Bad Day at Round Rock

Yes, the vet gave me a discount for two cats, but...o.m.g...That's one reason I don't have a dog, too.

I took Santino (8#) in because he had a suspicious area on his foot, an area which he would not stop licking. I suspected ringworm since Nate had had it when here, and I wind up with a couple of patches of it myself.

No ringworm..probably. But a little bump (we hope insect bite) and the entire area licked raw. You see him with his new hat, and I have told him it's his crown...but, he is not very happy.
I take the think off for eating and drinking, and this incredible gentle cat allows me to put it right back on him again!

Issey 10#, who was scared out of his wits at the Vet....meek as a lamb....turned into a dragon from hell at home. I have scratches to prove that this cat will NOT be approached with even a tiny pill. I couldn't get a single Flagyl down him, and today I picked up a probiotic paste. The vet confirmed that the little feces tracks were Issey's. He has a bacterial overgrowth. I also have to change his food...The brand is immaterial (which I don't believe) but the main ingredients need to be other than what he has been eating. Since everyone's favorite is chicken....I have to buy lamb or fish, for example.
(Rudy has vomited a whole lot less since I stopped feeding Fancy Feast)

Since I am also dealing with my own health issues, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now.

We're Still Here

Well, of course we are! Where else would we be?

I have not discovered who is using the carpeting for toilet paper, but I suspect Sophie. She is so clean and I seldom see her cleaning herself. I think she wipes her entire body on the
carpet!

Rudy, however, is the likely cuprit for leaving small bits of
drool and tiny butt wipes on the bedspreads. I found tell-tale Rudy hair by these spots. It's to the vet for him, though I don't have much trust there. The last time I was there, he told me that he (the vet) had been in the hospital. This wasn't too startling because I had asked him, somewhat alarmed, whether he was alright.

What WAS odd though is that he told me his face and neck had broken out in massive, pus filled pimples and his girl-friend had been good enough to squeeze them. I was kind of grossed out and wondered about his ability to care for my cats. The vision of a doc having his girlfriend squeezing his pimples is too much-- even for me.

Santino continues to insist on daily brushing, and this seems to be agreeing with him. He is absolutely beautiful!

What's different here is that the old configurations of cats has broken up. Although Rudy is still not "glued" to another cat, he is hanging out with either Santino (his favorite) or Sophie. I am finding Santino with Sophie almost as often as he is glued to Issey.

As for me, I am rethinking this cat blog. I never intended it to be only about my own cats. I just can't get other contributors. I'm not tired of my cats, but I AM a bit tired of keeping up this blog. I will probably be doing some combining of blogs.

Thinking about "Off My Mind" as a title. :-)

My Dirty Boys

Sophie, the feral cat, comes out smelling like a rose. She just never makes messes beyond an occasional tuft of fur left on the carpeting, and even that...I suspect....was pulled out by one of the boys.

No, I don't prefer girls over boys...at least not when it comes to cats. And, in all fairness, I admit the boys may have charmed me into feeding them "improperly". Not that I know what "properly" would be.

Don't get me wrong. Part of me loves thinking of them like little kids who need constant clean-up, but, things are to the point of my having some difficulty handling it gracefully. Is there such a thing as a coach for crazy cat ladies? I WANT THE SHIT ON THE FURNITURE AND FLOORS TO STOP!!!

At least 3 days out of 7 Issey has poop on his tail, something which I discover by odor or, much worse, by seeing the trail from his wiping it on walls, chairs, and...of course, me. Yesterday when he jumped into my lap it wasn't poop, but a ball of urine soaked litter. What on earth is he doing in the litter box???

Rudy continue his vomiting. I am constantly cleaning carpets. I have tried him on various foods and all I have learned is that he can't tolerate anything too "pure". However, he also doesn't tolerate Fancy Feast. But none of this is consistently true. Occasionally, with nothing being different, he'll go a week without throwing up. I am now finding bits of vomit on bedspreads and pillows and I am constantly doing laundry. It's gotten worse.

Santino, an incredibly well behaved, trouble-free kitty, is also having a few issues . Dingleberries. Butt wiping. Again, I'm constantly cleaning and doing laundry. I need to figure out what is going on here!!!

Cat Whisperer?

Daughter refers to 10 yr. old Nate as "The Cat Whisperer", so I was curious about how it was going to go with me three princes and one princess who are not accustomed to smallish visitors.

Rudy was very interested initially, but quickly got bored with having to share attention. To my surprise, my most outgoing kitty hung back. (Rudy has changed. He was still asleep at 11 this morning, oblivious to my voice.)

Issey thought it great fun, but I think it was all too much for him as he lost food from both ends. He did keep coming out for more and there was no way for me to keep Nate and him apart. Even a quiet 10-year old's energy is a better match for a young dog than a cat, though, I think.

Santino hid under my bed the first two days, and then came out for tummy rubs. Oh, they liked Nate, but it was too much of a good thing. I thought it was a really good thing that we were out of the house so much. Sophie only came out when everyone was in bed.:-) She seems very happy now, allowing me to come closer to her than ever....as if to demonstrate how she feels about ME. :-)

Getting Cuter!

My blogs are neglected, but definitely not my cats!:-) If anything, they are cuter than ever! It must be the expensive food I am feeding them! Today's bill came to $80 with coupons, and that won't last a month, nor did it include treats.

So, about getting cuter.....I have lost 12#. No one notices. But back to my cute cats...just look how Santino and Issey forsake empty beds, preferring to curl up tightly together. And, what a nice color contrast they make!













The Red Prince is once again posing for the camera, and there has only been one vomiting incident in two weeks, which does wonders for the house.:-)

As I shower him with attention, he has stopped growling on general principles, and last night, interpreted Issey's actions as invitation to play rather than "pestering".

Rudy has never been a particularly funny cat, but he made me laugh out loud today. I had lain down for a nap, with a light blanket covering me. Too warm, I left my bare toes uncovered.

On the verge of falling asleep, I felt Issey between my lower legs. Oh good...I thought....he avoided pouncing on my chest first. And then, a short time later, I awoke to having my toes very gently nibbled on. It felt loving, it was so gentle.....not, mind you, that I particularly liked it. It was sweet, though. Eyes still closed, I reached down and patted Issey's head....only it wasn't. It was Rudy!

Stil Busy

Check out Santino's arms around Issey! They are so cute squeezed into the same doughnut bed. :-)
Rudy is the dark lump in the back. He loves to settle in wedged between pillows. He has not cuddled with anyone since Blu, and then Miki, died. Cats are individuals and no more replaceable than people are. Rudy loved Blu and Miki.

After a good nap, it's back to work for the studio assistant, Issey. Here he has talked Santino into helping. I picked up Santino and placed him in the chair, petted him and told him he was a good boy. He stayed! This does not work with Issey who is much too much into being "studio assistant"!

Allergies?

Santino just keeps getting more and more handsome! My chocolate prince!






















Issey's eyes are so runny....Think I will take him back to the vet, not that anything ever comes from any of our visits there. The diagnosis dujour are "stomatitis" or "allergies".

Rudy had all but his "fangs" removed for stomatitis, so no more mouth infections. But, he still still has allergies...That's why he throws up.

I wonder whether the vets realize that these are my children and I want answers.






But, I shouldn't whine. Santino and Sophie are trouble-free kids.