Lil'Shit I believe is going deaf, and is going blind. I know he can hear only sharp whistles and noises, and probably only see shadows or shapes, which would account for his dogging our steps everywhere, and standing close to our feet. It makes moving around in the house and especially the kitchen hazardous for us and him. We keep tripping over him. And heaven forbid we go into a part of the house where he can't see or sense us, he'll whine and cry till we come back to him. And he cannot bear to be outside for long, he'll go right out and do his business then want right back in. His food preferences change about every other day. One day, he'll love his food, then maybe for supper he decides he'll want one of the girls' supper instead of his. These are trivial things, what is most wonderful and warms the heart is to see him so ecstatically happy when one of us comes home, and the adoration in his looks he gives us, brings us back to how much we do love him. And how much he relies on us.
Mushy..... Oh Mushy.... Silly old man. He plays and runs and chases dust motes like a kitten. But unlike a dog, cats when they head into their last year(s) get very very vocal. And they will talk or sing at any time day or night. I am constantly amazed and the variety of different tones and sounds from him. And as the months go on, he gets more and more vocal and louder. He is also prefers to always be around me, and has become very possessive. Mushy is my boy, I have had him since he was a small lump of flea bitten fur at 4 weeks of age (someone dumped him). I raised him on goat's milk and honey, and we've been very bonded since. He is usually very impatient with my morning routine, and will sit and talk to me while I am in the shower, and will talk to me the entire time I am getting ready. Then he will walk downstairs with me for his breakfast. He is in excellent health, and as is the case with our senior pets, is thin and is always hungry it seems. He absolutely loves drinking water from my glass as long as it has ice in it. He has become very loving cuddling and loves to purr when laying on me. He is always either in my lap, on my chest, or cuddled next to me in bed, I never have to reach far to find him, and making contact brings on the purrs, which really are calming and healing.
I try spoil them as I can. I do my best to provide them the best natural diet I can, which shows I am doing it right by their coats, and the fact that they are so healthy and haven't needed a vet in years. I give them both Ttouch daily and they repay it with love. Although like any senior, they have parts that don't work as reliably as they once did, like balance, jumping up to the sofa, wash themselves, or back leg coordination.
So I make sure to cherish them every moment, and when it's their time to pass to the bridge they will be sorely missed, for they did bring alot of light, love and joy into our lives. And I just couldn't have imagined a life without either of them.
