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.

Asleep on the Job

Oh, how I love those times that I can talk my studio assistants into going to sleep on the job!

Santino has always been amenable to staying in the chair while I am busy at my work table, even when he was a kitten. Issey, however, much prefers being ON the table, paws busy. He likes strings of beads, anything that can be rolled on the floor, as well as things which clink or tinkle....and I can count on him to walk over and on what can be. I keep single beads, feathers, and jingle bells out of sight and reach. Paper or fibers with which I am working are a bit dicey as they are completely irresistible and quickly ruined.

I LOVE nap time, especially when they choose to nap right next to me.

This & That

This is a 16x20 commemorative collage of Sammy, a beautiful Balinese boy. Issey had kind of a "fit" while I was working on this piece.... as if he knew it was about another cat. I wished that I had brought him up better!:-) I don't know that it would have been possible to teach him to stay off my work table, but I wish I had tried. I am that obnoxious cat mom who thinks everything he does is cute. How can I expect him to know that ruining the expensive art paper I'm using is NOT cute? Oh..yes...I know where I went wrong.















My friend, Doreen, knowing how much I like both monkeys and cats, sent me this picture. The kitty looks like he is barely tolerating the hugging, but I've seen that same look on my cats faces! The monkey is in love, however.

Busy Cats

Both Santino and Rudy are mesmerized by their own mirror image. I'm usually talking to them about how pretty they are, but this time remembered to grab the camera. Can you tell how many cats are in the photo?

Cats on the Couch

How often is "often enough" to make notes on daily life? There cannot be a concrete answer to that. I think that being present for one's life means paying constant attention, something which I find rather difficult. The camera forces me to focus...haha, in more ways than one. Think about it...How much do you really SEE? How much control do you have over your focus?

Of course, my thoughts don't have much to do with this blog.....I'm just a crazy cat lady and love looking at my cats. It's just that I see things in my photos to which I gave no attention whatsoever before. One of these observations is "OMG, that couch is RED! Who would have the guts (or be crazy enough) to buy a RED couch?

All Is Well

I never tire of watching the sweetness that is two cats curled up together.

Rudy allows both Issey and Santino to groom him a bit, but he will not lie down next to them. Sophie is happy to accommodate any of the princes, but my two Virginia cats prefer each other. Sometimes, I get the feeling that a "programming" took place, and it was close to same for both. From the day Issey came to us, he and Santino knew each other. Of course, they probably believe the other looks "right", unlike the red cat and the black and white one. :-)

Instinctual Behavior

I think if a big cat watched a domestic one shove a mouse effigy under the refrigerator, he would not understand that "hunt" has taken on different meaning. I wonder about the whole thing myself....After all, the refrigerator, being very heavy, never moves....and the mouse never runs back out. My cats are ever hopeful, though, watching the fridge as if it were a T.V.

My Feline Toddler

I discovered Issey in the guest bath where he had pulled down the shower curtain. (It was his second time to do this.) He looked rather pleased with himself, though he cowered in the corner as I began picking up the mess.

It's been a rough week. I put that in the past tense, feeling hopeful that his week of making trouble is over. Today he did finally allow me to get some good work done on a collage. After half a dozen jumps onto my art table and being placed in an adjacent chair, he stayed there and watched me work.

The week has included his finding and unwrapping my cough drops , ruining three collage starts, and requiring me to make a second 56 mile round trip to the art store for more paper. It isn't that I wasn't paying attention. He is FAST and he loves all art materials. I have had regrets about removing the French doors of my studio, but I know that locking him out of where I work would cause bigger problems.

I thought about his diet, but there were no changes there, and I contemplated a vet visit to see if there was a physical reason for his behavior....when....this morning, I got my sweet kitty back. He snuggled in my lap and purred and purred.....and then allowed me to work! We are back to normal.

The Kids

Nothing has changed here that much. Rudy still throws up. Issey still decides where he wants to sit, and never mind who might have been there first. Santino has become very sociable, flirting with anyone who happens to come over. He and Issey kind of fawned over the Cat Nanny when she came over to collect her well earned pay check...my reaction a combination of delight and a shred of jealousy. And Sophie....she's just happy to be here. So am I.

Visit to the Vet

I've been thinking that maybe "Tiny Tim", the name bestowed on Issey by his former Mom, was a good fit after all. He looks tall, but very thin...like a runway model, which, of course, is exactly like he is supposed to look. But, he and the rest of the kids all look like they have lost weight, I worried.

Well, Issey and I have just returned from the vet and my "tiny" kitty weighed in a a little over 10 pounds!!! Another lesson in perception! :-)

I've put off this vet visit. On the last visit, I was thoroughly scared by the dire diagnosis of stomatitis, and though after a round of antibiotics all symptoms disappeared, I was a bit leery of what other bad (though false) news I would get. But, Issey's eye seemed worse, maybe because the cat nanny had not cleaned it daily, and it was time to have it looked at.

First, I asked about Issey's gums......PERFECT, I was told. Soooo, no stomatitis?, I said gently. hoping to put him on notice about issuing a dire warning about the eye. Manipulative, aren't I?
Maybe.

The runny eye is either due to allergies or herpes.....but, he added, since herpes was highly contagious and the other cats showed no symptoms it could not be that. However, IF it were that, a steroid injection for allergies, would make herpes worse. He decided on a small dosage of steroids, saying that if there's a big improvement, it is definitely allergies and when the shot wears off, I can treat it with pediatric something-or-another. Yes, I forgot! I forgot because I think it's kind of neurotic to pill a cat who is feeling fine. I also forgot what we do if it's herpes, because...I've decided...it ISN'T. Mekuna metata.

Big Cats, Little Cats

One lion rests in the shade while her sister takes a long drink from a small stream. A few minutes later, they were nose to nose and then rolled over onto their tummies.

Having witnessed my tiny kitties do the same.....well, except the stream part....I thought of them and missed them terribly.

Meanwhile, at home:

Big Cats, Little Cats

I missed my kitties terribly on this trip......much, much more than I ever remember having missed them before. I virtually ached for them. But, no....that did not keep me from appreciating the kitties I was SEEING! Cheetahs, lions...even a leopard in a tree.....all were magnificent! I watched and marveled at the similarity of movement, of behavior, except, of course....my teeny, tiny kitties here don't know anything about killing to eat.
When I arrived home, Rudy was all over me, but tiny Santino and Issey played hard to get. It took a few hours before they forgave me for leaving......in spite of the fact that they had the best cat nanny there could be! She even left me an illustrated journal.....oh, but that was for ME, wasn't it? :-)

















































(to be continued)

Good Bye, Kitties!

Rudy, Sophie, Santino, and Issey shown
posing, sleeping, hanging out, milling about, on bird watch, and on bug patrol...

I am leaving the kids with an excellent nanny, and I am sure they will get lots of attention and love. I am leaving behind detailed instructions and mountains of food and litter.

These pictures come with me to Tanzania!