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10/06/09
Cash the Cat may have set a new world record for cats awaiting adoption; he’s been waiting for 19 years (longer, even than Minxy did!). This heartwarming story describes how Lee Van Camp — a woman with a very big heart — was willing to give Cash a chance at a happy home in his sunset years.
The following success story is from Best Friends Animal Society:
Story by David Dickson
Photos by Molly Wald
Chasing dreams is not always for the faint of heart. Some dreams come easy, others take much longer. Some take so long, in fact, that they seem to fade into the distance and all but disappear. For Cash the cat, it would be easy to understand if he ever became discouraged about the dream of finding a home. After all, he’d been waiting over 19 years.
Cash was found as a stray 4-week-old kitten with FIV. He came to Best Friends at the time and has been here ever since. Heck, he’s been at the sanctuary longer than a lot of the buildings.
When Lee Van Camp of Fountain Hills, Arizona, began thinking about adopting a cat from Best Friends, she knew just what to do. A previous Best Friends adopter twice over, Lee wrote to Best Friends adoption manager Kristi Litrell and told her what she was looking for — an older, special needs cat.
Her previous two adoptions at Best Friends were senior dogs. P.J. and Brandon were each 13-years-old when Lee adopted them. “They deserve to have a good home,” Lee says, about older pets. “Even though they may not be with you for ten years or more, you can still give them the same love.”
So when it came time to adopt a cat, Lee knew from the outset she wasn’t going to be picking a kitten. Kristi wrote back with a suggestion that sounded promising. Cash was an FIV cat who had been at Best Friends waiting for a home for 19 years. He didn’t have any teeth (which incidentally means he can’t infect another animal with FIV), but was otherwise in good health. Would she like to meet him?
Lee drove up to Best Friends and spent an entire week with Cash. Her first impression upon meeting him was that he didn’t look like an almost-20-year-old cat. She thought he seemed a lot younger. She also came to recognize very quickly at least some of the reasons why he might have been overlooked for so long.
“He’s not the cat who will come marching over to say hello,” Lee explains. He was the wallflower — the one in the background who avoided the spotlight every chance he could.
Cashing in
Even though Cash tried to pull the shy routine with Lee, she was determined to win him over with kindness. Armed with persistence and a pocketful of treats, Lee spent day after day bonding with Cash. It didn’t take long before Cash recognized something special in her.
 Before the week was over, Cash would even crawl up on her lap for pets and goodies. By the time she had to leave the sanctuary, Lee knew she could give him a good home — the home he’s always deserved. “His forever home,” as she likes to emphasize. Make no mistake, now at Lee’s residence, this cat is not going anywhere.
Lee knows a thing or two about caring for older animals. Her dog P.J., the one she adopted from Best Friends last year, is on a whole assortment of various medications and treatments. Undaunted, Lee takes in stride all the special needs that can come with age for P.J. and her other pets. To her way of thinking, though, Cash is a walk in the park. No real special needs, other than the fact he’s not a spry young kitten any more.
If there’s one thing Lee likes to pass along to others, it’s encouraging them to consider adopting an older pet. “There’s nothing like it,” she explains. “They are so appreciative to finally get a forever home.” That certainly includes Cash.
For the entire car ride home, Cash never made one sound. Every time she’d lean back and look at him, Cash would just glance back quietly. You have to wonder if he kept waiting for someone to pinch him and wake him up.
In his new home, Cash is finally getting to experience all those things he’s heard so much about over the years. Things like closets and beds. But even the everyday stuff takes some getting used to. If Lee is on the bed, for example, Cash will join her. If she’s gone, however, no dice. Remember, human furniture might as well be a UFO floating around the living room for all he’s seen of the inside of a house!
Lee knows Cash might take a little while getting used to a home setting. So far, however, he seems content with this newfangled approach to living. It will only get better from here. And no matter what else, as Lee says, “He’s going to get lots of love.”
