Magical Realist
Bob & Elvis, brothers and best buds, turned 19 this week!
I adopted Elvis (left) and Bob (right) from Seattle Humane in April 2010. At the time, I did it mainly because I felt so sorry for them--there they were, two sweet old brothers who had managed to stay together through three previous owners and 17 years--only to end up in a shelter. They've turned out to be the most wonderful, amazing cats; I had no idea I would end up loving them as much as I do. If I'd adopted them as kittens and had them for the past 19 years, I'm not sure I would love them any more than I do now.
Both had early-stage CRF (kidney disease), and their previous owner surrendered them because Elvis (left) had taken to peeing outside the litter box. On their shelter intake forms, Elvis' reason for surrender was listed as "housesoiler," and Bob's as "brother of housesoiler" (and I still call them that sometimes when they're being obnoxious). But since they came to live with me, Elvis has never peed outside the box once--probably because, unlike their previous owners, we don't use a covered litter box. Elvis is a big guy, plus he's old and disabled, and I'm pretty sure he took to housesoiling because getting into a covered box just got too difficult and uncomfortable.
Adopting old cats does have its challenges. They do need frequent vet visits and daily medications (Bob is hyperthyroid and hypertensive; Elvis gets pain meds for arthritis), which gets expensive. My daily schedule has to accommodate medicating cats every 12 hours, so I can't just put down food and run off for the weekend--the boys have to be boarded at the vet's. They're also on a prescription diet for their kidney disease, which isn't cheap. I joke that they're "my expensive hobby," and frankly, they are. But to me they're absolutely worth it.
I've also had to make some accommodations for Elvis' disabilities. Because he has joint degeneration in his front legs and arthritis in his back legs, he needs steps to climb up on the couch and bed, and into his favorite sunny window perch. While he can get into a regular catbox, he has days when he much prefers the shallow, easy-access box I made for him from a plastic storage bin. And while he enjoys cardboard scratchers, he can no longer claw hard enough to remove the old claw sheaths, so I have to trim and clean up his claws for him so they don't grow into the pads of his feet.
But despite their old-cat problems, Elvis and Bob are both doing really well--far better than I expected. When I brought them home I thought Elvis had maybe another year or so to go, and Bob might get two years. But those two years have gone by in a flash and they're still here and show no signs of leaving anytime soon! So while I know that old cats can go very suddenly from all kinds of ailments, I have a reasonable expectation that they'll both make it to 20.
Elvis and his brother Bob are truly a bonded pair--as long as they're together, everything is cool. When I take them to the vet, I put them both in the same big carrier, and everything's just fine as far as they're concerned. I've even seen them use the catbox together (though never when I have a camera within reach)! I'm their fourth owner (not counting the shelters they've been through), and their last. I don't know how much time we have left together, but I'm loving every minute of it and they seem to be as happy as a couple of ancient cats can be.
Bob & Elvis, brothers and best buds, turned 19 this week!
I adopted Elvis (left) and Bob (right) from Seattle Humane in April 2010. At the time, I did it mainly because I felt so sorry for them--there they were, two sweet old brothers who had managed to stay together through three previous owners and 17 years--only to end up in a shelter. They've turned out to be the most wonderful, amazing cats; I had no idea I would end up loving them as much as I do. If I'd adopted them as kittens and had them for the past 19 years, I'm not sure I would love them any more than I do now.
Both had early-stage CRF (kidney disease), and their previous owner surrendered them because Elvis (left) had taken to peeing outside the litter box. On their shelter intake forms, Elvis' reason for surrender was listed as "housesoiler," and Bob's as "brother of housesoiler" (and I still call them that sometimes when they're being obnoxious). But since they came to live with me, Elvis has never peed outside the box once--probably because, unlike their previous owners, we don't use a covered litter box. Elvis is a big guy, plus he's old and disabled, and I'm pretty sure he took to housesoiling because getting into a covered box just got too difficult and uncomfortable.
Adopting old cats does have its challenges. They do need frequent vet visits and daily medications (Bob is hyperthyroid and hypertensive; Elvis gets pain meds for arthritis), which gets expensive. My daily schedule has to accommodate medicating cats every 12 hours, so I can't just put down food and run off for the weekend--the boys have to be boarded at the vet's. They're also on a prescription diet for their kidney disease, which isn't cheap. I joke that they're "my expensive hobby," and frankly, they are. But to me they're absolutely worth it.
I've also had to make some accommodations for Elvis' disabilities. Because he has joint degeneration in his front legs and arthritis in his back legs, he needs steps to climb up on the couch and bed, and into his favorite sunny window perch. While he can get into a regular catbox, he has days when he much prefers the shallow, easy-access box I made for him from a plastic storage bin. And while he enjoys cardboard scratchers, he can no longer claw hard enough to remove the old claw sheaths, so I have to trim and clean up his claws for him so they don't grow into the pads of his feet.
But despite their old-cat problems, Elvis and Bob are both doing really well--far better than I expected. When I brought them home I thought Elvis had maybe another year or so to go, and Bob might get two years. But those two years have gone by in a flash and they're still here and show no signs of leaving anytime soon! So while I know that old cats can go very suddenly from all kinds of ailments, I have a reasonable expectation that they'll both make it to 20.
Elvis and his brother Bob are truly a bonded pair--as long as they're together, everything is cool. When I take them to the vet, I put them both in the same big carrier, and everything's just fine as far as they're concerned. I've even seen them use the catbox together (though never when I have a camera within reach)! I'm their fourth owner (not counting the shelters they've been through), and their last. I don't know how much time we have left together, but I'm loving every minute of it and they seem to be as happy as a couple of ancient cats can be.