Purrs Requested for Starla!

Starla writes:

Could I please have some purrs?  I don't feel very well at all.  Mommy, Daddy, and the other kitties are very worried, and so am I.  I had to go to the vet place on Monday, and almost had to go back yesterday.  My pee is very yellow because of something called bilirubin.  My body's not producing red blood cells right now, and those I do have are bursting.  I don't want them to!  I'm very sleepy, anemic, and turning somewhat yellow.  The doctor thought maybe I have an infection and/or fatty liver disease.  She really wants to have me stay at the clinic for intubation (for feeding and fluids) and meds, but that costs too much (unfortunately).  Daddy went and got a bag of sub-q fluids for me, and now I understand why Uncle Skylar liked getting them so much!  I actually felt like walking out to the big water bowl (in the dining room) to have more water and walking back to my room (the bathroom) after I had the fluids!  I am being force-fed canned a/d food by syringe every few hours, because I'm not eating on my own and haven't been eating on my own for a couple days.

Please understand that our family is doing what we think is best for everyone.  Thank you all for your love and understanding!  We'll keep you posted.

P.S.  Mommy's been lying on our bloggie about my age and Rori's for the past few years, and only tonight realized it!  I'm 8 years old and Rori (my cousin's half-sister and the alpha of our household) is also 8 years old.  Sorry about that!

Starla's SUNday!

Starla writes:

I know you don't hear from me as much as from the others, but you will be hearing me meow more now!  About three weeks ago, Mommy and Daddy made a major change happen in my life.  As long as they've known me, I've been a scaredy-kitty of the others and of changes.  I was worried when my purrents said something new was going to happen, but it turned out to be a very good thing!

They put me in the carrier and took me to the vet.  I meowed the whole way there, crying to get out, but when we got there all I wanted to do was stay in the carrier and be by my purrents.  I was a very good girl when I got my temperature taken, but Mommy had warned me about that so I was kind of ready for it.  I didn't like being made to stand on the scale, but got through that ok.

The doctor tried to take a pee sample, but I wouldn't cooperate.  He looked at the spots where I've been licking myself bald on my tummy and legs.  He wanted to get a pee sample to once again rule out any stones or infection, but Daddy was firm with him that I wasn't physically sick and tests had already been done by our other vet.  The doctor looked at my chart and agreed to give them some anti-anxiety medicine for me.

Ick!  Medicine!  I have to get rolled up in a blankie and sat on a lap like a human baby to take it, then Mommy pries open my mouth and makes me swallow the pill.  Sometimes I play hide-and-seek with it in my teeth and cheek, but she finds it and gives it to me again.  The first couple weeks, Daddy held me while Mommy gave the meds, but now I let Mommy do it all by herself.  I even came over one time to let her know that it was time for her to give it to me!

They're hoping that, eventually, I'll be as good about taking my medicine as Uncle Skylar was with taking his.  I don't know about that, because he was extremely good about his!  He let them know it was time, sat down, and did everything he was supposed to except open his mouth!

My meds are really helping me, though!  That's why today's a SUNday!  Sunny attitude, sunny day outside!  I love being this happy!  I can play without worrying that someone's going to jump me for the toy.  I can use the box or my pee pad without worrying who else has used the box recently.  I ask for more attention from my purrents and from others who visit.  I even talk to my toys as I carry them!  A few days ago, Mommy heard me talking from down the hall, and knew I was holding something in my mouth because I was muffled.  Sure enough, I came walking to her, talking all the way, with the fuzzy Christmas cape in my mouth and dangling it like a kitten!  Freya and I have an understanding about the fuzzies now, the fleece things in the house that used to belong only to her.  They are shared between us now.  Rori and I share possesion of the catnip pillow.  We trade off.  I carry that around, too!

Looking forward to more happy days!

Miss Marble's all healed!

Miss Marble writes:

It has been a long two weeks!  That's how long my purrents say I've been stuck inside.  I went to the doctor yesterday for my post-surgery checkup.  I did not want to go into that box again!  I fought tooth and claw for my freedom, but Mommy scruffed me and shoved me into the carrier.  I talked and cried the whole ride there, then told the receptionist all about it while she asked me questions and listened sympathetically to my complaints.