Congratulations, the both of you. Thanks for the reminder that dreams do indeed come true.
Cash may have been one of the sanctuary’s longest-term residents, however, there are still plenty of other mature felines who are available for adoption.
You, too, can make a senior cat’s life happy in her last few years, or save a special-needs cat from certain euthanization. Check with your local shelter or Best Friends to find out how to adopt.
Cash is living proof that FIV positive cats can live long, healthy lives. My mother-in-law has a senior formerly-feral FIV+ cat who is over 15 years old. Aside from a thyroid problem and occasional dental extractions, he’s been in great health, and is one of the sweetest, most loving cats I’ve even known.
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09/29/09
The AVMA celebrates Senior Healthy Pet Month in September, which is a good time to reflect on whether you’re doing everything you can to keep your senior cat healthy and happy.
Cats are considered “seniors” after age 10, and “geriatric” after the age of 13. The AVMA recommends twice-yearly checkups for geriatric cats. That might sound like overkill, but early detection of common senior afflictions (thyroid problems, diabetes, chronic renal failure, cancer, heart problems and the like) can mean the difference between effectively managing the disease long-term and having to euthanize your beloved pet.
10 Tips to keep your senior cat healthy and happy:
1) Take her in for regular dental checkups.
Cats mask discomfort and pain, and it’s often hard to tell if your cat has dental problems unless her breath is horrific, or her face swells from an abscessed tooth. Regular dental checkups and treatment can save her months of discomfort, and keep her from losing weight – weight that, for a senior cat, might difficult to regain.
2) Groom her often
The benefits of grooming extend beyond keeping her coat tidy. Senior cats are far less aggressive groomers than their younger counterparts, and usually end up with a lot more loose hair … leaving them especially vulnerable to hairballs. Grooming your cat daily will help you learn your cat’s body to such a degree that you’ll be able to recognize tender spots or lumps early on. You’ll be able to spot skin flakes and a dull coat that might be symptomatic of thyroid disease or a poor diet. And it will give you invaluable bonding time — time you won’t have together once she’s gone.
3) Encourage play
It’s easy to forget to interact with older cats, since they sleep most of their days away and don’t seem like they want to play. But it’s worth trying to engage them in play — try their favorite toy and some catnip, and see what happens.
In addition to the quality time you’ll spend together, activity will help keep the cat in better physical shape, and you’ll be in a better position to tell when the cat is lethargic, which could be a clue to a health problem. Be sure to play in a private area, where a younger cat won’t encroach upon the game, which will sometimes cause older cats to back off.
 4) Buy bed steps
Older cats often have difficulty jumping up on the bed. If she’s accustomed to sleeping with you, and no longer can get up on the bed to do so, she might feel depressed and alienated.
So, if your senior cat likes sleeping on your bed, consider buying a set of steps for the bottom or side of your bed.
5) Provide a heated cat cup or heated pad
Geezer cats feel the cold more, and appreciate a warm place to sleep.
6) Evaluate accessibility and make changes, if necessary
Consider providing a litter box with lower walls, and raising the height of her food and water bowls.
7) Create a stable environment
Change is difficult for a lot of cats, especially as they get older. For example, adding a kitten to the household may be difficult on an older cat, especially if she’s long been an only cat.
8] Consult with your vet about food supplements
Supplements or special formulations of food can provide additional Omega3 fatty acids, glucosamine with chondroitin, immune system boosters, probiotics, or other supplements that may offer benefits to your cat’s health. Discuss the options with your vet. (Never give your cat supplements designed for humans)
9) Switch to a senior formula cat food
Talk to your vet to determine if your cat might benefit from one of the  many senior formula cat foods on the market. These foods typically provide an optimal balance of appropriate protein, fat, calories, vitamins and minerals for older cats.
10) Provide a fresh, appealing source of water
Cat fountains are very popular with cats, and may encourage your senior cat to drink more. Keeping your cat well-hydrated is especially important for proper kidney function and overall health.
