Eli update

Well the dental was pretty straight forward. He did have a broken tooth they had to remove, so that means antibiotics.. *hangs head* NOT a fun thing in my house for Eli.

Eli spent the first six months of his life being medicated for one URI after another. It got to the point where we had to isolate him to even catch him to pill him because every time we walked towards him (pilling time or not) he ran. He's now 7, and he's still running, albeit we have to be walking right at him and with a purpose. Let's just say he's still quite wary.

I opted for pills and went out and got some pill pockets.

The first morning I found him in the bathroom and locked him in and then went in and pilled him. I hadn't tested out the pill pockets will a pill in them (he liked the plain ol PP) and since this was an easy thing, I just did it. Freaked him right out, but we got through it pretty quickly. After wards I gave Jack his supplement for his urinary issues, and was amazed at how different the pilling experiences are. Eli is skittish, nervous and I need to be very careful putting my fingers anywhere near his mouth. Jack just sat there. I opened his mouth very easily, dropped the pill in, it went a little askew, so I stuck my finger in his mouth to pop it down his throat. Almost night and day.

So last night I split the pill in two to make them a little easier to hide in the PP. got out a hand full of dry food "treats" and threw it down for the cats. I got in the mix, and carefully gave each of the two PP'd pills to Eli. He was a little suspicious as to why I was keeping the other cats away, but he ate them no problem. This morning same deal, but I didn't split the pill. Stupid because if it hadn't worked, then finding him to get the pill in him wasn't going to be easy, but he gulped it right down and didn't ask questions (other then why can't Fleurp steal this from me?) So, this might actually work.

Skippy's exam was very "boring" (vet's words) and straight forward. He isn't worried about the rare congestion he's showing. The vet thinks it might be an allergy to something. I think it is his tricky way of saying he hasn't gotten enough attention lately. When I started fostering, I had a litter of kittens that would sound all congested if they didn't get to run around the house the evening before. I would let them out and the congestion would go away. (this was pre-fiasco and I almost never let fostered kittens run around the house any more especially if they are showing signs of illness) The vet commented several times that he looks a lot like an unfolded fold. He was found half dead in a driveway apparently, so I have no way of knowing, but if an unreputable breeder was breeding folds and only wanted folded folds, then I could see them ignoring him and not caring what happens. He does seem to have the physical traits and the personality traits of a fold.. *shrug* not that I care in the least, I just think it is interesting

On a side note, we think Kit isn't feeling well. She is eating, and seeking out attention, but she's reserved, and hasn't been coming to 'treat time' as enthusiastically as she used to. I tried to check her out this morning, but she was a little paranoid about the exam. Her eyes seemed a little sunken in, or maybe the conjunctiva was a little swollen (hard to tell it was slight) and she might have been a little dehydrated, so I gave her some fluids, opened up a can of cat food, and left her in the bedroom to be alone for the day with the food. Hopefully I am over reacting and this is nothing more than a down couple of days for her. Examining her, I realized once again what a very petite little cat she is. A five pound kitty doesn't leave much leeway when it comes to illness.

Six cat wake up call

Well this morning was fun... NOT!

Eli is at the vet having a dental - It's been over due for a while. And to get him there I had to get up two hours early. Well this sparked great fascination with my crew. First it was Ollie Jack and Muffin. Then Eli showed up. I had the "old crew" sitting on and around me staring at me, wanting attention. Then Twee showed up followed shortly by Skippy (who is going in this afternoon for his "meet the vet" check up)

I finally convinced all the cats that the world was not coming to an end and got up out of bed and started my day. Got in some exercise, fed the fosters, got breakfast and my lunch ready and went off in search of Eli to capture and crate up.

Fortunately at one point he was alone in the bedroom, so I had shut the door. At least I knew what ROOM he was in, but catching that boy is NEVER easy. I went and got a carrier to have close by, and of course Skippy and Fleurp both wanted to know what was going on and tried to investigate. Got them out of the carrier, got the towel IN the carrier, now to catch the boy.

Sent DH in first, since Eli knows I am up to no good. No go. I think he heard us talking and probably the noises of the carrier, so he's hiding.

Finally find him, far corner of the bed. I'm of course on the wrong side. Send DH to the other side to try to roust him out of there, and he moves to an ungrabbable spot. We finally roust him out from under the bed, and now he's freaked, hunched over and squeaking like his nickname implies. Oh so upset, I snuggle him but he's not buying it. I stick him in the carrier - which he does not want to go into but Skippy does - and shut the door.

