On December 18th, 2005 a new little girl entered my life. I was on my way to Canadian Tire to get a coffee pot and something pulled me to Petcetera (a place I never go to) to look at the Humane Society animals for adoption (something I have never done before). Meet my Juvenile Delinquent!!

First Impressions Count

It was like Snoopy was waiting for me and it was love at first sight. While the other cats lay quietly and stared at me, she was pacing around the cage meowing. I liked her spunk. Her Humane Society record said she was a "purr monster" which is total bunk. The only time she purrs is if she is extremely content and even then it's very quietly. You have to put your ear on her body just to hear it. I suppose everyone wants a "purr monster" so they said that as a sell tactic. It didn't matter. Our fate was sealed. We were now stuck with each other. Needless to say, I didn't get a coffee pot. Oh well, I will shop for it in Kelowna.

Miss Snoop is a 10 month old stray found in Airdrie who has wiggled and meowed her way into my heart. Even though she's still a kitten she's good as gold; never gets into trouble!! Is that possible? I had to leave her alone over the Christmas for five days and then again in January for three days. Laura and Karen visited her and she was fine.

It's in the Name

Her name? Simple - she's snoopy. When I got her home she didn't hide or cower timidly in a corner. No, not her - she inspected every nook and cranny in the house. She was over and under every bed, every piece of furniture, and in and out of every room for about two hours. As I watched her perform this ritual I said "aren't you the snoopy one" at which point she was christened Miss Snoop. Finally her inspection was over and she jumped up on my bed and went to sleep.

She's probably one of the most photogenic animals I've had. It's easy to capture her expressions and for some reason her eyes stay clear in pictures.

The Cat with an Attitude

I've had two other cats.

Mr. Stanley: Stanley was a bottle baby. His mother disappeared when he and his siblings were 9 days old. We never did find out what happened to her but we were living on a farm then so there were many dangers for animals. The kittens were so beautiful, I brought them in and mothered them. They all survived. The end result was I was mommy and mommy could do anything. They were totally subservient. Stanley became a house cat and moved to town with us. I could open Stanley's mouth, give him a pill, clean his teeth, turn him upside down, cut his nails - anything I wanted. When I touched him he was like spaghetti in my hands.

Miss Kitty: Then along came Miss Kitty. She was not quite a amiable as Stanley but she was too much of a lady to make a fuss. She may not have "liked" what I was doing but she "tolerated" it - for a while. She was very trusting of me even when she was afraid. Biting or scratching absolutely never crossed her mind. Besides she was too dignified to lower herself to such uncivilized tactics.

What is it about NO?

Strike three you're out. Now I have a Juvenile Delinquent. Miss Snoop was definitely a shock to my system. She is the classic bad girl - she does what everyone wants to do and she has just enough guts to do it. I had no idea that cats could act like that!!

Who knew that trying to "look" in her ear was the end of her little life. You cant even open her mouth let alone give her a pill - unless you want to lose a finger or two. Don't even try to hold her paw let alone cut a nail - unless you want to be ripped to shreds. Those things are definite "what is it about NO you don't understand?" things.

If nothing else, Miss Snoop demands respect. How can such a sweet cat turn so feral in an instant? There is no doubt in my mind that she would bite and scratch to her death before she would surrender. Even the vet has a hard time getting her to cooperate. I have to say I am really glad that Miss Snoop found me. She definitely would not be suited for a family with children or other animals. She really belongs with an adult who can appreciate and accept her unique personality.

Let's Rock This Joint

Many times I've come home and coasters or doilies are all over the floor. She knocks pens, candies, lighters, hair bobbles - anything movable off the table and plays with them until they disappear under a piece of furniture. Once I came home and two spools of thread and a bobbin were completely unwound connecting everything in the living and dining room. She must have had a ball. It took some doing to untangle it all.

At the same time as she has the "woohoo mommy's gone, let's rock this joint" attitude, she seems instinctively to know where the "do not cross" line is. Never has she even touched one of my porcelain ornaments, my eyeglasses, or anything else of value. When deciding of what to "play" with, it's always something unbreakable and of no value. It amazes me that she can know the difference but she does.

In July we travelled to Kelowna to be with my mother during her illness. Other than going to the vet (which was always the end of the world and cause for an instant "hair explosion") Snoopy had never been in the car for any length of time. To say the least, travelling 350 miles with her constant meowing was a bit nerve racking. Over the next 6 months we travelled back and forth 11 times and she never did get used to it. It was just one panic attack after the other the whole way.