And 2 bonus tips from our readers:
11) LOLA SEZ: Get a good pet or baby scale.
Good scales that weigh accurately in ounces may cost $80 to $100. Weight loss is often the first signal of disease or dental problems (as in your #1 tip) but can slip by undetected until it’s significant. Get a scale, use it regularly — for all your cats, not just seniors — and catch problems early. You can use a people scale, but it may be hard to detect a few ounces lost, which can be a significant loss for us small cats.
12) FRECKLES SEZ: Once you are ten years old, join the Olde Furts Group on Catster.
It’s a good place to meet other geezers and get good health advice and support.
Thanks Lola and Freckles for making it an even dozen tips!
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09/02/09
 In a claim that strains credulity, Jim Cowell of the U.K. has come forward to claim that his cat Tizzie is the world’s oldest at 36+ years old.
Cowell says that Tizzie was found near some railroad tracks in the 1970s by a couple who gave the cat to Jim’s mother. This 1975 photograph shows Jim’s mother and Tizzie.
Jim hopes that his story will prompt the couple who originally found Tizzie to come forward and help verify Tizzie’s age. Tizzie’s vet has no record of her age, so she’s unlikely to make it into the record books without further proof.
[LINK: gather.com]
Don’t forget! You can leave a comment on this post for an entry in The Cat’s Meow’s giveaway of a custom oil painting of your cat by Linden Alley.
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07/16/09
City Kitty, an arthritic cowcat who lives a the Naples, Florida, City Hall, has a new lease on life thanks to a concerned and caring citizen.
Last month, LaVeeda Krumm took the feral cat to Harborside Animal Clinic, after she noticed a problem with the cat’s overgrown nails. At the clinic, tests revealed that City Kitty had advanced arthritis and hyperthyroidism, a common affliction in older cats.
The vets at the clinic ministered to City Kitty, but the price tag was a steep $439.
Dr. Ruth Eisel, a vet at the clinic, said that when City Kitty was brought in, the clinic was told people would be pitching in to help cover the costs. Unfortunately, the funding didn’t materialize and the three doctors in the practice had to pay the expenses themselves.
“When it came to chip in, there was no one there except for LeVeeda Krumm,” said Eisel. “The doctors said to ourselves, (the cat) was promised help, so we put our own money toward the cat.”
Two weeks after the visit to the vet, Councilwoman Penny Taylor sent a memo to her colleagues asking city employees to pitch in to help offset the medical expenses.
“We love her,” Taylor wrote. “We need help with this bill and a collection station has been established at the volunteer desk in the downstairs lobby of City Hall.” Unfortunately, donations have been very slow in coming in.
Taylor said she was relieved to learn that Krumm took City Kitty to the doctor.
“I’ve been worried about her,” Taylor said. “She’s very wily.”
City Kitty is just one of several cats that lives near City Hall, said Naples Mayor Bill Barnett. Barnett estimates she’s been around City Hall for about 15 years.
“I’ll tell you it adds a personal touch,” Barnett said about having a city pet. “This is not a bleak gray drab atmosphere around here. We’re filled with good old normal people. It’s a warm fuzzy.”
An overactive thyroid means City Kitty needs to take medication twice a day, which is hard to do with an feral cat. But Krumm said she’s doing her best to make sure City Kitty gets it at least once a day.
Being the City Kitty has its perks: In 2006 city employees built her a cat house to keep her out of the elements during bad weather.
Donations for City Kitty’s medical expenses are being accepted at
Naples City Hall,
735 Eighth Street South
Naples, FL 34102
[LINK/PHOTOS: NaplesNews.com]
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07/08/09
The ashes of former first cat, Socks Clinton, have been scattered in the rose garden at the Governor’s Mansion (see  photo, below right) in Arkansas. The ceremony was attended by Linda Dixon of the Clinton Presidential Library and first lady Ginger Beebe, who read a poem she wrote in honor the famous tuxie.
On a porch just outside the kitchen, a plaque was erected to honor Socks, the Clinton’s family cat. The plaque notes that Socks was first cat of Arkansas from 1991 to 1993 and first cat of the United States from 1993 to 2001. “When (the Clintons) lived at the mansion that’s where Socks hung out, on the back porch there,” said Ron Maxwell, administrator of the mansion.
The Clintons adopted Socks when they were living at the Governor’s Mansion in 1991. Socks moved with the family to the White House when Bill Clinton was elected president. When the Clintons left the White House, Socks went to live with the Clinton’s secretary, Betty Currie, at her home in Maryland, a move that left many cat lovers furious with the Clintons.
Last year, Socks was diagnosed with cancer, and was euthanized on February 20th of this year. Reportedly, after Socks’ death, Betty Currie said she felt, “awful, awful, awful.”
The small urn in which the ashes were contained was later taken to the Clinton Presidential Library.
Maxwell said the ashes were scattered after a small ceremony attended by a few people, including Linda Dixon of the Clinton Presidential Library and first lady Ginger Beebe, who read a poem she wrote in honor the cat.
[LINK: NWA Online]
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07/04/09
My sweet tuxie Rocky is celebrating his 18th birthday today. After all these years, he continues to enchant us with his quirky behaviors. Somewhere along the way, he bonded to my husband, Jeff, and in the middle of the night he’ll wake up and go over to where Jeff is sleeping, and snuggle his head beneath Jeff’s hand, trying to rev up “the petter.” Still asleep, Jeff complies and pets Rocky. Rocky rarely cadges pets off me. Jeff explained that it’s because I don’t “pet him right,” then demonstrates the petting ceremony which looks suspiciously similar to the way I pet Rocky. Obviously, there are some subtleties I’m missing. Maybe it’s a guy thing.
When I first brought Rocky into my home, he was the odd cat out. I had a territorial tortie  who took an alpha cat role over Rocky. Rock didn’t seem to mind. When my sister adopted the tortie, we adopted Junior, a sweet clown of a Balinese who never met a cat he didn’t like–or want to wrassle with.
Junior and Rocky’s first encounter is etched in my mind: they sniffed each other, then Junior, a much tinier kitten, engaged Rocky in play. Rocky had never really played with another cat, and had never even been around other cats who did anything more than tolerate him, so playing was new. He was a bit clumsy at it at first, but came to love it, crave it, and even demand playtime from us. Everyone who ever met Junior became fast friends with him, and Rocky was no exception. Rocky’s purrsonality was transformed as well — he came out of his shell and appeared to have more self esteem.
 A little piece of Rocky died when Junior went to The Bridge. His relationship with Junior really helped me to appreciate the vibrant emotional lives of cats.
We’re lucky that Rocky is in good health, given his age. Like many geezer cats, he suffers from hyperthyroidism, so we have to give him a pill twice daily. But that’s about it, aside from the occasional tooth that needs pulling and semi-annual dental cleanings.
Like many older cats, Rocky needs help with grooming. He spends less time grooming (and more sleeping), and he grooms less rigorously (in his youth he was “the anal-retentive groomer.”) So, every day we spend quality time together with the FURminator. It’s a special bonding time for us, and it gives me the chance to discover any unusual lumps or sore spots on him, a good preventative maintenance tactic.
 As cats get older, it’s even more important to tend to preventative maintenance to catch small problems before they become big–or untreatable–problems. Caught early, many of the afflictions associated with advanced age — hyperthyroidism, chronic renal failure and others — can be very manageable, and some cats can live comfortably for years after diagnosis.
Recently, Alice Wolf DVM wrote an article about geriatric cats for the Winn Feline Foundation. If your cat is a teenager, I recommend that you celebrate Rocky’s birthday by reading it. It’s a great, succinct compendium of geriatric afflictions and preventative care for geezer cats.