The vet was nice, and I headbutted her stethoscope when she checked my breathing and heartbeat.  Then she turned me around so she could check if my stitches had dissolved on their own.  I didn't want her to check back there!  I remembered the last time I was in that room and what they did, at least until I was too groggy to remember.  I didn't want that to happen again!  Mommy and Daddy both reassured me that we were all going home in an hour and then I could be free again.  I only half-believed them, but they were right!  The vet said my stitches had dissolved on their own, once she and Mommy wrangled me enough to check.  I scrambled right back into that box as soon as I was let loose again, believe me!  Daddy put it right back up on the table, and in I went!  Oh, and they said I weigh 10.5 pounds now.

The vet said I was healthy enough to go back outside with my sister, so once we got back home Daddy opened the door and opened the carrier.  While the other kitties sniffed the carrier, I scooted out the door to my waiting sister.  Tigress was so happy to see me!  She sniffed me all over, gave me a few kisses, then tailed me as I went off to make sure my outside world hadn't changed much while I was away from it.  I explored under the deck, around the yard, along my favorite hunting trails, everywhere.  It was all the same, with the exception of being snowy and cold!  Snow got on my back, but I just shrugged it off.  I still have my warm, extra fur, so I'm well-insulated against the wet and cold.

Tigress went in to get some pets and visit with the inside kitties while she ate, but I wasn't going to go back in yet.  I got pets from Daddy, but I want to be outside for a while.  I know I'll trust them again, but I need to be outside for a few days again.

Thank you so much for all your purrs, prayers, and well-wishes!  They mean a lot!  Kitty kisses to everyone!

New Year's Wishes

First of all, happy new year!  We hope this year brings blessings to everyone.  Happy birthday yesterday to our Missy, and double happiness because Monday was her Gotcha Day anniversary!

No word yet on Watson, but we hope he either comes back on his own or has found a good new home.  We keep checking the found ads, hoping he will show up there, but no luck so far.

Now, on with the breaking news:

Miss Marble writes:

I had a very scary New Year's Day!  It was snowing on New Year's Eve, so Tigress and I had a lot of fun hopping around, playing hide-and-seek, and all the fun games that we can play in the snow.  However, I forgot how cold it can be when it gets dark and there is ice on the ground!  At the humans' bedtime on New Year's Day (around 11:30 pm), when they went to make sure we had food, only Tigress came up to the back deck.  She has been getting better and better about wanting attention from the humans, but Mommy realized her behavior was exceptional this time.  Tigress wouldn't let Mommy close the door, standing up against the door frame and placing her paw inside the door frame, not moving when Mommy started closing the door.  Mommy knelt down and Tigress touched noses with her!

My sister may have saved my life by doing that.

As Mommy and Tigress were interacting, I was slowly making my way up to the deck.  After they touched noses, I cried out as I jumped up on the deck, because I hurt.  Mommy heard me and talked to me, encouraging me to come to her.  I did, and walked inside because I knew she could help me.  Tigress immediately calmed down and started eating.  She knew I would be taken care of, now that I'd made it inside.

Mommy started petting me, then saw my behind.  It looked like a bloody mass of exposed muscle!  That's actually what it was, too.  She called for Daddy, and Mommy Erin came out to see what was going on as well.  They all got me into a carrier and rushed me off to the emergency vet.  Freya wanted to come, too, but they said she couldn't.  She wanted to lick me to take care of me, but they kept her away.

I had a prolapsed rectum, which basically meant part of my intestines were pushed out my anus.  No wonder it looked and felt the way it did!  There are many reasons why this would happen, so they're not sure why it did in my case.  I could've strained too much trying to pass something I ate, or sat on the ice and frozen, then pulled, or other things could have happened.  The main thing is, I was able to have emergency surgery on it last night, they pushed things back in where they are supposed to be, and I'm doing well in recovery at the vet now.  I will be back home this evening, with three medicines (one for my G.I. tract, a painkiller, and an antibiotic).  Thanks to CareCredit, my family was able to get me all the necessary care and support right away.  Mommy and Daddy are very grateful that is available and they qualified for it.

All the inside kitties and my sister were concerned that I didn't come home right away, but our purrents let them know what was going on and that I will be back this evening.  The inside kitties spent the night purring on or near the humans, and Tigress has been wanting many extra pets (and getting them) plus has been staying close on the deck.

