R.I.P. Zelda

We lost our beautiful cat Zelda last night.  She put up a brave fight but yesterday evening I realized her condition involved more than just a fungal infection.  Not only had she lost a lot of weight, but my son noticed only one of her eyes was dilated.


Zelda was a sweet, shy, and most unusual cat.  In her younger years, she was part of what our family called "the Homeward Bound crew."  Homeward Bound was a movie my children watched growing up.  It featured two dogs and a cat who set out on an across-country adventure.  When our family would go for walks on our farm, we would often be joined by our two dogs and Zelda.  She would walk long distances, sometimes to the point she would start panting and I would have to carry her.  Zelda loved a good walk.  She would also join me when I walked to let out our chickens in the morning or when I had to check on the goats in our back pasture.  In addition, Zelda loved her best friend Ginny, the black lab pictured with her.  Ginny tolerated Zelda but Zelda really loved the dog and would sometimes be found sleeping on top of her.


We're going to miss you Zelda.

More Decluttering

Just when I thought I was finished with part of my decluttering program, I discovered more useless stuff.  Yesterday I started cleaning my bathroom and, as I cleared off the countertop to wipe it down, I realized that I really didn't use a couple of the items, so I discarded them.  This led me to the vanity drawers.  With an eye towards efficiency and usage, I organized the items I used on a daily basis into one drawer and gave careful consideration to everything else.  I'm not one to purchase a lot of toiletries, however, I still found items that seemed like a good idea when I bought them but rarely or never got used.  Out they went.  I filled a small plastic bag with odds and ends that had accumulated.  Now, when I wake in the morning or get ready for bed at night, I can easily find exactly what I need without a lot of fuss.  To paraphrase Martha Stewart, decluttering - it's a good thing.

Zelda Home

Today I picked up my cat Zelda at the vet after her having spent two days there.  The vet warned me to brace myself for how she looks:  all her beautiful grey fur clipped; round, scabby bald spots everywhere; and, to top it all off, the cone of shame around her neck to keep her from chewing on herself.  She's too sad looking to post a photo.


The good news is she's not terminal; the bad news is she has a severe case of ringworm. Daily medication and baths should restore her health although it will take a while for her fur to grow back. 

The Story of Cosmetics (2010)

My friend Lisa at http://www.retrohousewifegoesgreen.com brought this excellent presentation to my attention. For those of you who were concerned about BPA in plastic bottles, this is well worth the time to watch.

More on Zelda

I ended up leaving my poor sweet Zelda at the vet's office for a couple of days.  They were going to clip her fur and bathe her several times with some antifungal shampoo because initial tests show it  to be a fungal infection.  Once again, I've been a bad kitty mommy as I didn't notice that she has also lost a lot of weight.  Who knew with all that beautiful grey, fluffy fur?  I'm hoping her weight loss is associated with a lack of appetite from not feeling well and not a symptom of something else.  I plan to pick her up tomorrow, poor skinny, bald little thing, and lavish lots of love and affection on her.  

Zelda Update

I found Zelda yesterday when she finally came up to the house.  Of course, I immediately grabbed her (gently, of course) and put her in our basement so she can't pull a disappearing act again.  She can't come into the house as my house cat Dixie is queen over everything and doesn't take well to interlopers. 


 Unfortunately, Zelda's skin condition has worsened and I can tell she's extremely miserable.  It has gotten so bad that I began worrying that it's terminal.  However, I pulled myself out of that funk and decided it couldn't be that dire.  I went ahead with some practical steps to help the poor creature, which included bathing her with the medicated shampoo provided by the vet.  I was nervous about doing that as I felt it would be akin to me trying to commit suicide what with her sharp claws and fangs.  Although she didn't like it, she was fairly cooperative for a cat.  I think she sensed that I was trying to make her feel better.  


We have a vet appointment this morning, so I'll be doing another follow up post.  I'm hoping and praying for the best.   I'm looking forward to Zelda's beautiful grey coat being restored to it's previous splendor.

Quote for the Day

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
~Ursula K. LeGuin