Cars are more expensive than cats... but not by much.

Over the past two days I have shelled out a little over $400 to fix my car and try to fix my kitty. Life is expensive, isn't it?

Every single time, seriously, EVERY SINGLE TIME, I take my car in for an oil change they find something else wrong with it. And it's never just a $20-30 operation, oh no, it's always in the hundreds. So I needed a new battery and had dirty transmission fluid and I figured I should get it fixed before I leave my car at the airport next week when I....

COME HOME FOR THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

...and chance it not starting again. Then of course my passenger side door has been really hard to open and shut lately so I had them oil that a bit. I spent $206.12 yesterday on my little Nuggetmobile. And here's the very Heather part of that story: I forgot my wallet at home!!! What an idiot, right?! So I had to write a check, but anything over $200 requires a driver's license number so as soon as I got home I had to call them with that information. The guys were actually really cool about it, thankfully.

Now onto the kitty... Neve's cough never really went away so I brought her into the vet for a check-up and to see if we could figure out what's going on. Well guess what. $194.68 later, we still don't know. We did X-rays, blood tests and put her on a deworming medication on the off chance that she has lung worm. She hasn't coughed these last couple of days, but it comes and goes, so I'm not convinced yet.

There are two other options at this point. The first is to put her on an antibiotic for a longer period of time than she was before and see if that works OR (here's where we start talking the BIG BUCKS) we can do a bronchial lavage which would run me about $600. Other than her occasional cough, Nevie is PERFECTLY FINE!!! She runs around, plays with Belami, eats, drinks, uses the litter box, she's a very happy kitty- I can tell. And she's gained 2 pounds! Her size always worries me so I'm glad she putting on some weight! Not only do I not want to spend that much money for something that might not tell us anything, but it's a big deal procedure and I don't want to put her through that if I don't have to.

I've started calling Neve my "little expensive kitty" and I wish I knew something, ANYTHING, about her past that could help me with her health issue. I guess that if she's happy then I shouldn't worry about it too much, but asking me not to worry about my babies is like asking me not to breathe.

I finally watched Marley & Me and while I had some issues with it as a film- the stabbing scene, seriously??? I think that the story of the Grogans and Marley is such a true, relatable tale to anyone with a pet. They are best part of your life, but sometimes they make things very stressful! Whether they're chewing up the couch or coughing inexplicably you constantly think to yourself "What should I be doing differently?" I wish animals could talk! Or in Nevie's case I wish she made any sound at all- no purring, no meowing. She's a mysterious little bugger.

Amy and I were talking about our cats the other day and we've developed a theory about cats who have had multiple owners vs. those who have lived with one family or person their whole life. When I was away for Easter and my friend Carole took care of the kitties and said that Neve was all over her and so friendly but Belami wasn't very friendly. I explained that he's had a charmed life and he can be snobby with new people. Neve on the other hand has had a tougher life with less stability. She can adapt better I guess, whereas Belami notices changes more easily. When I came back to Park City in January after being in NH for 10 days, I swear Belami would barely look at me for two days! He was MAD at me for leaving! He would like me to be around all the time because he knows me as his mom/owner. Neve probably still wonders if this is her permanent home.

I realize I'm giving the kitties far too much credit in the brain department here, but interesting idea, don't you think?

Time for work! See some of you in a week!!!!