Hello from CJ and Robin!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Hello all, long time no see!

Just wanted to give an update on CJ and Robin....and ourselves too.

CJ - known as Jackie these days - is doing really well. He has gradually gone blind over the past 2 or 3 years, but that hasn't slowed him down a bit! He still begs incessantly to go outside (on his rope) and we indulge him as often as possible. He loves when we pull into a new place and before we've even got the engine shut off he's begging at the door to go explore the new digs. He recently had a visit with the white coats and the vet said she has never seen such good blood work in a 14 year old cat. She didn't have an explanation for his blindness, but said he's not in pain because of it and if he continues to act normally, there's no real concern. We got a new motorhome last March and the first few days he was a little hesitant to move around because things weren't where they were supposed to be, but he quickly got over that in his search for the front door. He'll sometimes bump into Robin because he doesn't know she's sitting there, but other than that he knows his way around pretty well. He loves snuggling with his meowmy and wants under the covers every night, which I'm happy to oblige him with a lift of the covers to help him find his way.

Robin is doing well......considering. She has appeared "yellow" lately, so after the most recent white coat visit - and another several hundred dollars it was revealed she has a tumor in her liver, one kidney is non-functioning and the other is failing and she has tri-something or other affecting her large intestines and two other organs. Several years ago after her diagnosis of crystals in her ureters (sp?), I determined I would not put her through surgery, so the decision that was made with the latest diagnosis is we will keep her comfortable as long as possible - and love her to pieces in the meantime. However, with all the health issues going on - along with some weird skin thing too - she is doing well. She begs for her milkies every morning and gobbles up chicken and hamburgers like you wouldn't believe. Getting her to eat her own food, however, is rather a chore and I've practically gone broke trying to find a food she'll continue to eat. I now just buy small bags because she'll gobble it up when I first introduce it, but after 3 or 4 days doesn't want anything to do with it. The vet said it will eventually get to the point where she'll be put on steroids to get her to eat and to help with the tumor, but seeing as she already has liver and kidney issues, the vet wanted to delay that as long as possible. She adores laying on her daddy's tummy and practically won't leave his side as long as he's home. She also has a favorite mousie and catnip ball that she will bat around, and she's so funny because she slips and slides on the tile floor to go after it. She soon poops out though, and is back to her daddy's tummy for smoochies and lovin's.

So all in all life is good these days. The last few years we've been spending our summers in Grand Teton National Park working at the Colter Bay Marina, and we spend our winters basking in the Southern California sunshine. We head back to the midwest every spring to visit family and friends and like I mentioned, we got a new motorhome last March - still 45' long, but with 4 slides now instead of 2, so we have a bit more room. No plans yet to give up our vagabond lifestyle, so like I say, life is good.

It's nice to be back at PT and to see there are still so many "old-timers" still here. It's always sad to hear of all the beloved PT kitties that have gone to the bridge, but it's always exciting to hear about the new adoptees who have gotten a new lease on life too.

Nice to "see" you all again!

PS - pics are Robin sniffing the breezes at the front door and Jackie napping on his new favorite bankie.