Ferko, 1992-2009

Ferko, 1992-2009
Originally uploaded by lb_philly.

Ferko was very quiet this past weekend. I only saw her out of her cat bed twice. Once she crept, shakily, around some spots in my office sniffing the carpet. Once she staggered over to my lap.

I think she knew the end was coming and was okay with it. I don't believe she ate over the weekend and I saw no evidence that she'd used her litter box (or anything else) for three days. She went into her carrier with no fuss. I gave her a few treats and then we took her to the vets.

I didn't stay. I stayed with one animal once and don't think I made it any easier for her.

Ferko had a hard life. She was so timid that everything frightened her, so she was the ghost under the bed, in the basement, or, for the last six years, in my office. The glow in the picture is cast by the light we left on 24/7 for the past two years because she became disoriented in the dark.

This is never easy, but I feel better about it now then when we made the decision. It was the right thing; I think Ferko would have agreed if she could talk.

Silver Linings

Cleaning up the cat hair seemed a good time to lay down a coat of methoprene spray in some of the corners of my office just in case Ferko and Co. had fleas.

When I went down to the basement to collect the spray I found (by smell) a small leak in the gas main, the pipe leading from the street to the meter. This is a good thing, as opposed to having something explode in the basement. (EDIT: And because it's between the meter and the street it's on them, not on us. Much brazing and installing of shiny silvery pipe has happened and it cost us nothing!)

Also, while cleaning I found a cassette of Linda Cohen breaking down her signature song, "Leda," and several others. I may have digitized all these, but it's good to have the tape.

Because my very small office is packed to the gunwhales with stuff -- and because for years it was arranged to accommodate my feline room-mates -- cleaning the office is a significant chore. I can only move one piece of furniture at a time. There's simply not enough floor space to move more.

The Wyrd Sisters

lauras_cats
Originally uploaded by lb_philly.

Ferko, left, and Quaker City, named for the two string bands that came in first and second in the 1993 Mummers Parade. They were batshit crazy and not terribly good company, but I miss them.

Quaker City, August 1992 - October 10, 2005
Ferko, August 1992 - April 6, 2009

Together again...