May 25, 2016

Golden oldies – Kandy Shepherd


This month I’d like to introduce you to Tabitha and Cindy, my two senior cats. I don’t like to call them “old girls” because they are still very sprightly. (I truly am a LoveCat!)

We’ve had Tabitha, age sixteen, since she was a kitten. My then seven-year-old daughter had begged us for a cat of her own and spent her life’s savings of $100 on adopting a tiny tortoiseshell kitten. She was advertised on the noticeboard in the tea room of the magazine company where I worked. 

Tabitha as we first saw her - first on the left

Daughter and kitten became immediate best friends—and sixteen years later they still share a special bond. Theoretically, I’m Tabitha’s cat-grandmother my daughter informs me. Tabitha has a very sweet, lovely nature, and is constantly on the lookout for a lap.

Tabitha at six months - in a box as always


My other golden oldie is Cindy, our lovely tabby farm cat. We don’t actually know how old Cindy is—she arrived on our veranda one dark and stormy night. 


Cindy some years ago

She had probably been dumped in the bush near our little farm in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. But she must be at least fourteen, maybe even close to the age of Tabitha. Cindy is the most amazing animal. We call her our dog-cat as she follows us everywhere and likes to go for bush walks with us. At the same time she’s fiercely independent.

Cindy - the classic farm cat

 Sadly both our precious cats are slowing down. Both have lost weight and Tabitha is sometimes grumpy beyond the usual tortoiseshell snarkiness.
Other symptoms have lead to a diagnosis of the start of renal failure, very common in cats. It’s all to do with their origins as desert animals.


Tabitha - looking pretty good for sixteen!
So we now have two cats under a low protein feeding regime. That means expensive prescription diet cat food and constant offering of liquids. They’re both pretty good with eating the special food. But not when regular cat food is on offer to the two other three-year old cats who need regular high protein food.

This means segregated feeding, constant snatching up of forbidden foods, and adjudication of dry food disputes—with resulting grievances from all four cats. I adore them so fuss over my felines without complaint.

Cindy helping in the garden

Tabby also needs a regular laxative that tastes so good she thinks it’s a treat. The others like the smell of it too and get quite miffed when questing noses are pushed away. Heaven help me the day they learn to squeeze it from the tube…

The good news is the latest blood tests for both my seniors show a definite improvement so it’s all worth it!

I hate the thought of my precious animals getting older—just had to stop typing to help Tabitha up on to the sofa as her legs are a little stiff these days—Tabitha is around eighty in human years and Cindy not far behind her. But I figure the love and attention we give them is so worth it for the joy they give us. I got my last cats who were diagnosed with failing kidneys to the respective ages of eighteen and twenty-two—very, very old for cats! Wish me luck I can keep Tabitha and Cindy with me for some years to come yet.

What about you? Do you have an older animal you cherish? Any special care you’ve had to give them? Any advantages you see in having older pets? I’d love to hear about it—please make a comment!


26 comments:

  1. I had tow dogs that passed away at 11 and almost 15. I loved them even more as they got older and slowed down. I have 3 rescue cats now, 2 are 7 and 1 is 6. So , I guess they are middle aged now - not old yet.

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    1. Hi Tammy, it's lovely you had your dogs with you for such a long time. Like you, the older my pets get, the more they need me and the more I love them. Hopefully you have lots more time with your three cats!

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    2. Yes I got all 3 when the were kittens, So, I have had many teats with them and they still act young,so I am hoping for many more years

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    3. Also all of your cats are so beautiful. Thanks so sharing your pictures.

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    4. i hope they reach a grand old age, Tammy. Glad you enjoyed meeting my girls!

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  2. Oh, I love Cindy and Tabitha- so gorgeous. I'm a true LoveCat, too. I have two old boys, aged 13. They are both in great health (touch wood), and have only just started to slow down a little. They each have their own peculiar habits (e.g.: one of them, Spencer, is a complete neurotic who won't come in unless the doorway is completely human-free and won't eat unless completely on his own) but we all rub along together. So cute.

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    1. Thank you, Louisa. Thirteen is a great age for your kitties. You really made me smile at Spencer's ways - they really do have their own personalities don't they!

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  3. Our 13 yo lab, Fonzie, is a blind, arthritic, epileptic but still mooches around quite well and still loves his food. His sister died a couple of years back which was sad for all of us and I thought then he might not be too far behind but he seems content to hang around and we're more than happy he's still here. Will be a very sad day when he goes :-(

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    1. Fonzie sounds so lovely, Amy, I want to give him a hug! These senior pets are with us for a substantial chunk of our lives and are sadly missed when they go, as you know. Hang in there, Fonzie!