Well he has not stopped squeaking. Instead of meowing, he squeaks. High pitched 1/4 of a meow, it is how he has always communicated with us. Just once have I heard him actually meow, and it was an odd little noise.

Squeaks while walking down the hall, squeaks while hanging out in the kitchen while I get my jacket on. Squeaks while I carry him out to the car, squeaks louder due to the echo of being in the car. I try covering the carrier up, but it doesn't help. The squeaks become swear words. How I'm a horrible mom, and how life is just not worth living, etc. 40 minute drive down to the vet listening to him squeak the whole way down. Get there, carry him into the vet squeaking the whole way, get in the vet and check him in, yup.. he was squeaking.

I wonder if he has stopped yet.

I feel bad, but sometimes you just have to make them unhappy for their own good..

Dory & Rory

It has been a while since I updated you with a photo of my newest foster kitten.  She is a little spit fire, that is for certain.

Dory the mom is another Tweedle.  She's very slow on the uptake but as sweet as can be.  She's overly picky with food too... and is yet another cat who does NOT like Iam's cat food.

Update on First and Third

I got a phone call on Sunday that they were back at the shelter and up for adoption.  By the time I got there Second had already been adopted, but First and Third were there.  They had been renamed by their current foster parents to Spot and ... well something else beginning with S but sadly I don't remember.  I am sorry I didn't get to see Second.  I bet she was quite lovely.

This is what they looked like then.  Second is in the front, First is in the middle and Third is in the background...

This is what they look like now..   That is First with his nose down.  You can't see the spot on his nose (he was the one called Spot) it had gained a few friends.  That is Third with his foot up behind his head.  I couldn't believe how dark he had gotten.  He seemed like he was going to be a tan kitten.  They were both quite frightened, and I could not get any better photos than this.  I feel a little better that I wasn't the cause of their not adjusting while they were with me.  It must have just been their nature.  It was odd because their mom was so friendly.  But the couple who took them in spent a lot of time with them, and did what they could to help them socialize.  I know I let them go early enough that if it had been the lack of time I had they would have adjusted out of it..

a few photos

I interrupted Fleurp when she was grooming. She looks like this a lot, as she spends a lot of time grooming, and is easily interrupted.



Skippy carving out a little sun bathing time. Looks so relaxed doesn't he?



Quality time with the kitties. Fleurp in the far background. Eli to the left, Twee to the right and the Skipster lounged over my thighs. I had the worst time taking this photo since he is on my upper thighs, angling the camera and seeing through it was impossible, so I kept taking shots and trying to reposition the camera to make sure they were all in the shot.  Eli got annoyed the flash going off so much that he left shortly after this photo was taken.


This is the whole crew.  I can't hand feed them treats as doing so often ends up with me shedding blood (claws in the thighs, teeth in the fingers) so I toss them on to the ground.  This is the ONLY way Twee eats treats.  If I ever catch her alone and try to offer her something individually she completely ignores it.  If I am bold and try to hand feed treats and toss one in front of her, it usually bounces off her nose and she completely ignores it.

Photos

 

Fleurp is turning into quite a beautiful young lady.  I took her collar off to get some good photos of her "mane"  I just feel bad about that eye of hers.  I don't know if anything can be done for her, but I am going to ask at her next vet visit.  Poor thing was trying to catch a fly that made it into the house, and with very little depth perception there was just no way.

Skippy is totally miserable hun?  I guess I shouldn't be that sorry about adopting him :)

Kitten saga

So I got an email last week asking me if I could take a kitty that weekend.  Then I got a call saying I didn't need to pick her up that weekend, but the next would be fine.  Well I got a call today that the kitty COULDN'T stay at the place where she was (with a staff member) because the landlord was going to do an inspection that week so could I come get her today?

Which of course I could.  I didn't do much more than give mom some food (which she growled while she ate) and set them up in the cage (and take a few photos).  No names, no real information except the baby is a girl, and her eye closed up on her after opening.  I'll have to take her back in about five weeks for FIV/FELV testing, but things seem like this will be an easy one.  *crosses fingers and knocks on wood*

I'm so sorry Skippy..

