Felix has been re-named

Felix is now Tarzan because he currently is the King of the Jungle over here. I had to take him to the vet today as his tummy was so bloated and red. He was red from the middle of his belly to his rear legs and when I stimulated him, he would fuss and cry and kick. He was still eating and pooping and peeing, but he certainly was also telling me something was wrong.

Granted he is young, but I suspected he had tapes. I had to go and make another payment on my sky-high vet bill, so I tucked Tarzan into my jacket and off we went.

Ben was skeptical when I asked him for Droncit. I told him that when Tarzan arrived, he was riddled with fleas and was frantically trying to groom himself. So, Ben did give Tarzan a shot of Droncit. He also said that he felt Tarzan’s digestive system wasn’t working right, so he gave me a tube of BeneBac

By the time we arrived home, Tarzan had pooped and there was a pile of tapes in the middle of it all. Poor Kitty! He is looking so much better. The redness isn’t so pronounced now and only on his rear legs (which could also be urine scald.) His belly that was as hard as a basketball this morning now has more give in it when pressed.

Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from here on in. I have the word out that he is available for adoption in 5 months- so there is hope he will find a good home in the future.

Tomorrow Eddie is bringing over someone wanting to adopt Shimmer, and I got a promising phone call from someone in North Albany interested in Madison! She is bringing her husband on Saturday to meet Maddie

Kitten Season has started

Pretty well known at the local grocery stores around here, after all, who can ignore a lady who comes into the store every two weeks to buy multiple cans for cat food?

While buying cat food this morning an employee tugged at my sleeve. She wanted to show me what they had found just hours earlier. Someone had left him inside the store, had they done otherwise and left him outside, I doubt he would have survived. It has been bitter cold here.

His name for now is Felix, by all intents and purposes he should be a bottle baby, however circumstances seem to have made him hungry for anything. He is eating every 3 hours a mixture of canned cat food and kmr out of a jar lid warmed up.

Mike has promised he will take over nurse duty when I work, but I think I can take him to work as long as I can get my bosses permission. Forgive the blurry photograph, the dog had licked the camera prior to the shot.

The Tramadol Scare

Recently, I had oral surgery, never fun to have a tooth extracted. But afterward, I developed a bad infection at the extraction site, so the dentist prescribed Tramadol. I was told by the pharmacist only two things: take with a lot of water, take with food.

My mouth was so swollen, I couldn’t open it very wide, so I halved the pills and were taking them 2 every 6 hours this way. By the second day, when I woke up, I couldn’t breathe. At first I thought Oliver (my 18 pound cat) was sitting on my chest, but when I tried to sit up, I had pain radiating down my right arm. I fell back thinking “is this it? Am I having a heart attack?” Although the pain remained steady, it didn’t get worse and finally I got up. Oliver was nowhere in sight.

All through the day I was struggling to breathe. I got the hiccups and thought I would die. It was so strange. I finally got off of work and came home and talked to Mike about how I was feeling. He was ready to whisk me off to Urgent Care- but I gave up believing in that place a long time ago.

Instead, I went on Drugs.com and read up on the medication that I was taking. Shame on me- I should have done that FIRST. The side effects of this little white pill are horrendous; shallow breathing, serious breathing problems, rashes with blisters, heart palpatations, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurry vision, coma, death. One thing you don’t do is crush or halve the pills because it puts to much of the drug in your system and can cause “serious breathing disorders.” So, how do you stop this from occurring? Believe it or not, I found out from a health professionals, I have to go BACK on the drug, take it correctly and wean myself off it slowly. Baloney!

It has been three days now, and I can sit upright finally without pain. I went off all food and started flushing my system with water. Not sipping it but chugging it like I used to do with beer at beer parties long ago. I still have the pain a bit, but it isn’t as intense and I think I am getting better daily.

The cats have been a comfort and except for Charlie, they seem to accept that for now my chest is no longer a sleeping spot for them. Charlie is Charlie and he is stubborn. He will repeatedly jump on my chest, I am just thankful that he is the smallest kitty of the bunch.

I think in a few days, I will be good to go. I had people at work praying for me. One woman told me the first day I worked after the extraction that i looked so pale she thought I was Casper! She grabbed me the minute I walked in the door, led me to the back room, wrapped her arms around my neck and prayed for me I looked that bad! Kathi even sent me home early because I could barely walk much less bend over.

You know we trust these professionals to do right by us. They give us pills with no consequence to the problems they might create for us. Sometimes pills appear on the market as the “end-all be all” for the problem only to be yanked later as causing major health issues. I wonder why the pharmacist didn’t warn me about ALL the side-effects? Are they that busy in their day that they don’t understand some people need to know about this? The only way I found out about the 48 side effects was by using the Internet. God help me, next time I get a pill from a health professionals, the first thing I am going to do is research the darn thing on drugs.com!

