Kitty care rant

For almost a year now I've been struggling with kitty ear problems. Grimy ears with waxy buildup and sometimes inflammation. We've gone to the vet where they usually find no bacteria or fungus in their ears. I'm sent home with ear cleaner and drops, and we get to wrestle with kitties who don't want wet ears or to have their humans digging in their ears with Q-tips.

It's been driving me crazy.

When I took Sassy in yesterday, I happened to mention in passing to Dr. Pat about the ears. She looked puzzled for a minute (you know that expression you get when you're processing data and thinking?), then she asked, "What are you feeding them?"

She went on to say that sometimes it's something in their food, especially when it's more than one cat.

At this point you could have knocked me over with a feather. I feel like I should have thought of that. I was just too close to the problem that it never occured to me, but I've read the very same thing on some of the cat pages I've looked at online.

I asked if I could feed them all, except for Scooter, something that would help Monster with her weight and potential for diabetes. I was told as long as everyone was healthy that it would be ok. Since Miss Grey and Mr. Chubbers could stand to lose a few ounces, I am glad to know they can eat a lower calorie food too. Now all I have to do is find something that everyone likes well enough to eat that won't break the bank.

I think that I'll actually cook for them. Now that I know everyone can eat the same food, I can make the special food for Monster and just give it to everyone except Scooter.

As for Scooter, I took him to get some fluids since he'll behave at the vet. To me he seems just a little slower this past day or two. I know the end of his physical existence is near, and while that pains me to think about life without him, I don't want him to suffer any. I find myself thinking more and more that I hope he just crosses the bridge in his sleep. Last night Keith was saying that for the most part the Scooter that we've loved for all these years isn't there anymore. That's true. It pains me so to look at his thin, wobbly self tottering around the kitchen, and I find I'm still not quite ready to let him go.

I purchased a kitty kube at Wal-mart the other day, and he's been sleeping in it a lot. I find myself peering at him carefully to make sure he's still breathing and only sleeping, but I don't want to wake him. It takes him awhile to wake up now. He seems groggy for a little longer, yet when he's awake he's still perky and alert. At least he's like Pixel in that he seems to have his wits about him still, unlike Brownie who was kitty senile the last year or so of her life.

Didn't mean to bring you down any. Go look at last night's post of yarn and Lily sleeping on the counter again.