I so wanted you to have the perfect for you home. I wanted you to have family that could give you all the love you could possibly handle.  I wanted you to not have to put up with a pack of kitties watching you pee, and having to struggle for food.  I wanted you to have your choice of laps to curl up in when ever you wanted to.

I just couldn't handle the 'what ifs' of leaving you at the shelter.  I could not deal with the possibility that you would end up in a situation like you were in before, and being returned to the shelter again - or worse..

So I struck a bargain with the shelter, and I traded for you.  I had some old aquariums in the basement, and in the middle of an email exchange about a foster situation for a cat found in the middle of the road last week* I jokingly suggested that I trade for you, and she took me up on it.  She knew how upset I was at leaving you at the shelter, and how much of a toll on me it was taking to come visit you every couple of days and to keep leaving you there.. so I ran to the shelter after work, signed the paperwork, and brought you home with me.

and now you have to put up with my crew harassing you, and when I took you down to the litter box (because you seemed to be looking for your litter box in the bathroom where it was the last time you were here) you had all seven of them watching you pee.  Will you ever know peace?  Will my crew ever accept you?  Will you find a lap to cuddle on when you need it?

I love you so much.. I hope you are happy here.



*the new foster is coming on Saturday.  She was found in the middle of the road, either hit or thrown from a car.  She was pregnant at the time, but she ended up aborting.  They said her kittens were the size of mice, so it must have been several weeks before the due date.  They had a week old kitten who needed a mom, so they matched them up, and it worked out nicely, except for the fact that she is being fostered by a staff member who is not allowed pets in her home.

*headpalm* or why 8 kitties is a bad idea

Ok, seriously, I know owning Skippy would be a bad idea.  Doesn't mean I don't want to do it anyway though....

but this morning my kitties showed me very clearly why.  Mostly it would be that there would be more of them then I could handle.

So in the wee hours of the morning I woke up.  Not one of those *oh crud I'm awake in the middle of the night and I can't get back to sleep* bits.. but I had left my heating blanket on and I was a little warm, so normally I would have rolled over, shut it off and fallen back asleep.  But there were kitties on the bed who were missing me terribly, so when they realized that I might be conscious they sprang into action, and surrounded my head purring up a storm.  15lb Muffin, 12lb Jack and 6lb Fleurp were all there.  9lb Twee showed up a few moments later jockeying for a position to worship at the head of the sleeping mom.

Now if you have never had this experience, let me tell you it is a bit overwhelming.  I have blogged about it before, but it really is something to have four cats up in your face when you are barely awake... not to mention the fact that their bodies are the perfect length for their noses to be all up in your face, and their back feet to be targeted to your bladder.  *sigh*  off they all go as I stumble towards the bathroom.  I hate kicking kitties off me, but sometimes the bladder wins.

I stumble back into bed, get comfy, and once again there are cat noses where there shouldn't be cat noses.  Those things are COLD when it is cold in the house.  I finally convince all the kitties to settle down somewhere around the area of my legs, and drift off to sleep (but not before annoying the daylights out of DH who went to sleep on the couch.  Kitties were happy - more room for them)

Morning begging is reserved for DH who feeds them since he gets up first.  But when I got up, Jack was all up in my business begging for attention.  Fleurp dug out a superball and was playing with it.  I picked it up and realized that someone had chewed chunks off it.  I probably should have put the ball in my pocket to be stored in a drawer (ok I admit it, I really like superballs.. and yes it is appropriate to give me a gift of one) but I bounced it into the other room, and watched Fleurp fly at it, and look so adorable doing it.  something between a rabbit and a flying squirrel (I so wish I had video proof of it).  The ball ended up back at my feet, so I bounced it again, and this time she was so intent on getting it she missed the fact that the ball was bouncing towards the fridge, and she ran right into it.  Yes, Fleurp makes me laugh every single day.

But later, after I exercised, I went back into the bedroom to get dressed for work, and realized that a flipflop I have not work in over a year (wore them the summer previous) was on the middle of the floor.  I shook my head, knowing my Fleurp thought it was irrisitable and some how had dragged the thing from my shoe rack in the front of the house, through the kitchen, down the hall, and into the bedroom.  I KNEW it was her, only from the evidence of the lone flop on the floor.  Sure enough a few minutes later, she came and flopped next to the shoe and proceeded to "kill" it. I got a photo, but it only looks like she's laying on it.

