Pawhphoria

That's Charlie

As cats grow older, they also grow in intellectual power.

As their understanding increases, their ability to pounce on things decreases. In a properly managed home situation, where they are loved and celebrated for their wonderful, personal, qualities, they can slide into a kind of retirement based on past glory.

Even if we weren’t there for it.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

It might be an act of imagination to speculate on our cat’s past, as in the Tale of Banana the Cat, or it might be based on sad or happy clues we pick up from our cat’s behavior. Whether we’ve had them since a kitten, or not, we can always look for the kitten face that we know was once there.

Our senior cat, James Bond, is sixteen now. I did have him since he was a kitten, and it is only lately that his calm confidence has been shaken. He used to come to me with puzzlement in his eyes: What the heck happened?

Now, he’s simply resigned.

We have done all we can. We started a regular blood panel, so our vet can see if any parameters are moving out of their normal ranges. We added certain nutritional supplements to his diet, to make up for the decreased ability to digest his food. We make an appreciative fuss over the younger cats when they defer to James in some way; whether it’s letting him have exclusive time with the current toy, or first crack at the food bowl.

Make no mistake, James is still a figure of awe among the younger generation. Tristan took months to figure out the right way to show James affection because James’ incredible Presence enforced his wishes in the personal dignity arena. When Reverend Jim was a needy newcomer, James Bond was there for him. While Olwyn recognized his special qualities very early, and begged to be mentored by him.

James is an extraordinary cat, even though he’s not as there as he used to be. Now, Olwyn handles the day-to-day. Reverend Jim keeps tabs on the kitten, Tristan. I make sure he gets some feather time with the wand toy, while Mr WayofCats gives him exclusive cuddle time on the bed.

It’s sad, in a way, that James Bond is currently celebrated for what he has done in the past. But it’s also amazing, in any way, that James has done so much for all of us.

From getting me up in time for a vital college final, to raising three kittens able to carry on in the Grand Tradition of Awesome Companionship, James has left an indelible mark on our Cat Civilization.

That is what we revere him for, now and always.

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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.

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Hooch and Stanley help a law student de-stress between finals (Photo credit: David Goldman, AP)

Once again it’s time for finals at universities around the country, and more and more of them are bringing dogs in to help students de-stress. Here’s an article from USA Today about dogs at several campuses, and below are photos of some dogs who helped out at UC Davis (all photos below by Deb Haggerty):

Pandora the beagle at University of California, Davis

Spuddy enjoys some attention

Davey the therapy dog

Charlie Brown, a chocolate lab

Wouldn’t it be great if every campus did this?

This is a horrifying video about homeless dogs in Detroit. Please help with donations if you can & remember: i-pets.com will ship for FREE to any rescue or animal welfare organization.



Read Rolling Stone "City of Strays: Detroit's Epidemic of 50,000 Abandoned Dogs"

Detroit Dog Rescue Website
Detroit Dog Rescue Face Book

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We have so many heroes to honor on this day, our men and women who are taking care of our country (whether home or abroad) and the canines who also work so hard to keep us safe. It’s amazing to read some of the stories about their courage and willingness to be right there with their master while working to protect us all. They deserve our respect also as they have saved many human lives when duty calls them.

In addition to the military canines, we have the wonderful service dogs who take care of retired veterans in need once they return home. These are also highly trained dogs, willing to be there for their master when he/she needs them the most. Dogs have been there for the blind, hearing impaired or wheelchair bound veteran for some time, but now they are helping with other injuries – and even PTSD.

A trained service dog is a joy to see working closely with its master – and it is amazing what they can be trained to do. Here in southeast FL we are working with the retired racing greyhounds and preparing them for a second career. Once their days as an athlete are over, many of them don’t want to be “couch potatoes” – they are sill energized with the work ethic – and make excellent service dogs for mobility assistance, PTSD and other related disorders.

Service Dogs 4 Service Men is presenting its first trained dog, HERO II, to his veteran on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. We are pleased to have the Palm Beach Kennel Club sponsor the ceremony for the presentation. It’s a win- win situation – another good home for a retired racer and a helpful companion for the veteran.

Tim & Ivy

Today we have the pleasure to introduce you to Random Felines:

Junior

Random Felines started as a way to tell people about us. And about the fosters we take in and mom's rescue work. We never really thought that we would be out there and noticed and helping out. When trying to decide on a blog name, mom thought long and hard....it shouldn't be about one cat. And we do lots of things with lots of cats. So she settled on Random Felines.

Maestro

Mom has had cats since she moved out of her parents' house. And she says now that she can't imagine living without any of us. Through moves, highs and lows, gains and losses, we are a family and that makes things easier. Whether a good day or a bad one, mom says that we bring her laughter and comfort and that is more important than anything.

Tommy

Mom started volunteering several years ago to get out of the house and meet new people. Being an animal person, she knew that was what she wanted to do. A few years into it she was asked to foster Tim & Tom (and you can see how that worked out). We now mainly foster kittens or momma cats with kittens. A certain cat (TOMMY) has made it very clear he will not tolerate adult male cats in his territory. But everyone is good with the kittens (for the most part). We get to help socialize and there is usually some kitten food to snack on as a reward.

Mo

Mom says looking back, she would have liked to skip a few of the bigger bumps in the road we have experienced, but that ALL experiences bring us to where we are now. She tells herself and her rescue friends - I may not be able to save every animal, but I can do something RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

Spud

Here are 3 of their favorite posts:
Ivy's New Best Friend

Miserable Monday

100 to 105 to 107

Take some time this week to visit Random Felines & tell 'em Oskar sent ya!

If you'd like to have your pet blog featured on Pet Blogs United, drop us a line at PBU at comcast dot net.