May Greetings to You, and to All Fenek’s Friends!

There’s good news this time around, and plenty of it. The biggest one is that since our last letter, Fenek had his scheduled follow-up echocardiogram, a year after his initial diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, and the result of the EKG is that his condition remains stable.

You also may recall that last month he had been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. Besides that, he had been receiving medication for an ongoing ear infection. For both of them, once again, the news is good. Fenek was taken off both the antibiotics and the ear medication.

It’s not a complete clean bill of health, but it is mighty close to a best-case scenario for a senior cat.

I can see it in his behavior, as one afternoon he started to play with a ball made of yarn. He was frisky, like a much younger cat, chasing and pouncing, then pausing to assess the condition of his toy prey before pouncing on it again.

This is not to say that his customary affable side has gone into eclipse. However, he insists on doing things his way. Last month, I visited the lounge and sat in a chair close to the box where he was relaxing. He either didn’t take the hint or chose not to. Instead, he got up, crossed the room to a different table, and joined a two-human conversation there.  (It put me in mind of the cat in Algeria who added its blessings to an imam’s Ramadan prayers. )

Having been around cats for many years, I have learned something about patience, and before long, mine was rewarded. As we enjoyed our Quality Time, people entered the lounge and made smiling comments about Fenek being on someone’s lap again. I scratched both of his cheeks at the same time, and he leaned back with eyes closed and fangs showing, tail swishing from side to side. And I don’t care what Charles Barkley says about cats: it’s nice being a Cat Grand-daddy.

Tabby’s Place has a program that might at first glance seem ideal for a cat who enjoys lap time with humans. Cats in the Aged To Purrfection program (or “Perfection,” depending) go on scheduled visits to senior living/rehab centers in their role as certified therapy animals.

Fenek, as much as he has going for him in the way of personality, is not the cat for that job, due to his medical issues. And to be honest, while he is affectionate, he likes to show that affection with little love bites, and out there that might not turn strangers into friends.

You and all his friends understand, though, and for that and for your ongoing support, everyone at Tabby’s Place thanks you.

Until next month, wishing you all good thing…

Your correspondent,
John