Then I went to feed the rabbit.  Her water bottle was empty, so I bent over to take it off the cage, and went and filled it.  I bent back over to reattach it to the cage, when Kit in all her claws decided to jump up on my back.. OUCH!  I had been saying for a few days I needed to trim claws, well now was the time!!!

I also think one of the other kitties has convinced Twee to play Hide and Seek, because she has taken to hiding behind the curtains in the kitchen.  They are floor length, and mostly sheer.  When I went to pat her through the curtain, she was quite disturbed that she wasn't properly hidden, so I pretended I was just fixing the curtain so she could be happy.

Ollie is still quite annoyed with life.  He's annoyed that the other kitties want to do what he wants to do, and there for are in his way.  Doesn't matter if they were there first, and he walks in on them, if they are in the spot HE wants to be in, they get smacked.  If he offers his head for grooming and they don't groom fast enough, the smacking will commence.  Not quite sure who I feel worse for, him or them.

They definitely bring a depth and richness to my life.  The love, the cuddles, the laughter.  They do add a certain emptiness to my wallet though, the annual vet visits, the $800 surgery for Ollie, then the $500 revisit this year.  Eli needs a dental.  He has for a while, but I put it off, well I can't put it off any more.. Jack is having issues with his bladder.. at least I'm assuming his bladder is a little uncomfortable and he doesn't just like the Brazilian look.  All of my kitties are under 10 years of age, so I'll have multiple seniors at the same time in a few years.  Being proactive costs money, not being proactive either means more money or the loss of my kitties too young.

I just wish my heart understood all that..

Dear Skippy's new owners

You have adopted yourself one special little boy.  He is playful and cuddly and all around a great kitten.  He has a long back story before you found him, and I hope you won't mind listening to it.

He was found in a neglect situation.  He was so badly off, he was almost dead.  He was brought to a vet and survived, but he developed a urinary tract infection.  UTI can be a problem for cats.  Once they have them, they can happen again, so I hope you keep a good eye on his health.

While at the shelter waiting to get better and for a foster home to come along, he was exposed to ringworm.  Having just met him, I could not allow a simple exposure to risk his life.  Ringworm is fungal, and not fun to treat, but it is not fatal.  Unfortunately though there are lines that have to be drawn in a shelter environment.  Ringworm is very contagious. 

This is where I came in.  Sometimes when I visit the shelter there are kittens or cats that just cry out to me to help them.  This is probably why I own seven cats now.  Skippy was one of them.  Knowing what he suffered before I came into his life, I could not risk ringworm being his downfall.

I brought him home and set him up in my bathtub / shower in my bathroom, hoping that if he did bring ringworm into my house, that this double barrier to my own cats would prevent it from spreading.  It was a very long 10 days while he lived in my shower.  He was very good the whole time.  Every time I went to spend time with him, he simply wanted to cuddle.  In the past overly cuddly kittens has always been a sign of severe illness.  In Skippy it was just a sign of his personality.  He had to get in his mandatory cuddling, then he would be off to play.

When his quarentine was over, I brought him down to meet the other foster kittens I had.  They were smaller than he was, and I realized almost immedately that his prey drive is VERY strong.  He was relentless in his play with anything smaller then he is to the point of harassment.  I would strongly recommend that you not bring in another animal into the home that is smaller than he is.

Because he could not play well with the others, he went back into his bathroom, but he did not want to be contained.  Often he would slip out of the bathroom and run straight into the room that houses my rabbit.  Bri is a pretty standard size 5lb rabbit, which was bigger then he was when he met her.  Skippy fell in love with Bri.  He would always go and visit her first, and play very gently with her.

He never outgrew his need to spend time cuddling though.

As he grew, it was time for him to go up for adoption.  I reluctantly brought him back and he was adopted.  Unfortunately he came down with pnemonia and they returned him.  While I hated the idea of his being sick, I was overjoyed to spend more time with him.  He was very slow to recover so he spent quite a few more weeks together.  As he became healther and stronger, I introduced him to my own cats, hoping that a love match would be made, and I could justify taking on another kitty.  While he did enjoy playing with my younger kitties, his style of play just did not mix with some of my older kitties. 

It was so hard to return him a second time, and hope that his new owners would care and love him as much as I do.  He is a very special boy, being one that demands to spend so much time cuddling.  Just watch out.. he drools when he's happy!

