Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

The new radiator can’t arrive fast enough. (Expected Feb 1 to 8.)

 

[daftcat75]

Betty has taken to the belly rides in the last couple of nights. It’s incredibly sweet and endearing. Especially because Betty will come nose to nose with me and brush it against my face. At the same time, it’s a little more awkward with Betty than Krista. For one thing, Betty has at least two pounds on Krista. For another, Krista didn’t paint my face with her nose. And then there’s whiskers. Even when she’s not actively rubbing her face into mine, she’s so close, I’m getting a face full of whiskers. It is incredibly sweet though.

Some pictures of Krista’s belly rides.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Awwww. Sweet to see Krista here again on this fine CATurday! I don't often get that honor, unfortunately. Elvis isn't a nose-booper. And he's only gotten on me like that twice. Once, when I was very concerned and discouraged and once, probably to check and see that I wasn't either of those.
OMC, Betty! That's a long time to be radiatorless (yes, that, too, is a word. I just made it one)! Guess you'll just have to rely on your servant for rather radiant heat for awhile.

 

[daftcat75]

Awwww. Sweet to see Krista here again on this fine CATurday! I don't often get that honor, unfortunately. Elvis isn't a nose-booper. And he's only gotten on me like that twice. Once, when I was very concerned and discouraged and once, probably to check and see that I wasn't either of those.
OMC, Betty! That's a long time to be radiatorless (yes, that, too, is a word. I just made it one)! Guess you'll just have to rely on your servant for rather radiant heat for awhile.

Oh the old radiator still works. It just can’t go above the highest Low setting. Which is clearly not enough because Betty has been spending nearly all her daytime hours this week either there or in the hut across from it. In fact this morning, she spent most of her hours hugging the radiator rather than sitting on my lap.

If that radiator was completely busted, I would have gone to the store for a new one. But since it still mostly works, we can wait a couple weeks for the same model which is on Amazon but not in stores. I’m just so amazed that I’ve had this thing nearly 20 years. If it weren’t for a broken button, it would still be fully functional. And after all this time, I am still able to find the same model for sale. That’s unheard of! I would have expected they’d have revamped this several times over in the name of progress and made it into something I didn’t want anymore. That’s usually the progression given a long enough time frame.

I probably don’t need more than the low heat setting for the office. So that one will replace the broken heating element in the office Dyson. And in the off-season (summer), I will see about hunting down a replacement button if that’s a simple enough repair.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Oh the old radiator still works. It just can’t go above the highest Low setting. Which is clearly not enough because Betty has been spending nearly all her daytime hours this week either there or in the hut across from it. In fact this morning, she spent most of her hours hugging the radiator rather than sitting on my lap.

If that radiator was completely busted, I would have gone to the store for a new one. But since it still mostly works, we can wait a couple weeks for the same model which is on Amazon but not in stores. I’m just so amazed that I’ve had this thing nearly 20 years. If it weren’t for a broken button, it would still be fully functional. And after all this time, I am still able to find the same model for sale. That’s unheard of! I would have expected they’d have revamped this several times over in the name of progress and made it into something I didn’t want anymore. That’s usually the progression given a long enough time frame.

I probably don’t need more than the low heat setting for the office. So that one will replace the broken heating element in the office Dyson. And in the off-season (summer), I will see about hunting down a replacement button if that’s a simple enough repair.

That was going to be my first thought and the second, of course, is "gee! I wonder if that heating element can be replaced for affordable cost?"
Agree 100% about how so many good things morph into, well, not-as-good things. That's why I keep my good things as long as I can.

 

[daftcat75]

10.68. Same as last week.

Once again, Betty was ready for her weigh-in once I produced the scale. Indeed she was sleeping when I set the scale down at the edge of the kitchen. But when I got the treats out, that woke her. She started to climb into the scale. Wait. I need to zero it first. Then you can climb in and have your treats. We ran out of her rabbit treats and bought a new brand yesterday. I think she likes them. She sat on the scale looking up at me like, “I can get off and you could put more treats on and we can do this again?”


During breakfast, I had a few minutes waiting for the bagels to toast. I came down with her and presented her empty hands. You had your treats. If you’re waiting on treats before you leave me for second pass on food, you’d better get moving already. A couple passes of her butt under my beard and then off she went for second pass of breakfast. She didn’t finish overnight (at least 12-14 grams remaining the last time I saw it) until 5am. Breakfast alarm goes off at 5:15. I was fully expecting a sniff and snub at breakfast. But then she also just ate plenty for her meds. I was going to be okay with a sniff and snub. But she ate another ten grams anyway. Then she spent the morning hugging the radiator again while I had breakfast and coffee without a cat in my lap. When she finally came around for a lap sit, “sorry babe, I gotta ” It’s time to make up her meds for next week anyway. She almost always finishes her breakfast if I disappear into the office until lunch.

