Snufkin
Aged Eleven
Spring to Winter, 2007
Lincoln, Nebraska
Snufkin celebrated her eleventh birthday on 9 April 2007 with a big can of non-prescription food. A week earlier, she had received some good medical news: a repeat blood test indicated that her kidney insufficiency was under control. She continues to be frisky, selectively friendly, and choosy about food, playing with but refusing to eat a mouse who wandered into the house (sorry, no picture). Her coat is thick and glossy, and the use of a FURminator brush has reduced shedding. |
Another cute (though overexposed) windowsill picture,
but this time Snufkin looks at the camera with a hint of vulnerability.
The classic version is here.
(April 2007)
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| Washing | Grooming | The very sleek result thereof |
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Snugly ensconced in the sill
(April 2007)
What a beautiful sunny Snuffy day.
(April 2007)
Snuffy sits on her tree, looking outside
(May 2007)
| Silly Snufkin | Clever Snufkin | |
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| A thunderstorm had Snuffy hiding for cover. Not very good cover, as she later conceded before scurrying into a closet. (August 2007) |
I plugged in this old electric blanket to test it, |
Poor Snufkin’s bandage, which was bothering her so much that
I cut her fur to remove it. The faint brown spot is dried blood.
(October 2007)
Snufkin’s semi-annual blood test in October 2007 was worrisome. Although her creatinine and BUN were within normal range, almost all her electrolytes were not, indicating that her early-stage kidney disease is not under control. Having refused the other options (powder and gel), Snufkin must take a potassium pill every day for the rest of her life. Fortunately, I’ve become fairly proficient with the pill gun, so the daily pilling hasn’t lowered her quality of life as much as I’d feared. Most mornings she takes the pill like a Good Girl, with only a little fuss. |
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Look at the extension in that leg! Pretty limber for an eleven-and- a-half-year-old. When Snufkin strikes a pose like this, I like to call her “Leggy Mountsnuffen”. (November 2007) |
Holiday Presents: Snufkin’s Recommendations
Snufkin made out like a bandit this holiday season.
Here is her new Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain —
bigger, quieter and easier to clean than the original.
(December 2007)
And Snufkin got a Thermo-Kitty Bed — her eighth bed — to keep her warm during the long and bitter winter in Nebraska. Unlike her two previous heated beds, this one has raised sides for extra warmth. It has a dual thermostat, staying a few degrees above ambient temperature when unoccupied but warming to a toasty (and cat-appropriate) 102° F/39° C when in use. |
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The bed has nice tall sides... |
...which she’s not taking advantage of here. |
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These are more typical uses, with her back against the side. |
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Spoiled but because adorable
(December 2007)
Snufkin also received some very nice presents from Jumi and Pippin, which will be featured on a later page.
Snufkin gave me a Litter Locker Plus — a pretty snarky choice of present, I thought.
I have been scooping more often (2-3 times daily), so her point was well taken.
But then who is the gift really for, Snufkin?
Pages in Snufkin’s website |
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