The post about Jack

What can I say about my boy. Jack came to me in a litter of four kittens in 2002, and it was the third litter I fostered. One of the four got very ill and was put down rather soon after I brought them home. I think back then they had so many kittens coming at them all at once they just took four that were of the same general age and put them all together. I don't know that, but looking back it seems very possible.

Because of the early loss, I feel in love with them rather quickly and rather deeply, but wee baby boy Jack (known then as Houdini and for good reason) quickly stole my heart, right out through my ear lobe. That boy was OBSESSED over nursing on my ear lobe. I still ache to this day that he outgrew that. I know it isn't all that acceptable, but it was so endearing.

I had made my husband a promise when I started fostering that I wouldn't keep any of the kittens I fostered (feel free to laugh at both of us) but when Jack came along I was totally distraught at the prospect of sending him back. I had two cats at the time, Em and Ollie, and we really were foolish to bring another cat into the house full time, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I was home crying that night after returning them, and my husband pretty much said if you are going to cry over him, you might as well go get him. I FLEW down to the shelter the next morning and snatched him right up.

I was unemployed at the time, and as a result where ever I went that I could bring him, I brought Jack with me. He learned to love riding in the car, and he loved his harness, because it meant spending time with me. He would often go and sit by the door and ask that we go somewhere together, and I could never resist him. Sometimes we would go to the local ice cream shop and get him an ice cream. Weren't we a spectacle, how often do you see a cat getting an ice cream?!? Once I got a job, I wasn't able to take him out as much, and he lost some of the confidence he had in new places, but he still doesn't mind riding in the car and he still overflows with confidence in the house and constantly asks anyone who shows up if they might have a smackerel or two of honey treat for a roly poly kitteh.. (he is not fat, he's fluffy, and he has a big dulap)

A few years ago I was watching a TV show about different breeds of cats, and on that program the highlighted the Nebelung. I was looking at cats that looked exactly like Jack. Every Nebelung I have seen looks amazingly similar, and they all have that wonderful outgoing friendly personalities. I have since started calling Jack a Nebelung, and part of me wonders if I will avoid adopting any others once he passes, or if I am going to form a Nebelung rescue and have 100 of them.

Jack has had way too many health scares for my liking. First was he was exposed to FeLV and ended up testing positive back when I used to let my resident cats mingle with my fosters. He tested positive twice over six weeks apart and I then started supplementing him on Vitamin C.  A year or so later he ended up testing negative.  When he was a young cat, he ended up being blocked after developing urinary crystals. I had one cat who was diabetic, and Eli had also recently blocked, and I was determined to make sure everyone else was healthy, so I bought them 'premium' dry food. It had all the right key buzz words, and it felt like I was doing the right thing for him and my other cats (the word truthiness pops to mind at this point) Well he blocked, and then he blocked again and I was told he had a very narrow urethra. After his second blockage is when I started my crusade to figure out what I could do, and when I learned how snowed over the general population is when it comes to feline nutrition. Unfortunately Jack is a wee bit (OK fine, a lot) food obsessed, and he is willing to eat just about anything he can get his paws on... and sometimes he bypasses his paws and goes right for the gobble.

Since becoming blocked as a young mancat, he has blocked a few other times, mostly when I am not careful and he gets into too many treats with plant based ingredients (which are currently banned from the house) or I don't put the dry food I bring home for the kittens away fast enough and he chews through the bag and eats till he gets sick. The most recent time he blocked was when I was visiting Amy and Lisa, and I was absolutely beside myself.

And I think we have a reason for that.

Due to my not being comfortable going back to my original vet, I have been shopping Jack around for the past few months / years with his urinary issue. I now have a list a mile long of vets I will not go to *sigh* and I had been attempting to help him myself and doing a very poor job of it. I finally broke down and tried 'one more' vet. There were a few that I was considering, most were more than 30 minutes away from my home. While Jack doesn't mind the car, most of my other cats do. A new clinic opened recently just a few hundred feet away from where my original vet (who took care of the cat I grew up with) and by a vet who used to work with a woman I used to work with who said (back then anyway) that he was very nice. So when Jack peed on the floor one too many times that week, I called them and asked to be seen. They squeezed me in - since it was a urinary issue in a male cat.  He tested normal once again - no obvious reason why he was peeing, and I suggested we do blood work to look at liver and kidney values - because I still believe and I always will that those treats I gave him harmed him - and the vet suggested we run a comprehensive panel - aka old kitty blood work.  Since cats are considered old at 8, and he is 12, I thought it a good idea.

