She's Gone

But never forgotten. Rest in peace Samantha Jo! You'll always be our little princess.

Our Princess is not Well

Over the last few months, we've observed physical changes in our oldest cat Samantha (Sam). She looks thinner, and at times appears to be out of breath after minimal exertion.

Last week we took Sam to the vet to have her checked out. After reviewing her x-rays, the vet told us that fluid is building up in her thoracic cavity, and that she may be in the final stages of life. He also told us that 4 to 6 months may be all she has left.

The news was devastating, but not entirely surprising. Sam is not a young cat, she's 14 years old, and from what we've discovered, that's about the average lifespan for cats like her.

We are holding out hope that the vet is wrong, but since we can't know for sure, we are keeping an especially keen eye on Sam, and trying to make her as comfortable as possible. She is taking a couple of different medications to help reduce the fluid build up, and while she's not as mobile as she used to be, we haven't observed as much labored breathing, so for now, it seems to be working.

Hang in there Sam, we aren't ready to say goodbye just yet.

Sam Goes to the Vet

Sam hasn't seen the veterinarian since 2013, so today was the day she got her shots updated. As expected, she was not amused.

Overall, things went very smoothly, and Sam was given a clean bill of health.

Our Beloved Sam

Graduation Party

This weekend's graduation festivities came to a head at this afternoon's outdoor party. Luckily, the rain showers were minimal.

Michele and Sam Share a Moment

Feeding Time

Dolly and Sam

Our beloved Sam:

And the lovable but naughty Dolly:

Our Pets

The cats did a little bit of relaxing in the backyard this morning, and I was there with camera in hand to capture the action (or lack thereof):

Dolly on the deck.

Sam in the grass.

Halloween Fun

This year, Alex and Nick chose costumes that were much scarier than in previous years. Alex dressed up as an orc sword carrying crazed lunatic, while Nick chose to be a troll masked grim reaper. Definitely not your standard fare. They were joined by Danny (hockey player), Brian (Wrestler) and Sam (Dracula).

I dressed up this year also, well...not entirely.

I had a little accident while carving pumpkins. I've never been real handy with a knife, and on the night before Halloween I was attempting to slice open one of our gourds when my steak knife slipped...

Five stitches later...I became...

FRANKENTHUMB!

 

Here's another angle.

 

There wasn't much pain, just a lot of blood. I saw it as a good lesson for the kids, and for Dad too!

The kids ended up collecting more candy than they'll ever eat, just like last year, and the year before. And, as I did in those previous years, I'll step up as the father they can lean on...

...in these times of crisis.

Friday Cat Blogging

Sam stops to smell the flowers.

 

Don't forget to check out the Modulator's Friday Ark.

Friday Cat Blogging

Sam ventures out...

 

Who's trailing me with a camera?

 

Ah yes, my scratchin' post.

 

Always plenty of animals to see at the Modulator's Friday Ark.

Friday Cat Blogging

Sam's favorite window

Head on over to the modulator's Friday Ark to see more cat photos.
 

Lunch with Nick

I had lunch with Nick last Friday in the school cafeteria. We dined on Steak N Shake, and then took recess in the gymnasium since it was raining. Here are Nick and some of his classmates.

 

 

 

Friday Cat Blogging

 

Sam and Dolly between wrestling matches.

Check out some other cats over at the Modulator's Friday Ark.

Friday Cat Blogging

Sam finds a good neck to nestle with.

You can see lots of other nestling cats over at the Modulator's Friday Ark.

Friday Cat Blogging

 

This is Sam doing what she does best. I think all of the hair left from previous naps keeps her nice and warm.

To see some more cat pictures, head on over to the Modulator and check out the Friday Ark.