He will bring much joy into your life if you let him.  I hope you bring joy into his life as well.

(and if you EVER need a pet sitter.. I am so there!)

Happy Belated Birthday Fleurp!

I'm going through my Photobucket account and labeling the photos of my own cats for future referance.  I realized that I had Fleurp at the begining of November, so I went back and looked at her history.  Apparently she came to me on 10/20 already at least four weeks old, so I don't think I would be out of line calling October 1st as her birthday.

I can't believe she is a year old, she still looks so kitten like... although not quite as small as she used to be..

food choices, vaccine choices and declawing

Warning rant coming...

Ok, so most of you know by now that I am fairly passionate about certain things regarding kitties.  I think all cats should be fed a canned or preferably raw diet, I think that vaccines should be studied carefully and questioned, that cats should not be allowed to roam freely outside, and I think declawing is inhumane.

But what you might or might not get is that while *I* believe these things, I want you to believe what you are going to believe after reading the information out there.  I know full well it can be confusing, because your vet whom you are supposed to be able to trust to tell you the best medical information for your pet may or may not be the best source.  After all, they do have a financial stake in getting you in the office and selling you the food they sell and having you partake in their services.  Do I think all vets are "corrupt" absolutely not.  Do I think they honestly think that they are doing what is your best interest....I hope most of them are.  I honestly hope that most of them are spouting information that is proven to be against what I (and many other people and vets) believe because they truly think they are giving out appropriate information and the financial incentive is just a bonus.  After all if you go to school and a major pet food company sponsors your nutrition classes, you tend think the college agrees with the information being taught, so there for they have some reputation with the students and when they go and set up shop they are courted once again by these companies to sell their food that they have been taught is good, and hey look you make money too.  I mean they MUST know what they are doing, after all they have been in business for YEARS and make TONS of money.. right?

What I don't understand is why these students who are taught that cats are obligate carnivores believe that cats should be eating food that is mostly plant material..

but I'm digressing..

I belong to several message boards out there for cats.  One being generic pet owners.. the Tom Dick and Harry-s of the world who generally believe what their vets tell them is the absolute truth, and there is no need to question it (most but not all)  Another is a board for a cat illness.  These owners have learned first hand that vets can be fallible, but also still hold a healthy respect for their abilities.  The last I'm going to mention is a holistic group who have almost no respect for vets and traditional medicine.  They admit that there is a need for vet, but that you should question EVERYTHING and they generally believe that all the dogma of veterinary medicine is just that and should be avoided if possible.  I do learn things from each group, which I love, but getting either group on the polar opposites to listen to anything that is outside of what they believe is like pulling teeth.

The generic group (oh these are horrible names, so please forgive my attempt to keep things generalized) doesn't want to hear about vaccine protocols, and that there might be some question if you even need to give them every three as is the current recommendation. They are dead set on "you need to follow my vet's recommendation or you are anti-whateveritiswearetalkingabout.  Declawing posts set off a mail storm of hate mail - even if all you want to do is get the information (hey, tell me about declawing... it sucks man, and you suck for even thinking it!!)  You should have seen the furry of posts about a cat going outside.. it was almost shameful.  While I am the poster child for indoor, clawed, raw fed kitties, my intention is always to post information so the owner can make informed decisions.  I do my best to never insult or defame anyone.  Occasionally tempers are short, and stuff is taken the wrong way - especially if the OP does not include all the information  (My cat is sick and I can't afford to take it to the vet...me: well you could try this or this, but you could be making things worse, if you honestly can not scrape the money together, and the organizations out there to help can't help, then maybe you should consider rehoming the kitty so you can be in a better financial situation...  HOW COULD YOU SUGGEST I DON"T LOVE MY CAT AND AREN'T WILLING TO DO EVERYTHING TO FIX IT, I'VE SPENT THOUSANDS TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO SAID PROBLEM... me: um.. ok, but you didn't say that originally...)

the group of cat owners who are in the middle - those fighting a particular illness are generally the most grounded owners.  They are a little militant about some things, but for the most part, owners who are willing to go above and beyond and treat a pet for a long term illness are people who are willing to listen to different opinions and have the ability to open their minds to other options.  I mean after all they did turn to the *internet* for help caring for their pets.. :)  They can come off a little strong when dealing with owners of newly diagnosed cats (hey, listen to me, what your vet who studied medicine for years is wrong, and I whom you have never met knows what is best for your and your cat!!  ok for the most part that is true, as most often these pet owners have been there and done that and fallen prey to vet mistakes, but when you say it like that who is going to listen to you?)