With regular, preventative maintenance, your geezer cat might live to celebrate his 18th (or 25th!) birthday.
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06/22/09
In NYC’s East Village, cat lovers are mourning the passing of Pretty Boy, a 22-year-old cat who ruled the stretch of East 7th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A. Here’s the story:
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
The steady rain has delayed countless city rituals: barbecues, baseball games, rooftop cocktail parties. Add to the list a funeral, rescheduled twice this week as mourners awaited an outlet for their collective grief.
 The deceased: Pretty Boy, the Mayor of East Seventh Street, a dignified white cat who had a confident swagger — and a distaste for rainy weather. Thus the long-delayed memorial service to sprinkle his cremated remains along the path he once strutted.
Pretty Boy, believed to have been about 22 years old, was a local fixture for over a decade, making his rounds on the south side of the block between First Avenue and Avenue A, as shops opened and closed and renters moved in and out. His death last month, of natural causes, unleashed a storm of emotion.
A business owner broke into tears at his mention. One young resident wept through a rehearsal for her kindergarten graduation. And Herbie, a disheveled supermodel of a cat who used to live with Pretty Boy at Mikey’s Pet Shop, has retreated behind bags of cat litter to grieve privately.
“Every day I cry,” said Betty Knapp, who used to work at Mikey’s Pet Shop. Pretty Boy used to rest on her chest when her blood pressure rose, she said, and it helped to calm her down. Now, she bursts into sobs when she talks about him. “He knew he was the man. He was the man on East Seventh Street. Everybody just loved him.”
While accounts differ on exactly when Pretty Boy appeared on the block, Mikey Diaz, owner of the pet store, said he had strutted in and leapt onto the counter shortly after the store opened in this spot in 1998. Pretty Boy started sleeping in the shop at night and was later joined by Herbie. During the day, Pretty Boy ventured a few doors down to a hair salon called Chatsii, where he perched on the reception counter and leapt onto the laps of customers. Some days, Mr. Diaz said, he swaggered through a Swiss restaurant on the block.
But the turnover of shops on the block meant changes for Pretty Boy. Monique Simard, the previous owner of Chatsii, said that after she retired in 2004 Pretty Boy was no longer welcome in the space: The new owners were allergic to cats. And the Swiss restaurant closed.
So in 2004, Pretty Boy showed up at Salon Seven, a little farther down the block, and began a friendship with the owner, Mark Dolengowski.
It made for a good life: After waking to breakfast and a face-washing from Mr. Diaz at the pet shop, Pretty Boy headed over to spend the day with Mr. Dolengowski, sniffing hubcaps on the way over and meowing for water upon his arrival.
He spent his day purring, sprawled on the appointment calendar at the reception desk and in the laps of clients having their hair washed. The cat’s love of hair salons made Mr. Dolengowski suspect that he was a reincarnated hairdresser.
When he returned to the pet shop at day’s end, Pretty Boy was less subdued, chasing Herbie around the store, Mr. Diaz recalled, and breaking into the catnip. When rats appeared, however, Pretty Boy typically stayed on the counter and let Herbie handle them.
At the tail end of his life, Pretty Boy was balancing a fairly demanding schedule. He spent Saturdays traveling back and forth, greeting clients at the hair salon and purring for fans and families who stopped by to visit him after services at a synagogue in the neighborhood. Sundays brought children from a Ukrainian church.
Daliyah Abdel-Rehim, who lives on the block, is struggling to accept that Pretty Boy, whom she calls her “best friend,” won’t attend her upcoming sixth birthday party. Her mother, Iryna Malytska, said that Daliyah cried through her kindergarten graduation rehearsal on Wednesday.
“She really loved him,” Ms. Malytska said. “He was a part of Seventh Street.”
