The kidcats were out of control, this morning!!

[Siwsan]

Normally, Madoc will either pounce on me or try to tug the comforter off of me. This morning I felt a brief attempt at the tug, followed by a pounce. And then another. And then another. But they didn't feel like a Madoc pounce. So I turned on the light to see Gryff, Arthur and Carys all liked up next to me and Madoc, sitting to the side, with a look of complete satisfaction on his face. Yes, he called in the troops and directed them from afar.

No breakfast, No peace!!

[wnylib]

1. The plight of a human in a feline world.

[niyad]

2. MOMMMMMMM, I'M HUNGRY!!! HURRRRRRY!!!!

[2naSalit]

3. Sounds like...

Training is complete. They are all now fully trained in the Madoc approved method of getting the food master to go get some food when sleeping too late.

[tblue37]

6. More like food servant!

[2naSalit]

10. I was tryna...

Be respectful!

[blm]

4. 😼

[appleannie1]

5. My six escort me every morning, first to the bathroom and then to the kitchen where they

post themselves in front of the pantry door. They know that is where I keep their treats and I throw a handful or two on the kitchen floor for them each morning.

[Hope22]

7. I love the thought of this!

You my friend are outnumbered when the troops begin to organize!😂💗

[Hestia]

8. Enjoy it all while you can

We have a 17 (almost 18) y/o male - Baldr, Ragdoll mix and a 14 y/o male - Llew Lugh, Maine Coon mix*. We are now attending aging decline in the 17 y/o Baldr. He has lost muscle mass, nasal polyps - possible cancer, too weak to groom, easily bruised, can't jump up on the couch or bed (we got him stairs but he ain't crazy about them) - all the things that elder adults goes through when they hit 85-ish.

Most every morning it used to be kitty rumble time - it would get so rough that we would have to separate them to their respective corners (hyperbolize much?) . Now that Baldr has declined, Lugh doesn't understand why Baldr won't play with him anymore, won't groom on him anymore, pushes him off when he tries to 'nuggle. He does everything to get Baldr to engage with him but he won't/can't.

Lugh has learned to "talk" like Baldr (burble actually) and now goes around the house crying, looking for his playmate. He doesn't understand why he is shut out.

I don't think Baldr would have lived this long other than he is Ragdoll mix. They are big, robust cats, tuff as nails. Now, definitely not so much. We tell him he is dearly love but it's okay to go, and will be deeply missed and we know it's fun here but not in pain as he seems to be in now, but every time we discuss it with him, he seems to rally for a bit, but after a couple of days, he'll go back to isolating himself and sleep. He'll be there to greet us on the other side.

(Oh, gosh, I am crying as I write this) We've been talking about getting 2 female cats when he passes after a couple of months. Love to find Ragdoll/Ragdoll mix again. Ragdoll's are smart as whips and are robust and there is no way Lugh will do well, since he will have outlived 2 older brothers. Cats really do need their clowder. He still misses the Ragdoll mix that "raised" him from a kitten because out of the blue he will start making the sound that Purrmes used to make, and go lay where Purrmes used to when he slept. In fact, right after Purrmes died and he'd see Baldr, he'd get confused because it wasn't Purrmes and swipe at Baldr because he wasn't Purrmes.

Sorry to step all over your thread - we brought Baldr back from the vet again yesterday and she was the one who is trying to prepare us for the possible cancer diagnosis. He is too old for any type of intervention, which is why we tell Baldr to go on his own terms and time and please don't force us to have him "put down." We are all too fragile for that...

*Baldr - love & light; Llew Lugh - bright shining one. Both are named after pre-xtian dying and resurrecting gods; jesus is late to the game on that concept, which is what agricultural societies used as symbols for the return of light in the spring and the dying of the light in winter.

[Siwsan]

9. Our love for these fur babies is deep, isn't it.

I just posted about mine doing some major damage to something I really loved. I love them more.

I remember Boudicca when she was declining from cancer. She was about 14. It was so hard to watch and even harder to make that final decision. I stayed with her throughout the process, and long after. She's now buried with her sister, Sophie Stinky Toes, in the flower bed, right outside of the front door. Sophie went on her own terms and it was equally difficult to accept.

Every day I'm amazed that these 4 beauties co-exist as if they were litter mates. Madoc and Arthur are brothers and Carys is likely related, too, but Gryff is totally unrelated by bloodline. Still, he blends in to the wonderful little family I've collected from my gardens.