She did, however, settle in quite nicely at the house in Kelowna. Once she snooped through everything, she decided she was the queen of the castle and relaxed.

She loved to lay out on the enclosed porch and watch the birds. Also, she had never seen stairs before but she soon learned to run up and down them like a pro. She especially like to bat your head from above.

Karen brought some presents over for my 60th birthday. Snoopy appears to be looking at the picture but it was the hair bobbles she was eyeing.

New Furniture

The first time Snoopy jumped up on the rocking chair she flew right off the other side. She was pretty confused but she soon learned to jump up and balance herself until the rocking stops.

Brier Fan

Watching Snoopy watch curling was quite comical. She would follow the rocks down the screen then try to find them under the TV when the shot changed to the house view.

In preparation for the renovations everything was stacked in the living room and covered with plastic. It was like an obstacle course and Miss Snoop had a great time exploring under it and sleeping in the middle.

During the renovation we stayed at Execsuite. Snoopy was a bit confused about "where to lay" but she adapted quite quickly once I put my quilt on the bed and a towel on the couch.

Little Quilter

While at Execsuite in 2011, I started quilting. This was something new for Snoopy. At first she was just plain curious about the noise the sewing machine made. Next she started to swat my fingers from behind. I was afraid I was going to end up sewing her paw!! When she pouted because I was ignoring her, she started laying right against the back side of the sewing machine letting the material bury her as I sewed. Kicking her off the table wasn't an option, so I provided her with a "perch" - her very own colour coordinated sewing basket. Problem solved.

Snoopy loves to lay "on" something. It doesn't matter if it's my sewing basket, my best sweater, or a ratty old towel. If it's on top of something - that's where she wants to lay. This little preference of hers has it's own bonus for me. I can get her to lay wherever I want as long as I put a towel there. Hair problem solved.

Kiddy Kat Quilts

This also solved another little problem I'm having. I can't stop quilting. I like to experiment with blocks figuring out colours and designs and seeing what they end up like. Now this can get a bit expensive so I just started making 24" x 24" quilts - originally with the idea that I could throw them away if I didn't like them.

Soon I discovered Snoopy liked to lay on them too. Now, even this has gone too far. The miniature quilts turned out so nice, I started making them with different tones and included quilts for kids. Karen named them Kiddy Kat Quilts. I am now selling them along with some other sewing projects. Kiddy Kat Quilts

The Letter

Snoopy's cousin Clifford, a big red dog, lives in Texas. Things are much different in Texas for animals. Clifford was gored by a wild pig and he was in the hospital. The good news is that he survived the ordeal. This is the card that Snoopy sent to her cousin.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Snoopy went to the vet for an annual checkup and shots. It was discovered she needed tooth surgery - two, perhaps three, extractions. Surgery was booked. That was only the beginning of the ordeal.

Food Dilemma

The first problem I encountered was a food change. I tried everything wet. Absolutely nothing worked. Sometimes she would nibble a bit on something new then walk away. Sometimes she wouldn't even try it. I even resorted to soaking her dry food in water to make it wet. No dice. We finally concluded it wasn't the taste but the texture that repelled her. The vet said not to stress her any further. She would figure out how to eat her dry food even with a sore mouth.

Fight and Conquer

I had to take Snoopy in for blood tests. I am still refusing to let them take urine samples. They keep trying to reassure me but I cannot get beyond what happened to Miss Kitty. So a blood test was all they were going to get from Snoopy. But knowing her firm resolution of "death over submission" I asked how they were going to get the test out of her. They replied that they have their ways.

Their "ways" didn't work. She absolutely would not let them take her blood and was willing to kill herself or them - whichever came first. The good news is that in her fear (or anger) she peed and they were at least able to get a urine test.

Surgery day came. She had to be at the vet at 8:30 am so I put her in the carrier the first chance I got - 7:45 am. This was the third time in the carrier and three times too many. She was one bitchy cat. I had to listen to her "my life is coming to an end" screams for the next 3/4 hour. Both of us were a mess.

By noon surgery was over. I picked Snoopy up at 3:00. She was very dozy and disoriented. She spent the rest of the day sleeping.

Recovery

Her recovery was actually quite quick. She drank her water right away and started to eat the next day. The only small problem she encountered was constipation. Recovery was certainly easier than preparation!!

I've been making pot holders and trivets with my left over material. This pot holder was sitting on the table and Snoopy figured it was one of her Kiddy Kat quilts. A little small Mom, but if you insist! She made it fit!

