Senior Catizen

While my parents are away, I'm looking after house and garden, but more importantly, after the Beast, who will be 15 (human) years of age next month. He still looks pretty impressive because of the amount of fur, but when I picked him up, I felt he was weighing half what he did last summer. So far, he's shown few signs of old age apart from missing teeth and is as agile as ever in between long phases of beauty sleep/meditation (see picture). He still climbs up a tree every night and from there jumps on the balcony where he then proceeds to scratch on my balcony parents' bedroom door (or mine, if I am at home) until the person who hears him is annoyed enough to let him in and, preferably, feed him. Some weeks ago my parents had a scare when the Beast was apathetic and did not make an appearance in the morning. The found him right outside my Dad's study, not moving. After two infusions (I had no idea those were even available for our four-legged friends) from the vet he's fit again, but my Dad who loves the cat more than my Mum and me put together is worried. The first question he asked when he called to say they'd arrived safely at their first hotel was "has he eaten?" Well, I'm happy to report that the Beast is enjoying a hearty appetite and is as annoying (in a good way) as ever, but I can't help wondering if it will just be house-sitting next year.