Hi again, everyone. My name is Maverick, and this is my monthly column, Cat Tales. It’s a combination of a blog/column about what my mom and I are up to, along with other relevant and non-relevant topics. I hope everyone is enjoying themselves and making vacation plans if you haven’t already. I know my mom is ready for a vacation, but unfortunately, we don’t get one.
Once again, I’ll start with what’s new with my mom’s health. If you have been reading my column, you know that we’re away getting some much-needed medical help for my mom and me. My mom had an epidural in her spine a couple of weeks ago, and wouldn’t you know it, my mom was allergic to something in it. She was a mess. She sees the pain management doctor again towards the end of this month, and she’ll see what he suggests. In the meantime, she received a referral from her orthopedic doctor to see a spine specialist, and she can see him next week, which is rather unusual since she has been waiting around five months to get a first appointment to see the other specialists she has. Right now, she is in PT, which helps a little, but she lives with a lot of pain. It’s getting harder for her to do day-to-day things around our apartment. She takes everything in stride, though, but I know she gets down and depressed sometimes. Plus, she worries about me, too. I have to have an echocardiogram done on my heart because the doctor found a murmur. This fall, I am due for a comprehensive check-up, during which I will have my urine, blood, and thyroid tested. As you can tell, our daily lives consist of tests, doctors, and specialists. My mom is having surgery on July 15th for some other things that need to be taken care of before any other surgeries. She’ll be in the hospital for several days. The surgeon told her it’s going to be hard on my mom. On top of everything else, her right knee is now ready for a replacement. I don’t know when that will happen, she has other surgeries that need to be done, too. I think she has to go to a body shop to get a new knee. I’m getting a little stressed writing about all of this. In case you didn’t know, cats can get stressed just like humans.
Enough of that. We have been looking at all the pics of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. How awful. Where we are currently living, we can smell it too. My mom has severe asthma, and she has had to use her emergency inhaler, and we have our air purifier going. That helps a lot. She would love to get another one, but they are so expensive for the type she needs. But we know it isn’t as bad as it is in Canada and the Upper Peninsula.
My mom’s taking a nap, so I’m taking advantage of using her laptop. Her laptop is better than mine. If my brother Alex were still living, he’d be on the internet shopping, probably for Greenies and other cat stuff. But I know better than to do something like that. He was so ornery and lots of fun. You never knew what he was going to get into next. My mom still tells me stories about him.
My mom found some interesting information about disaster preparedness for your pet(s). Like my mom says, you never know when a disaster can strike. It’s a smart thing to always be prepared. Ifaw (International Fund for Animal Welfare) encourages pet owners to have a disaster pet kit handy at all times. “The kit should include essentials like two weeks’ worth of food, drinking water, a photo of you with your pet, a pet collar with ID, medical records, a pet carrier, portable bowls, a harness or leash, and any necessary medications.” They also recommend that you “microchip your pet and register their information on a national database, keep up to date with vaccinations, and ensure your pet is comfortable traveling in a carrier.” Don’t forget to keep the kit periodically updated with fresh food, water, and meds. Having a kit ready for yourself and your pet(s) can be a lifesaver.
My mom is up from her nap now, and it’s time to eat. I feel like I may have a case of the “zoomies” coming on. That will wear me out. Well, that’s it for this month’s edition of Cat Tales. I will leave you with this quote: “Cats rock. They are smart, cunning, naughty, and very loving.” – Fearne Cotton
Take care, everyone.
Love Maverick 
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Dear Maverick,
Prayers and good thoughts your way for both you and your mom.
My mom tells me that at 16 I still need to keep going. We had a couple not so great days but not as bad as I have had in the past. She tells me how much she loves me and that if I keep going she keeps going. I bet your mom feels the same way.
My sister Lily is doing okay with her murmur and the meds have helped a lot but she gets stressed out pretty easily. I said I have seen so much in my years I just have to go with the flow but Lily is just six and to me that’s a baby!
Take care of your mom Maverick and she will take care of you.
Best wishes,
Mittens
Hi Mittens
It’s so good to hear from you. You’re 16 and Lily is 6. That’s great, you have a little sister, and I am sure she appreciates you. I’ve been wondering how you were, because I hadn’t heard from you in a while. I hope your mom is well. My mom calls me her baby even though I will be 13 at the end of October, or at least that’s when she found me shot under her car. That’s okay with me if she calls me her baby. I embrace it. My mom is recovering from her surgery, and I am taking care of her. Hopefully, I can get back to my column in August. Thank you for writing. I have missed your comments.
Love Maverick