August 2015 brought on another round of tooth problems. Snoopy's bad breath was cause for alarm so off to the vet we go and as suspected, more teeth needed to come out. For an otherwise extremely healthy cat, the teeth are her undoing.

Fight and Conquer Again?

OK, we are not going to go through this again. We already know she will not cooperate. The only thing that another trip to the vet accomplishes is to stress her out. Rather than go through the ritual of pre-op testing, I took her in the night before and they did the blood tests, etc. once she was sedated in the morning. Certainly a better way for her.

Recovery

Snoopy bounced back pretty fast. We already know that she wont eat wet food, so rather than changing her food, I left her bowl of dry kibble available and gave her milk and tuna juice with some mushed up tuna. It worked really well and by the fourth day she was back to her normal food. Another tragedy diverted!

I had to replace the black and white sewing box. It was too big for my carry bag. Snoopy likes the red one just as much. A little smaller but apparently just as comfortable.

My dilemma

Quilting has basically taken over my life so it stands to reason that it is Snoopy's favourite pastime too.

When I had the extra bedroom remodelled into a studio, Snoopy was curious about what was on the "counter". She was standing on her hind legs trying to see what was up there. Snoopy has been trained not to jump up on the kitchen counters. In fact, she rarely enters the kitchen at all. She is basically allowed everywhere else in the house but the forbidden kitchen counters simply do not exist for her.

Do I allow her on the counter in the studio or not? This was something new and she needed to know the rules. The cupboards and counters are built and look exactly the same as the kitchen ones. Would she be able to know the difference or would this confuse her? I took the chance and invited her up. Of course, much to her delight she found some wonderful things to lay on.

Hello, Tech Support ........

There is something wrong with my rollers. They are stuck and wont move. No there isn't anything blocking them. Yes, the roller locks are all open. No there isn't any material bunched up. Yes, of course I loaded the quilt the correct way. Yes the needle is up. No, I haven't run out of backing.

Oh, hang on. Surprise!

I'm sure she thinks she's totally buried! Snoopy's infatuation with quilts is quite entertaining. She equates company with going to the sewing room and if we don't get there fast enough she tells us about it. She has to insert herself into whatever is happening. If it's on the bed for review, on the longarm for quilting, or on the table to binding, she forces herself on the quilt somehow. After all, weren't quilts made to be laid on?

Kiddy Kat Quilt Inspector

I was making some kiddy kat quilts for a friend in Ontario. Snoopy needed to "cat approve" them before they went in the mail.

I'm not sure what happened on the other end. Hopefully the pre-approval cat scent did not upset the new feline owner.

July 2019 and more tooth problems! The telltale smell gave it away. How many teeth does she have left? Off to the vet for her annual visit and confirmation that more teeth had to be removed.

Fight and Conquer Again?

Nope. Not this time. We've got this down to a science now. One trip to the vet early in the morning, sedation, tests, extraction and home by 3 pm. She barely had time to stress. All her top teeth on one side have now been removed. She will have to adjust her eating but at least there will be no further decay in that area. The rest of her teeth were cleaned and, remarkably, they are all fine.

Recovery

More milk and tuna juice, dry kibble in the bowl, and back to normal within a week. She is such a trooper. Hopefully, she will not have to go through this again now that the problem area is gone. Maybe three times is the charm.

Sad Diagnosis - Renal Failure

Once Snoopy was out they took blood tests and squeezed a urine sample from her. (I still refuse to let them extract urine by a needle so extraction this way is the only option). Diagnosis "early stages of renal failure".

Its hard to believe because she is so healthy in every other way. This hits me between the eyes. If you didn't know better, you would think she was a kitten. But the reality is she is now considered a senior - 15 years old.

At this point she is not showing any symptoms. The vet said that kidney failure is very common with cats. There is no cure (other than a transplant). The vet reviewed the things I can expect in the coming years. She suggested some canned foods that help the kidney - all of which were ultimately rejected by Snoopy. No surprise there. I've added a renal specific dry kibble to help her. We just have to let this disease progress and keep monitoring her.

A few months later I panicked when I noticed two things. Snoopy was acting nervous and cautious for no reason. I was not going away. Nothing was happening around the house to stress her. In addition, she was drinking a lot of water and throwing up - not related to hairballs. Just drinking the water and then throwing up. Thinking she might be diabetic I took her to the vet. Her blood sugar levels were just fine. The cautiousness, excessive drinking and throwing up are all probably related to the kidney failure. It was decided to check her again in six months.

