Apology and Bitey Update Thursday April 27th, 2006

Dear fans and friends and family of Bitey:

I am SO SORRY that I haven't written lately. Bitey is doing very well. In fact he has been mostly the same since the last time I wrote, which is why I haven't updated.

But I understand and appreciate the scorn and frustration associated with sporadically updated blog, so I am checking in from the Jury Assembly Room at Superior Court to update you on Bitey's condition.

Bitey is still reliant on me for bladder expression. I have been very lucky in that I have not had to travel a lot lately (knock on wood). Bitey only goes to the vet for chemo and if I am not around to squeeze his parts. I have been trying to teach the boyfriend the fine art of bladder expression, and he is willing, but it is a hard skill to learn, especially when you can't stand hearing the cat squeal in discomfort at your hand. Also I think boyfriend is somewhat afraid that he's going to squeeze too hard and pop Bitey's colon out his backside. So it's a work in progress.

While Bitey's back leg strength has improved, his coordination is still minimal. In the interim he has become a professional slitherer. He uses his freakishly strong front legs to pull his body forward while his limp back legs have enough life in them to push back and forth against the floor...kind of like rowing a boat, or paddling in a canoe. He can really move!

We have now made it to almost exactly two months out of the four he has been tentatively allotted. Bitey has also made it to the next cycle of chemo in which he will be treated every three weeks instead of every week. This is helpful for the wallet to say the least. Hopefully we can begin to pay down the national kitty debt.

A funny story: Yesterday I let Bitey out in the yard and he sat for a while in the long green grass. I sat on the patio steps, watching Bitey radiate kitty contentment. I looked in his eyes, he looked in mine....

...and then the sprinklers went off. Boy, if you want to see a partially paralyzed cat hustle, just turn on the water!

Best wishes and many posts to come...