I am proud to announce that my friend and fellow cat rescuer- Dusty Rainbolt has finished her book (after 3 years of research) about inappropriate elimination by your kitty. It is available on Kindle right now, and will be out in paperback in 3 weeks. I can’t wait to read it.

You can view it on Amazon with a sneak peek into a few of the pages and I just got off the phone with her. She is quite proud of it and says it contains all NEW information about the number one reason why so many cats find themselves ” suddenly abandoned” Litter pan misses and inappropriate elimination.

It is called Cat Scene Investigator once again the author is Dusty Rainbolt- she also wrote Cat Wrangling 101, Kittens for Dummies and more. I love her humor even when dealing with such a delicate and frustrating issue such as: “Why is my cat still peeing in the corner of the living room?!”

A Must Read

Look at what was waiting for me this morning. These beauties piled out of the box they were stuffed in like the waves of the sea!

Eulogy for A Unwanted Pet
by: a long-time cat rescuer

You were initially discovered lying in the grass at a local river-front park. A gentleman watched you from the bridge as you slowly ducked behind the outbuilding should someone even came close. He noticed your pencil-thin grey body with patterns of white on your chest, sunk-in rear legs. Wondering if perhaps you had been struck by a car, or mauled by another animal. The man left only to return the following week.

To his dismay upon returning to the same spot, he was startled to once again spot you lying in the same place as before. When people came close, he noticed you stiffened a bit but didn’t move. Night was approaching quickly, so this kindhearted soul decided, he was going to take you home. Approaching you, instead of fleeing, you gave a weak meow. He stuck you underneath his jacket, hoping his body heat would warm your chilly body and hustled you home.

Turns out, one of his mom’s good friends was a cat rescuer. When Dee called me, I rushed you to the vet immediately to be tested, evaluated and treated…or so I thought. Turns out, you were microchipped. You had an owner! All treatment was brought to a standstill until the owners could be contacted. On the off-chance that they might not want you any longer, I left word that we would step in and if the vets thought you were treatable and able to be salvaged, we would ask they owner surrender you to us.

Six hours after picking you up, I received word. You were not wanted by your humans any longer, you were ours! Your name had been “Cracker” a name that hardly fit your Royal Russian Blue-ness. We renamed you “Sparkle.” My thought being at the time, if there was even a glimmer of hope that you could survive all you had endured, we would gladly go the distance.

Initial diagnosis after exam, x-ray but no blood work (you were so anemic) your blood was like water, they wanted to wait for two weeks for a re-check to run blood. You were possibly asthmatic, anemic, weak, and malnourished with a load of parasites. We treated for the worms and fleas gave you food and fluids then took you home for more groceries and TLC.

My heart wept when I actually had you on my lap and could examine you. Pencil-thin, every rib showing, no fat cap on your rump, your backbone sticking up, no protection evident. You had so many cockleburs on you. Brushing your fur caused you to complain softly- you had nothing to protect you even from the softest brush. You laid on my lap that first night and we both fell asleep.

Your best friend became your pet heating pad. (I was just the human can-opener). You would leave the pad only long enough to eat and drink then head-bump a “thank you” before returning to the warmth it offered. Not knowing how long you had been “missing” my prayers centered on the hope you were just plumb worn out trying to survive. The pads of your feet showed wear and tear. How many miles, I wondered did you actually travel?

A week passed and though you ate like you had a hole in your stomach, you were not gaining weight. More troubling the constant avoidance of all three of the litterpans, although within easy reach of your nest- you would move off just a few inches from the pad pooping and peeing all over yourself in the process. Your breath was still ragged and irregular. Feeding time produced the only movement in your day. Once you ate, I would get one head bump and you would move back to the warmth of your pad.

Instead of waiting out for your next schedule recheck, I took you back early. Turns out, you were diabetic, your sugars were 4.0- you had pancreatitis and a “doughy belly” that according to the vet didn’t feel “quite right.” We sat down and discussed all the pros and cons of the latest results. You were 17 years old- now looking at a lifetime of stressful vet visits, daily injections at least two if not three times a day of insulin along with medication to help the pancreatitis and the growing suspicion that the doughy belly was something a bit more ominous than a load of worms. The decision was reached reluctantly amid tears- your Bridge Pass would be stamped and you would finally be at peace and out of pain.

As the needle found its mark, I hugged you close and kissed the top of your head. I told you: “Sparkle, your owners may not have wanted you any longer, but I did and I am grateful for the short time we shared together. You have blessed my life. You have shown me what a beautiful soul you posess. Sparkle, your light may now be dimming but you’ve left a flame inside me that glows brightly and will not be extinguished any time soon. Goodbye beautiful girl- Godspeed.” And as quickly as you came into my life, you were gone.

