Dear Jude Friend,

Jude and I hope you’re having a lovely December. Our little Jude had a pretty good month. She only had 5 seizures, which is really good for her, and none of them were overly severe. She came out of them quickly and was back to her normal self in no time.

Our Jude had looked like she was losing weight (even though she eats great), and I was concerned. But when I weighed her, she had actually gained some weight. She is getting kinda bony around her hips, which is from muscle wasting. This is fairly common in animals that don’t move around normally, and now that Jude is older, she isn’t as active. I know Jude isn’t old by regular standards (she just turned 6 years old), but her medical issues take a bigger toll on her body.

Over the past few weeks, Jude isn’t scooting around as much. She still gets where she’s going, but she’d rather just rest in a comfy bed these days.  She is going to have blood work done in the next few weeks, just to check that everything is normal, and that her medication levels are correct.

A few weeks ago, I brought another special baby home. His name is Gus, and he is also a Tabby’s Place cat. I am doing a forever foster with him, just like I do with Jude. Gus has probable CH (cerebellar hypoplasia), and it is very severe.

Gus is much less mobile than Jude, and can really just push himself around a little, or roll over. But his front legs are getting stronger, and he loves to lie on his back and play with toys. Little Gus is only around 4 months old, but he has such a love for life, and he is always purring.

Jude LOVES her little brother so much! Wherever he is in the room, she will scoot herself over to him, snuggle up close to him, and just rest her head on his back. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I had to include pictures of this, so you can see for yourself just how cute they are together.

Whenever Jude lays her head on him, Gus just stays there, perfectly still, and lets her use him as a pillow. He is a young kitten, so he doesn’t stay still for long, but he does when his sister Jude comes over for snuggle time.

Now that Jude is letting me fully express her bowels, she isn’t getting anywhere near as dirty. She wouldn’t let me do this for many years and would freak out when I tried (doing her bladder was OK, but not her bowels).

Jude, Gus, and all my other fur babies are getting ready to hang their stockings for Santa Paws. They have been good all year, so they are hoping he will bring them some new toys, some nice treats, and maybe even some catnip (I think he will).

Jude and I, and the whole of Tabby’s Place, wish you a wonderful holiday season, and a very happy 2025. Thank you for loving Jude so generously, and making her safe, cozy life possible. You are amazing!

Your correspondent,
Karina