One Sick Cat

Keli is so sick she just lies in her box on her blanket and heating pad she can barely walk, eat, or go to do her potty. She cannot relax if I hold her, but holds herself stiffly, and wont lift her chin if I rub under there. I am very worried about her.

Chickens in the Crock Pot

Elizabeth Writes:

Spent the day roasting two chickens in the crock pot.

Keli and Jeffery drove me nuts with their awareness of the delicious smells! But once the meat was cooked, and I offered it to them, they snubbed the morsels!

Errgh!!!

Her Bed

This is Jeffery when he first came to live with us. Keli had just discovered he was on "her" bed.

Even though he had been in the house and kept in another room for days enough for her to get used to him and they'd already met face to face, I think she wasn't expecting him to be on "her" bed.

I know she looks like she is about to attack, but all she did was sneak up behind him and sniff before they both scared each other right off the bed.

Nine Lives?

It's been a very trying time lately.

You know how bitchy I get. How much annoyed I was with my dear hooman. Biting her and all that. I really was cranky, but I was so lonely when she wasn't at home. I cried a lot when I was here by myself. And I missed my old buddies, Beau and BooBoo. I hadn't realized how much until lately. I think it was because Elizabeth has had to spend a lot more time away at doctor appointments and such.

Then she went away for that whole week and it nearly sent me off my rocker. After that, I didn't let her forget about it. I yowled at her day and night just to prove to her how much it hurt me to be left alone like that. It doesn't matter that Esther and Liz came to visit me everyday. They are nice enough people. But, just don't understand me. And I just didn't get enough loving.

So, Elizabeth really had to make it up to me, you know? And we had all those forest fires and I had to stay inside all the time and not get to my favorite plants, or in the sunshine or underneath the sprinkler. Sure, she gave me the dried catnip, but you know it's not the same.

Also, because of the fires, we heard about the pets that were found, some of them in serious condition, that the local animal shelters were rescuing. Some were able to be returned to their homes, but some were not. The young ones were placed up for adoption. The older ones.... well nobody wants an older cat!

It was about this time that Elizabeth figured out that part of my loneliness might be alleviated if I had a friend. I mean I do have a friend. Cinnamon comes over once in a while and hangs out in my yard. I always smell her scent when I go out. And sometimes we hang out together in the yard, too. But, like I said, I couldn't go outside because of the fires... well the toxicity of the smoke and ashes everywhere, that is.

Anyhow, so Elizabeth decided to find me a friend who could keep me company. She remembered how much more I liked having a male companion, so that was her first criteria. Then, of course, I ain't interested in having no kitten!!! They are too active and would drive me nuts!

So Good Old E went to the shelter and looked at a ton of cats. I could smell them on her when she came home. I didn't like any of them! I didn't realize it at that time, but she was intuitive enough to know that. So she put in a request to the shelter for an older male, not just a couple years old, but OLDER, like me.
I am going to have my 19th birthday on the 29th of this month.

The shelter said they didn't have any older cats, they had all been euthanized. I hope they never do that to me!

But, then one of the volunteers remembered one kitty way up there in Scotts Valley shelter, who might be the one. But, we had to wait a whole weekend before we heard from her if that kitty was not euthanised. What an ugly word!!!

So, a few more days went by and Elizabeth thought, well that was it. Too late for that poor boy. But, then the hooman, Tara was her name, called a few more days later. What took her so long? And the message was that he was alive and they would hold them if she was interested. That was another Friday later, and she asked if they would wait until Monday. But, no, he was scheduled to be E*^@^!% on that day. So, Miss EBlest got in the car and drove over there, even though she was sick and after an interminable wait. more waiting.... Why was that day like glue in January? it was in the nineties for heaven's sake!

She got to view "Charley" in his cage. He had to be there alone, not because he was mean or anything, but because he was such a big cat, there wasn't any room for any others. It's not that he is big, like in fat. It's just that he is very long! Alligator long.

Then, she had to meet him in the guest room, and get acquainted. He was not all that interested in her. He knew the shelter volunteer and was more familiar with her. But, eventually he paid her the honor of his manners and let her pet him on her lap.