Tabby most likely has pancreatitis.

Tabby writes:

It wasn't a seizure!  The vet said it was most likely pancreatitis.  I got fluids and some anti-nausea medicine, and am back home.  Carbon's trying to clean the vet smell off me!  Thank you for your purrs.

Good news, bad news for Tabby

Tabby writes:

We just got the results back from my latest blood test.  It's not hyper-T.  It's mild hepatitis.  My thyroid levels are all within range, so it's just the liver levels that are elevated.  I'm getting three medicines to take for the next few weeks, because I've either got:

1.  A primary infection that is causing my liver some trouble.

or

2.  My liver's having some trouble and I got a secondary infection.

The good thing is it's not contagious to the other cats or to humans.

P.S.  There's a slight possibility that it's cancer of the liver, but that's a very slight possibility.  We'll do the medicines for the infection first, and then I'll have another blood test once I'm over the infection.

Updates on Tigress and Tabby

Tabby writes:

Mommy's making sure I eat something, but I don't want to!  She's force-feeding me canned food, but she can only get 1/2 teaspoon into me at a time before I absolutely refuse and spit the glob out.  I'm keeping the food down (except for once yesterday morning), but it's not tasting or smelling good to me.  We're hoping for the results of my blood test back on Monday.  The vet's office was supposed to tell us on Friday, but they didn't call, so my purrents will call on Monday to see what's going on with the results.  Thanks for all your purrs, prayers, and well-wishes!

Tigress writes:

I had a very scary couple of days!  I was inside in that trap thing for a few hours, then the humans picked me up and put me into a car.  I've never been in a car, and I was taught to stay well away from roads when I was still a very young kitten.  Being this close to humans is new to me, too, even though I'd seen them on the other side of the glass before.  The humans took me to a vet place, called the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, where they left me!  There were other cats in traps, and they were as scared and confused as I was.  We all were so quiet, except for a couple screaming cats, because we were so scared.  Since we'd all lived outside, we knew that silence was the key to being invisible.

It didn't work this time.  I was picked up again in the trap and carried somewhere, then given a shot.  I suddenly felt very sleepy!  When I woke up, I had been poked a couple more times (vaccinations), had part of my right ear gone (to mark me as a fixed, cared-for feral), and had been cut open then glued shut!  I had also been shaved on my belly.

While I was under anesthesia, the vet discovered that I was pregnant.  Mommy and Daddy had thought I might be, probably two or three weeks along, but made the decision to go ahead with my spay anyway.  They said that I would be much healthier that way, and not have to have all the stress of young motherhood.  It was a heart-wrenching decision for them, especially for Mommy, but they feel that it was for the best.  With the kittens, I was 9.1 pounds before my spay.

The humans came and took me back home.  I'm a very good car cat, actually, and they were really proud of me.  I didn't sing in the car, just watched everything going by.  Seatbelts are the most interesting part of the car!  I had gotten one of my claws caught in the trap wire, so I was bleeding a little from that, but it stopped right away.  I've got two extra toes on my right front paw and three extra on my left front paw, so it's no wonder I got one caught.

Yesterday, I was recovered more from the anesthesia, and wanting out of that trap!  I tried and tried to find a way out, especially after I peed on the newspaper.  My sister came inside to check on me and was trying to help me get out, but neither of us could find the way to open the trap.  Finally, Mommy took the trap outside and let me go.  I slithered out and zoomed under the deck, while my sister mewed happily.  I was back in a few hours for dinner, though!

Tigress back outside after recovering from her spay.  Notice her eartip.

Tabby's vet visit went well.

Tabby writes:

My vet visit went well. I love our doctors! I got fluids, which I didn't like because the lump went over to the side. They took some blood for testing, and we'll get results tomorrow. My teeth, eyes, fur, and ears all look good, as well as other vitals. We'll know more when the blood test results come back.

Journey to the Rainbow Bridge

Skylar with Mommy Erin, at the vet

Skylar with Mom, at the vet

This morning, I woke up on the bed curled up with Dad, Mom, and Starla.  Rori was at the foot of the bed, too.  I woke Mom and Dad up when the alarm went off, and Mom fed me TUNA!  She and Dad got ready, while I lay by the water bowls in the dining room, exchanging sniffs with Carbon, Tabby, and Little Bit.

