Ahhh...Valentine's Day with three of the cutest little sweethearts: Austin, Brandon, and Penny. They spent time with me today at my house while Mom and Dad were in Bowling Green. We filled the bird feeder, gave the cats treats, and ate ice cream on the front porch with the neighbors. The T's will be 3 next month.

I wish everyone could see how excited Austin was when he opened my closet and saw my vacuum cleaner. He was hilarious and said "vacuum" like it was a brand new vehicle for someone - talking about the engine in the vehicle or something. Julie (his mom) said he loves vacuums.

Penny would say every so often, "This is Liz's house." We watched Milo and Otis and most of Homeward Bound. Loved snuggling with Austin and Penny in the recliner as we watched the movies. Brandon was spell-bound on the couch! His parents have reallized he could really get addicted to tv so it is a treat. But they had said if I wanted they could watch.

Austin wanted a sandwich, and to hear him say "sandwich" is the cutest! That boy can eat - let me tell you!

And I loved the goodby hugs I got! Julie went home towards the train tracks because the children wanted to see the train. Brandon told her that he had said, "Watch out cat" in the Milo and Otis movie when Milo was on the train track.

After they left, I watched the end of Homeward Bound. And I have to say it still makes me cry when Shadow limps over the hill to his Peter!!

Earlier in the day I took my Smokey to the vet, and she got a pretty good report. The sad thing is her weight (like her human...). She weighs 18.8 pounds - up a tad over a pound in a year. The vet did say with cats, diabetes could develop with weight. I can't afford a diabetic cat. So I've got to try and figure out a way to get some weight off her. I'm planning to not have any food out during the night. I haven't done that yet - but I didn't have much in the bowl, and some was still in the bowl this morning. I also have 2 other cats to feed. Sigh... I'm planning to get the bowls with the dome in the middle. They have to eat more slowly. This will probably help with Marshmellow too. She and Smokey tend to eat real fast and then throw up. Not always but sometimes. And Smokey does this throughout the house, so I have to follow her to find all the places.

Annabelle and Marshmellow go to the vet today. Oh yeah, at the vet's with Smokey, when Dr Hughes put Smokey on the scales, she pressed her knee on it - of course making the numbers go up. Her assistant was there and then realized what she'd done (because it's obvious just looking at Smokey that she is a bit bigger than most!). We all got a laugh out of that. I like the vet here. Not sure if I mentioned how they'd sent a sympathy card to me when Domino had to be put down. That meant a lot.

Oh yeah, I had a coupon for a free fries and drink if buying the cod sandwich at Wendy's. I'd never had it before so tried it, and it was good!!

I enjoyed reading about everyone's different Valentine's Day adventures. Have a great day all!

Just thought I'd share that with you! It's not snowing a lot, but it is pretty when it snows.

Earlier this week we got a bit too, only I missed it when it was snowing. I looked out my window and saw the ground looked white. Went out the back door and viola - snow! By that time, it had already stopped.

Smokey was cute sitting at the front door looking out at it snowing.

Today I took Domino to the vet for his last time. It was not an easy decision to make, but it was the right one. I think I actually made the decision last night when I saw him try and walk and just stumble all around. It was so pitiful. The vet's office has been great. She did tell me she thought I was doing the right thing and is real glad I had brought him inside to be an indoor cat. I really believe that had he still been an outdoor cat, he would have already been dead or off somewhere dying, and I would have never known what had happened to him.

Thank you all for all the love and support and concern you've shown. It means a lot.

My uncle is cooming over today and will dig a hole so I can bury Domino.

The vet called. Domino has a liver problem. He has A high level of bilirubim in his blood stream and a high white count. It comes from his own intestinal tract and is common in cats. Said they can't really figure out why without a lot of laboratory testing. She said we could try a different antibiotic, but I would also have to give that to him orally. He's just doesn't seem to be interested in anything orally right now - has not gone near the food or water bowls since Saturday. I hate being able to feel his bones. Poor baby. A good bit of the day he's been under the bed, with just his tail out, like he's trying to hide. He's been unsteady on his feet since yesterday.