In the first 15 minutes of being here, he inhaled a bowl of dry food, ate half a bowl and wet and drank almost a bowl of water. Yay!! He is alert and a bit unhappy about his new confinement, but for now, this is how it has to be.

He is still not eating and being force-fed, but he is brighter than he was a few days ago. They are still giving fluids, he is on his meds and they want to keep him through the weekend or until he is at least eating on his own. Since he will have to have meds from here on in- I moved Sparkle in with Stryker. No wars they are just quietly avoiding each other. Stryker is still only eating Temptations- so that is what I am giving him and at night he snugs up to me so tight under the covers, I can barely breathe.

Went to see Bentley this morning and talk with the vet. The bloodwork is back and renal failure has been ruled out. Although his wbc is normal, they note there are toxins in his blood attacking his white cells as well as his red. His bilirubin indicates he is jaundiced but has not yet turned into a “yellow kitty.” The vet believes he has a whopping case of pancreatitis because of something he ate and what he ate was poisoned. 🙁 They have him on fluids, antibiotic and anti-emetic and a pain killer. He’s no longer flat, he is fighting back and the vet believes he might even come home in a few days!

I went back to see him and he was all over me. I pulled him out and we snuggled and he dug his head deep into the crook of my arm a semblance of the Bentley I have grown to love. I didn’t want to put him back in the cage, but knew that he was in good hands. I promised him I didn’t abandon him and I would be back. I cried all the way home. I was so afraid we were going to lose this precious boy. Thank you ALL for praying for him!

Stryker is eating- not a lot, but he is eating. I tried calling a relative to find out more about what happened and why he had so many bite wounds but it was like pulling teeth. No one wanted to bother to fill in the gaps. So I will just keep going in and comforting him and letting him know that his former owner had no choice but to give him up. I told him this morning, I knew that Joann wanted him to be happy. After I said that- he ate about a handful of kibble. Some people say cats are dumb and they don’t understand us, but I disagree. he is grieving and right now- we are both a comfort to one another because both of us know what loss feels like.

Rushed Bentley to the vet this morning first thing after finding him in a really bad way. Temp 99 although his eyes were bright, alert, he was crying so pitifully. By the time we got there the temp was 98 and dropping!  I have such a bad feeling about this and am just poised waiting for the phone to ring to see what the vet says might be wrong with him. He was lying in pools of vomit in a volume I haven’t seen since distemper hit here 9 years ago. I know this is not distemper, but God I don’t know what it could be.

2:20 update: Vet just called and has no answers just questions. Said that Bent’s breath is fetid which could indicate pancreatitis. Blood work on rush back tomorrow. They are giving him fluids but it doesn’t help he stays dehydrated and they have given him something for nausea and pain. They are keeping him for now- he also said this might be a failing liver because his urine was the color of dark orange juice. 🙁 the vet said that Bent is just “flat” all I can do is pray and hope he stays strong and beats this- whatever this is.

I put in my friend Diane’s CD in my player  for Stryker. Diane makes therapy CD’s for animals and sells them at www.harpofhope.com.  I am thrilled to say that Stryker has eaten (not a lot) but he has eaten about a handful of dry food and several temptation treats!!! Thank you Diane for sharing your talent, your love of animals and your music with the world.

This morning, when I went to feed, usually Bentley will run up to me and scoot up my legs (ouch) and jump on my chest. he will then ride on my shoulders getting in the way of feeding and jumping off every time I bend over to get food into bowls before returning. This morning, I couldn’t find him.

He’s my bud- one of a  litter of kittens born with distemper. He was the only survivor. We went through a lot together, and what is usually the case in distemper survivors he has behavior issues that will last his lifetime and  he will not ever be adopted because of those issues. It also prevents him from being an inside kitty.I haven’t seen him in about a week and with everything going on- I just figured he was out mousing and will be home soon.

Well I found him a bit ago, and he has lost an enormous amount of weight- he is vomiting foam and crying almost continually, I have him inside in one of my big custom-built cages and I can tell he is miserable. First appointment I can get is 3:20 tomorrow. In my gut, I knew something was wrong with him the minute I saw him this morning. Normally he would run across the grasses and leap into my arm. Not today- 🙁 in the photo below, he is the mack tabby. he has a bob-tail

I think Stryker is highly constipated. I just finished force-feeding him canned organic pumpkin mixed with turkey baby food- YUMMY! He didn’t think so- most of it went on the bed instead of in his mouth- but I think I got enough in to matter. I just want one day to pass where I don’t have to add stress into his life.