Clyde and the Great Outdoors

CLYDE ON MY LAP OUTSIDE SUNDAY NIGHT


Clyde our cat continues to have good days and bad days.

Today was a good day, and so he decided to go for a walk.

In the teeter-totter between lymphoma and the steroid therapy, Clyde, our 5-year-old cat, has days that convince us we are really going to make that final trip to the vet and other days when we could swear there is little wrong.

Like today. We have been coaxing him to keep his strength up by alternating water and milk and small meals of chicken and cat treats.

When Clyde feels up to it, he takes in each in small quantities and you can usually see him perk up. Always present is his 2000 decibel purr…

Sunday, Mary and I spent the evening out collecting party supplies or our Fourth of July celebration (i.e. couponing at Phantom Fireworks) and came home for dinner out back under our gazebo. It was a beautiful night and Mary headed in for a bit to check on Clyde.

She came back and we birdwatched and rabbitwatched and soon I headed in and was shocked at who was greeting me inside the sliding door that leads into the house.

Clyde.

Mary had left the door to our bedroom open and, somehow, Clyde had made it down the stairs from our second floor and was looking up at me through the sliding door. Now, two weeks ago, this would have been completely normal. In the new normal, it was completely jarring.

And a really pleasant surprise.

Our cats are all indoor cats. They never get to go outside and, frankly, as much as they enjoy looking out the windows, open doors scare them. But Clyde really looked like he wanted to join us outside.

What the hell, I figured. An adventure of a lifetime.

So, I picked him up and he spent 20 minutes on my lap, watching the birds, enjoying the breeze and cocking his ears at every sound. It was as much of a treat for me as it was for him. Soon, he got restless.

Even a bit weaker as he is these days, he was determined to get down to explore. I didn't want to risk any more adventure than he could handle and so back we went inside where his brother Louie wanted to hang with him in the bedroom.

It was a remarkable event as we end Day 10 of this chapter that challenges cat and owners alike. Clyde may not have very many adventures left to share, but I would not count him out just yet…

More later,


Mark