He's also been crying when I'd pick him up to feed him. This morning I did get his medicine in him and some Pedialyte. But the second feeding he threw up and then just turned his head when I tried to give him more.

I'm dealing with a sick kitty - my Domino. Ever since I've been back from Knoxville, he's just not been himself. I noticed he wasn't eating but was drinking water so I didn't worry too much. Pam (their sitter) told me the week I was gone, he'd acted differently - not being interested in the canned food but thought he just might be missing me.

I'd read on line to give them tuna water, and I did. He did drink some of it but doesn't eat any of the tuna. Marshmellow and Annabelle have enjoyed the tuna fest.

He looks like he's lost weight. He's been weighing the same - 11.2 pounds - since last Wednesday. He weighed a little over 13 pounds in January of last year, but he was an outdoor cat then.

He seems quite lethargic and doesn't take any interest in anything, not even Marshmellow when she tries to engage him. He just lies around and walks quite slowly - when he does walk around.

Friday night he did an odd thing. He put his two front paws in the bathroom trashcan and then urinated on the floor. His urine was very yellow. I took toilet tissue and got up what I could and put it in a plastic bag to show the vet. Turns out he was dehydrated, and my uncle told me he could be disoriented, and that's why he used the trashcan.

Saturday I noticed, again - very yellow, urine on the quilt cover for the bed. So I got up what I could with a tissue and bagged it. And as I was again making the bed, I noticed on the bottom sheet a big round circle. I have no idea when that happened. It was still damp, and I don't recall his being in the bed with me. His not being in the bed with me was weird too because he usually always is. Unfortunately, he was dry as a bone when he got to the vet, so they couldn't get a urine samiple and the bags I brought didn't help them.

He also had a low grade temp. He got fluids and an antibiotic at the vet and today more fluids - more of the same tomorrow. They drew blood but we won't know the results until later - because of no mail today.

He's pretty much confining himself to the area behind the recliner. When I brought him home from the vet Saturday, he went straight to this basket (it is one for the cats) and urinated in it. Oh my... I went to Walmart and found a plastic container and brought it back with fresh litter to place where the basket had been. It has low sides, and I placed him in it so he would know it was there. I'm calling this the healing corner. I have rugs all around, and he seems quite content there. The container is actually designed for those red and green plastic containers for Christmas ornaments. It's to layer your items - quite clever. Mine's working out great as a litter box.

I'm having to feed him this special food from the vet via syringe. I've finally figured out to fill 2 and then can give him one right after the other. This morning we tried 3 - that took a bit, but we got it in him! I have not seen him get up to go to the water bowls, but I have to thin the food with water to get it in the syringe, so maybe that's satisfying him. It is sad to just see him lie there, and I feel so helpless. One thing about all this is he lets me hold him a bit, and this morning we snuggled a good while. He's usually not much of a lap cat or snuggler. So I am enjoying that part.

Oh yeah, I have to give him a pill twice a day. When I asked, the vet did tell me she thought it could be his liver or kidneys. It just came on so suddenly, out of the blue, with no warning. I left on the 8th, and he was fine that morning. Sad to think he probably hadn't eaten 10 plus days. I'm glad now I made him an indoor cat, so I will know what's happening with him - even though he's costing me money I hadn't planned to spend this way! But if one commits to pets, then one commits to their care - or should anyway. Sad to think had he been outside, he probably would have gone off somewhere to die, and I would have had no idea what happened to him.

I'm sure all you animal lovers out there can sympathize. Hope all your babies are okay!

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Forgot to mention that about all I did Saturday was cry - I couldn't even talk about it without crying. At Walmart that afternoon, someone came up behind me and asked how Domino was. It was the receiptionist from the vet. I just thought it was so sweet that she recognized me and remembered Domino, but then I don't know how many crying humans they get in there. I may have stood out from the rest because of that! I don't know - do any of you other pet lovers cry at the vet with your sick babies? I had to send their Georgia sitter an email because I knew I wouldn't be able to talk with her on the phone.