Happy Birthday, Bodie๐
Orange is the skyโs way of smiling before it says goodnight.
Today, Bodie turns a whopping 14 years old. We took him into our home in January 2023 from Taylorโs parents, and these two years have been filled with nothing but love, paw prints on my face at 3 a.m., and many servings of sous-vide fine meats. Today, heโs getting steak tips.
First off, heโs doing great considering his hyperthyroidism. He was diagnosed about two years ago, and typically cats have a life expectancy of 1โ3 years after diagnosis. But as you can see from the photos, heโs looking mighty healthy. Just like in everything else he does, I know heโll far outlive expectations.
These days, he has many hobbies:
- Going outside. Heโs loving the California sun โ and the blessed lack of mosquitoes. He enjoys it so much that he tries to sneak out now. He succeeded once, and the taste of freedom hooked him. He loves rummaging through bushes, rolling in the dirt, and getting pets from everyone in the neighborhood.
- Sous-vide or pressure-cooked chicken and beef. With hyperthyroidism, he needs an ample supply of food. Cats canโt have seasoning or oils, and while they can eat raw meat, we prefer cooking it to reduce the risk of bacteria in store-bought cuts. That rules out the skillet (too sticky), and while boiling works, would you eat boiled meat? If heโs not getting wet food, he needs all the moisture he can get from what he eats. So now I sous-vide the meats, or Taylor pressure-cooks them.
- ** Heating pads.** It gets cold here at night, so we set out a heating blanket for him on low with a timer. Or heโll just sleep on one of us โ whicheverโs closer.
- Cat wheel. We got it for Mallory to exercise on, but neither of them really used it for that. Bodie does love kneading it, though!
- Obsessing over shoes. Iโd rather not get into this one...
- Screaming in the middle of the night. He doesnโt want to come to you โ he wants you to come to him. Whether heโs bored, hungry, or lonely, you can count on a raspy meow echoing through the darkness.
All in all, he lives a good life, despite the odds. He has arthritis in his paws, so he buckles every now and then. He sits and watches the world with calm detachment, occasionally blessing it with a slow blink. Heโs taught me the virtues of patience, the joy of companionship, and the beauty of routines that donโt need any words.
I look forward to many more moments curled up in sunlight, many more screams at the bottom of the stairs for food, and โ hopefully โ no more surprise escapes.
Happy 14th Birthday, Bodie. ๐