Star's Birthday/Gotcha Day Celebration!

I really dropped the ball, but Star, being the sweet kitty that she is, has given me a reprieve. As long as I get her birthday/gotcha day party up before the weekend is over, I get to keep my arms! Otherwise, she’ll shred me to bloody stumps.

Note to self: Claw clipping time again...

She’s being this lenient with me because of my earlier back trouble, physical therapy, vacation, and my mom’s surgery. I appreciate it, Star, I truly do! (Next week I’ll show you how she helps with my physical therapy!) So let’s get right to it!

We don’t know Star’s actual birthday, and we honestly don’t remember what date it was exactly when we got her. So we did some guesstimating. We know it was right at the end of the nieces’ and nephew’s school year. So June was a good choice. And since she’s a number 1 kitty, June 1st was the best, logical choice.

I’ve told her story before, you can find it here: Gray Cat Obsession

The short version is I thought she was one of the free kittens they were giving away at the house I parked next to when I picked up my nieces from school. I’d seen her on the porch one day and just wanted her! Thinking she was a slightly grown up kitten of the ‘free kittens’ sign proclaimed. She was not.

She was one of the momma kitties. But they were giving her away too, so I got her! My nephew, who I’d picked up from junior high before going for the girls, carried her home in his arms. We were not expecting to get a kitty or I’d have had a carrier. But her owner was in the middle of a divorce and was hardly ever there and was only there at that time to pick up a few things. (Actually, it looked more like he was throwing things out into the yard and breaking them, but I digress..)

It took days, but once I got her in a room by herself, visited her several times a day, I discovered that she was very happy to be pet and cuddled. Just not picked up. Once I let her out to mingle with my three elder kitties, she quickly took control as top cat.

Within a few years, she was an only cat and seemed to prefer it that way. Cuddly and kittenish as long as it was her idea and she got her way. Which she almost always did.

Eating chicken? Oh that’s hers, must share! Ham? Same deal. Gooseliver (braunschweiger)? She’d take your arm off for that! Pick her up? Expect her to fight tooth and claw. Let her come to you, forget anything you’re working on, it’s Star time! Catnip? Whenever she wants it.

It’s only been recently that she’s started showing her age, but bring out the right toy and she still plays like a kitten, leaping and biting like a champ!

I looked up how to tell cat years and discovered that my 13 year old petite darling is actually 68. I guess it’s understandable that she’s showing her age. Occasionally. She seriously doesn’t show that age when she’s chasing around 1 (15) year old Leo!
　

Here’s the chart I used:

        let's take a glimpse at a simple formula for calculating feline age in human years. Assume that
        a 1-year-old cat is equal to a 15-year-old human and a 2-year-old cat is equal to a 24-year-old
        human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old cat would be 32 in
        human years.) The following chart shows this formula of calculation:

So it’s her Birthday/Gotcha Day! Time to party!

My little lady loves her nip, so there will be nip, nip toys, and niptinies! Along with all of her favorite foods, chicken, tuna, gooseliver, ham.. I better stop, she’s drooling already.. Rest assured, everything needed for a party is here, except YOU, her guests!