The symptoms of feline dementia are similar to the symptoms that humans developing Alzheimer’s display. Cats may seem confused, distressed or disorientated. This can cause cats to struggle to fin things like their litter tray or cat food bowl. Sometimes cats will even forget that they have eaten, and consistently beg for cat food, possibly overeating and vomiting as a result.

Cats suffering from the condition may even suffer from nightmares which can appear very distressing, with loud cries and meows. A senile cat could become more aggressive or clingy, and may demand a lot of attention. They usually become less interested in playing with owners or cat toys and spend most of their time in their cat bed, sleeping excessively.

Age itself is the main cause of feline dementia, although spending too much time napping can also heavily contribute. Owners can reduce the risks of their cats developing feline dementia by providing a well balanced, complete and healthy cat food and by giving them lots of stimulation. Owners are advised to spend time playing with their pets, and to provide them with lots of opportunities to play indoors, such as cat scratching posts. This helps to keep the mind active and sharp.

Unfortunately, one a cat begins to develop the condition, too much stimulation can cause distress and increase symptoms. It is important to seek professional veterinary advice if you suspect that your cat may be developing feline dementia.

It can be hard for owners to see the changes in cats who have gone senile, although there are ways in which they can be kept as comfortable as possible. Keeping the environment consistent and as calm as possible will keep cats feeling comfortable and content. It is important to avoid changing furniture around, as this can cause disorientation.

Visitors may also begin to scare cats with feline dementia,

Taking care of a guitar
If you want a guitar to last you need to show it some TLC. Made of primarily natural materials, a guitar is heavily affected by the environment it is stored in, and the wood will expand and contract dependant on humidity.
Cared for properly, a guitar will ‘age’ appropriately, and the sound produced when playing will achieve far more tone and richness as time goes on. This is part of the beauty of owning a musical instrument.
The first thing you will need to do when beginning guitar lessons is make sure you have a suitable case to store and pack your guitar when traveling to and from your lessons. There are two basic types of casing: the soft shell gig bag and the hard shell guitar cases. The soft shell gig bags are great for the ‘on-the-go’ guitarist; many feature handy pockets for you to store sheet music, picks and other tools of the trade. Some also come with backpack-like straps, making them easy to be carried from work or school straight to your guitar lesson. The hard shells offer a heavier protection, but are also heavier in weight. Choose what will work best for you.
It is good to establish a regular cleaning routine for your guitar. Oils from your hands and fingers build up on the guitar body and strings so it is a good idea to clean the instrument on a weekly basis. A soft dry cloth is best to wipe the body, using a small, soft brush to reach into the areas between strings that are hard to get to. A chamois cloth is excellent for cleaning the strings – use the cloth to give them an all over wipe down and then pinch each string between the fabric and slide it up and down the length of each string to remove any grime and dirt.
If you are removing the strings, you can clean the fingerboard. If you have an ebony or rosewood fingerboard you can effectively remove buildup of dirty using extremely fine steel wool (look for 0000 grit). Apply a little lemon oil to lubricate afterwards. Note: Do NOT use steel wool if your fingerboard is maple as you will seriously damage the finish. In this case, use a warm, damp, cloth or invest in a quality guitar polish.
If you have an electric guitar, NEVER touch the pickups with anything other than a brush or soft cloth as using a liquid can upset their magnetic field.

Thank fuck for cats that look like Hitler

Isn't this brilliant?

Radio Ghost Hunt

Took a trip down to West Virginia State Penitentiary this last weekend which was an absolute HOOT. I was so hopeful to have some kind of ghostly experience there but there was nothing, despite it being a superbly cool place to wander. I discovered that Mike Patton has in fact been simply trying to contact 'dead' people; we were witness to people crowding around a Radioshack radio on auto-scan and deciphering odd words as 'messages' from the other side. Think: CHH CHH CCHHH seven CHHHH CHHHHH CHHHH CHHHHH steve.

It was retarded.

Everything is still well with the non-drinking. I'm noticed a shift - I'm not constantly thinking about it.

Farting NZ cows and sheep

Amazing that now they are discussing reducing methane produced by farting/belching cattle and sheep which would apparently save the planet, maybe.

Monday morning and I'm up and about to head out to work. The vet clinic I work at is a great place, but seem to enforce rules and regulations by sending out stern emails every now and then, rather than discussing things with people.

It is supposed to be 21c today. That means flip flops. I am proud to see that the bulbs I planted in late Autumn are peeping through. If they actually flower I'll be orgasmic. I love spring here. Everything comes alive and the landscape is rejuvenated. I saw my first cherry blossom tree yesterday. This is a wonderful sign.

Jesus H you know the rest...

It took me so long to log into this today. I had completely forgotten my username, email AND password.

My last drink was April Fool's Day, which is in itself ironic. Prior to that the last time I had a drink was Jan 22nd. I fucked up when somebody said: "Beer?" to me on Thursday night. It was as easy as that.

At group this morning when it was my turn to speak I was truthful and told, and repeated that "I need a sponsor." I was approached after the meeting had ended and told by one of the girl's that if I was coming to group on Tuesday she would make sure I was put in contact with someone who could help me then. Now I'm nervous. I'm not sure what it involves, what it means, and selfishly, how much time it will take up.

Today is Easter Sunday and we went to bf's sister's house and watch everyone else drink.

Updating

Holy crap has it ever been a while.

I had intended to update this regularly but Dave started getting a little paranoid when I sat writing - the poor bastard thinks I'm going to meet someone online and run off again. That would never happen - I really learned from my mistakes.

So as I write this my life has changed dramatically. I note that one of my last posts was concerning a night at Steve and Michelle's and coincidentally, another night at Steve and Michelle's was the catalyst for me quitting drinking for the umpteenth time. This time Dave is also following suit, and we're achieving a lot. I'm proud of both of us. Bar one slight upset where we both had 'a drink' but not got drunk (again, that was really good for us) we haven't drunk since the beginning of January, and not touched alcohol since Jan 22nd. It's a month!

I've been trying to connect with myself spiritually. Trying to find 'Sarah'. She's been oddly vacant for a number of years and I am enjoying getting to know her.

I am working at a vet's clinic now and love that it gives me time to enjoy other activities in the morning as I start in the afternoon. I have time for myself...however, there's NO money in it! I've begun oil painting and have vague notions that if I get good enough I could sell animal portraits through the clinic - people spend huge on pets. I always thought I would be horribly crap at painting but oils are so forgiving - any mistakes you make you just paint right over until you get it right. Rather symbolic of how we should be living life in fact.

Break and enter leaves couple puzzled

Very odd. Someone got into Dave's van last night and left a lovely yellow flowering pot plant in the vehicle. How bizarre is that??