MSI Press Blog

  Most people never live with a nineteen‑year‑old cat. I’ve lived with two. That alone is extraordinary. For a Himalayan, it borders on miraculous. But what astonishes me even more is how two cats could reach the same rare age and inhabit it as if they were living in different universes. Murjan: The Cat Who Filled the Room Murjan, my Turkish Van, was a force of nature from the moment he arrived. He didn’t walk through life — he announced himself through it. At nineteen, weighing less than five pounds after years of lymphoma and three and a half years of chemotherapy, he still: patrolled every room jumped on and off exam tables explored new vet offices like a tourist on holiday demanded his daily leash walk supervised every creature in the house communicated constantly, loudly, and with purpose He was alpha to the end — a cat who refused to surrender even as his body thinned to nothing. He left a footprint everywhere he went, and when he moved, he left a wake. Murjan didn’t age. He...

  Simone, a Himalayan who at18 has passed all longevity expectations (typically 10-15 years) and became blind two years ago, cries a lot. She cries when she wants things, and she makes it clear what she wants. If she wants food, she stands by the bowl and cries. If she wants water, she stands by that bowl and cries. If she wants a clean bed pad (she is no longer able to use the litter box), she stands by the pad and cries. If she wants my attention, petting, etc. (about once a day) she approaches my chair beside the bed she sleeps on which is the same height, and cries at my elbow. But she also cries at other times, and I wonder if she is in pain. Most of the time, she sleeps, but her waking time seems not to be all that comfortable. 🐾 What Her Crying Might Mean Clear communication: Her cries for food, water, pad changes, and affection are purposeful. She’s still asserting her needs, and I try to be attuned to them. Sensory disorientation: Blindness can heighten vocalization, ...

  Simone: The Gamma Queen At 18 years old—well beyond the typical 10–15 year lifespan of Himalayans—Simone is not just surviving; she’s sovereign. In human years, she’s a centenarian, and she wears her age like a velvet robe: soft, regal, and quietly commanding. Simone is a classic Gamma: independent yet affectionate, serene yet perceptive. She loves attention but never demands it. Combing her long fur brings forth deep, quiet purrs—like a low chant from a feline monastery. Though arthritis and blindness have softened her physical presence, they’ve only deepened her emotional one. Her eyes, once brilliant blue, now clouded, still hold the memory of every gaze exchanged over nearly two decades. Her throne is a sleep number bed—higher than most, and perfectly suited to her new role as a tree cat. Once a bush cat who preferred low, hidden spaces, Simone now reigns from above, protected and elevated. During the day, she climbs three soft stairs to reach her perch, where cloth pads h...