Standing before the Pretty Boy memorial he made with photographs and a vase of pink peonies, Mr. Dolengowski, too, conceded that the cat’s death had broken his heart.
“You get so hard living here,” he said in a gravelly, mournful voice. “But pets open up that heart center. There is something about the unconditional love; they clean the blues off of you.
“That’s their mission. That’s why a lot of New Yorkers have pets.”
[LINK/PHOTO CREDIT: The New York Times]
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05/15/09
 Hi evrybuddy, Skeezix heer.
Today is my best frend Taz’s 20th birthday! Woo Hoo!!! And even tho time is vary precious to him, he jenerussly agreed to sit down with me this week and talk about this milestone event.
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 Skeezix: Taz, to what do you attribute yer longevity?
Taz: Two things, good genes and to parents who whisk me to the vet at the slightest sign of trouble and are able and willing to mortgage their house to fix that trouble if need be.
Skeezix: How will yoo be sellubrating yer berthday at home?
Taz: I am going to spend most of the day sleeping . In the evening, my Dad is stopping at the market for fresh fish, which he will purrsonally cook up for me for dinner. I have also requested a very special cake!
Skeezix: How are you and yer Catster frends going to sellebrate yer berthday?
Taz: I hope my pals will stop in on my page and say hello!
Skeezix: Taz, yoo were Catster’s Cat of the Week this week. What was yer reaction win yoo found out yoo’d won this distinguished title?
Taz: Wow, Skeezix, I was speechless for a second! I feel great, I am going to be 20, and now Cat of the Week! Life is good.
 Skeezix: As you look back on yer long life, is there anything you regret not doing?
Taz: I do wish I had spent more time with my elder sister, Flinders, before she went to the bridge. She raised me from a small kitTON and we were really close until we both got older.
Skeezix: Anything yoo did that yoo DO regret?
Taz: No.
Skeezix: What stand out as some of the hilites of yer life?
Taz: First of all, the day my Dad found me in the parking lot of a local police station and took me home. Then, the two times in my youth that I escaped and went outside to sow my wild mancat oats; my parents eventually found me but I found out how much I was appreciated. Last but not least, the date my beloved Catsy (catster #521036) accepted me as her valentine, on VD 2008. She has since gone to the bridge but I will never forget her.
Skeezix: What’s a typical day like for yoo?
Taz: Dad gets up really early and I get up, too and greet him. I go in the basement to my purrsonal mancat cave and keep him company when he lifts things up and down. I sleep in until my old Wicked Stepmother (WS) gets me up and feeds me. Then I sleep some more until dinner time, when my Dad takes me out on my leash for my walk. Then it’s back to bed!
 Skeezix: Do you have any age-related health problems, and if so, how do you deel with them?
Taz: I was diagnosed with CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) years ago. Since then I have to go in to my vet once weekly for a poke, which Dad calls a fillup. My parents are convinced that my doctor’s approach to starting fluids at the beginning of CRF has kept my kidneys from getting worse. I also have been diagnosed with IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease) but I have been symptom-free for a long time.
Skeezix: Taz, I gotta tell ya, I am SO JELLUS of yer extensive wardrobe! Ware do yoo shop for clothes?
Taz: That old WS has gotten really creative over the years. She started out with clothes for small dogs. The ones at the stores are generally boring but you can get better ones at shows and art fairs. She then made odds and ends for me herself, which she still does (my ruby slippers are her proudest creative embellishment). Now she shops ebay and the doll aisle at Michaels for our wardrobes. One of our favorites for ready- made is Mary Catron in California, we found her on ebay.
 I bet you don’t have your own closet, do you? Dad finally bought me one as he got sick of finding my stuff all over.
Skeezix: Akshully, I do have my own clozet, but it’s pretty teeny, so sum of my wardrobe is stored in footlockers.
Win yoo blow owt all the candles on yer berthday cake, Taz, whut will yoo be wishin for?