 

[tarasgirl06]

View attachment 441790
10.68. Same as last week.

Once again, Betty was ready for her weigh-in once I produced the scale. Indeed she was sleeping when I set the scale down at the edge of the kitchen. But when I got the treats out, that woke her. She started to climb into the scale. Wait. I need to zero it first. Then you can climb in and have your treats. We ran out of her rabbit treats and bought a new brand yesterday. I think she likes them. She sat on the scale looking up at me like, “I can get off and you could put more treats on and we can do this again?”
View attachment 441789

During breakfast, I had a few minutes waiting for the bagels to toast. I came down with her and presented her empty hands. You had your treats. If you’re waiting on treats before you leave me for second pass on food, you’d better get moving already. A couple passes of her butt under my beard and then off she went for second pass of breakfast. She didn’t finish overnight (at least 12-14 grams remaining the last time I saw it) until 5am. Breakfast alarm goes off at 5:15. I was fully expecting a sniff and snub at breakfast. But then she also just ate plenty for her meds. I was going to be okay with a sniff and snub. But she ate another ten grams anyway. Then she spent the morning hugging the radiator again while I had breakfast and coffee without a cat in my lap. When she finally came around for a lap sit, “sorry babe, I gotta ” It’s time to make up her meds for next week anyway. She almost always finishes her breakfast if I disappear into the office until lunch.

That's the look, all right! Good on ya, Betty--maintaining a good, healthy weight and looking fabulous doing it!
I ran out of bagels. Just sayin'

 

[daftcat75]

It happened again where she didn’t finish overnight until 5am. This time, she sniffed and snubbed breakfast. Understandable. But she showed up for meds like she always does. Such a blessing! Since she just finished overnight, I didn’t press the matter with breakfast with any carpet morsels.

OMC! The pre-dental nerves have already begun. I had trouble sleeping last night and especially third sleep this morning. My stomach is also doing a number. I still have to make it all the way to and through Wednesday. I don’t even know how I’m going to make it through breakfast. I am worrying or catastrophizing. I’m worried the appointment may get canceled again either on the doctor’s end, my end (wake up with Covid or something), or Betty’s end (after several months of peace.) I’m worried that whatever is needed may be beyond the doc’s skill level and we’re forced into waiting six more months for a dentist. I’m worried that whatever is done, she doesn’t get the relief we were hoping for. Or that it causes new discomfort like biting into lip/gum ulcers or lip entrapment. The one thing I’m not worried about is the procedure itself. Krista went through so many of these including a remaining mouth extraction that I trust the doc implicitly here (even though she’s a different doc and this is a different cat.) I know most of this is just worrying for worrying sake. But try telling that to my nerves right now.

 

[Margot Lane]

And cats always sense the nerves. What I do, I try to counteract it w/ deep breathing, chamomile tea, really forcing myself to slow down and be calm and in the moment. It helps. But it never stops me wishing I could go to the vet or the dentist FOR them.

 

[daftcat75]

And cats always sense the nerves. What I do, I try to counteract it w/ deep breathing, chamomile tea, really forcing myself to slow down and be calm and in the moment. It helps. But it never stops me wishing I could go to the vet or the dentist FOR them.

No, Betty has to go to her own appointments. I would still be a bundle of nerves if I could go in her place. I haven’t had anything more than a cleaning myself for a couple years now. I will be this mess all over again in March when I go for my crown.

Betty is sitting in my lap while we watch some Star Trek Discovery before I have to start work. It’s helping me calm down. I like my coffee in the mornings. Even on nerves days. I drink it mostly black with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. It gives it a rich, creamy mouthfeel without watering it down like cream does. I’m not a fan of chamomile tea. If I do need to shift gears to something caffeine-free, I much prefer Tulsi to chamomile. Better flavor and more relaxing.

Betty’s given me the comfort and grounding to feel ready to face my day now. Getting sleep tonight and the morning nerves will be another issue. We’ll table that for now. Maybe I’ll take a PM med tonight like Advil PM. The diphenhydramine hangover in the morning will still be better than a sleepless night.

 

[tarasgirl06]

No, Betty has to go to her own appointments. I would still be a bundle of nerves if I could go in her place. I haven’t had anything more than a cleaning myself for a couple years now. I will be this mess all over again in March when I go for my crown.

