Live from the Legend!! December 19-26, 2021 with Kmom.

[KmomChicago]

On 2/5/2022 at 4:14 PM, sammee said:

What a nice review. Hoping to be on her at the end of the month, waiting on vacation approval from husband before I book. Love the kitties too. I moved into a 55+ area, oh boy, what an awakening. There must have been 15 TNR'd ferals just in my block alone. That was back in 2013. Most of them aged out. I was able to bring in 2 of the kittens. The 3rd of the litter moved on to a neighbor down the street.  I'm down to one outdoor feral. He's really old. I wish I could do more, but I have 5 in the house. 2 is the neighborhood policy (yeah right). It's never easy saying goodbye to a fur baby. 

Thank you for your kind words and for helping the outdoor feral TNR’s. It’s not like a lot of people really want all these cats. They find us and need us and we love them but the overpopulation issue is seriously heartbreaking.

[sammee]

13 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Thank you for your kind words and for helping the outdoor feral TNR’s. It’s not like a lot of people really want all these cats. They find us and need us and we love them but the overpopulation issue is seriously heartbreaking.

It really is. It's no fault of them. It's what people/society did to them. I'm friends with someone out in PA. She moved to a bigger house and property. She is taking care of over 50+ of them by herself with a little help if things break from family. Some of them with FCP (feline cerebal palsy?) I don't know how she does it. Lots of heartbreak with the special needs of them too.

[sammee]

On 12/17/2021 at 11:59 AM, Jamman54 said:

Looking forward to your review. We will be on her for the first time since 2006 in February. Also have a B2B booked end of August. 😎

Hey Jamman, when are you booked for in February. My husband and I just booked for 2/27, Happy Birthday to him.

[KmomChicago]

For those still following for Fighter. He’s been pretty stable for several weeks. Still fighting almost continuous minor congestion. Only wants wet food but eating it well and staying fairly strong. Loves those sponge baths followed by good deep brushing.

[Jamman54]

On 2/7/2022 at 1:57 PM, sammee said:

Hey Jamman, when are you booked for in February. My husband and I just booked for 2/27, Happy Birthday to him.

We wound up having to cancel. Forgot about other activities that we couldn't get out of. 😎

[sammee]

5 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

We wound up having to cancel. Forgot about other activities that we couldn't get out of. 😎

Yeah, that can happen. Mine usually get cancelled for me, lol. I should have been on the Tampa cruise next week, but that got cancelled for me. Legend is replacing it.  I'm hoping I can swing one in the summer. I like to combine Tampa with family visit.  

[KmomChicago]

Fighter Cat today. Looking pretty good! 

[SenatorsFan]

Thanks for the update. He's so cute. 😻

[KmomChicago]

On 3/3/2022 at 7:35 PM, SenatorsFan said:

Thanks for the update. He's so cute. 😻

 

Kinda sad fact I learned a few months ago. FIV positive cats are often extra cute with the chubby cheeks because of chronically swollen lymph nodes near their jaw. We have a a few other FIV cats at the rescue and one day I remarked on how unusually cute one of them is - he is younger and healthier / less infection prone so far than Fighter - and was told why his is so cute. 😞 

 

The situation is difficult. Some of these cats need regular antibiotics and pain meds, neither of which will help forever, so you have to decide when they are really going to help. For a few weeks I have felt Fighter seems to be very slightly improving though both of his meds have been a little bit reduced.  We want to keep him as comfortable and healthy as possible for as long as we can.

 

Some people also come into the rescue and feel the cats in closed cages are unjustly imprisoned but in most cases those cats strongly prefer it, are calmer and much happier having their own safe space where no one can mess with them, while they can observe the various human or free roaming cat activities happening around them. Not all cats get along with, or want to be close to, other cats. 

 

Fighter obviously had a rough go on the outside and he seems so happy - grateful actually - to simply have a soft, clean dry bed, daily wet food, safety from attacks, and some human attention. He is such a kind and patient cat. I am so sorry he was one of the many surplus TNVRs out there in his younger days. Spay and neuter, please! If you feed outdoor cats, please try to have a local rescue help you get them TNVR'd as well. Every spay/neuter surgery potentially spares hundreds of unwanted kittens from brutal short lives.