Fortunately there are Benefactors who help out financially to adopt a pet from that shelter, and all of the expenses were covered including a free vet visit. Now, the trick to that was that the vet visit had to be done within 72 hours! But, Eblest is no dummy. She got on her cell phone as she was driving away with my new future companion, and called the one closest to our home, found out she had just enough time to get there before they closed and got squeezed in for the appointment. It was a disappointment appointment as all they did was squezze his belly and generally pet him. The vet did a surprising thing. He took a rag and jammed it into that poor cats ears and twisted out some of the dirt, when Ebest asked if they could be cleaned. Then, to add insult to injury, they gave her a bill of $85!!! She had to remind them of the papers she gave them that said it was a free check up. Well, she won't go there again!

So, she brings him in the house and hides him away in the other bedroom for a few days. I am no dummy! I knew there was a guy in there from the get go. We sniffed each other through the door. I could hear him crying at night. He's been through HELL, surviving the fires!

So, then finally one day, about a week later we were introduced. It went well. I was outside hanging out and came back to the screen door and there he was. We nosed each other through the screen and that was it.

We are not the best of friends but we do get along. We changed his name to Jeffery, but now it seems he likes to be called Jet Lee much better.

The problem is that there must have been a virulent bug that he picked up on the way here, because in a couple of days I got very very sick. I lost a lot of weight right away. My behind was so swollen, it hurt soooo bad, and I couldn't even clean myself. Ebest was very worried. I got to the point where I didn't worry about anything. I just felt so sick, I could barely walk at all, I kept stepping on my pouch. I had to be lifted from the bed to the floor.

Jeffery didn't feel very good either. As I mentioned before he is not at all fat. Being a long fellow, 37 inches from nose tip to tail tip, he is skinny as a rail. Like he was Abe Lincoln or something. His fur didn't look all that good, and I know his hind legs and lumbar spine hurt him a LOT. Whenever Miss E would pet him there he would whimper, or flinch.

So, as sick as I was, E put me in the guest room, set up litter box and food for me. She put boxes next to the bed all piled up to make a staircase. That's much better, My Dear! And I got to rest inside my little blue tent with a heating pad over the whole bed. I do admit I made a mess from my not being able to wash myself. I had some discharge. So E got out the scissors and cut off all the fur from back there and washed me clean to make it easier on me. It sure helped and I didn't stink so bad. But, like I said, I couldn't bath myself, and my fur got so ratty. I have never looked worse in my life.

Miss E came into see me quite often to pet me and love me, and encouraged me to eat a bite at a time. I never knew she could be so patient with me. But, she tells me there was a time when I was a kitten when I had pneumonia or something and she nursed me then, too. Can you imagine me in a bathroom with a vaporizer going, she and I curled up in a blanket? Those were the days, huh? I don't remember! Good thing too. Being this sick I don't want to remember, either.

Then, the day came when I all but gave up the ghost. I thought, "I'll never make it to my 19th birthday." But, really, I was so sick I didn't care. I guess I scared the hell out of my Eblesst, because she tells me she took look in my eyes and I wasn't in there. She held me close and looked again.... Nobody Home. She just cried and cried like I haven't heard her cry in years. I could do nothing. I couldn't console her. I couldn't do anything but stay how I was. And truly, I'm not sure I was inside myself or not.

After she had called around to all the vets to find out how much it would cost to treat me.... about 450 to 800 dollars she despaired. That's her whole months income. How would she afford it? She could put it on her credit card and then pay double as the interest climbs. She called her son and he helped her to make some decisions. Even putting me to sleep and disposing of my body costs quite a bit of money. Can you believe it?

So, the decision was to dig a hole in the backyard. A deep one... just in case... only just in case, you see. That way I could still be here in my own yard, and not at some gas chamber to be "You than I zd" Okay so they give you a shot. Same thing to me. In strangers hands, in a strange place, stressed out. Let me die in peace please. Leave me alone!

So, that was the first decision.

Second decision was for her to treat me with all the herbal and nutritional know how she has (pllus one little hooman prescription that is good for cats, too, that has been prescribed for one of her conditions)

The next day, I was shining out of my eyes. Not well, of course, but at least "somebody's home".

