A year or two older… and wiser?

We’re still here. Esther is now 5 and ‘Enry is still rocking it at 14 next week. Yes 14! He is pretty much totally blind and (still) selectively deaf but I wanted to kick off this blog again with these beauties – there’s much to say about both of them as the years tuck under all our belts. ‘Enry is still loving life. Tho he does have a few off days these days. Esther looks after him well – as animals do, she doesn’t leave his side even when he’s a bit stinky but happily abandons him and takes some time out for herself elsewhere in the house when he’s doing well. (note: we’re currently trialling a reduction of nuggets and greens to try to sort out a fairly regularly pooey bum (he’s arthritic so gets a bum wash regularly – he doesn’t seem to mind unless it goes on too long) which seems to be working. I’ve also been giving him a decent syringe of Critical Care once a day when he’s not good. It seems to get him back on track pretty quickly – it’s important to keep that fibre going through his gut.

Just a recap – ‘Enry is a rescue (failed foster!) from being 9 when he was fit and healthy and knew how to make his feelings felt. After his partner, the wonderful DaisyDoe died within the year of him arriving, Esther joined him – the arrival of a flighty 1 year old changed his world! Although sometimes i worry about ensuring she gets enough stimulation as he’s slowing down, she’s proved to be a solid partner truly keeping him young. He can still stand up for himself, even though he now is losing muscle and can’t see – he’s the sweetest thing and watching her push him around to guide him to do things is quite something. I thought at first she was mounting him but she just puts her chin on his bum and off they go. Often not in the direction she wants haha. He’s got a number of ailments that are longish term – a basal ear abcess (he’s had for 3-4 years – we (2 vets and I) decided that it was better to see how he got on – operating would have meant complete removal of his ear canal at 11 years old – and as it turns out it’s not really grown. It has however meant facial nerve damage so his mouth pulls up at one side and his left ear is pretty much permanently raised. The boy can still eat for England! Touch wood… so with long term Metacam and Calpol for arthritis and managing any pain he has he’s done amazingly well and seems, as many boy buns are with the right environment etc, pretty content. They both sleep in the Maze – i cut out the bottom of the holes in a couple of places so he doesn’t have to jump through, as he’s a tendancy to walk sometimes. He likes a heat pad to lie on – there’s less fat on those old bones these days.

Since changing the spare bed to an ottoman version she can’t get under, Esther’s taken to both crawling under the wardrobe (tight squeeze) to have a go at the carpet (it’s in every room – why there??) and also in the middle of the night scrabbling on the duvet cover and pillows. My neighbours have asked me if i’ve a machine running in the night :)… the girl should have been named Enigma.

Roll on Enry’s 14th on the 9th March – we’ll def be having banana.