 

[SenatorsFan]

Thanks for providing all of these details. Our first cat had FLV and was diagnosed after he had a fairly happy life after being rescued from the side of the road. It's hard to see any animal suffer and I commend you for your kindness and commitment. 😍😻

[KmomChicago]

On 12/16/2021 at 9:13 AM, PelicanBill said:

Ready to ride along. I am one of those booked for next October's Panama Canal partial. 

 

Interested in the check-in process and experience. And details on good coffee and the food at the buffet stations, Blue Iguana and Redfrog. Have fun!

 

Hello @PelicanBill. I just realized I may not have given you all the details you wanted. For me the fresh brewed coffee in the buffet is fine, very good. You walk up to these dispenser machines, put your cup under the spigot, and push a brew button. Most of the time there are plenty of add ons available, but in the wee hours there may only be whole milk or something rather than your choice of cream, skim, etc. 

 

Check-in was relatively easy. Parking is all open in a large enough lot. You first drive through a check point and unload your checked bags as crew pile them onto trams that they then drive onto the ship. Then you curve around to a pay station where you pay in advance, and find a spot. That process can back up and take 15-30 minutes. They were tightly enforcing check in times, but by October this may be an abandoned practice.  I actually did not realize we were among the first passengers but we walked right up to Guy's with our carry-ons and there was hardly anyone around yet. 

 

The terminal looks very bleh from the outside - just really a plain steel building, but inside they are able to do the usual business. My mom had a gallon of water for her CPAP machine which added some paperwork to the process but was otherwise fairly smooth. Her pre-rented Scootaround was outside the terminal building so she was able to drive through all this and onto the ship unassisted, as well as off at the end.  WE were in the 2nd or 3rd time slot I believe (12:30?) and once onboard, we had a port view from our (starboard side, LOL) suite and the process seemed to go on forever out there. The ship leaves around 5pm - I think we actually left a bit later -  and we could see people continuing to arrive and queue up outside until well after 3pm - and could have been closer to 4 as the winter solstice sun was definitely low in the sky - when we weren't busy running around exploring or eating Guy's burgers of course. 

 

I have seen a few people advise to avoid crowds by not pushing to have an early check in time, get on later when it's cleared out, but that simply did not apply. It didn't clear out until basically everyone was aboard.  HOWEVER keep in mind, the prior passengers don't get off until 10 or 11 so earliest times are not as early as other ships.

 

We enjoy the food in the buffet for the most part, on most cruises. My mom, who is mobility challenged, didn't like the choppiness of the multiple stations and I was often fetching stuff for her as it's hard to drive those scooters around in the congested space, but to me it's like a food court except they don't charge you at each location.

 

We found the Asian station to be a favorite though it's really not drastically different from Panda Express quality. However, it does vary a bit day to day and one day there was some yummy butter chicken, something I don't have easy access to at home. We are not really that close to Chicago but more out in the farmlands where Mexican and Chinese are as international as the cuisine gets.

 

As you enter the buffet, the Deli is one of the first things you encounter and so I think it felt busier than on some other ships we've sailed where it is way in the back of the buffet.

 

There is always a cold station in the buffet which has a handful of prepared salads which were okay but not memorable. Most days I found one of the 4-5 looked interesting enough to add to my feast. 

 

As with most cruise buffets, it's nearly empty when it first opens in the morning and builds to a crescendo where you'd probably rather be somewhere else, and yet - they keep coming.

 

Lunch and dinner of course are also very busy at peak meal times and occasionally the station lines got long and moving around in general challenging due to large crowds. One thing I found interesting, because I like to notice odd stuff, is that at breakfast, one of the chefs was using the Guy's Burger Joint kitchen (just outside the buffet near the Lido pools) to make a buncha breakfast foods, like big trays of eggs benedict. It looks like the buffet has several small galleys and apparently the extra cooking space is helpful with the early rush. 

 

Blue Iguana Taco/Burrito bar was fine as always, and it's just outside the buffet. It seemed drastically underutilized on my cruise compared to usual, possibly because we were sailing from Baltimore and our sea days down and back were a bit chilly.  My husband got me a couple of random drinks from the Blue Iguana Tequila bar which is outdoors on the Lido deck and they served their purpose. I am not a booze connoisseur these days so I couldn't tell you what they were or even remember how they tasted. I was just like, I needa drink, please get me whatever the barkeep recommends!  I had him do the same with Alchemy, get me something that looks interesting - and it all kinda tastes the same to me, the bite of the booze partly counteracted by something to sweeten it up a bit.

