearly fill his eyes. I let his veterinarian know when I visited her with Mewsette in August and she recommended a slight increase in his medication with a recheck in a couple of weeks. That was around Rock the Quarry at the end of August, and his pupils were still pretty round at that point. I remembered it had taken several weeks when he started the medication so I decided I’d wait a week or two, and they were especially busy weeks too.
The next section is what happened through last week and over the weekend, then earlier this week. Below that is a little story about Kublai and this time of year and one of the reasons I was so concerned.
Several days of driving around
Last Monday, September 12, he finished the Chinese herb Dr. Elgersma had prescribed in May; that supplement helps to control inflammation and is often used for lymphoma. Pretty much the next day I began to sense a change in him, not something I could describe right away, but by Wednesday I could see he wasn’t as active as usual or eating as much as usual. Because of his history, anything is suspect. I felt him all over more than once. He was a little annoyed by that.
I had decided to catch up on his blood pressure check that week so off we went on Thursday. I thought that might show something or they might see something. His blood pressure was 148, in the normal range my veterinarian had described, his heart sounded normal, no lumps and bumps, same weight. Back home we go.
He wasn’t lethargic, just slow to get moving. He wasn’t sleeping on my desk as he usually did, he was often in the basement in a box on my worktable, which is fine, but even small changes can be something. He looked at me in a certain way and I knew something was brewing for sure.
Who wouldn’t miss this teddy bear on their desk?
Friday I took notes on his food—he’s a big eater, but was not finishing meals and just leaving the room—and other behavior, and messaged Dr. Elgersma about the herbal supplement, if she thought ending the herb might have had an impact on more than we realized.
I had an all-day local conference with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators on Saturday and would even be setting up a gift table as examples of what I make with my art and illustrations. Mr. Sunshine would not leave the bed until I carried him down the stairs, then he acted pretty normal, for the moment. I got back home at about 10:00 p.m. with FreshPet, which he loves as they all do, and while he got up on the cabinet and had his treats, he had no interest in food. I took his temperature and it was 103.9, reminiscent of another late night this past April.
Whatever it was, I wanted to get a start on it right away. PetWellClinic and Rivers Veterinary Urgent Care were already closed and nothing was open until Monday but emergency clinics. And I don’t know what it was this past weekend but everyone was full of serious cases, like animals hit by cars and in diabetic ketosis and so on. I went to one that was close, but they were only taking critical cases, and this was not critical, at least not yet. I called PVSEC North where he’d been for his exams and imaging earlier this year and they agreed to triage him with a veterinary technician but could not guarantee he would see a veterinarian. That’s okay, I would be happy with someone more skilled than me to see him. His temp was a little lower, BP was 124, it was clear he had some abdominal pain but nothing she could palpate. I took him home and settled him in the bathroom.
Sunday morning his temp was 104.5 and that’s when I start to worry, he had no interest in moving around, and he wasn’t eating anything, not even his favorite pill pockets with his medication. I texted Dr. Elgersma an update, and also Ingrid for a reiki session any time she could fit one in, which she did right away. I corresponded with both of them considering the possibility of another internal mass, pancreatitis, and a virus or bacterial infection as well as an infected internal abscess. Dr. Elgersma would stop on Monday. And I started calling around to find an emergency hospital to take him to. PVSEC North wasn’t even answering the phone at that point, the other one I’d gone to the night before was about the same as the night before, one of them was completely closed to new intakes for the next week or so, and PVSEC South had a 12-hour wait. A few hours later I checked back and the wait was shorter, so we got there about 4:00.
He was triaged and his temp was 105.7, getting into a pretty scary range, though he was still alert and responsive. She took him to ask the veterinarian if she wanted to examine him, and he was in “the back” until about 9:45 p.m. I didn’t leave that lobby but for a quick bathroom break and a very refreshing enjoyment of the sunset.
I finally got a call from the veterinarian who’d had a chance to look him over at about 9:45 p.m. I felt bad she was so busy stitching up other animals and handling many serious cases that she didn’t have the time to come out to the lobby and hoped she was at least having a coffee. She said she’d need to do blood tests and some imaging, but she might not get to that until the next morning. I said I might be able to get him into my regular vet or a place closer to my house in the morning as other options were open on Mondays and we agreed she’d give him fluids and a dose of cerenia for the little bit of foamy vomit he’d given out.