Then, Dad went out to the truck, and I got up to follow him.  Mom said to wait, so I lay back down while she put my harness and leash on.  She went to wash her hands, because I had jumped in the tub while she was getting ready so I had water all over my tummy.  I got up to follow her, but Carbon bit my leash and pinned me!  I lay down under the table instead, then Little Bit pinned me by my leash, too!

Mom picked me up, petted everyone, and we went out the door.  When we got in the truck, I walked over to sit on Dad's lap so I could look out the window, like I usually do.  They said we were going to pick up Mommy Erin.  Why?  I looked right at them when they said Mommy Erin's name, knowing who she was (which I sometimes forgot, but I was forgetting a lot of things recently).

When Mommy Erin got in the truck, Mom sat in the back so I could sit with Erin, but I kept switching between her and Dad.  Then, we turned onto the street where my doctor is, and I knew that's where we were going!  I went over to sit in Erin's lap, looking out the window, until we got there, then I looked straight through the windshield at the doctor's office!

We all got out of the car, and I wanted to walk.  Nope, Mom insisted on carrying me.  In we went, straight into a room.  We were only there a few minutes before they switched rooms on us because another patient was coming in who needed an isolation room.  No one minded, because no one cared which room we were in.  The vet tech came in with paperwork, which Mom signed, and Mom and Mommy Erin took pictures of me.  Finally they put me down so I could rest!  I lay on the floor, purring.  I knew somehow, the doctor was going to do something for my pain and make me feel better.  The doctor always helps me; I love my Dr. Bob and Dr. C.!

Dr. C. came in, and she DID give me something for my pain!  She gave me a shot that made me VERY sleepy!  I didn't want to go to sleep, but Mom and Mommy Erin said it was ok.  Dad was sitting in the chair, and he said it was ok to go to sleep, too.  Mom and Erin petted me until I fell asleep, then Dad came over and petted me, saying his goodbyes to me, and kissed me.  He went out of the room, but at that point I wasn't in a position to follow him.

Mommy Erin picked me up, and my tongue stuck out of my mouth!  I wiggled it, but I was too sleepy to put it back in!  Dr. C. said that might happen, and it was normal for sedated cats.  What Mom and Erin didn't expect, though, was to hear me PURRRRRRR!!!!!  I was soooo sleepy, but I wasn't in pain anymore, and I was happy, they were holding me and petting me, and I was comfortable, more comfortable than I've been in years!

Dr. C. came in and made pawprints for Mom and Mommy Erin.  She shaved parts of my fur off my leg and over my heart, and gave the fur to them as well.  Then, she tried to give me the other shot.  She couldn't find my blood vessel in my rear leg!  She said I have "old man veins"!  Hmm...I don't think that was meant as a compliment!  She used a vein in my front leg, which she could see after shaving some more of my thick fur, but not all the shot would go in.  Enough of it went, though.

My heartbeat slowed, breathing slowed, then everything stopped.

I was floating, looking down on everyone as my body was wrapped in blue surgical sheeting and given to Mom.  Mom and Dad drove Mommy Erin home, then drove home and let the other cats sniff my body.  Dad brought Starla out of the bedroom to sniff, too.  Then they buried my body in the backyard right next to Spooky's body.

I floated higher, then saw my sister Lydia coming toward me!  Lydi!  We greeted each other, purring together.  Then, I saw both our little Spooky and our foster Spooky/Nyx, Sara Kitty, Squishy, and all the other angels waiting for me.  All my angel Catster friends were there, too, gathered underneath Calvin's sign!

I asked if I could visit my family from time to time, and everyone said I could.  I know they are really going to miss me, and I'm going to miss them, but I know they did the best thing for me.  They took all my pain away, and that's the best gift anyone can give.  I love you!

Fading

Skylar says:

Tonight, I let Mom "speak" with me, commune with my inner self. I don't know how humans explain it, but it's how we cats talk with each other. Mom can do it, and Dad can, too, but not often, just under the right circumstances. Everything has to be calm.

I'm aching. All my joints are hurting. Mom says it's something called arthritis. It hurts to move, hurts to lie down. My vision is a bit blurry, too, and Dad had to clean my eye twice today because of mucous. That's from a "kitty cold", mostly.