 

We didn't really go in the RedFrog pub at all. Originally I thought they had an appetizer menu, but I guess they don't and I wasn't drinking much or hanging around in any of the watering holes. Sorry. 

[KmomChicago]

On 12/19/2021 at 5:16 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

Thanks, kmom.  Can't stop thinking about that poor cat.  It's in "hospice" at your house? 

 

Hopefully Sid will post a pic of his opossum babies and maybe that'll cheer me up.  😁 🏴‍☠️

@IntrepidFromDC It’s been a while and Fighter has held on longer than I could realistically have hoped. This is him last night and I can tell he is nearing the end. He is estimated to be somewhere around 9 or 10 years old so we think  he’s had a fairly long life.  His appetite is dropping, his skin below the handsome fur is riddled with grit and developing stubborn sores that don’t really heal. I love him so much but can’t force him to stick around to the  point that his discomfort becomes intolerable. The pain meds and antibiotics are helping less, and for shorter intervals. 
 

I took this after cleaning up his chronically drooling mouth and stuffy nose, after a sponge bath and good soft brushing, while he was kneading me with old gunky paws. 

[ninjacat123]

3 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

@IntrepidFromDC It’s been a while and Fighter has held on longer than I could realistically have hoped. This is him last night and I can tell he is nearing the end. He is estimated to be somewhere around 9 or 10 years old so we think  he’s had a fairly long life.  His appetite is dropping, his skin below the handsome fur is riddled with grit and developing stubborn sores that don’t really heal. I love him so much but can’t force him to stick around to the  point that his discomfort becomes intolerable. The pain meds and antibiotics are helping less, and for shorter intervals. 
 

I took this after cleaning up his chronically drooling mouth and stuffy nose, after a sponge bath and good soft brushing, while he was kneading me with old gunky paws. 

I'm sorry that Fighter is declining.  You made his time here bearable and he knows he is loved.  Please give him a pet on the head for me.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

Poor guy. 😪 You have made him feel so loved and have given him the best part of his life. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

Kmom, you're not alone in your struggle to comfort Fighter.  A lot of us here pray/hope for the best time together you and Fighter can possibly have.  He's very handsome in the photo.  I've been down that road of "the pain meds are helping less and less every week/few days" and can relate - it's heartbreaking yet you are doing the best anyone could do.  Fighter and all of your mini-zoo members are very lucky to have someone like you with a BIG ANIMAL HEART.  I see another puddy tat in the background and it looks like you have an actual "hospice center" set up.  You're a saint.

[KmomChicago]

7 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Kmom, you're not alone in your struggle to comfort Fighter.  A lot of us here pray/hope for the best time together you and Fighter can possibly have.  He's very handsome in the photo.  I've been down that road of "the pain meds are helping less and less every week/few days" and can relate - it's heartbreaking yet you are doing the best anyone could do.  Fighter and all of your mini-zoo members are very lucky to have someone like you with a BIG ANIMAL HEART.  I see another puddy tat in the background and it looks like you have an actual "hospice center" set up.  You're a saint.

The cats in the background are all healthy / non-FIV infected, and up for adoption, since you mention it, so feel free to let me know if you are in the market. 🙂 To the left is Precious, a semi-tame slim little number nearing her first birthday; in the cage you can't see Starbright, a long-haired black tuxedo floof a couple of years old, rescued as a stray and waiting for a people home, and the blurry tabby to the right is Nigel, surrendered by a family who left him with us when they moved away, which, from what I understand, they should have done even if they had stuck around. 

 

We have lost four old-timers this spring/summer, none of whom were FIV, but the director has been providing sanctuary for almost 20 years, so some of the non-adoptable permanent residents are just running through their natural life spans.  Fighter is our only FIV cat who is so old and sickly right now.

 

We also have Millie, Harley, Hobo and Marvin, much younger and feeling well and vigorous, and all of whom are potentially adoptable to special homes able and willing to accommodate them.