Monday morning he was feeling pretty good when I opened the bathroom door. His temp was 104.9 but he had eaten a little overnight and proceeded to walk down two flights of steps to the basement to use the litterbox, but it was clear his abdomen was pretty painful and he would not eat anything else, and slowed down as time passed. I emailed notes and records and called my veterinarian.
Dr. Elgersma stopped mid-day with fluids and B12, a laser treatment for abdominal pain and an electromagnetic pad to help ease whatever was happening, and we decided to get him back on his supplement. Of course, this was a family affair as everyone loves Dr. Elgersma—Mr. Sunshine greeted her at the door—and he obviously needed some purr therapy from his siblings and mom to go along with all the other alternative therapies Dr. Elgersma packed in.
He licked a half of a squeezy and licked some wet food of all the things I offered. My veterinarian called a little later and said she’d like him to have an ultrasound and a full blood panel. I started calling around about ultrasound opportunities, which are few and far between around here right now, and darned expensive, between $1,000 and $2,000. I decided we’d go to Rivers first thing in the morning—that’s where I’d taken Jelly Bean a few weeks ago.
We were there until mid-afternoon Tuesday, but he got a full exam and we discussed his history all the way back to his cancer diagnosis in April, and no doubt I’ll have information to share from that conversation as his condition moves on. He had his blood tests which showed a high white blood cell count indicating an infection but all else was normal, so he got a shot of convenia to get a start on taking down the infection until we might determine what it was. Since we’d discussed pancreatitis and the only way to truly diagnose it was with an ultrasound, the veterinarian at Rivers could set up a referral for one for only $600, still a lot for me, but way more affordable than otherwise. I would give him a dose of fluids when I got home. About three hours later he was walking around and obviously more comfortable, even with a bit of an appetite for a whole squeezy and a little more wet food.
Today, Wednesday, he had eaten a small amount of food overnight again, and once again walked down two flights of steps to pee in a litterbox. I got him on the cabinet for the pre-breakfast treats, which he ate with gusto, then left. A little later he headed back up to the bathroom to drop a normal looking stool sample in the litterbox in the bathroom. I didn’t realize he’d eaten enough to produce one. He settled in his bed in there and I decided I’d let him just rest in there. I called Rivers with an update and a few questions including toxoplasmosis testing.
I’ve been giving him his medications in butterballs since the pill pockets aren’t working for him, and I don’t want to turn him against them. For the butterball, I crush the medications with a mortar and pestle and mix enough butter into the powder to hold it all together, flatten it into a little round disc shape, then put it in the refrigerator to solidify. It’s much easier to handle that way, and though it starts to melt a bit on the outside when it’s handled it’s fairly easy to stick it to a fingertip and slip into the back of his mouth where the surface melts a little more and it slides down his throat, but because it’s butter it can easily conform its shape and it’s easy to swallow. Butter is not good for long-term dosing, but it works when they have no appetite and may seem to have trouble swallowing pills.
About mid-day I was riding my exercise bicycle and Mewsette had been there with me, I thought she had returned, but on closer inspection it turned out to be Mr. Sunshine coming down the steps and having a drink at the fountain, then coming over to the chair next to me to jump up and supurrvise me. Now that is some progress! Later I cooked up a chicken breast and gave him as much as he wanted, about a tablespoon and some broth, then shared some with his siblings.
So that’s where we are on Wednesday night. He’s still not anywhere near 100% but it’s clear that he’s improving and feeling well enough to participate in daily activities between long naps. The convenia is effective for up to two weeks, so hopefully that will keep working on his infection, whatever it is, while we arrange the ultrasound and some other tests.
This time of year…
Ironically, September 19, 1996, was the day I lost Kublai to what we later presumed was toxoplasmosis. I gave Mr. Sunshine his fluids in the bathroom on Tuesday and then he headed out of the bathroom and right for the stairs, a little unsteady. It reminded me of that very same moment with Kublai 26 years ago.