It has taken me a couple weeks of treatment to get to the point now where I might be back up to my normal weight. I am no longer huddling in the hospital room, and most definitely feeling fine enough to give E a well deserved bite. Well, okay, I mean a threat of a bite. I am nibbling fiercely now, to get her to do what I want. And I do have to say she obeys much quicker now. Being sick has it's advantages. Eh?

Well, anyways, Jet Lee is doing much better too. Putting a little meat on his bones, which don't hurt him so much anymore. She can pet him without his cringing, and he fully has taken over on getting attention. But, now he knows I am well enough and I am in charge, so even though he likes to curl up on the bed with Miss E, all I got to do is look at him and he will leave. But, we do enjoy dining together.

Oh my... I just felt a little earthquake. I think I will go investigate and see what's going on.

Later, Alligator...

Adoption

I have adopted a 15 year old neutered male, Russian blue tuxedo cat. He is as tall as Abe Lincoln! Seriously! 36 inches from tip of nose to tip of tail.

Kept he and Keli separated for four days, letting them sleep on each other's blankets and changing them around. Letting him into her room while she went into his.

The first time they met, she had gone outside for her daily 15 ft constitutional, and had come back to the screen door where he had been waiting to meet her. They went nose to nose while I sweet talked to them. and eye balled each other and then both turned away peacefully.

A couple times he, Jeffrey, has been up on the bed with me, when she has arrived. She has taken to sitting up on top of the bookcase headboard and looking down upon us while laying on my favorite sweater. Oh the sacrifices I make for her.

Fire Cat

So much has been going on lately. E went a way and left me by myself for almost a week. Of course, she left me my crunchy food, and my automatic waterer. And she arranged for Esther to come see me everyday. But, she doesn't realize how disrupted she makes my life when she goes off like that!

I need to be allowed to go outside and sniff my plants and see who has been visiting the garden. You know, like Miss Cinnamon, and Ronnie, for example. Cinny has a certain fragrance that I recognise..as entirely her own and she rolls around in my dirt all the time. If I don't get out there and roll in the same dirt, Cinnamon will think she owns my dirt! I will not tolerate that!

And Ronnie, though he is a fixed boy, he does have a strong smell about him, and he rubs up against my bushes and especially the corner of my house and door. I know he is just saying hello and wants me to come outside. But, how can I do that when the doors are closed?

If E were here to respond to my beck and command she would open the door and let me out to sniff around, roll in my dirt and have a bite of grass or catnip! I was really miffed at her for going off and leaving me.

So, when she got home, I let her have it. I yowled at her all night long and didn't let her sleep for the next whole week. Ha Ha! That will teach her! Once she learned her lesson and was sufficiently obedient to me, I let off from waking her. After all, I need to get my beauty sleep too.

She got so concerned about my yowling she thought there was something wrong with me and made an appointment to take me to the vet. It was the hottest day of the year. Thank heavens she put ice packs on top of my travel cage and another one underneath my blanket, because even with the air conditioning on in the car, it was quite warm. Though I like the heat better than hoomans do.

As we left the house and drove away, suddenly I saw a huge plume of smoke arising on the horizon. I nudged E to take a look as she was driving. Even though she puts my cage in the car, sometimes I ride beside her. Any time I want to go into my cage, I can, because she leaves the door open for me. E looked up and saw the huge plume of smoke. It looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded!

I realized that the fire was very close to the edge of town by the airport and the hospital. I told E that we couldn't possibly drive to the vets office on our usual route of Hiway 1. I was right about that as they had to close that hiway. So, she decided to take the back road out of town, Freedom Blvd. But as we drove that way, all the traffic that was being diverted from Hiway 1 was beginning to slow us down. E turned around and we went back home. Thank Heavens!

Presently there are other fires all around us, and the smoke makes the sky look dirty. We cannot see the sun. And no matter how much I beg to go outside, E seldom gives in. I sneak out behind her when she takes out the garbage. But, my catnip is covered with Ash. I think Ronny and Cinnamon are not allowed outside now, too. I cannot smell them on my dirt or on the corner of my house or on the bushes.

