happy birthday hrothgar and medea

Today is my kittens' birthday. Okay, they're 13. But since I was there to watch them being born, they'll always be the kittens. Happy birthday to my teenagers! :)

In sadder news, yesterday was the third anniversary of Rocko's death. He was my best friend and only 10 years old, and I still feel like I got totally cheated by his having to leave the earth so soon. It made the kittens' birthday interesting in 2006. I was absolutely distraught, having just buried Rocko, but I insisted on going out and getting the kitties a gift. First I was in Barnes & Noble when a friend there (I use the term loosely in this context) heard the news and told me it was for the best. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. After that I went into PetSmart and ended up sobbing in their bathroom. I went home with whatever I got H & M and threw it on the floor, screaming something about I hope they're glad that they're alive and Rocko would never get any older and stuff like that. I was horrible to them for a few weeks. I mean, I fed and watered them, scooped the litter box. But I didn't touch them for weeks. Anthony really helped me out and made up for the affection they had lost, and helped them, because they were grieving too. Medea's never been the same. Hrothgar stepped up and became the man of the house (although Medea took into the role of Top Cat) and took over keeping an eye on me and Medea.

I was out of town on the first anniversary, at a march in Washington. Then last year, Medea almost died. We rushed her to the emergency vet on a Sunday night because she was struggling to breathe, and I thought if I lose 2 cats on the same date, that will just be it. But she recovered, and outside of her liver and thyroid issues (that she gets medicated for every day), she's still the same badass, and Hrothgar is (thankfully, thank God, knock on wood, what have you, fill in the blank) healthy and robust and bitchy as ever.

And now they're 13. I'm a bit nervous because when I was growing up, it seemed like we started to lose our cats around the age of 15 or so, and that's just 2 more years. But since I lost Rocko at 10, every extra year past that is a blessing. But hopefully they'll pull a Corona. She was Anthony's baby (his Rocko) who lived to 18 1/2. She just passed in December. That will be a sad anniversary later this year.

But anyway, happy stuff: Hrothgar and Medea are teenagers. I love them to death and I hope they stick around for a long time past this. Although their birthday present may have to wait this year: there's like a foot of snow on the ground, and making it to work was a miracle. I think PetSmart can wait until tomorrow.