Josie & Ripley (GA)
Member Since 2012
Ripley's been doing well -- very happy with her numbers, (though work & a cold has kept me from testing as often as I would like).
Last night: Ripley did something she has not done in quite some time...
Throughout her life, esp. as a kitten, she would sometimes start meowing at some point during the night. It would happen when she was sleeping with me. It would get increasingly louder, until I woke up and called her name; then she would come running into my room and curl up and sleep next to me. (Of course, I translated it as "Mommy, where are you?!?")
Last night it happened, but she did not come running. So, I got worried and immediately assumed she was yowling, a possible symptom of hypo. I tested her right away (80 at +7.5, so she was ok). I think she just wanted some pets and reassurance that I was nearby (or that's MY translation, anyway). She has not shown this behavior in quite a few months now, but I didn't realize how long at had been until last night.
It was nice to see a sign of the 'old Ripley' back. Lately she has been spending most of her time sleeping (except for eating), and since her FD/CKD diagnosis she has adopted a new sleeping spot on rocking chair next to our wall-heater in the living room (over the last couple of weeks, the chair has accumulated several more blankets for comfy, plus a heating pad -- no wonder she doesn't sleep in our cold bedroom anymore!). I wonder if she'll soon show other 'missing' familiar behaviors, such as playing with her favorite toys -- she now bats at the feathers on the end of the stick only once or twice, w/o even getting up, then calls it quits; or maybe she'll rediscover her fondness for catnip; or her enjoyment of batting at the pen while I'm writing...
It's been challenging to watch -- and accept -- Ripley growing older (as I'm sure you all can relate) but I'm treasuring these reassuring moments that everything is not just ok, but IN PLACE, happening as it should BE.
~Josie
Last night: Ripley did something she has not done in quite some time...
Throughout her life, esp. as a kitten, she would sometimes start meowing at some point during the night. It would happen when she was sleeping with me. It would get increasingly louder, until I woke up and called her name; then she would come running into my room and curl up and sleep next to me. (Of course, I translated it as "Mommy, where are you?!?")
Last night it happened, but she did not come running. So, I got worried and immediately assumed she was yowling, a possible symptom of hypo. I tested her right away (80 at +7.5, so she was ok). I think she just wanted some pets and reassurance that I was nearby (or that's MY translation, anyway). She has not shown this behavior in quite a few months now, but I didn't realize how long at had been until last night.
It was nice to see a sign of the 'old Ripley' back. Lately she has been spending most of her time sleeping (except for eating), and since her FD/CKD diagnosis she has adopted a new sleeping spot on rocking chair next to our wall-heater in the living room (over the last couple of weeks, the chair has accumulated several more blankets for comfy, plus a heating pad -- no wonder she doesn't sleep in our cold bedroom anymore!). I wonder if she'll soon show other 'missing' familiar behaviors, such as playing with her favorite toys -- she now bats at the feathers on the end of the stick only once or twice, w/o even getting up, then calls it quits; or maybe she'll rediscover her fondness for catnip; or her enjoyment of batting at the pen while I'm writing...
It's been challenging to watch -- and accept -- Ripley growing older (as I'm sure you all can relate) but I'm treasuring these reassuring moments that everything is not just ok, but IN PLACE, happening as it should BE.
~Josie
Non-cat people just think we are weird that we got excited because they woke us up in the middle of the night :lol:
