Demando cat

That's what Eric calls my cat, Alex.

She's still limping around. Yep, she's definately getting old. I think she probably has some nerve or something pinched in her back. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, but she has a hard time getting up on anything, and an even harder time getting down.

Like on the bed. When she first started to (is "fail" the right word?), she would still try to jump up on the bed from the floor. And she would miss a lot of the time, and fall to the floor. So I put a laundry basket with a towel over it by the corner of the bed. And she would jump over it.

Now, it has turned to a paper box turned over with a fabric pad over it. And she uses it all the time. Jump on the box. Jump on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. Then on to the bed. And in reverse on the way down. Of course that was after she went ass over teakettle a number of times trying to jump off the bed witout taking the steps.

The other day, I saw her walk into the bathroom, and look at the counter top, like she wanted to jump up and see what was up there. She lifed up one paw. Then set it down, and looked disgusted. Like "man, it's hell to get old!"

She still does a lot of the same things though - the one I think is the funniest is that she pushes open the door to the bathroom when you are sitting down, does a bump to the left shin, circles around, does a bump to the right, and walks out the door again. She's been doing that one for years!

Another thing she does is tell you that the food dish is not full enough. She'll go find you, wherever you are, and start meowing. Until you follow her to the dish and add a little bit. She does prefer that you keep her company when she eats - for all of the three bites she takes!

And she loves to be on your lap when you are at the computer. She hears the typing on the keyboard, and comes in the room and demands that you pick her up and put her on your lap. She used to jump, now she just looks at you with this cute pitiful look until you pick her up.

And she's a left shoulder cat. When you pick her up, she always goes to put her paws on your left shoulder.

I've been giving her half a baby asprin every other day, and I think it helps some, but I just know in my heart she's getting old. I got her as a kitten in the spring of 1993, so she's 15 1/2 years old.

she's my 'Lex.

~a