And the winner of National Cat Week is...

Long live Roscoe !

by Nancy of petcollage

My cat Roscoe will be 23 years old this Xmas. People are usually shocked when I tell them how old he is, even though many cats live into their twenties. He’s still going strong and doesn’t look a day over 19 !!

Actually, since he’s a Persian cat and has a round face, he still looks kind of kittenish. He does have kidney disease (so, don’t despair if your senior cat is diagnosed – they can last for quite a while). He gets infusions every other day, as well as various meds, one to stimulate his appetite. He’s pretty much the same as he ever was, tho skinnier with less fur. He remains beautiful and his big eyes are still golden and clear. He still likes to sprawl on my husband’s keyboard (when he’s trying to work, of course). He still meows for us to put ice in his drinking water. Unfortunately, he continues to refuse to be a lap cat, something we always joked would change when he grew old and tired.

I rescued Roscoe from a home in Detroit (my birthplace) when his owners got a hunting dog and banished him to the basement. Just like me, he was lucky enough to wind up in Chicago, where he initially spent time perched in a window 24 floors up with a beautiful view of the city. He now lives in a condo on Chicago’s lakefront, where he can enjoy sitting on a balcony that overlooks Lake Michigan.

Roscoe is the first cat I ever owned and I hold him responsible for making me into a crazy cat lady. His beauty inspired me to start making pet collages... The first is a fantasy collage featuring me in cat pose on a beach with two Roscoes. Dream on !

Here’s to my beloved Roscoe...

long may he live !!!