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| Jack |
Please
allow me to introduce myself to you fellow lovers of “sweet” cats. My name is
Jack, and I’m a six- year-old Maine Coon (quite handsome, if I say so myself). The first few years of my life were idyllic:
the breeder sold me to a woman who lived in a beautiful apartment. One day, she
interviewed people to adopt me; she said that I wasn’t “cute and cuddly”
anymore. Really?!
That’s
where my human Sue (who I call my Sue-man) came into the picture. Sue “passed”
the interview and adopted me! I moved into a nice home with Sue and my
sister-wife Tiffany, who was 14 years young –and the love of Sue’s life.
Tiffany is a joy, who has been through so much with Sue: including the deaths
of Sue’s beloved Dad and grandmother from diabetes. Which is why it’s fate that
16 months after being adopted, I was diagnosed with diabetes—and became a Diabetic Cat In Need.
I was at
the groomer one day when they noticed that I looked thinner than my previous
haircut. (Yes, I am high maintenance. Deal with it.) And Sue mentioned that
I’ve been hungrier lately (hello—I’m a Maine Coon. We are big eaters anyway.)
and peeing more often. I went to the vet, where we got the bad news: I am
diabetic, and needed insulin injected twice daily. My Sue-man has always been
very charitable (she’s even nice to—gasp—dogs when she volunteers at animal
shelters). So I knew that she would take good care of me when we found out the
diagnosis.
No, I
don’t like having my numbers checked; my insulin shots are now a fact of life.
I get “shot up” and eat quickly thereafter. Luckily, I’m not food-aggressive;
Tiffany is free to eat her own kibble without me pushing her. I love Tiffany so
much but the feeling isn’t reciprocated. She’s 16 and grouchy to me (my girl
really loves Sue-man) –but I follow her around, nap next to her, and watch her
sleep anyway. Maybe that’s why she’s mean to me, because I act like a stalker.
Yet Tiffany is fascinated with watching me get my insulin shot—maybe she just
likes to see me get poked. One shot that even Tiffany can’t bear to watch me
receive is my B12 injection. About four months ago, I started walking on my
flat feet, or my “hocks” as they’re called. Sue brought me to the vet where we found
out neuropathy is a common side effect of diabetes. (Sue’s dad went from being
a strong fireman to sitting in a wheelchair, due to neuropathy. Do they even make
wheelchairs for cats?) I got B12 shots once a week, six weeks in a row. And
they worked! I now walk real cool, like the hottie I am. Sue will give me B12
shots for upkeep, whenever needed.
One of
the best sites Sue ever discovered was Diabetic
Cats In Need. (Sorry. I prefer Petsmart.
I drool over the Fancy Feast ads.) Sue-man
has never seen such compassionate, intelligent people concerned with such an
important cause. Maybe I’m biased, but I love DCIN. Sue even wrote, and donated, her first children’s book, “Jack
Is A Good Cat” as DCIN’s Fall 2012
fundraiser. (Yes, it’s loosely based on me. If you want to read the “real” me,
my Facebook page is Jack Abraham Resnick.
Sue-man helps me write my weekly postings.) It’s important to love and care for
my “sweet” peers. Thank you DCIN.
Meow and
Much Purrs. More in later posts….
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