Saturday, November 21, 2009

Dory and Roary or Pudding and Pudding Pop?


I went down this morning to feed Dory and I called her Pudding as a term of endearment. Just as I had finished my morning greeting, Roary jumped out at me, so I said "Hi Pudding Pop!". I thought those were really cute names, and am considering changing them.

I only called her Dory, because she was being fostered by a woman named Dory, and I came to associate that name with the cat. *shrug* we'll see what happens. Calling a little girl kitten "Pop" might not work out for me.

The kitten is getting independent and interactive. She is playing with toys now, attacking feet, and as of this evening able to jump up on the couch! she might be all of five weeks old..

I also found out she is interested in using the litter box. The area around the box had some spilled litter I just hadn't gotten around to sweeping up. Well there were several small urine puddles in the litter and one poop. So I cleaned and swept the area, and told her that if she can jump up on the couch, she can climb into the litter box :)

So, what do you think I should call them? Leave a comment...

Introducing....


Doug.

and of course I don't have a photo. He is a large boy, solid black, quick eyes, long nose. Very regal and handsome. I very much want to call him Lord John.

Doug came to me through a plea on line from someone I know on the Feline Diabetes message board. He was surrendered to an open admission shelter and was rescued from being put down by a no kill shelter up there. The woman who contacted me isn't able to take him right now, and asked if I could. I am a little reluctant to do this, because of the slim to almost no chance diabetic cats have. Maybe this is mean of me, but there are so many cats and so few resources... that and I lived through Benny. If I just had the experiences of Bear and Reese, maybe I'd feel a little differently about it.

I am glad that diabetics have a chance that their owners aren't willing or able to give them... and since I was able to sign up for a limited time, I agreed.

I went up and got him on Friday. My own personal day went pretty miserable, since I had several errands that all blew up in my face (and didn't get done) but Doug was pretty laid back about the whole transition. I got to the shelter and got all his information. I forgot how laid back most people are about diabetic care. One test per day and their curve was three tests, one in the AM one at noon and one in the PM about the time for the next shot. His general BG was about high 200 low 300s.

He took the 40 minute drive home in stride. Not a peep or cry which is so novel for me who generally listens to my own cats swear at me any time they are even near the car.

He got home and walked right out of his cage, explored the room for a while (he's in the office) and made himself at home on the recliner. He jumped down when I put food down, and I patted him several times. He ended up letting out a very large hiss while he was looking at the food (and I was patting him). I wasn't quite sure what it meant, so I left him with the food for about an hour to see what happened. When I went back in he hadn't eaten and was once again on the recliner. I tried patting him again and he wasn't much thrilled. Not unhappy, but not happy either. I talked to him the whole way about the lancets, the meter I had, and the tissue I use. He wasn't having anything to do with it. He started hissing at me the whole way through, so I gave up and figured it would be better to not stress him out and since I didn't test him I had no idea what was going on with his BGs and since he wasn't eating, I skipped his injection. Not ideal, but it is way better to leave them high for a long time then to have them dip too low for even a moment. I left him with a small scoop of raw food, and I mashed up his canned (Wellness) and went to bed.

In the morning he had decided to consent to eat a little of the food. He at all of the raw though - smart boy. I offered him some Fancy Feast beef and chicken, which he promptly refused. I didn't go slow this time. I was all business and poked his ear and got the test. I tested on both the walmart brand glucometer and the freestyle meter I have. I thought all of my meters had dead batteries, but this one had a little juice, and since I had never used the walmart one, I thought it best to get two readings. The walmart one was 389 while the FS reading was 359. Pretty standard to have different readings, and as long as the reading is with in the standard deviation, I'm happy - and they were. So I injected him with the 3 units of PZI that was prescribed to him and went off to do my morning errands.

I came back and he still hadn't eaten the FF. at 2pm I tested him again and he was 271.

I couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't getting too much insulin. 271 is not much of a dip for three whole units of insulin on a cat. 1 unit is generally more standard of a dose. There are some cats that do need more, some that need less. But since he was in shelter hands and really wasn't getting care from someone with extensive FD experience, I wouldn't be surprised if 3 is too many for him. If it was the right dose, the half way point should be closer to 100 not 300.

So I decided to dig out the Special Kitty Turkey and Giblets dinner that I feed my own crew when we run out of raw (or forget to thaw it). it is also the food that got Miss Benny off insulin. That he decided to eat.

So I tested him again at 8pm, and his BG was 148.

Very interesting result. Was it the food? was it the insulin working slowly? we'll see what happens in the AM. I'm leaning towards it was the food, and I am expecting his AM reading to be reasonable. I wouldn't be floored if it was high again though.. FD is such an odd little disease to get a handle on. Especially since he's got pancreatitis on top of it.

So I have medication to give Eli for a few more days, testing of Doug, and the fosters downstairs, oh yea, and the rabbit who never fails to yell at me if I don't feed her fast enough :)

Kit


Well it got worse before it got better. she didn't do anything after getting fluids but hang out in the bedroom. She didn't eat the food nor did she use the litter box. I tried to give her another exam, but she was quite paranoid, and ran. she was skittish and wary, and we were going to take her to the vet the next day but then she started being interested in the treats, so we held off. She showed more and more improvement, so we are going to let this one go as probably an upset stomach or something to the effect.

Oddly enough after we felt the worst was over, DH picked up a cling-on poop that fell off in the living room that was white. *sigh*

Thursday, November 19, 2009

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.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

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..

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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.



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