for all who have loved and lost
September 30, 2005 l Comments Off
We who choose to surround ourselves with lives
even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle,
easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps
we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
never fully understanding the necessary plan.
- Irving Townsend
Around 8 o’clock, I took him out of his cage, and mom held him while I cleaned his bottom. I also noticed that his chest was wet with drool. His teeth appeared to be overgrown, but I didn’t want to take care of that right away, for fear of stressing him too much.
After he was clean, I sat down on the couch and laid him on my chest. He stayed there for over an hour, cuddled in warmly under my hand, and fast asleep.
At 9:30, he started to stir a little, and so mom and I took the opportunity to get a better look at his teeth. I had to weigh the potential stress it would cause him against the fact that he could very well starve to death if this was left untreated.
Turns out I didn’t have much of a choice to make.
He had another stroke, in my hands. It was very fast. As he was breathing his last, I held him, and stroked him, and told him it was okay. He could go. I leaned over, kissed him, and whispered into his ear, You’ve been a wonderful boy. You can leave now, it’s alright. And he was gone.
There’s nothing I would have done differently. No better way I could have imagined for him to spend his last night. And yet…it hurts so much.
Napster Update
l Comments Off
Well, he was still here when I got home from work. I was so worried I wouldn’t be coming home to a live hamster…
Doesn’t look like he’s eaten much, but I got some baby food to tempt him with, and also some Pedialyte to add to his water (he’s drinking, just not very much).
He seems okay. He likes being held and petted (I think he enjoys the warmth of our hands). He’s not too happy about being cleaned, but we’ve made sure to give him lots of TLC afterwards.
I know he could possibly hang on for some time, or he may not live out the weekend. I just want to make sure he’s comfortable for as long as he is with us.
*sigh*
September 29, 2005 l 3 Comments
I think Napster’s had a stroke. He’s been very wobbly and uncoordinated (listing, falling over, etc.) and when I hold him, his hind end is noticably weak.
I also think he peed and pooped on himself last night, because his little bottom was wet and had poo caked on it. I know it’s not Wet Tail, because there’s no diarrhea or any of the other symptoms.
I don’t know what to do about him, besides keep him clean and warm. I’m really hoping that when he does go, it’s fast. I just couldn’t bear it to drag on for too long…
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eta:
He’s really gone downhill. Took him out of his cage tonight, cleaned off his bum (again), trimmed some of the fur, and put Neosporin on the areas that were irritated by the urine. He was in obvious discomfort and sqeaked a few times.
I’ve set up a few nests around his cage so he’ll have a place to rest if he can’t make it back to his little Igloo. No sooner did I gently set him down than he started rearranging the toilet paper. It’s nice to know he still has some spunk in him…
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A lot of the reading I’ve been doing suggests that most hamster, even elderly ones, will recover from a stroke within a few weeks. So I guess there is a good chance he could return to normal. Or not, but I refuse to lose all hope just yet.
I’m going to pick up some baby food and Pedialyte tomorrow after work, just to make sure he’s eating and stays hydrated.
I love this little guy, I really do…
Mouse Name Ideas So Far…
September 28, 2005 l 3 Comments
- “This” and “That”
- “Thing 1″ and “Thing 2″
- “M1″ and “M2″
(see a theme emerging here?)
- “Pinky” and “The Brain”
- “Mickey” and “Mighty”
And while not a name for a pair, someone suggested “Fievel Mousekewitz” from An American Tail
When it’s not one thing, it’s another…
September 27, 2005 l Comments Off
The cats are doing great. Scully finished her course of antibiotics for the UTI, and she hasn’t peed outside of her litterbox once. Also, the diet change (in response to food sensitivities) has been resisted somewhat, but there hasn’t been a single case of stomach upset in over a week.
The mice are settling in quite nicely, they seem to like the little habitat I set up for them (pics to come…) No new names yet, but we’re working on that. Mom is lobbying for “Peter” and “Piper”.
The rabbits are doing good, as usual.
But the hamster…
I think he’s becoming senile. He’s started sleeping next to his litterbox, putting food in his litterbox, and seems disoriented about 30%-50% of the time. He’s two, and hasn’t had the greatest past, so I suppose some of this is to be expected.
I guess the only thing to do is just keep an eye on him and make sure there are no other signs of illness. Oh the joys of being a domestic zookeeper!
You know my friend’s mice that I mentioned in a previous entry? I kind of…brought them home.
