2025-0210-cirrus17

March 23, 2025

Cirrus Turns 17

On February 10, 2025, my sweet tabby cat Cirrus turned 17. I adopted him from the Peninsula Humane Society SPCA in 2009 when he was 1 year old. From that very first day and his surprisingly calm ride home in a carboard pet carrier, Cirrus has been my best buddy. Adopting him has indeed been the best thing I’ve ever done. He’s a loving, engaging cat whose attachment and devotion have been both surprising and remarkable—he even came running to my rescue once!

Last year, Cirrus developed hyperthyroidism and began showing the early stages of kidney disease. He’s responded quite well to the prescribed treatment—twice daily oral medication for his thyroid and prescription food, and when his kidney disease began to progress, fluids administered under the skin. Giving him those tiny pills and administering the fluids were daunting tasks at first, but today, Miguel and I have got it down to a science so to speak. Cirrus hardly notices the taste of the pill or the needle and seems only to focus on the lickable treats he gets each time. It truly is harder on Miguel and I than it is on him.

I remind myself that when Cirrus was young—and when I was younger—the day would come when I’d need to take care of him this way. Well, here we are going through the motions, and he’s still happy and comfortable as can be. The future may bring additional challenges, but I’m ready.

If there’s something I want to convey with this story it’s that when you make a promise to take care of someone, if you’re sincere about your promise, it makes it that much easier to follow through when the time comes. My own discomfort is a small price to pay for giving him a longer and more comfortable old age. And every day he cuddles up next to me and falls asleep in my arms is a sign that bringing him into my home and letting him make it his own was always the right thing to do. More: Instagram / BlueSky