Betty is sitting in my lap while we watch some Star Trek Discovery before I have to start work. It’s helping me calm down. I like my coffee in the mornings. Even on nerves days. I drink it mostly black with a tablespoon of unsalted butter. It gives it a rich, creamy mouthfeel without watering it down like cream does. I’m not a fan of chamomile tea. If I do need to shift gears to something caffeine-free, I much prefer Tulsi to chamomile. Better flavor and more relaxing.

Betty’s given me the comfort and grounding to feel ready to face my day now. Getting sleep tonight and the morning nerves will be another issue. We’ll table that for now. Maybe I’ll take a PM med tonight like Advil PM. The diphenhydramine hangover in the morning will still be better than a sleepless night.

The coffee recipe sounds really good.
How I empathize! I worry when there's nothing to worry about (as in "Why isn't there anything to be concerned about? That's not normal for me, or for these times...") and all the more so, when there's something to do with a loved one (Elvis)...
I have generic diphenhydramine but haven't even opened the box because -- of course! -- I'm worried I might need to get up but won't because I'm knocked out. Or that I will get up, stumble and fall or something.
How has Betty been eating today?

 

[daftcat75]

It’s been a few meals since I’ve had the sniff and snub (the other morning not withstanding.) I have been taking a small pea-sized amount of A/D after she’s had her pills and putting that into a corner of her food as a starting point. She sniffs one end to the other and starts on the A/D spot and usually keeps going for about 10 grams. That’s all I really expect out of a med meal. She can and has been coming back when the meds kick in. Hopefully after tomorrow we may not need some meds. Well, we may need them for another week or two as she recovers. But hopefully whatever teeth they take tomorrow, fingers crossed that takes care of the dental pain and we can discontinue the gabapentin.

The diphenhydramine worked well last night. Probably because for the first time, I didn’t try to wake after only six hours. I mean I did still wake to pee in the middle of the night. But I got back to sleep quickly enough. And I didn’t wake from third sleep until twelve hours (!) after I took them. But that those twelve hours did include some cuddle hours in the middle of the night and Betty’s breakfast feed. Still. It was nice to get some effort-less sleep.

Betty took her night before Cerenia. I have a note to remind myself to only give ondansetron and gabapentin (four of them! 100 mg) in the morning. It’s okay that she gets the little bit of food that coats them. I have a midnight alarm to take away the overnight portion. No feeding the gremlin after midnight. And miracle of miracles, the check engine light in my car went off and I can use the remote start feature in the morning to get the car and the heater warmed up before we head out. It has been bitterly cold in the mornings. I feel like I’m just about ready. I should probably add about 20 minutes to my morning in case the nerves say otherwise. And I’m sure they will.

 

[daftcat75]

I woke a few minutes to midnight before the alarm. I took her plate away and then she wakes up to eat. I decided to open a can just to give her a couple spoonfuls. She snubbed it. I put it on the floor. That did it. She had her final food for the night. At 5, she woke and showed up for meds without fail. We got through the one ondansetron and four gabapentin (remember I repack these so that’s 100 mg not 400 mg! ) Each capsule got a smear or A/D and she got a bonus pea-sized morsel of A/D like a bonus blank, no capsule. Then we were done. And she sat there a good five or ten minutes even after I left the kitchen and turned out the lights. I am climbing back into bed and she’s still sitting there like, where’s the beef? (or in her case, chicken.) I finally lay down and get the blankets back up on this bitterly cold morning and coaxed Betty back to bed. She is currently napping with her head on my chest. I imagine the longer I let her, the harder it will be for her to leave as the gabapentin turns her into a furry bag of Jello. We have another ninety minutes or so before I have to start getting ready.

 

[daftcat75]

 

[Margot Lane]

Oh my, those WHISkers. She got Betty Davis eyes. Be strong! Hoping all goes well!

 

[Margot Lane]

Oh my, those WHISkers. She got Betty Davis eyes. Be strong! Hoping all goes well!

PS How’s the artwork?

 

[tarasgirl06]

View attachment 442042View attachment 442039View attachment 442040View attachment 442041

OH, now, that's no fair. Almost the first thing after I log on, THESE. SPLORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT TOO adorable for me. How can you endure teh kyoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooootness???
That's good info for me that you can still do that without becoming a casualty. I'm an instant-on sort of person so I should be able to get up and navigate okay, too.
BEST luck & wishes, you two!!!

 

[daftcat75]

I know the intake nurse said no news is good news. But I really want a call soon.

 

[Margot Lane]

I know the intake nurse said no news is good news. But I really want a call soon.

How is Betty? you are back home?

 

[daftcat75]

How is Betty? you are back home?

Still waiting for the first call of the morning to tell me what was found and what will be done. But I did give doc permission to just do extractions without calling me. So maybe that’s simply what she’s doing and will call when she’s all done.