Taz: A little more quality time with my family.
Skeezix: What advice can you give to other cats who are inching up on the 20-yeer mark?
Taz: Enjoy every day you are lucky enough to get!
Skeezix: Those are werds to live by, Taz. Pleeze, evrybuddy, drop by and wish Taz a Happy 20th Berthday!
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05/13/09
The oldest cat ever documented by the Guinness Book of World Records is Creme Puff, of Austin, Texas, who lived from August 3, 1967 until August 6, 2005 – three days after her 38th birthday. The title is now open after the feline previously thought to be the world’s current longest surviving cat could not be verified by Guinness.
A newspaper in the UK thinks it’s found some contenders, but although one is likely to win the crown as the Oldest Living Cat in Norwich, I don’t think they’ll be setting any world records.
 One of these fabulous geezer cats is a Calico named Tigey, who is believed to have turned 25 in January. She lives with owners Barbara and Trafford Scott in Great Walsingham. Mrs Scott took her in when she was just less than a year old.
Tigey had been thrown out by her previous owners, who were neighbors of Mrs Scott’s. At the time, Tigey was pregnant with her second litter.
Mrs Scott, who had known Tigey since she was a kitten, founds homes for the litter but kept Tigey, who’s now queen of a roost that includes five other cats and two dogs. Aside from deafness and some leg weakness, Tigey is spritely and in good health.
“I think if a pet is well loved and they know they are, they do last longer,” said Mrs Scott.
“She is the matriarch, she keeps the others in order but she is also very spritely and can jump on the sofa and her appetite is very good. She is as deaf as a post but a lovely old girl.”
Fiona Laufs said her cat Penny could be verified by her vet as turning 24 this Fall.
She adopted Penny from the Cats Protection League when she was two in 1987 and agreed that love was the key to a feline’s long life.
Penny is also slightly deaf but “very feisty” said Mrs Laufs, adding that she loves a good game of “fetch.”
“I don’t think she realizes she’s a cat, she thinks she is a dog. She has no fear and is so confident. We have a ginger tom who is twice her size but she will whack him on the nose if he comes too near. She can still jump a little and doesn’t look her age either.”
A spokesman from the Guinness Book of World Records urged the two cat owners to come forward.
He said the most recent contender for oldest living cat in the world was Mischief who, according to the owners from Cornwall, is 27. But they could not provide the documentary evidence to substantiate Mischief’s age, so the title is still open. If you can document your geezer cat’s age, you should get in touch with Guinness.
According to experts, the first two years of a cat’s life are roughly equal to the first 25 of ours – and each additional year equals around four for us.
[LINK/PHOTO CREDIT: EDP 24]
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03/03/09
 Hey, evrybuddy, Skeezix heer. Today is a vary speshul day: my best frend Miles’ 20th berthday! I cawt up with him between naps to discuss his secrits to lonjevity, and to find owt how he will be marking this milestone.
Skeezix: Happy Berthday, Miles! To what do you attribute your lonjevity?
Miles: Good food, lots of water, and my people taking good care of me when I got sick or stressed. Also, I think tabbies have good genes.
 Skeezix: How are yoo planning to sellubrate yer berthday?
Miles: The usual way – with naps! MOL! I got a tie for a birthday present from my nephew Fido. What was he thinking? So I had to pose for a picture in it and I HATE the flashy thing on the camera.
And I’ve been promised scallops for my birthday dinner from my favorite Chinese restaurant. That’s all I really want.
Skeezix: Man, I hate that flashy thing, too! As you look back on your long life, Miles, is there anything you regret not doing?
Miles: Not really. I’ve had biological kittens and adopted kits. I was meowrried to Murray until he went to the Rainbow Bridge and we were very happy. He still visits when he can. And I lived in 3 houses since I found my furever family and made one trip to Grandma’s house on the farm.
Since Murray left, I am the alpha cat, so my life’s pretty good. (Don’t tell him, but I was the alpha cat before he left too – I just let him think he was.)
