I've probably been driving Peg crazy with my high anxiety levels lately, and while she's been EXTREMELY gracious about it for the most part, my self-esteem is in the shitter today and I'm just feeling super, super awkward.

Part of the issue is that I had a whole bunch of minor worries about the cats straight in a row, and I CAN. NOT. TURN. THE. ANXIETY. OFF. where their well-being is involved. I just CAN'T err on the side of calm with them. I am starting to really understand why parents can seem to go completely batshit crazy over child safety issues.

The other day it was hearing what sounded like a wounded animal noise. It didn't even sound catlike, and everybody was accounted for but Shemp-- who I don't think could make that high-pitched of a sound if he tried. But I still found a part of myself nervously keeping a vigil for him all day, even though, as I put it to Peg, "I'd bet a million dollars on Shemp, here." I KNEW he was fine. Didn't matter.

Anyhow, I'd been fretting over Ceejay pretty badly because he has this very prominent FLAP on his belly. And he's had to be treated for parasites in the past, so... yeah. I was getting worried he was in the advanced stage of something.

And then I noticed Artie and Shemp both have kind of a LUMPY FLOPPY BIT on their bellies in the same location. And I was like OH SHIT does the whole family have something nasty?

And then by pure coincidence I ran across a Youtube video about a little thing called the "primordial pouch." Cats apparently have kinda their own little camel hump under their bellies, to store fats and give their innards a little extra combat armor. In part maybe to give @anthracite a little reassurance I'm working on the crazy. <3

Why didn't anybody tell me this? I really need to RTFM one of these days. Anyhow, I just feel a lot better now and wanted to chronicle my little mh journey. :>