You’ve gotta friend

Kodie and Echo have quickly found their way with each other. One thing that we are trying to work with Echo on is getting on the couch! His Royal Highness is used to laying all over the furniture and in this home, that isn’t allowed. This morning Echo tried to crawl into Mike’s lap when he was in his chair. Now, if Echo was a 10 pound dog, that would be one thing- but he weighs 90 pounds and the vet said that he is about 25 pounds underweight! I agree because you can feel his ribs, his back bone and tail bone are also protruding. So, we will continue to work with him and let him know that furniture is a no dog zone. Shame on his previous owner though, she didn’t obedience train him, train him to walk on a leash. Supposedly she has had him since he was 7 weeks old, so my question would be, what the heck did you do with him besides teach him that furniture is a lovely place to lay on?

I had to go back to the dentist yesterday. The tooth extraction site got infected so it isn’t healing correctly. It’s another round of antibiotics and pain pills till this clears up. Man! And I thought vets were expensive! They wanted the money up front so there goes the food budget for the next two months. But at least, the animals will eat! 🙂

New Arrival

Yes another new arrival. Sadly, there is never a lack of animals in need of a loving home. I am so appalled when I read on Craig’s List and other lists about all the dogs and cats that people are looking to “get rid of.’ I hate that term- I get rid of garbage, and termites. I don’t “get rid” of animals. They have a heart, they have a soul and people need to look at them in a different light instead of just possessions like a couch or a stick of furniture.

This is Echo, he is 2 years old and although he has never been neutered- he is a cryptoid, he is mellow as toast. We have had him for 3 days he is a product of a divorce situation. The gal has to farm out all her dogs until she decides what she wants to do. We are “fostering” him right now, but I suspect he will be staying forever as he allows the kitties to climb all over him, he is very gentle and he gets along with Kodie until she gets to rough with him. He almost nailed her this morning when she bombed into him.

We have had him now for 3 days and he has already developed a bond with me. Mike, he isn’t so sure of yet.

The cats seem to all like him, although he is so HUGE that when he first arrived, just the appearance of his head in the door was enough to make the stray cat scramble happen! Now, the older cats are all over him and the kittens are making their way with him. Trump and Livingston both have issues with him, but he is a sweet, sweet boy. He still looks sad to me though. I hope he gets his smile back soon.

He has been allowed to be on furniture, something dogs here are never allowed to do- they would squish a cat! besides, at 90 pounds- he takes up the WHOLE couch. Mike is thrilled, he finally has his cherished shepherd.

The Sum Total

Quietly regarding me with large, green soulful eyes, Guinevere lies on a lounge cushion placed on the floor. This mere whisper of a cat, deemed “un-adoptable” at the local shelter condemning her to live out her days in a small cramped cage, was now sequestered in our master bedroom. Learning that she was a “special needs” cat didn’t sway me from adopting her permanently.

In her crab-like, hopping fashion, Guinevere follows me around the bedroom. Determined to present me with her special head-bump of the day, she doggedly pursues me in her slow, lumbering manner.

Guinevere is seventeen years old (or so my vet believes). She does not invite my pity. If I start toward her when she is following me, she ducks under the bed. At first, I thought I startle her. But, the more time I spend with her, I begin to understand her. Recognizing, the fight and courage that drives her onward toward whatever her goal might be; the litter pans, the food bowls or my lap. She is a determined creature wanting only the simple things, wanting to stay safe.

Though walking is a struggle she valiantly keeps going she, tentatively exercising tired, damaged limbs. Somehow sensing that inactivity could prove to be risky and action is prudent.

Only when she reaches me am I allowed to kneel down; lowering myself to the floor, crossing my legs waiting for the special ritual to begin. She lurches over, lies down so that her head is resting on my knee. Carefully I lean over, scooping up her back-end and supporting her damaged shoulders easing her into my lap. The activity has worn her down. She closes her eyes and sleeps cradled in my arms.

Her attraction to me was immediate. Perhaps sensing that we are kindred spirits overcoming what might have destroyed others. I know she cannot see the scars. My shirts and jeans effectively cover up the highway of marks that zigzag over my stomach. A freeway of harsh reminders when the clothes are removed and the body is being contemplated in the full-length- mirror.

The marks can be covered up cosmetically. I never chose to do so. They remind me of a life long ago, when a young, naïve girl ran off with a man she was certain would love her forever. But forever’s are for fairy tales and sometimes fairy tales turn into nightmares.

As I watch Guinevere lying trembling in my arms, limbs twitching and her lovely mouth turned into a grimace. I fear she is chasing her own personal demons. I recall what fear tastes like, how love can quickly turn ugly and dark when people, afraid of getting involved simply turn around and walk away.

Do cats have nine lives? I believe Guinevere does. She has remained on earth for a reason. To be a gentle teacher, a spiritual guide. She inspires me daily to look beyond the surface, ignore the outer dressing, to weigh the heart and value the soul. Guinevere is pure white. The color white is said to symbolize; stability, power and trustworthiness; the sum total of my Guinevere.