I won’t go into the many, many reasons why I think it’s a bad idea to give pets as birthday presents. But after a week my friend decided she really didn’t want any pets, and the two little guys came home with me.
And even mom had to admit, they are pretty darn adorable.
Scully pretty much hates me by now
September 25, 2005 l Comments Off
I’ll be relieved when her round of antibiotics is over tomorrow morning, her protests have been getting more and more vigorous…And shoving a pill down the throat of a squirming cat is fairly miserable for all involved.
Now if we can just be certain that she won’t continue to have urination problems due to any residual odors. I really need to get a blacklight and make sure that the closet is all clear.
…oh yeah, and the cats are going on hunger strike because I’ve fed them the same food more than one day in a row (owing to Steph’s recent development of food sensitivities). It’s never dull around here.
hip-hip-hurray
September 24, 2005 l 1 Comment
Around this time two years ago, a baby Syrian hamster was born. A little less than a year after that, I was able to rescue him from the rough and uncaring hands of his young owner and bring him into our domestic zoo. He’s slightly quirky, and not very social, but I love him just the same.
Happy Birthday, Napster!
feline trivia
September 23, 2005 l 2 Comments
Cat behavior is a lot more complex and, I think, more interesting than many people give it credit for. For instance:
Many people believe they bury their waste products because they are fastidious. That isn’t necessarily so. In the wild, only secondary cats bury their waste to protect their trail from predators. The dominant feline will actually display his or her feces prominently. This sends a strong message of dominance. In the world of house cats, you are the dominant animal and the house cat chooses not to offend you. They will carefully bury their feces to eliminate interfering with what they perceive as the natural order.
(note: this dynamic changes in some multi-cat households, with the dominant cat displaying their feces, and the other, subordinate cats burying theirs)
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A cat’s whiskers, called vibrissae, grow at the side of his mouth in four rows and above his eyes. There are approximately 30 of them, each attached to a nerve in the skin. They are so sensitive, that the cat relies on them to aid his movement in the dark. He can actually identify things he can’t see. Studies of blindfolded cats, for example, reveal that they can place their front paws on a tabletop when only their whiskers had touched its edge.
A cat with poor eyesight, or totally blind, will use his whiskers like a blind person uses a cane. The cat will walk with his head moving from side to side, using his whiskers to guide him.
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Cats’ faces are flat between the eyes, so both eyes are able to work together more easily. This is a rare feature in the animal kingdom. But because of it, the cat has an amazing ability to visually judge distances with remarkable accuracy. As a result, he can focus more sharply and actually see three-dimensionally.
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A cat walks the way he does because it’s best suited for a skillful hunter. Almost all animals walk by moving alternate legs – first the left front and right rear, then the right front and left rear. Only three animals walk by moving the two legs on one side together first, then shifting to do the same on the other side: the giraffe, the camel, and the cat. This method of walking, which is basically diagonal, uses a minimum of energy and helps ensure speed, agility, and silence.
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Why do cats drink dirty water? Because of their keen sense of smell: fresh tap water usually is heavily treated with chemicals and chlorinated so strongly that it has a chemical odor, offending cats’ sensitive noses. Even worse, you’ve probably washed the drinking dish with some form of detergent. Stale water in puddles, aquariums and flower vases seem much more attractive. They’re full of natural microbes and organic decomposing vegetation. You should always thoroughly wash and rinse all detergent from water and food dishes before using. Let tap water stand for a while before offering to your cat.
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And have you ever wondered why cats want out when in…and in when out?
Cats have a very powerful need to check out their territory from time to time. The reason that their checking is so rhythmic is because of the built-in time clock of their scent marks. When outside, cats rubs a territory marker or sprays urine on it to keep their rivals away. The staying power of the scent becomes weaker with time and eventually disappears. This means that they will need another visit outside to do it all over again.
All cats are territorial by nature, even those who live indoors. They’re very protective of their space. Inside, a cat claims from an entire room to a specific corner of a bed. Outdoors it is especially important for a cat to stake his territorial claim, limited only by how big an area he feels he can reasonably defend. New cats in the neighborhood have to fight to be accepted and to win territory. Each cat’s territory includes a few types of spaces: private where he will sleep and feel safe, commonly held grounds which he will share with a few other cats, and meeting grounds where a group of cats will meet. An outer part of the territory is where he will hunt and roam. Usually by battling it out with other cats, they establish their territories. Often, they form a time-share system, using the same areas, but at different times. When they fail to agree on the rules, the caterwauling begins.
taken from: Why Do Cats…?
