Full House

As it turned out, having a diabetic cat wasn't all that much trouble at all. I know for a fact that I really "dodged a bullet," as they say because oftentimes, getting a diabetic cat regulated on the right amount of insulin is a frustrating teeter-totter dance for weeks or even months. As I wrote before, we settled in to our 1/2 unit of insulin fairly quickly.

I started letting him outside again, too. He just loved being able to snooze in the sunshine, or on the patio chair, or in his Cat-loo (don't you EVER say "Dog-loo" around him). Hmm. Cat-loo sounds like a bathroom. Whatever. One of those Igloo-themed houses for canines. You pet owners know what I mean.

September arrived and I could sense something wasn't quite right. OJ's appetite was diminishing and his fur was getting rough. I was expecting to hear we needed to up the dosage of insulin. What I didn't expect was the diagnosis of CRF, or chronic renal failure. We didn't know exactly how old he was but had been going by the rough assumption that he was about a year or two old when he first showed up. This would make him 12-14 years old. CRF in a cat of this age was hardly unusual; what was unusual was that the diabetes had reverted. My vet had told me that this sometimes happens. The animal ends up being too sick to have diabetes. I know. It doesn't quite make sense to me either.

But that was where we found ourselves just a little over a year ago. OJ was now a "kidney cat" and had to get sub-q fluids at least once a day. The insulin was no longer needed.

I made him an indoor cat, with only brief supervised visits outside. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, I think he liked all the attention he got. He quickly made himself at home and soon found out that laps were things to be sought out and claimed. My other two indoor kitties, a brother and sister pair I'd had since their birth 14 years ago were quite tolerant. They'd known OJ nearly all their lives.

My house was full: three cats and four adults. If I wasn't at work, I was at the grocery store or pet store. Safeway gave me a titanium-level rewards card (kidding!). Petsmart was on speed-dial (not kidding).

Looking back one year later, I wouldn't have given up a single day of it.