Poor, sweet kitty

After living 14 years as a fat cat, (the photo below is from healthier days) Maddie is now just eight pounds. She's lost almost half her body weight in the last 18 months. She has a large growth on her side, which is being tested to determine if it's cancer. If it is, the vet has warned, she won't live much longer. Even if it's not, it's clearly affecting her appetite and is causing a rear leg to shake as she walks. We should have results back on Monday.

Meanwhile, she's also developed a urinary track infection, which we're treating with an antibiotic. And if that's not enough, the vet found glucose in her urine, which means she likely has feline diabetes.

If it's possible to have a bright note to this story, it's this: If Maddie is, in fact, on her ninth life, she is making the most of it! All the treats and table scraps we've been denying her for years because of her weight – she is enjoying them now in abundance. She still tends to hide in the basement when the kids are awake. But in the morning before they're awake, she is constantly under my feet, especially when I'm in the kitchen.