Happy Birthday to Priscilla, My Old (old, old, old) Cat

I normally don’t celebrate cat birthdays beyond putting out an extra treat, but Priss turned 19 today, and that’s very old for a cat. It’s the equivalent of 92 in people years. And under the circumstances, she’s doing pretty well. Notice I didn’t say “great,” which would not be true. She has a thyroid condition, she’s had a couple of grand mal seizures, her kidneys are borderline, and she’s underweight despite being on two appetite stimulants. But she hangs out on the sofa or on the porch, sits on my lap and purrs, enjoys her food and treats, and generally seems to have a good life for an old lady.

I adopted her from the animal shelter when she was 5 1/2, so I haven’t had her the entire time. She’s a long-haired dilute calico and absolutely gorgeous. When I first saw her, I thought she was almost as beautiful as Rabbit, my Turkish Angora cat who had just died a few weeks before. Later, I came to think she was as beautiful, or moreso, and then I quit comparing. She’s also very affectionate.

I think if you click on her picture it will come up larger. That particular shot is from a few years ago, when she was in her prime.