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  4. Your senior girls are gorgeous, Kandy! Our first cat (as a married couple) was a feral tabby we called Gizmo. She was incredibly devoted to us but nasty as anything to strangers, including unwelcome door knockers! She became fiercely protective of our children when they were born, too. If I couldn't see the kids outside in the garden, when they were little, I'd just look for the cat and I'd find the kids straight away. Sadly, she had to be euthanised at the age of 16 when she began having massive seizures and her body started shutting down. It was devastating and it took us several months before we could even think of choosing another furbaby to join our family. And now that furbaby is nearly 13. I can't believe how time flies.

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    1. Gizmo sounds like she was quite a character, Yvonne. I know how heartbroken you must have been to lose her - I've had to make that decision too. Glad you eventually got a new kitty, they don't replace but do bring joy.

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  5. Tabitha and Cindy are gorgeous, Kandy! Loved seeing the photos of them and hearing how they came into your lives. I had a few kitty-cat furbabies in my time, but sadly none of them made it to their senior years. A few years back I was great friends with Sooty from across the road (who I dubbed Ms Independence)...she made it to 19, which was a grand old age. :-)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the photos, Michelle. There are times in my life when I haven't been able to have any pets and it's always nice to have friending neighbour's animals, isn't it!

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  6. Terrific photos, Kandy. How nice to think of these two old ladies being so warmly loved and cared for!

    My constant companion used to be our old dog, Daisy. She'd lie in her bed beside my desk and dream of bones and fascinating scents and, I suspect, sunshine. I'd spend a lot of time getting up and down as she asked to be let out, then two minutes later, in again. And then maybe out again after all. I typed to the sound of her snoring and I still miss that. She was a terrific companion and, by that age, well past the stage of stealing shoes to gnaw on, which was a great bonus!

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    1. Thank you Annie, I'm pleased you enjoyed reading about my lovely old girls. I remember seeing photos of your darling Daisy - I loved that you typed to the sound of her snoring. No wonder you still miss her.

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  7. Oh Kandy

    They are beautiful and Tabitha looks so much like a cat we had and her name was Mitchie it is a while since we had a cat but I am babysitting one of my daughter's cats at the moment Batty and she only comes out at night LOL and likes lots of attention then she is a rescue cat and fairly old although I don't think Bec knows how old. Our Dog Casper is only three so still young and very active but over the years we have had some loving pets that have lasted quite some time :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Helen, I love the name Batty for a cat who only comes out at night. She must be fun to babysit! I love tortoiseshells, your Mitchie must have been lovely if she was like out darling Tabitha.

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  8. We haven't had pets because my husband has been allergic to pet fur/dander. However, less than ten years ago (once our kids had grown up), they came out with a nasal spray that worked wonders for him, so now we "dog sit" for friends. Our rule is that the dog must be older and potty trained - and we actually got grief over that when my husband was working shiftwork! We had agreed to (again) watch our friend's golden retriever, but that dog passed away (at 13) five weeks before their vacation. They picked up a puppy right away and we said no; we didn't want the puppy barking while my husband tried to sleep, nor did we want it doing its business in our house. They ended up having their adult daughter move back in to watch the pup and we have since dog sat the now grown dog (a real treasure), but it is properly trained - in mostly French that we don't speak! Thankfully, goldens are smart animals and this one adapted well to our loving in any language.

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  9. Hi Laney, how interesting to see you are looking after a do who is trained in a different language. That's something I hadn't really thought about. Your friends must love having you available to pet sit. When our Ancient Albert cat was in his last years we didn't go away much as we felt he was too frail for anyone else to look after him,

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  10. They're a beautiful bunch, Kandy! I can imagine it's quite tricky splitting up the food like that and making sure they don't fight. your such a good fur-mama :)

    No pets fo rme, sadly, but getting plenty of visits in while I'm home and lots of doggy cuddles!

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    1. So nice that you are having doggy cuddles on your visit back home, Stefanie! I'm sure you're enjoying every minute.

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  11. Great photos of Cindy and Tabitha, Kandy.

    We have a gorgeous three year old Cavoodle, so she's not slowing down yet. But I had great dogs when I was young and was devastated when they left for doggie heaven.

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    1. Our animals really find their way into our hearts, don't they Jen? I'm cherishing my time with all my pets.

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  12. Aww shucks, those cats are gorgeous, Kandy. at the moment we are petless, our cat reached 18 and the dog wasn't so lucky. As we're away a lot probably won't be getting one for a while. When we do it will be a dog.

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    1. I know what you mean about the travel, Sue. My husband is always warning me "no more pets" as we both want to travel when we retire. When we go away now, the cat-boarding can cost as much as our accommodation!

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  13. sorry not into cats cant stand them----the Jack Russel dog here is 10 years old --she was my Husbands dog now I have Her----LynW

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