“Getting old isn't for the faint of heart”

Seems like that applies to both our pets AND to us!

Sorry about your knee. I've had multiple knee surgeries over my lifetime and finally had them both replaced in 2017, so I can definitely relate! But just keep moving and it should keep getting better.

I guess that's one reason I don't rush to put Sara on pain meds. I have my own aches and pains, and I don't medicate them all (or I'd be popping pills constantly!). Once you start doing that you're in a sort of "there's no going back" scenario, so I want to delay it as long as there seem to be good alternatives.

If Cleo had a bladder infection that could certainly interfere with her peeing. I wouldn't get too worried that that's all the vet found. Just give her the antibiotics and hopefully that will take care of it. And she may get more of those as she ages, so just be prepared for it to happen again.

If Sara gets to the point where jumping on the bed is a problem, I'll look into setting up some kind of ramp arrangement. Pet steps are useless if you ask me. They're all pretty much steep and not that easy to climb. I'm going to see what's out there for a ramp made out of foam so it's easy on her feet and not too hard to move out of the way for making the bed and such. But hopefully we're still a ways out from needing that. And I wouldn't have room to do that for all the furniture in the house that she likes to nap on, so when that day comes, she'll be limited in those ways as well. But we're not there yet!

We just do what we can do, right?