Quilt Inspector

Snoopy continues her relentless inspection of every quilt that comes into the house. This quilt by my friend Sally was on the bed for review. Snoopy starts her inspection process immediately. Sally and I have no choice but to go have coffee until she is finished.

May 2020, in the middle of the Covid 19 lockdown, I took Snoopy to the vet for a checkup complete with "curbside" pick up. All went well but it was difficult not to be with her while being examined. She has been losing weight. She is a tiny girl to begin with so even a few ounces shows. Blood and urine tests were taken. Everything is OK but she is now in second stage kidney failure.

To help her along, we need to stimulate her appetite. She never really warmed up to wet food but the "cuts and gravy" type helped. She licked the gravy and left the cuts to dry out in the bowl. We tried adding some medicine to the wet food but Snoopy was not having any part of that. The vet suggested I try "Squeeze Ups". She gave me four samples to try. They are a paste so I have totally shocked when Snoopy gobbled them up. They would continue to be a lifesaver for her.

My Space

Snoopy loves to sit on the counter while I do my quilting. I always have to put a Kiddy Kat Quilt on there for her to lay on. When she isn't looking out the window at the birds, she's busy throwing my quilting supplies off the counter then leaning over to look down at her handy work. It really amazes my that at 16 years old she effortlessly leaps up on the counter. She doesn't know she's an old lady.

Urinary Tract Infection

2021 health troubles started early in the year. Snoopy had an UTI for the third time. The first two times I took her to the hospital but the third time to her own Vet. The results are all the same - no bacteria just out of control white blood cells.

There is no doubt that she has a very high white blood cell count but there is no apparent reason for it - which has been proven over and over by all the tests. It seems all the antibiotic does is kill off the white blood cells and everything goes back to normal.

After the third time that tests came back with no bacteria, we decided not to put her through the extremely stressful day again and just start out with the antibiotic. If that doesn't work then we will pursue testing. I'm so glad the doctor is on board with this as her trips to the hospital are so stressful she hides for days afterwards. The decision to make a quick trip to the vet for a shot is much more desirable. I now have painkillers on hand to give her until I can get her to her own Vet rather than a hospital.

Weight Concerns

While she was at the Vet, they also did her annual checkup. It turns out she is very low on potassium. In addition, she continues to lose weight which is a concern as she really doesn't have any weight to lose. I am now giving her potassium with a bit of milk and hopefully this will stop the weight loss and she might even gain some weight. After three months on potassium, although her appetite has increased I cant say for sure if she has gained any weight. We are going to continue with this treatment.

My Shadow

Snoopy follows me everywhere I go. There is a towel on my desk for her to lay on. She is always there watching me and waiting for a pet.

She continues to assist me with my quilting. She is up on the table and "not quite" laying on the fabric. Sometimes when she puts her head down right behind the machine the fabric rolls on top of her - and she loves it.

Health Issues

2022. Snoopy is 17 years old. She is still so kitten-like, it is hard to wrap my head around the fact that she is a very old lady. This year brought on increased health issues. After several stressful trips to the vet with urinary tract infections and having to tranquilize her to get tests, we decided in future not to stress her - to just give her the antibiotics and send her home without tests. Her kidney failure is steady and she is still in early stage two. The vet says that with her age, she is not likely advance to stage four - that she would probably die from something else altogether.

Snoopy continued to bounce back and her appetite increased. For most of the year she held her own and even gained a little weight. I have to constantly change her food to stimulate her appetite and give her medicine hidden in her cream. Thank goodness she can still tolerate cream. I've started giving her whipped cream just to pump some extra calories into her.

In October, Snoopy was back at the vet with another urinary tract infection. The vet checked her over and her vitals were still good. Her kidneys had actually improved. She got over the urinary tract infection. But then she started to snub her food and water. She didn't even finish her treat bowl of cream. She slept a lot and snuggled very close to me at night. Then some mobility issues started. She would miss the jump and sometimes I had to lift her up onto the counter in the sewing room as the counter was too high.

November 7, 2022 - Good-bye My Sweet Diva

Snoopy and I spent a quiet weekend together. We cuddled, we slept, and I cried. I knew in my heart that it was time but there is always the snippet of hope. It wasn't to be so. She was not stressed. She was quite calm. As I sat in the vet's office, Snoopy and I put our foreheads together, as we often did, and cherished our last moments together.

Once more I painfully morn the loss of a precious little girl. My broken heart says goodbye.

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author Unknown