I am very glad that I live in town and not out in the areas where the fires are. So many cats and dogs got rescued that the animal shelters are full up now. Big dogs that ran away from the fires got lost and picked up by the rescuers. If they had ID tags, Tattoos or Microchip ID, then they were eventually re-united with their people.

Cats are more likely to hide than to run, they say, so firefighters rescued some who were badly burned. Local Veterinarians took them into their hospitals to treat them and heal them. If they had no ID, they were put to sleep. How SAD!!!

With all the fires burning week after week, I often wonder what is happening to my distant kinfolk. Out here where I live there are many Mountain Lions, and I don't mean just in remote regions. With all the fires, where are they? Mountain Lions can, and do run away from fires. They don't hide like domesticated cats do. Where can they run to now? So many many acres of forest are burning! Will they soon be moving into hooman inhabited areas? Will the hoomans be scared of them? Chances are the big cats are scared too, and nervous. That is sure to cause trouble if they show up on some hoomans doorstep. I'm afraid my dear cousins whose lives have been saved by the fires will die at the hands of a gun.

I saw on the news where they rescued some Condors. Those are the biggest most frightening birds to me! But, they are a disappearing species, so some wildlife specialists somehow were able to capture 8 of those condors. But, like I said, what about my kinfolk???

Disaster Preparedness for Pets by Elizabeth

I've thought about this for the last week or so, whether or not I should make this posting. But, finally came to the decision to do so, as it weighs heavy on my heart.

I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone how precious our pets are to us.

I am enamored of my ancient 18 year old kitty, too. She sits at my elbow right now forcing me to type one handed. I'm sure we have many in the group who are owned by their dogs, I mean, who are dog owners. (hope to see some soon).

When a friend recently mentioned about going to the Rescue Shelter, it nudged me to go there too. Not because I need a new kitty, or want one in paticular, but because it has become apparent that Keli needs one. As much as she might dislike an interloper, she is lonely when I am gone, and even when I am here, .she would rather have feline company to help her harangue me. (she tells me so).

So the other day, I went to the shelter. But, instead of coming home with a new pet, I came home with an aching heart. Right now the shelters are overflowing with animals rescued from the fires. Bunnies and Chickens, and goats, and dogs and cats. You name it. The news had been presenting a lot about people evacuating their horses and livestock. But, I hadn't thought that people's pets wouldn't be safe. My cat would go into my car before my purse or family photos or my grandmother's antique vase. I would carry her in my arms (in cage) if I couldn't get away by car.

Of course if an owner isn't home when the fire starts and his dogs are outside on his property, there isn't much he can do to save his dogs (or cats). In the rural areas where these big fires are decimating the forest and brush, people's pets do not necessarily live indoors. The shelter had gone into the fire areas with their trucks and rescued as many pets as they could. Many were injured by fire. All were nervous and traumatized. Too many have gone unclaimed by their owners now that the fires in my immediate vicinity area are out. I couldn't bring myself to adopt a kitty who would not get my full attention for healing. It wouldn't be fair to Keli, It wouldn't be fair to the fire cat.

All this being said, I just had such an epiphany about it. We make preparations for disaster (don't we?) We put away food, water, medicine and blankets for those times when flood, fire, earthquake, etc. occur. We make plans for where the family will go if we can't be in our homes. But, when we are making all those plans, do we include our animals? Not me. the thought hadn't crossed my mind.

When I put aside canned goods and emergency lights and bandages in the garage, I didn't put away any cat food. In case of a true disaster, my cat will be one of those ending up in the shelters, and because of her advanced age, euthanized, as it is the young ones who get adopted when their owners cannot be found. I learned that when I went to the shelter to find an older cat to be companion to mine. No older ones available.

My cat doesn't wear a collar with an ID tag. She doesn't have a computer chip. That will change this week. I don't expect the fires to embark upon my own neighborhood. It was the other side of Watsonville that was so closely involved in the fire last week. I'm surrounded by strawberry fields where I live. Only smoke will bother me. But, I do live in a flood plain. It hasn't flooded in years, but it's best to be prepared.

Just putting my thoughts on all this out here. Have you thought about your own disaster preparedness? What plans have you made for your pets? Who will take care of them if you are not able to? How will they be kept safe? How will you prove they are yours if they have no ID on them?