I'm hungry a lot. I get my wet food twice a day, but I used to "graze" instead, eating small bites throughout the day. It's tough to get used to eating only twice, so I'm hungry during the middle of the day and let my parents know it. When it's food time, I run down the hallway to Tabby & Carbon's room (aka the spare room), starting up my yowl as soon as I hit the doorway, and stand on my plate so that Mom has to move me to put my food on it. Then, I eat my fill and curl up on the chair in that room, yowling once to let everyone know I'm done for the moment. Then, Mom lets everyone else in to get a treat of what I've left on the plate.

I seldom snuggle with my parents anymore, but did this evening with Mom, to let her know what's going on with me. I was shaky as I stood on her, looking her in the eyes. Then, with effort, I lay down, wanting my chin scritched while she went over my body to "see" how I was doing. I'm still not putting on any weight, and my fur's still matting. She brushes me with the slicker brush, and that gets a major part of the mats, but not everything and I hate being brushed. My bones are rubbing my skin in some places, like my shoulders and my heels. Massages aren't really helping.

My favorite places are the bathtub and the kitty tent. I've given up sleeping in my recliner, preferring to curl up in one of my two chosen places instead. Dad has to lift me out of the bathtub when he comes home from work, or else I'd stay in there until he turned the water on for his shower. I get out when it's Mom's turn for a shower, though, for some reason. I'm using the box normally, and drinking water normally.

I told Mom tonight that I'm not quite ready to leave even though I'm hurting and confused, and she said that all I have to do is tell them when I can't stand it anymore and they'll release me. My kitty nieces and nephew aren't ready yet, so I'm going to stay around until they can handle the transition. I can tell Mom and Dad will never be quite ready to let me go, but they will do what's best for me. Rori knows what's going on, knows I'm close to leaving, and has been watching from a distance rather than her usual headbutting-following-me-around behavior. Death always troubles her, and she hides from it and then picks up the pieces. That's why my sister chose her to be Big Kitty of the Household. She came and sat with us on the couch tonight as I was talking with Mom, just sat, watching and listening, then walked over and rubbed against me telling me that she understands. Then she let Mom pet her, too.

We don't know how long it's going to be. No one ever knows.

Mom says that she talked with the vet about a week and a half ago, when she ordered my fluids (which I've been taking every two days). Dr. Bob now thinks I may have cancer, since my behavior's changed so abruptly. Nothing in my behavior seems to correlate with kidneys or hyper-T, in fact some of it counterindicates. So cancer is their next guess. If it is, then it's in a place where it's not showing up yet and not a mass, maybe in the bone marrow. That's what Dr. Bob said, and Mom and Dad think that's most likely, too. That's what they've been thinking for a while, and sensing from me as well.

We just don't know anything for sure, but who ever does?

Weird question....

Skylar writes:

Mom talked with my regular doctor today, and we have a strange question!  Including the vet, who doesn't know the answer to this either!

Has anyone ever had their thyroid levels continue to go low?  I had mine checked back in November, after 4 years with hyper-T my meds were decreased from four to three, then two pills a day.  Redid tests, and it was normal again.  Now, after my vet appointment last week, my thyroid levels are low again, so we're trying half a pill per day.

The vet has no clue why I'm suddenly "getting better", or at least my thyroid levels are!  My creatinine & BUN are slightly elevated, just out of the normal range, not as bad as we'd originally thought (we got the exact numbers this time).  That part's to be expected, and I'm still going to have my yummy canned food and my sub-Q fluids to try to keep my kidneys semi-under control.  But we're (and the vet is) absolutely clueless as to why my thyroid levels are normalizing!!!

Any advice/help/experience would be appreciated!

Skylar's not feeling well

Skylar writes:

Mom and Dad took me in to the vet on Friday.  It was time for my routine doctor appointment and bloodwork, but they were worried as well because I've not been grooming myself.  I keep my face, paws, and chest clean and smooth, but the rest of my fur is matted.  Mom plucks my "feathers" (fur that has come out but is still stuck in the rest of my coat) every day, and picks apart my mats.  Sometimes I let her; sometimes I yowl until she stops.  They were also worried because I've lost a little over a pound since Thanksgiving!

