February Greetings to You, and to all Adam’s Friends!
Early February in the U.S. means the Super Bowl, as well as its cute companions, the Kitten Bowl and Puppy Bowl. Now that those games are in the books, the world of sports becomes quieter. Greater metropolitan Ringoes, New Jersey (in general), and Tabby’s Place (in particular) are usually quiet year-round—unless, of course, Olive is being expressed in the lobby.
The winter weather has made the Suite A solarium less enjoyable for all but the hardiest cats, and freezing cold has put the kibosh on stroller rides, which our special little guy enjoys, (Adam’s update on stroller rides), up to a point.
You likely know Adam has always been fecal and urinary incontinent, and the treatment he receives sometimes means that one month he is fine, and the next he could either have diarrhea or constipation. This past month, it’s been the latter. Extra-large, extra firm stool requires extra care when Adam is expressed, and that makes it uncomfortable for both the cat and the human. For now, he is on a stool softener to try to return to something not too hard, not too soft, just right.
Maybe the state of his bowels will help explain Adam’s recent behavior. We know that he loves his food and loves humans, but it’s been reported that one day not long ago he was in a crabby mood at mealtime. No one can say for sure if you could call it hangry, but the observer reports that Adam was eating his wet food while simultaneously growling/mumbling, all of which gave the impression that something wasn’t satisfactory, in his humble opinion. The observer took it as an advisory to keep their distance.
On the other hand, you probably already know that Adam always has been socially more of a people cat than a cat’s cat. But Adam has been getting along pretty well with his suitemates. There is one new cat in the room named Stefan who is receiving the usual new-guy treatment of separation from the rest of the cats overnight. When he is released in the morning, Stefan seizes his freedom with gusto, and woe to the cat who chances to cross his path. Occasionally, Adam has been on the other side of Stefan’s inappropriate attention. But one day recently, Stefan started in with Adam, and that was too much for roommate Angelo to take. The black-and-white cat saw red and stepped in to give Stefan a firm swat.
Before I wrap up, just a note to say thanks to Angela, Lisa, and Sheila for asking me to pinch-hit for Sue, and for their help with this report. Sue should be back next month, and by that time, the snow ought to be melted and springlike conditions moving in. And hey, Spring Training begins soon, too.
Wishing you all good things!
Your guest correspondent,
John