My eldest cat, Chibi, will be 17 human years old tomorrow. How to show my appreciation of such an achievement?

Question

I have never celebrated pet birthdays before, but have kept of a record of them.
However, I am awed by this cat's achievement and want to make her feel really valued.
Any ideas?
She likes being groomed, but I brush her every night anyway.
She can't digest her favourite snack any more and I feed her fish and chicken which she loves and can digest ... so that won't be anything special.
She is incredible and I love her so much ... besides which, she was the runt of the litter and the vet said she probably would live only two years or so ... and I told her then "Don't you listen Chibi, you are going to outlive us all!" And that is happening!
She lost her Mum when Mum was just 3; siblings: Badsy at the age of 1; Euphi at the age of 6 and Timmy-Tommi at the age of 10.
She really rocks!
What is the best way to celebrate both for me and for her?
Many thanks to all cat lovers who understand this!

Answer 1

Maybe the best way will be to just spend quality time with her and realize how lucky you are to feel a synergy with another animal species and with a member of that species you love so much.

Answer 2

Well, the best gift you could give her would be your undivided time and attention. Take a day off from work and spend the entire day (or as much of it as you can) with her alone. Just this one day, make her feel that she's the only cat in your life.

Play together, exercise, travel, visit a pet store or 2 if you can. There's bound to be something nice out there waiting for the both of you to find it. Some things I'd recommend are:

1) General Check-Up at the Vet (for information on special care and nutrition at that age),

2) Specialty Food (based on what the vet said and her own taste - maybe a little something exotic) Maybe some Whiskas CATMILK. A friend of mine who works at a pet store says his cat absolutely LOVES it. (see link)

3) Professional Grooming (with a tooth brushing),

4) New Collars, Leashes, Climbing Cat Furniture

5) Pictures/Photos together (for the memories)

6), Nice (Hand-Crafted) Toys, etc.

I have seen many really neat over-the-top things for cats.

Try to involve her in the selection process and you're sure to come away with just the right thing(s).

~~~~~~~~~~~>Happy Birthday to Chibi!<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and many more!

Answer 3

What about a nice big soft feather pillow for her to lay on or a heated cat bed? If it's not too rich for her, she might enjoy some fillet steak or thinly sliced ham.



I don't know what sort of brush you use, but the ones with rubber bristles are good as they give a massage at the same time. If you think she might enjoy a massage, the article below has infomation on how to do this.



http://www.messybeast.com/catmassage.htm



Best wishes to Chibi for a happy birthday tomorrow, and I hope you have many more happy times together ahead of you both.

Answer 4

thumbs up for Smarmyswami. she really hit the mark there. i trust you don't find it strange. talking to her in a soft voice is somewhat like her purring to you and you know you like it when she purrs. ;)



i get you perfectly. although my cat died of cancer just before turning 16, that doesn't change the fact that she was special. i am sure your cat is just as special to you as mine was to me.



the least you can do is understand what this means and keep it in mind as you take care of her. considering how you two must know each other she will definetly pick up on the difference in your behaviour. another possibility is, if you can't feed her or brush her, then depending where you live you could take her out. now don't get hasty. too much racket and she could have a heart attack. although that's a bad joke i hope you see she indeed is in an incredible age where, as you well know, you should take good care of her and that includes non-racket sorroundings. maybe take it some place where she was in her younger days? assuming you have one. though i am guessing the best you could do is to take her outside one day to listen to the birds, i don't know where you live. plus, her vision might be getting blurry and her hearing bad so take that into consideration.



use your imagination. it doesn't have to be something "you give her directly". As i see it it should be something that you gave her to experience as she is the focus here. and please, give her my congratulations aswell. =)

Answer 5

What sort of fish do you give Chibi? Would fresh or tinned salmon be a special treat? That's what mine get. You could also provide a plainish birthday cake, my Worthington loves to help me out with a piece of cake.

Answer 6

Visit her often during the day and give her cuddles and praises galore!

Don't change the evening grooming time, but extend it, telling her stories from her childhood in a soft voice.

Also tell her how much you value her and appreciate her.

Have a nice drink of your favourite splosh; because after all, you are responsible for her achievement too (If not for you ... right?)

And thanks for telling us: our collective good wishes for your cat might add on another year or two!

Answer 7

I don't really know. I have a cat that is 17 in cat years. She was born in 1991. I just show her love and affection every day and she reciprocates.

Answer 8

Wow, well done Chibi, just lavish lots of love onto her little old bones, bless!! My cat Harvey died last year and he was an old man at 15.

Answer 9

Congrats to you and your kitty. Can she still eat wheat grass? My cats love that, and I get them that for their birthdays. Or, you could buy her an electric blanket to sleep on. Cats love being warm. Especially as they get older. Happy Birthday to Chibi.

Answer 10

If your getting her a ball of wool,get her the needles also(joke).How about a professional photograph of both of you on a plate?

Answer 11

cats love chicken livers cooked in foil in the oven. they're packed full of nutrients too.

Answer 12

you sound a gr8 cat lover,

i used to give my cats tiddles and ozzy and littel dani a bowl of milk and a tin of tuna as a treat they loved it lol

Answer 13

having a stroll at the beach together.

Answer 14

aww congrats i hope my cats live that long

Answer 15

just enjoy your love and her amd life she has left

Answer 16

Give it an almighty kick up the **** and send it packing to the pet cementry.

Answer 17

champagne and caviar.

(for you) (for her)