It's the old lady's birthday!

Nope, not mine or Miss Arse's.  ;-)  It's Ginger's birthday! Now, I'm not ordinarily one to celebrate cat birthdays (much), but when a cat turns 19 it seems to me it ought to be acknowledged and Miss Ginger is 19 today!  Coincidentally, had I remained married to Jake's dad, we'd have been married 20 years ago today.  But let's stick with happy things and celebrate the sweet old, bony furbag that is Miss Ginger.  She's absolutely the most agreeable, kind, accepting and tolerant cat that ever lived and is happiest in a lap, having her belly rubbed. Or eating.

She does not like it when you wake her up, though, lol.  See, Ginger's deaf now and a year or so ago was diagnosed with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome. That's just a fancy name to say she's sort of senile now...kitty Alzheimer's. It doesn't really bother any of us, least of all her, and provides for some amusing times. She will eat imaginary things off the floor (yes, they are imaginary, I'm sure!) and just chomp and chomp, then swallow and look very pleased with herself.  She's stopped grooming so I have to brush and wash her up daily.  She's become fiercely attached to some objects over the last few years and she will randomly kitten call and we have to get one of them to her quickly or she'll get so upset she gets sick. One is her feather duster, which she's actually loved for many years.

We named him Dusty. I don't want to talk anymore about that.  :-P

Lately, though, she seems to find the most comfort in my remote when she's all discombobulated.  She will seriously snuggle it and relaxes like a baby with a pacifier...so sweet.  The remote doesn't have a name, by the way.  Perhaps her oddest, and only aggravating quirk she's acquired with her senility is that she's completely forgotten she's supposed to pee in her litterbox...

...instead, she pees in a towel lined, galvanized bucket in my bedroom closet.  Trust me, I'm not thrilled with this at *all, but what can you do?  It was that or have her peeing on whatever struck her fancy at the time.  At least I know where the pee is now, you know?  She generates much laundry, so it's a good thing I love her. By the way, those shoes?  Jake's.  *nods*   Back to sweet Gingie, 'cause it's her birthday, the CDS also causes her to do random and daring things she's never, ever done before.

Like this. This game lasted until she lost her footing one day and broke a fang tooth inside the bowl.  I really hope this kind of stuff never happens to Miss Arse.  Or me.

So, happy birthday to our silly old Poogie.  We're so glad we've had her for 19 years and hope we get to see one more together, at least.  And just because I've shared some fairly unlady-like, unattractive pictures of her...

...here's proof that even an old lady can still be beautiful.  :-)