Hello, Bacon sponsors!

I’m happy to say that this month has been a peaceful one for our mutual feline friend.  Bacon has enjoyed good health and is generally in good humor as well.  Sally’s cancer diagnosis has brought more visitors to Volunteer Director Karina’s office, and though Bacon remains crated during the day, he is all too happy to receive any treats and small talk on offer.  He often sleeps a lot in the daytime, but once Sally gets her dinner he knows it won’t be long until he’s free to roam for the night and he stares out of his crate in anticipation of both dinner and freedom!  (He is fed separately from Sally since she is on a specialized diet and he receives his anti-seizure medication in his wet food.)

I often visit Bacon at the very end of the day so that I can spend time with him while he’s out and about.  And on a recent visit, I discovered something I didn’t expect: Bacon loves to chase the red laser dot!  I tried it on a whim, not sure if he’d even notice it since his visual acuity is something of a mystery to us, but to my surprise, he not only noticed it but immediately began to track it.  He’s a very slow hunter, but he enjoys his playtime very much. (I’ve included a link to a video so you can enjoy his playtime too!  Bacon Playtime Link)

Almost a year into documenting the life of Bacon and he still manages to surprise me.  He is truly a fascinating enigma of a cat.

In fact, Bacon presented an entirely new mystery just last week.  I was visiting him before I headed home for the night and talking to Karina as she was getting ready to go home when Bacon started to limp.  With every step, his back right leg seemed to buckle entirely.  Karina and I were joined by Rebecca and Jonathan to try to figure out what was going on—at which point Bacon staunchly refused to walk anywhere and instead contented himself with lazily scratching on a nearby tower.

When he finally did decide to walk, he went directly to his litter box before anybody could have a good look at his leg to determine the problem.  And after doing his business… his leg was fine again.  No limp, no buckling.  As though nothing had happened at all.

Was it a prank?  A momentary cramp?  Did he pull a muscle dodging the bop to the head Sally had tried to deliver just minutes earlier?  We may never know.  But everyone is keeping a close eye on Bacon just in case it happens again.  Since he truly hates to be handled, the staff prefers not to put him through the stress of x-rays or intrusive exams unless it’s necessary.

Such is Bacon.

Until next month, dear sponsors!

Your correspondent,
Tara