Lydia, our "Puffy Princess", has gone to kitty heaven

Our sweet Lydia left this world today, and our hearts are breaking right now. She had been so well after her surgery in January that removed a large fast-growing subcutaneous tumor on her mammary gland. She had bounced back so well we thought she'd beat the odds. But a week and a half ago her health started to decline rapidly. We weren't sure if it was a kitty cold (which the others have) or if it was a recurrence of what we hoped would never come back. Today, the vet confirmed that it was the latter. We had to make the difficult choice to have the vet end her pain and suffering before it got any worse.

Lydia was the quintessential prissy princess kitty I had dreamed of having when I was a little girl. We hadn't planned to adopt her. Her mother brought us Lydia (and her siblings) when she was 8 weeks old. She came inside soon after and never had the desire to be outside again. She preferred velvet cushions, toile comforters and having her luxurious silver hair brushed.

Her precious little paw pads had a beautiful lilac hue to them. We called them her "aubergine paws". Against her silvery fur they looked quite regal.

Lydia's soft meow was much like Marilyn Monroe's voice--airy and feminine. She was such a girlie kitty and never wanted to muss her fur. She was known to lay with "fancy paws" (see below) quite frequently.

We love you dear Lydia. Thank you for gracing our lives with your sweet affectionate spirit. We were honored to be your stewards for your time on earth, as short as it seemed to be. We hope there is a wonderful purple cat tree on the other side that will match your lovely fur like the one you loved to lounge on here. We also hope you're flipping that plume of a tail for all the angels. They will love it as much as we did.

A sick kitty takes precedence over photographing camellias

Outside the windows of the north side of the house, the camellias are blooming right on time like they do every February. And despite they're glorious display, I can't get out to photograph them right now.

I've been tending to our sweet kitty Lydia after a complex surgery last week to remove a large and aggressive tumor we found quite suddenly on her abdomen. Fortunately, we have a trusted and very talented veterinarian. We found the tumor, got her in to see him the following day and he scheduled surgery to get it out and, in his words, "in a jar where it belongs".

Lydia has been the ideal little patient as I've kept her isolated in a warm and cozy recuperating space I arranged for her in my studio. She heals while I work. And she's enjoying the one-on-one time with me immensely even though having to wear the "cone of shame" is not something she enjoys at all.

For now the camellias outside have to wait (hence the repost of the image above). I'm hoping the camellias will still be blooming when we finally get clearance from the vet that Lydia can resume more normal activity. That may be later today. We'll see.

Update: Lydia got clearance from the vet to begin resuming more normal activity and exploring more of the house than just my studio. She doesn't have to wear the cone-collar anymore unless she starts biting her incision site. So I'll still be watching her like a hawk.

Lucy's weirdness

One of Lucy's favorite places to sneak into is the little flap of fabric the bloops down when the recliner chair is reclined. Since this is Hubby's favorite place to sit, Lucy usually climbs in there when he is sitting in the chair relaxing after dinner. Being a true "party animal" personality, Lucy is always up for a game of chase the feline flyer and this spot in the chair makes the game extra fun for her. I took these photos because Hubby can't ever see Lucy when she's in the chair.

These photos are further evidence why we think that Lucy isn't really a kitty cat. We think she's a cross between a squirrel, a weasel, and a meerkat. In other words, she's a "squeaselkat".


As I took the photos, Hubby swung the feline flyer around to entertain little Lucy. All the action attracted the attention of Lydia (who cannot stand Lucy one little bit). Amusingly, Lydia didn't realize that Lucy was right next to her in the chair or she never would have come that close.


And then Lydia finally did see who was perched by her shoulder. Talk about the "evil eye". Goodness! Lydia is NOT a fan of squeaselkats! Can you tell?

My "Personal Assistant" and the other members of our cat colony...

Last night, our local PBS station aired a show about dogs and cats and why we humans love them. The show featured a humane society facility that has a screening process they perform on both the animal up for adoption as well as the potential adoptive families. For cats, the evaluation helped to classify their personalities into three color categories with three personality types in each color category (a system I was pleased to find is in action at our local rescue shelter, ARF). Being the stewards over our own indoor cat colony of eight, it was highly informative and very amusing for Hubby and I to place each of our own kitties into the category they belonged.

Interestingly enough, two days earlier on Friday I had taken a break from work in my home office to take photos of each of the furry friends I had "assisting" me in my studio at that time. I thought it would be a great snapshot of a typical day running a company from my home office/studio. Now that I've been enlightened about cat personality profiles, I thought it would be fun to match up those photographs with their corresponding personality.

Dee Dee is a "Personal Assistant"...

"Personal Assistant: You’re working on the computer? Let me press the keys. Reading the paper? I’ll hold the pages down for you. Watching TV? I’ll just plop in your lap so you can pet me. I love an orderly household, don’t you? I’ll help you with all your chores, and I’ll help you relax when we’re done. You’ll wonder how you ever managed without me."

Dexter is the "Leader of the Band"...

"Leader of the Band: I’m a cat who does everything in a big way. I not only like to be in the middle of things - I like to lead the parade. I’m an adventurous cat, but I’ll still make plenty of time to show you my affectionate side. I’m the demonstrative type, you might say. Want a cat who’s brimming with confidence? That’s me."

Tom Tom is an "MVP"...

