Making it through another year, '25-'26

[Ljohnsaw]

Machinebuilder, that looks like the reverse warning beeper switch that's mounted on the dash of my Skytrac. It's below the shuttle control for the hydrostatic transmission.

[NE Woodburner]

A person can get attached to them furballs

I've always thought I wasn't much of a cat person. A few years ago one of our kids deployed for the military and we were asked to take the cat. Funny thing was my wife loves cats but it wanted nothing to do with her. The cat always wanted me.

Had the cat for almost a year and definitely missed her when she went back. Lost our dog during that time and when we returned the cat the house sure seemed quiet. Didn't think we'd get another pet after losing our dog and giving back the cat, but we did end up getting a dog after a year or so.

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, I've always had a very close relationship with our domestic animals, too close at times and get devastated when we lose them. When we lost our last dog, we said no more. My wife wanted the freedom to travel when we wanted without the dog, and I could not bear to lose another pet. Then the cats came along and that's anther long OGH story. Suffice to say my wife hated cats and we agreed before we were married that I would let go and we wouldn't have a cat. My daughter when she was little, begged for years for a kitten. But we had our 'rule'. So when we wound up with a pair of cats, at my wife's decision (and therein lies that story) my daughter (now married 5 years) was a bit furious. But we've had them 10 years now and we love them in spite of their proclivities. I had a lot of cats when I was a kid, even raised and converted a feral one once. He was weird, but a lot of fun and I learned a lot about having patience with animals. Cats always seem to die from intestinal or bladder issues and treatments get to be expensive. Right now this female is on a prescription for her thyroid condition, so pills twice a day. Al these tests though are beginning to add up.
 It may sound harsh, but my wife and I both think about quality of life and wonder just how far is far enough because we know, at some point, this will be the big question. It is no different for her or for me, we are all getting there and will have the same question. We are not big believers in maintain life just because we can. We have seen too many friends and family kept alive for years while they suffer and we don't really see it as the best course for them, but it's their decision. We have known others who draw a line in the sand and decide this point is far enough, not more treatments.
 So all this is what floods into my head when we face these issues. I love the cats and dogs, but it hurts so much to lose them.
 We still have time to see what happens to my little Josie. I'll wait it out and see how it goes.

[WV Sawmiller]

   When we were kids we were swimming at a local creek and found a half grown feral tortoise shell cat. We caught crawfish and even a frog and threw to her and she immediately ate them so I assume she was pretty near starving. We were able to catch and pet and calm her down. Wading back across the wide creek and getting her home in the closed in car was a treat but once home she calmed down and became a regular house cat but she took to me. I used to walk around shooting blue jays and such with a .22 rifle and she'd follow and eat any I shot. She used to like to ride on my shoulders as I'd walk around. She was a bit of a nuisance when squirrel season opened and she still wanted to follow me into the woods behind our house. 

   Old Rainbow lived a long happy life with us.

[Resonator]

Yeah, they are special, the two that I had were by far the best cats I've ever had. Back in '08 when my dad was in his last days with cancer, out of the blue a stray cat showed up and just moved in. Within a short time she had kittens, and that really helped to take ones mind off all that was going on in life.
Cats have a funny age system, and by those numbers the mama had to be 100 years old or more when she passed. I swear the mice somehow knew when she was gone, within days I had to put traps out where I hadn't before.

[Ianab]

If you can catch and befriend a "feral" cat before a certain age, they will domesticate. We had a feral cat drop her litter in my shed roof a few years back. Tried taming her, but she was just a nasty hissing feral. (even with food). Eventually we trapped her and the kittens. Kittens were young enough to tame, get fixed, but we got the stray put down. So we now have 3 cats, that fight like siblings. 

The "Cat Distribution System" is a thing. If you don't have a cat, one (or more) will simply appear. I've had cats in the house as long as I can remember, but I've never actually gone looking for a cat. They just appear. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Heh heh, yea, sure.
 When I was a kid there was a feral cat that dropped a litter under a stored boat in out yard. She abandoned one kitten who was starving. I laid out there under the boat for hours trying to entice it with food, day after day and eventually I would leave some food and water. It took close to 2 weeks before it would take food from my hand, anther 2 weeks before it would not garb the food and run. For a young boy, this took a lot of patience. Eventually I could touch, then pet it. AT some point I could hold it. The first time I brought the cat in the house it went batwing crazy trying to find an escape and did some damage my folks were not happy about at all. Over time 'Timmy' became my cat who would mostly live outdoors but came in the house on bitter cold days and nights. I think his mother abandoned him because he had club feet, 6 toes on each front foot. He was a cool cat, but only devoted to me. Feral cats take a lot of patience from my experience. He drew a lot of blood during the training process.

 We got a call with test results yesterday and again today. They have found nothing definitive and have no clue. They want us to give her a B-12 vitamin and 2 months then repeat the blood tests. I think she is fine, no symptoms, no issues, and she is surly as ever.
-----------------

 Wednesday I bucked and split some wood but ran out of sweat after a few hours, but I did get a bunch on the pile. Yesterday I tried to do the same, but the temp got up over 90° and I just couldn't see it. My son dropped off some nice dead ash Wednesday afternoon and today I split up a bunch of it, that is stove ready stuff. I still have some of the neighbors wood to buck and split but those are really heavy RO and pretty green. Nearly ready to buck some more. Maybe next session I will finish it off but that RO is really heavy stuff.

 Tomorrow we have to go to a celebration of life affair for the neighbor we lost in that house explosion back in April. I didn't know him very well, but we do know his daughter and a lot of friends we had in common. I also know a lot of his family members and since I believe these things are for the living and not the departed, we will attend and bring some food. Funny little thing. They had assumed his cat was lost in the explosion along with his dog. Well the cat turned up on Monday or so. We ran into the cat and his Mom at the vert when we were there the other day. The kitty looks pretty good, all things considered.