Well his thyroid level came back at 5.4 (out of a 0.8 - 4.9 range) so we started him on thyroid medication. Originally we started him out at 2.5mg BID and in two weeks he tested at 0.8.  The 'other' vet at the clinic that called with the results said he was 'right where we wanted him to be' and I asked three different ways if I shouldn't be worried about him going too low, because we were told to test in 2-3 weeks so I assumed it hadn't fully settled yet, and each way I formed the question her answer was 'he is right in that range' and I was none too happy, especially since she completely avoided my concerns, and about ready to find a new vet, but I had scheduled an appointment with Muffin (perfect), Eli (perfect) and Fleurp (still dealing with anemia), and I decided to keep it and ended up having a nice discussion with the vet I had intended to have treat my cats anyway.

So truth be told, he should be around '2.something' not 0.8  After consulting on the yahoo thyroid board and reading more on thyroid, I took a day off of giving him the pills and lowered his dose to 1.25 BID. Since he really wasn't showing signs of being hyperthyroid other than the peeing (which oddly enough is actually a symptom - hence my 'unnecessary vet visit' post from Monday) it is very hard to tell if he is doing better with this new dose or not. The vet I intend to have as my primary vet agrees with my decision.  I am not overly pleased with this vet, but he is someone I can work with, and that is very valuable to me.

I am currently in the process of working up the courage to contact yet another vet to discuss doing the I-131 radioactive iodine treatment.  I am way too introverted and way too phone phobic to enjoy doing this, but I will get it done for my boy. Part of me, a very large part, wants to put off treatment until the end of October when I am going to be out of town at BarkWorld so I don't have to stress over him being stressed over my being gone, but we will have the discussion sooner than that and see what they think is best.

#howIwakeup is a regular feature on my instagram account

I do not know what the future will bring for my boy, but I do know that he will lay on my pillow each morning he can and lick my nose, because that is now his thing.. (I still wish it was my earlobe)

Wordless Wednesday - Four Nameless Kittens

Blog the Change - "Unnecessary" vet visits

When ever you talk about cat health, inevitably the conversation turns to cats at the vets.. how much they don't want to go, how badly they react, etc.

Eventually someone will add how vets run too many unnecessary tests and seem to be all about the money. This generally leads to talk about price gouging on medications and extreme prices at emergency clinics and how cold and callous they are to 'let a pet die' instead of helping them out.

I have darn good reason to distrust vets, I have seen too much, learned too much, and had too much happen.  I am currently very bitter about the whole thing, but even with all of that, I still want you to know that it is VITAL that not only you have a good vet, but you have a good relationship with one.

The only way to have a good relationship with a vet is to be a good customer.  Visit them regularly, and understand that they want you to be happy with them and their service. The more you partake of their services the more likely they are to go out of their way when something happens. A client that visits regularly that they have a history of dealing with is going to have more leeway in paying a bill than someone who just walks through the door the first time. And the more often the vet sees your pet, the more s/he will know about your pet and will be better able to diagnose what might be going on.


The only unnecessary test is the one that will not make a bit of difference in the change of treatment. If you walk into a vet's office to remove a tick and they want to take an x-ray, that is unnecessary. If you walk into the vet's office because the cat is urinating outside of the box an x-ray might seem unnecessary, but your cat might have stones that makes it uncomfortable to urinate. Blood work might also seem unnecessary, but it can be necessary to see if there is an issue with the kidneys or liver. If money is an issue, ask the vet what the test is going to determine, and what the change in the treatment would be if you do it. Tell the vet that money is a concern, and they can often work with you, as long as you are willing to work with them.  If you walk in the door saying your pet simply isn't doing well and you refuse blood work and x-rays, there isn't much they are going to be able to do.


People often complain about the nearly prohibitive costs of emergency clinics. They forget everything that is necessary to keep them open. Very few people want to work over night and holidays. The only way to ensure you have enough staff to man an emergency clinic to be open during all of those times when your vet is not open is to pay them well. You need to have an incentive. Then there is the cost of the building, the lights, the x-ray machine, the blood work machine, all of the medications that are necessary to have on hand, all of the instruments and accouterments to run a surgical suite. The cages, the food, the bedding, the laundry facilities, etc and finally add in the fact that you do not have regular clients and have to rely on those emergencies for all of your income.

Yes, it can be so very hard on the pet parent when they walk through the door with a sick or injured animal and they are refused service due to the inability to pay. Every time I hear a story about the heartlessness of the e-clinics in these situations, I know full well why they are this way. Too many times vets try to help, and are burned for it. They absolutely can not afford to treat every animal where the person 'cannot' pay (and how many people say they cannot pay but end up finding a way - they were just hoping for a lower bill) and if they gave in and treated an animal for each owner that couldn't, they would soon be out of business and the rest of us would be with out help when we needed help.

So show your vet some love. You don't have to agree with everything they say or do, you do employ them and if you don't like the way treatment is going it is your right to stand up for your pet and yourself, but if you find a vet you can work with, be glad, and remember with each bill you pay you ensure they will remain in business and will be there the next time you need them.