On September 18, late afternoon, I had given him fluids with the assistance of a young neighbor girl from across the street who wanted to study veterinary medicine. He was done with the fluids but got away from both of us, ran down the steps but stumbled and rolled down the last few. He was very frail by then, about 4 pounds down from 12, but still with life force.
The next morning he seemed especially weak, and in retrospect I realized he may have been been injured by his fall and bleeding internally; he was already anemic and I really didn’t know any other way to tell at that time. Or it may have been his time, as we knew that time was coming. I was still working my day job, but I ran back in the house twice after I’d left and checked him in the studio, he lifted his head and clearly told me it was okay to leave, one of the messages I actually heard as words in my head. I remember feeling a sense of happiness at one point while driving to work along one of my favorite back roads on a sunny early autumn morning, and he had told me it was okay to leave.
When I got home his spirit was clearly not in the house when I opened the door, in fact I began wondering how he’d gotten out because he was famous for escaping. He was on the floor in the studio, and he was not in his body. Perhaps he wanted it that way, or perhaps something happened that he didn’t anticipate. But that sense of happiness I felt on the way to work, I think that was when it happened and he was happy to be free of his body, and to enter his next adventure, and he was not leaving unwillingly or unexpectedly.
Mr. Sunshine is in far better shape than Kublai was by that time, but I think the fluids in the bathroom, Mr. Sunshine—another black cat, heading unsteadily for the steps and looking at the back of his head as stopped at the top and looked down, the light, the temperature, even the September afternoon quiet and hushed sounds of crickets and birds, I’m pretty sure it was a clear message to me, maybe pulled from my memory, but I wouldn’t put it past Kublai to guide me once again.
Just before this I spent time getting caught up on things I’d fallen behind on while going to the markets and other shows. I had fully intended to start posting again last weekend, but spending whole days following Mr. Sunshine around or hanging out at animal emergency hospitals was really time-consuming, and I actually wanted to wait until I had found some care for him and knew a little more. I promise I’m going to keep up with posting now, I have so much to share I don’t even remember some of it!
From around this date in past years
Sleeping Cat Doorstop, 2021
Bella tucks her nose into her arm when she’s sleeping, but she could choose somewhere aside from the open front door with the screen still in the door if she wanted to keep her nose warm and block out the light! She is so precious when she sleeps like this, but she’s never by the door. I almost think she intended to give me an idea for one of the little cat figurines I’ve been considering. Couldn’t you see a sleeping kitty doorstop just like this?
Or purrhaps she was rolling around in a bit of catnip and just had to have a quick nap.
(And it’s all about Bella below—well, not all, but this is right around the time she joined us six years ago!)
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From Instagram
#whiskerswednesday brought to you by Mewsette!
Mewsette shows off her fine set of white whiskers on a sweet warm September morning. She has always been the world’s happiest cat, hurrying over to me, tail high. I missed recording me calling to her at the beginning, but she always answers me, sometimes we have a nice chat. The boys get all the attention because they pile together, but Mewsette has always been sweet and fun all on her own.
From the back yard and beyond
If only the blue jay was green! The jay’s white spots blend in with the light between the leaves, but not those blue feathers.
From around this date in past years
I Got A Chair For Bella, 2018
We have a new-to-us chair. Apparently I was mistaken that it was for me because Bella has used it more than me since it’s been here. In fact, all the cats have clocked more hours on this chair than I have so far, and that’s not counting the times we “share” it.
I’ve needed to replace my desk chairs for years and know they are part of the reason for my sciatica. I purchased three smaller ones from Margo that I can use for shorter periods, but I need one with a deeper seat that gives me good lumbar support for the two areas where I sit for long periods. A good desk chair is not inexpensive, and although I don’t care for the style I know the ones with the high backs are what I need. Someone kindly put their trash out early one evening in a neighborhood I drove through, and I saw this chair, in fairly good shape, and in a minute or two it was in the back of my car. For all the memories of cats and long days and late nights the old chair carried it was out on the porch as soon as I got home.
We all used it immediately. I sat with The Three Stooges / Mousketeers / My Three Sons lined up on the top of the back wrestling and trying to push each other off. This usually happens right behind my head, but until one of them landed on me they were totally out of my way. Mimi sat on one of the arms. Mewsette was on my lap.