"MVP: I’m a savvy cat who knows the score. I’m pretty unflappable, too. I don’t mind entertaining myself, but a human companion at the other end of the couch and a nice scratch behind the ears always make my day. If you’re looking for a resourceful addition to your team, think about signing this Most Valuable Pussycat."

Thomasina is a "Love Bug"...

"Love Bug: Do you seek affection? I do! If you also like petting, purrs, and paws kneading your lap, I think we might have A LOT in common. I’m looking for 'someone who enjoys quiet times and togetherness.' "

Lucy is a "Party Animal"...

"Party Animal: I’m a cat on a mission: PARTY! I love to play and explore and test my limits. I’d love to play with you, but I can make a toy out of anything: pencils, post-it notes, potatoes. If you’re looking for some laughs and someone to liven up the party, think about inviting me."

That's it for the kitties that were "assisting" me in the office/studio last Friday (they're almost always the ones in there too). Now for the others that were elsewhere at that time...

Gus Gus is a "Private Investigator"...

"Private Investigator: I’m working undercover to keep an eye on you and your household. You may not even know you’re under surveillance. I can vanish into thin air if anyone or anything interferes with my investigation. If you need a cat who knows how to stay out of trouble and will always keep your secrets, I just might take your case. "

Suzette is "The Executive"...

"The Executive: I have to say, I’m a busy cat. First, I’ve got to check out what’s happening out the window. Next, I’ll see if any closets or cupboards need looking into. And then there are my naps –can’t be late for those. I can fit a little socializing into my schedule. Shall we plan on breakfast and dinner? I hope you like kibbles."

Lydia is a "Secret Admirer"....

"Secret Admirer: When it comes to relationships, I’m very level-headed. I don’t leap in paws first, if you know what I mean. But give me a little time, and then I’ll shower you with purrs, head-butts, and plenty of lap time. In the meantime, you may not see a lot of me – but I’ll be thinking a lot of you."

Lydia the Puffy Silver Princess

Lydia came to Rosehaven Cottage as a kitten along with her three siblings (Thomasina, Suzette, and Gus Gus) courtesy of her mother back in June of 2002 (read the whole story by clicking here). As I have written previously:

"Lydia is our little silver puffy princess. She is the epitome of girly
kitty-iness. Her tiny voice sounds very Marilyn Monroe-esque and she likes to
flit her big plumy tail around for effect. Her fur has a pearlescent quality,
particularly on her paws that makes her shine like silver. She is prissy,
adorable, and extremely affectionate. She loves to have her ruff groomed with a
brush and will often 'ask' for grooming by going to the brush and patting it
with her paw until one of us picks it up and uses it on her."

Lydia has a theme song (I think all of our kitties do). Hers is particularly memorable because it is an homage to one of our all-time favorites films, The Philadelphia Story (1940) starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. In fact, Dexter ( the head mancat around here) is named after the character C.K. Dexterhaven. Anyway, Lydia's theme song is sung to the tune of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" as sung by the film's character Dinah Lord with the following lyrics:

Lydia, oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia,
Oh Lydia the Silver Tabby

That's as far as we've gotten lyrically. We often just repeat it over and over to make each other laugh. Lydia just looks at us through half-closed eyes waiting for the silliness to disperse so the pettings or brushings can commence.

Lydia's other theme song is sung to the tune of the Howdy Dowdy Show theme:

It's the Puffy Princess Hour,
The Puffy Princess Hour,
Although she looks quite dour,
It's the Puffy Princess Hour!

Yes, we are completely nuts. Moving on...

Lydia is named after the character of Miss Lydia Bennett from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Her belly was quite round when she first showed up as a kitten, and it reminded us of the line "I can scarce draw breath I'm so fat!" Therefore, she ended up named Lydia.

Since kittenhood, Lydia has trimmed up and has a wonderful ladycat figure. She keeps trim by playing quietly by herself (which she prefers to rough-housing with the other kitties). Her favorite toys are old shoelaces, any feline flier, and lately a small stuffed tropical fish that she kicks incessantly. Sometimes she enjoys chasing a little furry "mousie-schmousie" (the small ones covered in real fur).

Lydia has an internal clock that tells her when it's around 11:00 pm and time to go find Mommy and Daddy in the living room. She descends from the upstairs master suite (of which she claims ownership of the bed) and finds us usually in the living room where she then regales us with squeaky breathy meows and displays of flopping on the floor next to a small scratching post so that we coo over her.

Lydia loves bedtime because it's her time to "own" Mommy. She climbs up on me after I'm all snuggled into bed starting at my feet and waltzing up toward my head. She stands there purring and squeaking letting me lavish her with loves. Then when she's been sufficiently petted in her estimation, she lays on me, often falling asleep perched on my torso. She loves to snuggle against our feet (on the outside of the covers), particularly in little nests created by our legs. She is very patient if we have to move around during the night and just rides it out until we settle down again.

We suspect that Lydia secretly has a desire to be an only kitty, but that isn't the lot of her "royal" life. Much to her royal chagrin, she is required to share Mommy and Daddy with her brother and sisters, her father (Tom Tom), and the head mancat and ladycat, Dexter and Dee Dee (she likes Dee Dee very much). She is happy nonetheless, and we happily claim her as our "Puffy Silver Princess".