When I wrote the other day about the change in Daylight Saving Time, I didn’t comment on the passing of time that is manifested in the behavior of an aging cat. On one hand, Lucius’s precision is still a marvel to behold, a quality that all editors admire. I also neglected to mention in a previous post that Lucius dutifully arrives on time, both in the morning and at night, to accept the insulin injections required to treat his diabetes. I can tell time by his twice-daily appointments in the kitchen, when he hops onto the counter at an exact moment and waits on his favorite placemat to receive his shot. He knows that the fast-acting medicine helps him feel better.
Editors always look to beat the clock, to turn back the hands of time and recoup minutes or days lost in a production schedule. Sadly, Lucius does not have the magician's (or editor's) ability to create another window for a longer lease—in his case, on life.
It suddenly occurred to me this morning that, if I were to calculate Lucius’s age in human years, he will turn 84 this summer, and he is four years older than my father. No wonder Lucius appears to be suffering of late.
I have detected a slightly arthritic halt to his gait, and Lucius does not always measure distance correctly when he approaches the litter box (if you catch my drift). He looks exasperated and very tired, as well he should be. I am tired at 53 years old!
I never have needed to call Dr. O. to discuss problems associated with a senior, if not geriatric, cat. I sense the time has come.
Query of the Day: How do you deal with the aging process of your cats?
He is getting older, but he is going in style in his own Brooks Brothers box....
ReplyDelete