Stifles?

Keli is an 18 year old neutered calico female. Up until about age seven there has always been at least one other cat in her life. Then a period of years went by as a single cat. She has been both an outdoor (occasionally) and indoor cat. Presently, she will step outside the door to sniff the live catnip, lay in the sun a few moments and come back in. She has no interest in balls, stuffed animals or other self play toys as she once did, and has little interactive play with any feather or long snake-like (her favorite) toys, except for laying on her side and batting at them a couple times, then she ignores them.

She still likes to be picked up and cuddled like a baby. She seems happiest with this.

I am very well aware she has arthritic changes in her sacro-illac joints and spine near the tail, which were diagnosed last year. the vet ordered pain medicine for her which makes her foam at the mouth, and she will fight to the death not to take in any way. He had also ordered prednisone and aspirin

sclerosis of spine narrowing the bridge L-Sacral. degenerative disease in the elbows. (hips and stifles were ok.) Stifles? she has small left kidney.

Dowager on a Downer

Wednesday, February 27, 2008


It's kinda odd how, when my human is sick, I get to feeling down and out myself. Even though she went out and bought me a turkey and cooked it up and shredded it into bite size pieces, I find that my mind is on other things. I do love the turkey. Don't get me wrong. It's just that when I'm feeling so low, it is just and effort to get off my rocking chair and head over to the food dish to eat. I do eat plenty and nibble on it all day. My human is quite satisfied with my appetite. It's just that when my bones hurt, I get to yowling a lot, and she gets annoyed and shuts the door on me.

Now how is that gonna make me feel good? Where is my self esteem going? I am the Queen of my home, and she seems to forget it. I am so disappointed that I don't even bother to bite her anymore. I just purr like crazy the next morning when she picks me up and holds my like a baby. Her baby, and I don't mind. Though undignified for a Queen.

I guess I should appreciate the things that I got. Like the fresh water bowl sitting beneath the distilled water container. She didn't realize that I would be interested in it. She just put it there to catch the drips. But, I love it! The distilled water is so pure and delicious. I have never touched the faucet water bowl since the new one appeared. It is an effort to drink from it, though worth it. I have to stand on my hind legs (so unlady-like) and dip my face into the bowl. I cannot get my paw in there to lick the water off my paw as I would prefer. But, like I said. It's worth it.

Well, maybe I will feel better tomorrow. In the meantime, I think I will go take a long nap.

Scare

It's been a while since I have blooged. Okay, blogged.

I guess I am in the doghouse now.

Yesterday, my hooman (hoowoman in this case) couldn't find me. She and her friend looked all over the house for me. Since the door had been open earlier they thought maybe I had gone outside. I do that occasionally. I like to lay in the sun on the sidewalk out front of the door. One of my favorite spots.

But I wasn't there.

She called my name over and over. What a racket she made! She crawled on her hands and knees and shined a flashlight under the beds. She yowled and Meowed really loud. She sounded just like me. But, she couldn't find me.

She got pretty frantic, and went to her computer and quickly made a lost cat sign. She ran off forty of them and distributed through the neighborhood, out there in the cold and wind. It's a shame she went through all that trouble, especially since she has a virus, right now.

By the time she got to my friend, Cinnamon's house, she was pretty exhausted. Good thing Cinny's hoowoman was home to convince her to come back here.

I can't really say where I was.

But, that red headed skinny witch who lives with Miki and Mini walked right into our house while my hoowoman was away looking for me, and when she came home there was Red coming out our door.

So now, the door is ALWAYS locked and I can only look outside through the screen, or the window, if I can actually climb up there. It's located a lot higher than it used to be. I have been clinging to my person like a shadow ever since. Instead of ignoring her and sleeping out in the other room where that very nice heating pad keeps the bed warm, I have spent the last two days at her elbow. She is really insecure, you know. I wouldn't want to feel like I had anything to do with her having a heart attack or anything like that!

Demanding Calico

Yowling Cat!

Food was not enough!

Didn't you like the vitamin syrup I put in it?

Come up on the bed and let me pet you!

She walks away!!!

I guess I will have to get up, and see what you want.

Written by Elizabeth