Interview with a Fosterer - Stacy Hurt

My next interview comes from Stacy Hurt. I met Stacy on Facebook when she was having some trouble with one of her kittens, she is a lovely lady and I'm so glad to have met her. I hope you enjoy her interview.

Introduce yourself and where do you hail from?
Hi! My name is Stacy Hurt from Orange, California

What rescue group, shelter or sanctuary do you foster for? I rescue for MeeowzResQ

What kinds of animals do you normally foster? Kittens

How did your adventure being a fosterer begin? I used to foster Bengals but after my last one that had been with me for several years I decided to take a break & focus on my own 4 cats. Recently I decided it might be more feasible to foster kittens and thereby reduce the 'peewars' that seemed to be daily occurrences with older cats.

How do you keep yourself from becoming too attached to the fosters you help? I understand each word in that question and have no idea what it actually means.

What is most frustrating for you as a foster? Not being able to save them all

What is most rewarding? Saving the ones I have right now


What experience moved or inspired you the most? Going to BlogPaws 2014! and meeting so many other like minded individuals working daily for animal welfare.

Do you have pets of your own? I have four cats; the eldest is Ms Stella O'Houligan the star of  'On a more personal note' on a more personal note... From Ms. Stella O'Houligan 

Her minions are Miss Jack our female Tuxie (11 yrs ) and Miss Jack's sister 'That Scrappy Cat' (also 11 years) The youngest is Oliver my giant Ornj mutant who is now just over 2 years old. My only male. So the run down is this: Miss Stella (Luna) my moon, Oliver my Sun and Miss Jack & Scraps my stars.

How do they respond to the foster animals? Ms. Stella O'Houligan has been the best, most adaptive cat ever. I saw her grooming the male kitten yesterday. He just thrusts himself right up in her face, tail ramrod straight up and flops down. She has had to put him in his place on occasion but overall she's the best. Ollie wants nothing to do with any of them and hisses regularly after he launches himself over the room barricade just to tell them so. Miss Jack & Scraps refuse any interaction and I don't encourage it. When it's kitten time (three times a day) the kittens have run of the living room to romp and play on cat trees and line up at the slider door to watch 'bird tv'.

What advice can you give to someone who might be wanting to become a foster? If you've never done it before start off with only one (older cat) or possibly just a couple kittens at first. Learn the ropes, make sure all communication is flowing both directions between you and your co-coordinators. Keep all kittens quarantined, if they come in separate groups, leave them that way until you are certain there are no health issues. And certainly keep them away from your own cats. Best advice I can give (that I learned the hard way) keep Clorox bleach wipes just outside your foster area and wipe down your hands, face & arms after each visit with the new arrivals. When you have other people come in to help you socialize them, make sure they wipe down upon arrival and before leaving as well. Best to be safe.

When you are not saving animals what do you like to do? I'm an artist and also have a full time job. I own and operate 'Ms. Stella O'Houigan's premium CatNip Quilts' and we have an ETSY store as well. I live near and love visiting the beach. I am a voracious reader and have taken to listening to books while I sew. Current favorite authors are Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Hitchens, Stephen Fry.

And now the questions from Inside the Actors Studio:

What is your favorite word? Ambivalent
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? time off
What turns you off? day job
What sound or noise do you love? my daughters voice and her laughter
What sound or noise do you hate? adults arguing
What is your favorite curse word? fucker
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Actress
What profession would you not like to do? DMV clerical
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? The zoo is open forever and you can have as many animals as you want

An award for me!

Kelsie nominated me for the "Shine on Award" over on her blog It's dog or nothing. Thank you Kelsie!


Here are the rules of the award:

1.) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

2.) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog, and link back.

3.) Share seven random things about yourself.

4.) Nominate up to 15 bloggers for the Shine On Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.

~~~~~

1.) check..
2.) check..
3.) oh seriously?  seven?? um..

• I love to swim
• I met my husband on a carousel.
• I have seriously wondered if Matchbox Twenty wrote this song about me and mine (or at least made the video about us) (not really, but I did have a 'what the heck' moment)
• I have probably 200 pairs of socks.. 
• For those of you new to my blog, I've been authoring this blog for 12 years now. I was blogging before that as well.
• I hate ants. Not because they are ants, but because when they come into my home the only way to get rid of them is to kill them, and I hate that.
• When people from out of state come and visit me, I take them up to see the life size chocolate moose.

4) Oh goodness I hate this part.. I always say this, and I always mean it (that should have been one of my random facts) I hate feeling like I have excluded anyone, or 'forced' anyone into this.. and while I know it isn't kosher, I'm going to skip this step. I'm sorry.. 

I will specifically nominate Amy over at http://www.seabasscat.com/ because I think you should stop by and visit with her.  She is going through a difficult time right now and some visitors and comments would brighten her day.

Thank you again Kelsie!