This morning, a typical scenario that I will never get a photo of: Mimi one arm of the chair, Mewsette tucked in behind me, Sunshine draped over my lap, Bella draped on the top of the back, Giuseppe and Sienna on the desk overlapping my keyboard. Finally we have a chair that fits all of us. Many photos are blurry because my camera just sees a lot of black and gets confused.
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What other photos did have I shared around this date?
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Dappled Light, 2017
I have been spending a lot of time in the studio, and not all of it on art and handmade goods. A portion is spent on the computer and while I’d rather be making stuff I’m always glad for the comforting presence of my felines, especially when they are so beautifully inspiring.
This photo is from June but I didn’t get the chance to share it then. It looks pretty much like it in the afternoon here. As I worked I watched the light change and now and then reached out to touch one or the other of the girls.
Here is a five second video I made that same day of the sun moving across them. I’d kept it short for posting on Instagram.
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Posted on Facebook Today
Aw, thanks to the mystery visitor who dropped off this little purrse while I was out for just 10 minutes. Good timing! It just made my day and more. Glad to know someone thinks I’m meow-velous, please tell my kitties!
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Bella Beautiful, 2015
Bella looking elegant in morning sun. She loves her window, and the warm light gently highlights her sleek details. You may recognize this photo from the very end of Smokie’s rescue story last week, but I modified it a bit. I love the composition but the other version of this looked too dark and dull even though the light was very soft adn I liked the greenish tones. Even though I loved the gentle highlights on her shoulders in the other photo, the detail in her face really shows her delicate features. She is very slender and graceful.
I have so many photos of Bella and Smokie and the Five from the past few weeks that it’s been hard to decide what series of photos to choose from, and which one, or ones, to post. If I had the time I’d post them all though it actually takes more time to choose just the right one or two! But I guess I’ll be posting extra photos for a few days to get them all in, so, for now…Here she turns around to see the outdoors from another angle.
She really is quite inky black, just as you see in this photo where she’s nearly silhouetted against the bright window.
And then we have a look around, and sniff some air coming in past the nose.
Bella is still a little timid with a fast or awkward move on the part of the human, or a loud noise, but very affectionate, both willing to accept and to give. The other day she reached out and pulled on my arm, and when I moved close she stood up, put her paws on my chest and rubbed her face all over mine. She doesn’t like to be held for too long. She really likes to play! That’s when I start waving things and toss things in the tub and she leaps to the rescue with that little panther body. And she also loves studio wrestling with Smokie, something he’s apparently never done or not often, and it’s all at her instigation. One thing you’ll see soon…she loves the sink! And the tub!
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What other photos did have I shared around this date?
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Random Thoughts, 2013
It’s just an odd sort of capture, Giuseppe on the landing with the light from the window casting him in silhouette, and the current favorite cat toy right there. If a cat were to sit on the landing and dream, wouldn’t it be of a sun puddle and a catnip toy?
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Wordless Wednesday: Some Things I Love, 2013
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What a Mess, 2013
I had lots of entertainment at my desk today, if you consider the Unbearable Cuteness of Black Cats on a very busy day to be entertaining. I certainly did, especially when they provided me with cuteness breaks at just the right moments so that I didn’t lose my mind. Above is how it ended up. Below is a slideshow of how we got there.
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Touched By Sunshine, 2012
Giuseppe, Mr. Sunshine and Mewsette are still wondering what the problem is with black cats when they are being as pretty as possible. Mimi is not concerned.
Just reinforcing for “Less Adoptable Pets Week” that “less adoptable pets” are beautiful once they get into your home and your heart. Anyone I know who has adopted a black cat intentionally or unintentionally has soon come to love all black cats for the depth and beauty of that black fur, and learned that underneath the color, all cats are cats, despite what humans think.
Tomorrow we’ll learn about living with a deaf cat who the kids never met.
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Wordless Wednesday: Peaches Reflecting
From 2010, featuring the beauty and love of a highly-adoptable senior kitty; this is the photo that inspired my daily photos on The Creative Cat.
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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.
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