When we moved we were so lucky as we were able to keep our cat Mischa...and if you have been reading these blogs you know how much he is part of our lives...so much so that even though we're in a much smaller place..mac still has to know where he is. Today though, he surprised me by saying 'where's the baby?" Well I figured he meant the cat, but just for sure, i said, you mean mischa the cat..'yes and he is our baby?" Some baby, he rules this place like king kong. and can hardly wait for us to get out of bed and once it's all made, he just takes over...his fur is all over the place and he is in constant need of either a good brushing, having his nails cut.(he scratches furniture), needing a snack, lying on top of the aquarium, or having a run around with one of his toys. So much so, that i've decided he has to come down a peg or two, so i have bought a squirter and squirt him when he gets too demanding, like at 4:00 a.m. or thereabouts. For Mac this is real cruelty, and so he tries to make up to mischa, by cuddling or petting, but forget it, Mac's lucky to get about 5 pets in before mischa decides o.k.that's enough time to give you a nip...mac calls it a kiss.
The positive side of all this is that the cat is a huge interest, keeps Mac on target and certainly i recommend a pet for all seniors whether they suffer from Alzheimers or not. So for mac to say -he is our baby, well i guess he is and we will keep him for sure..even the blind man next door, seems to get a charge from our baby, and loves to say that mischa the cat next door ran in to his apartment bathroom twice...The women that come for Mac have also recognized the ruler of the roost, and now have learned to shut the door on him when he tries to get in the bathroom when they give Mac a shower, this he accepts haughtily, not without first making a little yelp ..he has a strange meow, the woman down the hall says he sounds like a siamese cat...so since he is a maine coon, this is surprising..anyway, he certainly has a way of letting us know his needs, and in fact they are more like commands.
All this to say although he is demanding etc....he has the essence of the following poem he shows his LOVE
Actually it is the Alzheimer Prayer
please grant my visitors the toleance of my confusion
Forgiveness for my irrationality and the strength to wait
with me into the mist of memory my world has become
please help them take my hand and stay awhile
even though I seem unaware of their presence
help them to know how their strength and loving care
will drift softly into the days that come just when i need it most.
let them know when i don't recognize them, that i will,
i will...keep their hearts free of sorrow for me,
For my sorrow, when it comes, only lasts a moment then it's gone
Finally lord please let them know how very much their visits mean,
how even through this relentless mystery
i can feel their love.
So our little mischa is the visitor that has many times saved the day, and along with our many friends has helped to let Mac feel the love...
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