Selfie Sunday 6/23/24 and an Update

Hi, everyone. Lexy and I are long overdue with an update. And since today is Sunday, we'll share some selfies of Lexy in one of her favorite things - a box. 

This isn't exactly the update I've been wanting to give everyone. At just about 16, Lexy's health isn't the best. Several weeks ago she wasn't feeling well - vomiting, not eating, lethargic. I took her to the vet where she got fluids as well as Pepcid, Cerenia, an anti-inflammatory, B12, and Penicillin. We both thought she was having a flare-up of her IBD. About five days later she still wasn't herself so I brought her in again. 

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At this visit the vet did bloodwork but the results were not what we wanted to hear. Lexy's kidney disease has progressed. In mid-March, she was at stage 2, and at the beginning of June she had progressed to stage 4. 

We are trying a kidney diet which, surprisingly, she will eat from time to time. Her appetite fluctuates and some days she just nibbles. She also isn't grooming herself as fastidiously as she used to, and she has slowed down some. She is also much more cautious about jumping onto anything high. 

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A post shared by Lola The Rescued Cat (@lola_rescuedcat)

Right now our plan is to keep her on the kidney diet as much as possible and continue with her current meds (Prednisolone and Mirataz, as well as Cerenia PRN.) I keep a close eye on her, that's for sure. And I have wonderful vets so she gets the best of medical care. While this isn't the best news, she is currently stable and hasn't regressed since our last vet visit. 

So what does that mean for the future of Lola The Rescued Cat? I've worked very hard over the past several years on the blog, improving my writing, forming relationships with brands, sharing educational information, etc., and I'm not quite ready to give it up. It has just been difficult to concentrate and motivate myself after Lola's passing and with Lexy's recurrent health issues. 

At this point, it's probably time for Lexy to retire from product reviews. She isn't as food motivated as she used to be. There are days when she is very social and active, but many when she just doesn't want to be bothered, so I don't want to put undue stress on her by trying to get the perfect shot. She also looks unkempt at times, despite my attempts at helping her groom. Perhaps, depending on the product, there may be one from time to time, but we'll see. Product reviews were something we both really enjoyed. She loved posing for the camera and getting extra treats, and I loved bringing information on top-notch products with giveaways to you. This just needs to be put on hold for a bit. 

I do have one product I never finished reviewing that I must finish. It's with a brand I have a very good relationship with and I want to uphold my commitment. 

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A post shared by Lola The Rescued Cat (@lola_rescuedcat)

I opened my Trello board after quite some time, and couldn't believe all the topics I had entered for future posts! There is so much information I can still share to help cats, and their cat parents, live their best lives ever. As our lives change it also opens up different topics and information to share with our readers, such as pet loss and grief and senior cat care. And there are many cat cafes to still visit! I also have an idea for a new book that I would like to begin.

So there is still quite a lot to write about, and I hope to dive into it soon. The major obstacle I face is time. I have to learn new computer programs at my full-time job, and the college where I teach part-time is moving to a new online learning platform that I need to master before the Fall semester starts. 

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A post shared by Lola The Rescued Cat (@lola_rescuedcat)

.When I started our blog almost ten years ago I had two young, healthy cats. The twists and turns that life throws at us are interesting. Intellectually, I knew both Lola and Lexy would age and inevitably leave me. Emotionally, I can't believe we find ourselves at this point in time. But I know I'm not the only person experiencing this. The blogging and social media communities have lost so many pets over the years, and I have cried tears for each one of them. 

But there is no place for tears today. Lexy is holding her own and is still bossy and demanding, just a little thinner and slower. But I will continue to share her sassy personality with the world. 

So this is where we are today. I miss visiting blogs as frequently as I used to and I'm going to make an attempt to visit more and keep up to date with you and your kitties. 

Make sure to follow us on social media because we may be more active there. 

Dawn

We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for their selfie Sunday blog hop. Hop on over to see more selfies! 

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