The holistic group is really interesting.  They can have a circular logic.  I  have seen them say in one post that you can't correlate what happens in humans with what happens in cats, but then turn around and say in a different post that there are things that happen in humans so we must be careful in cats.  (same with dogs).  They are quite extreme in their beliefs that all vaccines are bad - that you should avoid them at all costs.  That dry food is completely inappropriate and has NO place in a cat's diet, and that there is NEVER an excuse for declawing (ok, most people hold that.. )  They have also said flea infestations are a result of an improper diet.

I know I have failed from time to time to present the information I believe to be true in an objective POV, but I hope I have never made anyone feel bad for their past choices.  What is done is done.  All we can hope is that we can learn from one another and move on from here.

FYI

You absolutely do not need to believe what I believe in order for me to believe you are a good pet owner.  For me to think you are a good pet owner, you just need to keep asking the questions.. and want what is best for YOUR kitty..

*my intent here is not to insult any one particular person/group.  Just to talk about the differences of opinions out there, and to rant about why some people feel that discussion is inappropriate.  I was a Tom Dick/Harry pet owner.. and two of my cats blocked from urinary crystals, and one became diabetic.  It was discussion and research that helped me learn how to keep my cats in the best health I believe to be possible - even if that is contrary to what my vet might suggest..

Have I mentioned...

How much I miss Skippy?

*sigh*

Ollie had a bad night last night.  We were laying in bed, I was drifting to sleep, and I heard someone start to hurl.  I said "Get up!" and DH was up out of bed in a flash not realizing why.  Eli was also on the bed but when I said get up, he flung himself off the edge of the bed, not touching the foot board nor the chest at the end of the bed.. it was quite impressive.  Ollie hurled with out even standing up - not good.  And he continued to vomit after we put him on the floor.  You could tell he was upset about it, because he tried to cover it up... poor thing.  I think I'm going to wait and see if this is a one time thing, or if he hurls again. 

YAHOO!!!

http://winnfelinehealth.blogspot.com/2009/08/potential-treatment-for-fip.html

Potential Treatment for FIP!

wow!

the good the bad and the skippy

I stopped in this morning to see Skippy.  It was kinda amusing since the shelter is technically closed today that one of the volunteered asked me what I was doing - as if I were part of the general public and I just snuck in.  I love it that she had the courage to ask since you never know what people are doing if you don't know who they are.

Skippy was in the litter box, growling at everyone.  Bearing his teeth at anyone who got close with a big hiss and a swat.  It was breakfast time, and he was growling so much he couldn't (or wouldn't) eat.   However I did get a few cuddles from him (as long as he wasn't in line of site of any other cats up at the same level as him) and a couple of kisses.  I left to talk to the staff about getting some atropine for Ollie (more on that in a bit) and when I looked in on him before leaving for work, I noticed he was about to pull the sound machine down on himself.  They installed white noise machines up high out of the way in each of the general population cat rooms that either play bird noises or waves.  It was unplugged and the plug was dangling down over a low cat tree.  Well Skippy thought this would be a good thing to attack.. silly boy.  I rescued the plug and gave him a few more kisses before working my way to the door.  Skip was back on the floor growling at everything, but yet attempting to play with a white cat's tail.  The white cat was trying to eat breakfast.  He then jumped up on another cat tree and the little thin tiger kitty who has been trying to be friends came over and Skippy swatted at it and hissed at it.  It backed off but Skippy followed.  I think Skip was playing, but it was hard to tell for certain.

I so miss him!!

*sigh*

Ollie & the atropine.  Well Ol has decided that he needs to spend a lot of time licking his healing incision, and has created a hot spot over his knee.  There is no way I could put a Elizabethan collar on him and live through the night, so I looked for the atropine I used last time he started pulling out his stitches.  I couldn't find it, so I looked to see if there was an alternative.  You know, there aren't many home remedies online to help deter that sort of thing.  I heard lemon juice (OUCH!) and I heard deodorant (that can't be healthy) so I figured since I had plans to go into the shelter to visit Skip, I'd ask them if I could have a tube.  Fortunately they had one to give me, and I ran home to apply it so the healing could start.  Oh wasn't he ticked over my "intruding" into his incision!  You know, it would be nice buddy if you could be a little thankful over the care I give you to keep you alive.. but NOOO.. you have to be all Ollie about it :)   He's a grumpy ol man.. all he knows is his sense of entitlement..

