Dear Friends of Tux,

After what felt like an eternal week of April showers (and downpours) in early May, Tux and I are both overjoyed that sunny days are here again. He loves his sunny windows, and I love nothing more than the combination of warm sunshine and cool spring breezes.

To celebrate the warm sunny weather, I arranged a special outing for me and Tux. Nothing elaborate, but something a little different for both of us.

Tux doesn’t go out in the stroller as much as he used to and long days of Aged to Purrfection visits can be over-tiring for an elderly gentleman cat. So I thought I would treat Tux (and myself) to a little stroll around Tabby’s Place to take in the new garden blooms and fresh spring breezes.

Tux’s favorite part of the outing was our rest in Cherny’s Garden. I imagine this was a familiar resting ground for Tux as it used to be the only spot for our volunteers to sit and rest while strolling with the cats. We watched some insects fly about and sniffed the breezes as they passed by our stroller. The latter was my favorite part of our excursion—watching Tux lift his nose into the breezes. When Tux seemed to lose interest, we continued on our journey.

I came to discover that Tux isn’t all that fond of the strolling part of the walks. Maybe the motion is unsettling. We stopped along the side of the original part of the building to chat with a volunteer arriving for his socializing shift. I tried to introduce Tux, but he made a small sad sound that indicated he wanted to get the show on the road.

We circled around to the new Quinn’s Corner Plaza and took a rest. Here again, Tux seemed to perk up as the gentle breezes blew by. We are waiting for our planting beds to be filled with plants, so there were fewer insects to watch in this garden. No birds came to visit the feeders while we were sitting nearby. When Tux became restless, we headed back inside.

In an effort to not “over-excite” Anka with the promise of a stroll, I carried Tux from Quinn’s Corner back to his Community Room rather than stroll him past Anka’s room. He could barely wait to wiggle out of my arms and return to the safety and comfort of his familiar room (with all of its accompanying familiar smells).

When I returned to check on Tux a short time later, he had rediscovered the resting spot where I had originally found him. He was already settled in for a short nap before dinner.

Medically, it has been a good month for our dear tuxedoed boy. Tux’s weight is up and his mouth inflammation looks good, even though he is no longer on a low dose of steroids. He had his echocardiogram this month which indicated a mild progression of his heart disease. We also got a blood pressure reading, which was fine, and an ECG which showed a very irregular arrhythmia. We had a specialist examine the results and, while it is unusual, it is not impacting his overall heart function.

So no matter whether you prefer April showers to May flowers, a stroll through the gardens or a sniff of the breeze, a shift of scenery, or the simple comforts of home, Tux and I wish you nothing but joy today and always.

Your correspondent,
Lisa