Skeezix: Are thare still sum things yoo’d like to accomplish in yer life or have yoo done it all?
 Miles: Well, I’ve got a new relationship with Catster Jacob (right), so I want to stay around and get to know him more. We’re very discreet. And I hope it doesn’t offend Catster readers but I want to increase gay cat awareness.
And I’m determined to be at the wedding of my daughter Phoebe and Gimme! I love teasing Gimme because he calls me Mr. Miles Sir which cracks me up.
Skeezix: What stand out as some of the hilites of yer life?
Miles: Being adopted by my furever parents. I was so naïve – I didn’t know there were homeless cats until I became one. And I was lucky I found the perfect home quickly (or it found me).
 Joining Catster and making new friends and adopting extended family members like my nephew and son-in-law Fido. Everycat on Catster was so kind when Murray left and I was depressed. That’s when some of my strongest relationships with Rocky Ann and Hondo’s family and Gimme’s family were formed.
I taught all the new additions to the family to run back and forth in our old house. I would take the puppy or kitten upstairs and run up and down the hall with him or her. I don’t run as often anymore, but my son Murray kept the tradition alive by teaching Harry how to run back and forth in this house and they do it every morning. I’m very proud my legacy will continue.
And there was the time Kramer and I climbed into the walls of our old house. MOL! We didn’t come out for 24 hours and we were very dirty when we finally did.
Skeezix: What’s a typical day like for yoo?
Miles: I get up at about 10:30 and have breakfast, some water and use the litter box. Then I walk down the hallway to say good morning to Phoebe and get a little exercise. I look out the door to see if the squirrel is in the tree.
 If it’s sunny, I spend the afternoon in a kitchen chair or the cat bed by the window to be in the sun. If not, I use Dad’s bed for the afternoon to nap.
When Mama eats, if the food smells good, I beg for a bite, walk down the hall again, and then sleep on the DVR until bedtime. At bedtime we get our bowl refilled, so I eat some fresh food, have some water and use the litterbox again.
Then I sleep right next to Dad with my chin on his arm. Unless Allie crowds me out of that space. Then I move to his feet.
 Skeezix: Do you have any age-related health problems?
Miles: I have cat arthritis in my back legs so I don’t jump on the high cabinets anymore because I’m worried I’ll fall. And I sleep in the sun as much as possible because that makes them feel better. Also I walk up and down the hall at least twice a day to stretch them out.
Skeezix: What’s yer faverite groop on Catster and why?
Miles: Best Friends because it gives me a chance to help homeless cats. I am an administrator, but we have been slow in rejuvenating the group. At the holidays most of the cats who would be donating were donating for Muppet’s surgery. So we’ve taken a break from the fundraising for a bit.
 Skeezix:On yer profile page, I notist that yoo got sum new beds frum Cat in the Clover. I know thoze are reely grate beds … how are they to sleep in?
Miles: They are wonderful and soft! They are up on the table because I sometimes mistake a bed for the litterbox if the bed is on the floor. *blush* I do get a little confused sometimes since my 18th birthday, but not too bad.
Skeezix: Hey, don’t feel bad, we all have litterbox issues at one time or anuther – at my howse, I’m known as the Jackson Pollock of poo. What advice can you give to other cats who are inching up on the 20-yeer mark?
 Miles: Drink lots of water even if you don’t feel like it. Too many cats have kidney problems. If Mama thinks I’m not drinking enough, Dad makes chicken bullion for me because I will always drink that. A water fountain is a good idea too because the filter takes the chlorine out of the water. Try to eat a good quality cat food because it makes a difference. Take an interest in something, even if it’s just looking out the window! And, of course, use nip in moderation.
Skeezix: That’s good advice, Miles! Thanks fur taking the time owt of yer bizzy napping skedule to chat with me, and enjoy yer berthday!
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