He wouldn't be Ollie if he wasn't being grumpy.

awww

I stop by Freekibblekat.com each day to donate food to shelter cats.  Recently they had a contest for youngsters to express how they felt about shelters.  Surprisingly enough a local (to me) shelter won!  It is also a shelter I have great respect for.

http://www.freekibble.com/kontest.asp#winners


Max Christian, Age 13
Shelter: Homeless Animal Rescue Team (H.A.R.T.). Cumberland, Maine
Why is my shelter special to me? Everything about H.A.R.T. is special to me, but there are certain things that can really bring warmth to your heart. For instance, when my Dad and I bent over to scoop litter, one of the cats thanked us by hopping up on our backs and purring. Every single cat at H.A.R.T. is different in its own unique way. Some are sweet, others timid, but what sets apart traditionally bred cats from the cats at H.A.R.T., is instead of being picked up when they are just small kittens, the cats at my shelter have lived together, so their true personalities are exposed. Another differentiating factor that makes H.A.R.T. exceedingly special is that they take in unadoptable cats and give them a lifelong place to live. Some spend their entire life in the shelter under the care of the staff and volunteers.  I’ve had instances where I wish I could’ve adopted them all.
When I first volunteered at H.A.R.T., I knew I was going to end up with a kitty. Turns out we ended up adopting two kittens, Smitty and Mojo. That makes three adopted cats from H.A.R.T., because we already had Belly. All of our cats from the shelter have had an extremely positive impact on our life.
The staff and Board of Directors there are just as amazing as the cats. They dedicate 100% of their time to these cats just so they can live happily. It is an understatement to the least to say that they are helpful to the shelter. I’m sure the cats appreciate them as well, along with the incredible volunteers, too. I have volunteered there numerous times and know the procedures, which aren’t always easy. They include scooping litter, cleaning cat dishes, washing furniture, scrubbing the floor, and last but most certainly not least is getting to know the cats. When you are finished with your jobs, there is always a little time to stop by each room and say hi to all of the cats. There are lots of rooms to visit, but one of my favorites would be the FIV room. All the cats that go to H.A.R.T. are FIV tested. What makes the FIV room special is that it is the quietest and the cats in it have great personalities. It’s impossible to pick favorites, though.
With over one-hundred cats that need adopting, it would be the least I could do for H.A.R.T. to send this letter to freekibble.com to help support all the cats and the staff. I believe H.A.R.T. deserves to win and the shelter is incredibly precious and special to me, as well as those with two and four legs in Southern Maine. Thank you for reading my letter and giving the Homeless Animal Rescue Team a chance.

this bites

well Skippy is at the shelter.  I brought him in because he hasn't shown any symptoms since Wednesday, and I wanted to see what they wanted to do with him.  They suggested I set him up at the shelter in one of the community rooms and watch him for a couple of days.

He was so grumpy the second he walked into the shelter.  Growling, giving me the angry eyes, etc.  He hisses at any other cat that comes up to him, and lunges and snaps at me if I was pushing too hard.  I left for a while to get some groceries and went back and checked on him again,  he wasn't any relaxed.

*sigh*

He deserves more than I can give him, but he so doesn't deserve this.. Sadly this is the only avenue I can see to get him the home he deserves.

another Skippy / Ollie post

Getting a little overhwelming on the Skipster and Ollie postings lately, but they are all consuming right now..

So Skippy.  He was congested yesterday morning.. breathing through his mouth, sounding pretty miserable.  Last night he sounded just fine.  However he had to stop several times in the night (and again this morning) to cough pretty hard.  He's eating and active..   No idea what to make of this.  That little devil part of my brain keeps going back to the "he to smart for his own good, and got sick to be returned to the shelter" statement I made when I first heard he was returned.  I want to think he's doing this so he can stay with us.

Ollie.. I think he's very much on the mend.  He's back to his grumpy demanding self.  He hates the clavamox, but that is almost over.  Now I need to decide if I am going to try to take the stitches out myself, take him to the vet, or leave them in to dissolve..