OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

When you have children, for the first ten years of their lives they are almost completely, totally dependent on you. Then, they gradually evolve into independent beings who, a few years later, leave the nest and start leading their own lives. When you share your life with cats, it’s the opposite: for about a decade of their lives, they are almost completely, totally independent and free. Then, they gradually need you more and more to keep them healthy and safe.

Salieri and Mozart had their check-ups in the last two days. Some good news, some bad. I am still processing. Salieri’s thyroid is doing really well on the thyroid diet – it is astounding how her test results have improved on this front. But her liver is not in the best of shapes. Some more monitoring is required, and a lot of TLC. The shocker: she might be showing early signs of dementia. Yes, that’s a thing: cats can get dementia.

Mozart’s kidneys are doing partly better, yet not entirely great. But this time, he was much more graceful about the visit to the vet and I knew how to make him feel safe when he got home. He found his way around quite quickly again.

So, I live with one blind, one probably demented, and one feisty old cat. In human terms, they are all in their eighties, so I can’t expect them to be as healthy as they were as kittens. All I can do is try my best to make their last years on this planet as comfortable and meaningful as possible. I love them very much. They deserve nothing less.

Apart from worrying about my Furry Ones, I have been worrying about the humans in my life, but the most important medical news is: our friend is doing well after a quadruple bypass. What a relief! And yay for modern medicine!

What else? I am finally getting to the end of an edit of a book that I have enjoyed thoroughly, but which should have been finished a month ago; I just did not have the necessary headspace to make it happen. But tomorrow it will be done. Thank goodness.

I found and braaied skilpadjies tonight, despite the heat. Delicious. For my love, I braaied chops. That’s the only skill I have acquired during lockdown: I can braai. And I am really good at it :)

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local. Get vaccinated, please. Live.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD