Aug 4, 2026, 10:18 PMWell, we lost Shirley today. She started a steep downhill decline over the last couple of days. Lost her appetite and was having real trouble breathing. The vet said she was having severe fluid buildup and none of the reasons were good. After nursing her through a variety of health issues over the last 18 months it was time to say goodbye. Fourteen and a half, and she leaves behind her littermate brother, Sebastian. #CatsOfMastodon
Aug 4, 2026, 10:46 PMFourteen years ago, in a different house far away. #CatsOfMastodon
Aug 8, 2026, 7:05 PMShirley in happier times. #caturday #InternationalCatDay
@CWilbur She was such a cutie. Her eyebrows really are a great optical illusion. We had an all-black behemoth named Venus whose whiskers gradually appeared as she went gray. Even at 20, only a few whiskers were white, but at least we could finally spot her asleep in a dark room. I hope Shirley's brother is coping. Cats have their own ways of mourning.
Aug 8, 2026, 7:29 PM@spiegelmama Wow! Venus!
Sebastian is doing okay. He has diabetes, but for now he's managing the loss and his own health. He's getting a lot of attention! 😺
@CWilbur Yeah, she was a creature of myth and legend. Here she is, with a cathode ray tube television for scale. She's about 16 here.
Aug 8, 2026, 9:20 PM@spiegelmama Fabulous!!