Ringing in the New Year, ringing up the old…
December 30, 2005 l Comments Off
Seven trips to the vet, including three feline spay surgeries, two urinary tract infections, one cat’s luxating patella, and a wellness exam for the rabbits: $1,174.45
A year’s worth of food for four cats, two rabbits, and two mice: $1,677.80
Enough cat litter, rabbit litter, and mice bedding for a year: $610.36
The love and affection of eight furry babies: priceless
Poor Stephanie…will it never end?
December 29, 2005 l 2 Comments
She was straining to urinate. We’re off to the vet in less than an hour (when I called, the receptionist asked if they had seen this cat before. I said, “Yeah, a couple weeks ago. It’s Stephanie.” She went, “Oh Steph, not again.”)
I was planning on going next week because Scully needs her rabies shot – think they’ll start getting sick of me?
*eta*At our initial visit, they weren’t able to get any urine out of her, so they kept her for a few hours until her bladder filled enough to get a sample. It was hard to leave her at the vet, wide-eyed and trembling, and it was a long, quiet ride home.
One of the vet techs called at 5:30 (the office closes at 6), and they were finally able to extract some pee via cystocentesis. They hadn’t run the sample yet, but I headed right over with Stephen.
Steph did have a UTI; her pee had red and white blood cells “too numerous to count”. Handing me the antibiotics, the receptionist quipped, “You pretty much know the drill by now.” Oh yeah.
She’s quite happy to be home now, and we are more than happy that she’s back. We love our little Steffie-Weffie-Boo.
Oh, and Scully has an appointment for her rabies vax next Wednesday. If they’re not tired of me yet, they soon will be…
Merry Christmas to all!
December 25, 2005 l Comments Off
The cats, worn out from wrestling in boxes and wrapping, chasing toys around the house, and generally being loved on, sleep sweetly and soundly. The rabbits snuggle together for a nap, while visions of dried bananas dance in their heads. The mice curl up for a rest (being, as they are, nocturnal)
We’ve a lifetime supply of furry mice and dried fruit treats, and more than enough love to go around. It’s been a good year.
this stuff is amazing
December 24, 2005 l Comments Off
from Bi-O-Kleen
so very, very strange
December 22, 2005 l Comments Off
So I think what happened was that Martin and Chuck went into a pseudo-hibernation. It’s been getting colder, and darker, and they just shut down.
Of course, if they weren’t well prepared for it they would have burned off a lot of reserves, which explains their sunken appearence (despite being very well fed!)
Still no clue as to why Martin was laying next to his dish; you’d figure a hibernating mouse would be in his nest (as Chuck was).
I could have sworn that both mice were dead…and now they’re running around like nothing happened.
Cats’ Top Ten Favorite Christmas Songs:
December 18, 2005 l Comments Off
10. Up on the Mousetop
9. Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas
8. Joy to the Curled
7. I Saw Mommy Hiss at Santa Claus
6. The First Meow
5. Oh, Come All Ye Fishful
4. Silent Mice
3. Fluffy, the Snowman
2. Jingle Balls
1. Wreck the Halls!
head for the hills!
December 16, 2005 l 1 Comment
why is it, that when you’re sitting at the computer, deeply engrossed in homework, a cat will come in and make the foulest stench imaginable in the litterbox and leave it for you to enjoy?
we’re on this road together, you and I
December 14, 2005 l Comments Off
Stephanie hobbled into my room last night, taking care not to walk on her right hind leg. I had to play the bad guy: don’t help her, don’t pick her up. The vet said that she will learn how to put her knee in place for herself, and if this is going to be a lifelong thing, the sooner she learns the better.
It’s difficult for everyone, cat and human alike. Her knee can be fixed in a matter of seconds if we pick her up and flex her leg. But Stephanie has got to do this for herself, no matter how hard it is for us to watch her struggle.
So last night she carried herself across my room on three legs, hopped on top of the mouse’s cage, and stretched her leg out behind her. The kneecap righted itself, and she sauntered back out of the room.
It took the vet less than five minutes
December 12, 2005 l Comments Off
To determine two things:
First, we have fleas. The news came as a total shock, though now I can see the wisdom of year-round flea treatment. We stopped the cats’ Frontline back in October, but we think they arrived on Thanksgiving with our uncle’s scruffy dog. Won-der-ful. Honestly, we haven’t noticed any excessive itching or flea dirt, so who knows how long an infestation would have gone on undetected. Now I just need to figure out the best plan of action that will eradicate the little buggers. In the words of Bugs Bunny:
This means war.
Second, Stephanie has a ‘luxating patella’. Her knee cap, which should rest in the groove of the femur joint, instead floats in and out of that groove. When she runs or jumps, her knee cap dislocates, and when she’s stretching her leg repeatedly, she’s trying to pop it back into place. A luxating patella is not entirely uncommon (it’s often found in small dogs); she’ll get an anti-inflammatory for the next few days, and we’ll be giving her a daily dose of cosequin as a joint supplement.
There is a possibility that in the future she’ll need surgery. Her knee is at risk for either arthritis or an excessive calcium build-up, and since she’s such a young cat, surgery will prevent any such debilitating side-effect. But we’re holding that option out unless it appears she’s getting worse.
I think I’m more upset about the fleas than about her knee. At least we know what’s wrong with my poor baby girl, and now, I think I’m going to go give her some extra lovin’…
*ugh*
December 10, 2005 l Comments Off
Why not just rip my heart out and pound it with a hammer?
As I was leaving for work last night, Stephanie ran over to see me…and started to limp. Its almost like her leg goes out. Mom picked her up and was cradling her as I walked out the door.
Monday seems so far away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
on a much lighter note…
I let the rabbits out to play yesterday morning, and was kinda half-watching them as I worked at the computer.
I heard Peanut sneeze, so I looked over, and she has a dust bunny (or dust “cabbit”, as we like to call them around here) dangling off one of her whiskers. She sneezed again, and it finally dislodged itself and floated away.
She started chasing it! She followed that little dust cabbit all around the room, until she finally pounced on it.
Methinks she’s been hanging around the cats too much.
