The cat that would not die
August 3rd, 2006 by Bill
It appears Gonzo is the Clint Eastwood of cats. Despite being somewhere between 18 and 20 years old, which is roughly the 85 to 95 age range in humans, her “geriatric health exam” finds her in better health than most old cats, though she could probably use some bifocals.
It appears (no pun intended) she has cataracts and possibly “bilateral detached retinas” (whatever that means). This probably explains why every now and again she’ll make a leap up on something and … well, miss. Gonzo and I have decided that, while a visit to a veterinary ophthalmologist would help confirm her eye issues, it would be rather a lot of money to find out something we pretty much know - Gonzo’s eyes suck. (By the way … it’s not like she’s blind as a bat. Her eyes just aren’t quite as good as they once were.)
And she may have a small bit of arthritis in her neck because she’s got some matted fur there, likely because she’s reluctant to groom there and that’s probably because of a stiff neck.
Not that anyone other than me and Gonzo care about any of this. She is, after all, a cat.
What I find fascinating, however, is that reference I made to Gonzo being the Clint Eastwood of cats. Eastwood fairly old (76 years) yet still making great movies. I recall an interview with him where he mentioned that his family tends to be pretty long-lived (if I don’t misremember).
As the vet today said, Gonzo’s got good genetics. She’s 6 lbs, 15 oz and they describe her size in the assessment as normal/thin. Most old cats I’ve seen look like bloated tumors. I had one old cat I use to call the Apolcalypticat because she was so damn big.
So … for a cat that’s pretty damn old, as cats go, Gonzo can be described as more than healthy and even spry.
This is somewhat mixed news, however. I’ve been considering a dog. Gonzo promises to live a good long time. The problem? She’s pretty damn anti-social. Territorial. And she can be pretty durned bitchy when someone or something she doesn’t aprove of enters her space.
Hmm.
(btw … Blogging about your cat is generally considered a no-no. Well, too bad. It’s my blog. It’s not like there aren’t any cat-free blogs out there to visit.)
Well, I for one am glad that Gonzo is going to be alright. Dogs are good too, but they can be a handful for the first two years. But, they are really cute.
You could always go to the local humane society and adopt an older dog that is housetrained.
See, we had this problem also, with the case of the Dog Who would Just not Die.
In the end, he did. I’ll leave it at that.
Gonzo came courtesy of the Humane Society and should I evenually get a dog, that’s likely where he or she would come from.
And yes, we’ve all a date with destiny and Gonzo’s no exception. She just seems to be the kind of beast who takes her time making that date.
I love your little puss puss.
It’s your blog and you can do what you want! So what if people think you are the crazy cat guy?
By the way, my best friend had two cats that lived to 21 and 22 and were still leaping from appliance to appliance right up til the end. In my next life I want to be one of her cats.
Go, Gonzo!
My little pooch has just gone deaf and has cataracts. Very sad, but she’s still full of vim and vigor. She just follows me around and stays closer to me now.
Most happy to learn you support the Humane Society. That’s where I get my critters from as well.
Cheers!
i love gonzo posts!
“spry”- that’s a great word. long live gonzo.
More kisses for Gonzo! I can’t help it. I feel the overwhelming need to touch the screen whenever you post pictures of her. She’s so adorable.
I have problems.