My Cat, Pollard

I know everyone says it but I truly do have the best cat in the world.  Pollard came to us shortly after my husband and I bought our house.  I picked him after just being dropped off at a local pet store because he was inquisitive, but not too rowdy or cranky.  My husband named him Pollard after the great Bob Pollard of Guided by Voices.  He has surely lived up to his name by offering big kicks and a howling cry.

After only having him two weeks Pollard became very ill on a Friday while we were both at work.  When my husband came home Pollard had thrown up three times and couldn't lift his head.  Soon we were off to the emergency vet where they gave him some fluids.  They couldn't keep overnight because at 9 weeks he didn't have all his shots yet.  Pollard came home still weak, but feeling a bit better.  I stayed up with him that first night feeding him some molasses on his nose for calories.  After a couple of days, poor Pollard broke out in a rash all over his body and the little pads on his feet were so red he couldn't walk.  Turns out the little guy was allergic to Penicillin.

Pollard has given us other problems too.  He's a big, neutered, male so he gets urinary & bladder infections.  On top of that he gets constipated too.  His most favorite thing to do when he's not feeling well is to stop eating.  If you know about cats, you know it doesn't take long for cats to go into kidney failure without food.  We've gone through home cooked chicken, baby food, and even peanut butter to get him to eat.  He's had subcutaneous fluids, x-rays, & ultra-sounds.  Pollard and I were meant for each other.

Because of all he has gone through, he is great for me when I'm not feeling well.  On nights I can't sleep he comes to curl up next to me.  If I'm having a particularly rough day, he gives me lots of rubs hoping it will help me feel better.  He's the first to greet me everyday when I come home from work, and cries every day when I leave.  We should have named him shadow because he's always under my foot.  Pollard is my best friend.

So on April 25th, we will celebrate Pollard's 7th birthday.  While 10 times bigger than he was on the day we brought him home, he is still my little kitten.  I work with many cats in volunteering at a cat shelter and he is still the best cat I've ever come across.  Pollard with get lots of presents, treats, and a wet food "cake", but he still won't realize how special he is to me.

Happy Birthday Mr. P!