 

 

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I'm sorry that Fighter is declining.  You made his time here bearable and he knows he is loved.  Please give him a pet on the head for me.

Thanks Ninjacat. It is comforting to feel we have helped him and I will pet him long and gently today for you. 🙂

 

 

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Poor guy. 😪 You have made him feel so loved and have given him the best part of his life. 

Thank you Travel Girl. I think so; he is not really a meower, as typical for cats who did not live with humans, but he does give quiet, weak, sweet meows to me, and I think he is trying to say, thank you, and I love you too.  I don't know how we know it, but the director and I have felt since he arrived, that his attitude is extremely grateful to us for everything we have provided him. "Thank you for giving me a safe quiet place to rest my old weary bones and spirit, thank you for easing my pain and relieving me from having to hunt for my dinner and fight for my space." 

 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

We have two cats. One was a stray found by my husband's co-worker as a kitten. The other we got from a rescue last year when she was 5 years old. She had already had 2 homes by the time she was surrendered to the kill shelter and then was rescued. I don't understand why; she is very sweet and we are so glad to have her. She did have a bladder stone that had to be surgically removed shortly after we adopted her, so I wonder if they knew something was wrong and didn't want to deal with it? But her vetting at the rescue didn't reveal the issue (it was discovered after we had her for a few months), so who knows.

[SenatorsFan]

Thank you again, @KmomChicago for all you have done for Fighter, who is so very handsome. If he is at the end of his life, at least your tender care and love have vastly improved his quality of life, and I know he knows that. You can give him a cuddle from me, please.

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

We have two cats. One was a stray found by my husband's co-worker as a kitten. The other we got from a rescue last year when she was 5 years old. She had already had 2 homes by the time she was surrendered to the kill shelter and then was rescued. I don't understand why; she is very sweet and we are so glad to have her. She did have a bladder stone that had to be surgically removed shortly after we adopted her, so I wonder if they knew something was wrong and didn't want to deal with it? But her vetting at the rescue didn't reveal the issue (it was discovered after we had her for a few months), so who knows.

 

Thank you for taking them in and giving them the love and care they need and deserve. I appreciate you!

[KmomChicago]

38 minutes ago, SenatorsFan said:

Thank you again, @KmomChicago for all you have done for Fighter, who is so very handsome. If he is at the end of his life, at least your tender care and love have vastly improved his quality of life, and I know he knows that. You can give him a cuddle from me, please.

 

Thank you. I just ran over for a quick check and petted him for everyone. He did gobble up a small serving of lunch and kneaded me on my lap. I will be back later this afternoon.  He may still have a few days with us but I will be surprised if the director (she is out of town this week) doesn't make the final call when she returns.

 

[KmomChicago]

Fighter held on almost four more months and his large wound healed, but recently he lost significant weight and his overall skin condition continued to deteriorate.
 

 I took him to his final vet visit today after giving him a sponge bath and a nice long brushing session, then taking him outdoors at the equestrian farm to smell fresh air, feel the breeze, and see the sunshine. Later I held him as he fell asleep peacefully.
 

RIP sweet little man, November 22, 2022. 
 

He came to us terminally ill with advanced Feline Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 18 months ago in May, 2021. He has had some chronic symptoms the entire time but with a lot of loving attention and medication, he has shown a desire to carry on. That spark has been fading but not quite extinguished, making the timing of the decision difficult but ultimately the best for our Fighter Cat. I am grateful to have been there with him. 
 

They say the only thing cats leave in their will is their human’s love, to another kitty who needs it as they did. And we have plenty of others to receive this bequest. 

[SmoothFlying]

19 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

They say the only thing cats leave in their will is their human’s love, to another kitty who needs it as they did. And we have plenty of others to receive this bequest. 

Having lost loved  'liitle ones' after having each 12+ years each I told my wife with our last loss, 'You know, I wish that when the Almighty powers created this universe had a loving pet for love and affection. Then hopefully   HE would have made it possible for THEM to take life's long journey beside us. Because in their short life they show us more LOVE than most humans. And, it's this loss, that pains us the most. 

RIP Sweet Fighter- you were, and are loved and missed.

 

Mac

 

[SenatorsFan]

Such a sweet, touching post, @KmomChicago. Thank you for caring for Fighter.

[KmomChicago]

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