So, off we went.  I complained when it took longer than usual to get there, but then my purrents reminded me that we live farther away than we used to.  That made sense, so I settled down again.  I like to sit on Dad's lap while he's driving, and watch the cars go by out the window.

There was a new doctor at the clinic on Friday, a relief doctor, because the others were gone for the day.  As usual, when I got there I wanted down and pulled at my leash to go back into the back (treatment) room to say hi to everyone!  Nope, Dad wouldn't loosen the leash and let me run back.  Bummers!  My sis used to do the same thing.  Mom and Dad are glad that I like my doctors and staff so much that I immediately want to greet them!  Believe me, I wouldn't run away, I would just run TO someone to be greeted!

The vet tech took me into the back to weigh me, then brought me back out and talked with Mom and Dad after she stuck that thermometer in me.  :P  After she went into the back, I stood on the exam table and looked at the door for a few minutes, then YOWLED!  Ok, so where's the doctor?  I'm ready, so come in!  Everyone laughed at that, then Mom put me on the floor and I went to sniff both doors and then yowled again at the back.

FINALLY, the doctor came!  Should it really take her 10 minutes to get done with the doggie patient and come look at me?  She talked with my purrents, consulted my chart, then took me into the back to have the vampires take some of my blood.  They also took my urine.  Hey, you could have just given me a box instead of poking me!  Mom and Dad could tell exactly when they were poking me, because I think they could hear me down the street.  There's something to be said about being half-Siamese!  ;)

We got the results back on Friday evening:  possible kidney disease.  It's what my purrents were afraid of, especially considering that my kidney levels were elevated back in November.  I'm anemic, both my BUN and creatinine levels are elevated, I'm dehydrated, and I've lost that pound.  My thyroid levels are also low, but that's kind of a separate issue.

So, on to the next steps.  First off, I'm only going to get one pill a day, to even out my thyroid levels.  I've been looking at Mom funny when she doesn't give me my evening meds but takes hers, although I give up after a few minutes so she knows it's more from habit than anything else.  I still get my morning meds.

Then, I will be getting my own special food!  The doctor recommended giving me yummy canned food!  I don't even have to share with anyone else, so I'll get fed in a separate room.  Yay!

My blood and urine will have to be rechecked again sometime, but I don't mind that.  I may have to go back to getting sub-Q fluids, but that's not a big deal either.

Properly managed, which is a see-saw because it can change from day to day, I may have another year or three.  But it's different for every cat, so we'll just take each day as it comes and be grateful for every minute.

Award! And update on Squishy

First our new award! We have been awarded the 2009 Cool Cat Site of the Day award from Pet Supplies Place! Thank you!

NOTE: We do not know how legitimate the above site is, because it looks like they just opened shop, have no products on their site, and don't even have their website properly set up yet. We personally would not order anything from their site until they have more up and tell about themselves (like maybe put an address, phone number, and have products in stock). But it's cool they found our blog and liked it enough to try to promote their new site with this award. :)

Ok, now for the news around here!

Squishy writes:

I'm still locked in the bathroom and still squishing. Foster Daddy went and got some special food for me and other stuff from the doctor, then Foster Mommy came in and gave me another pill. I take my medicine just like I've seen "Uncle" Skylar do! I don't even complain, just let her pop it right in. Then she opened a packet of very yummy-smelling stuff and let me sniff it. I immediately wanted in the packet and tried to bite the top of it! She said it was called FortiFlora, and it's a probiotic to help my intestines deal with things better. I get a packet of this a day until I have solid poops again. She poured the powder on my food, and I chowed down, not even stopping to rush the door when she left the room! I love the FortiFlora!

The result of the fecal test came back negative, but Foster Mommy saw a tapeworm segment on me and the doctor says that's probably what caused this in the first place. So that's why I got the pill. Now it's just getting my system back to normal again, so the FortiFlora plus a bland diet should do the trick in a few days. We all certainly hope so!

Foster Daddy's worried that my time in confinement might psychologically scar me because I scream now whenever I hear voices, wanting out or wanting them to come in to give me attention. Foster Mommy thinks I'll probably be ok, but is worried too. The only other option besides confinement in the bathroom (where I can't see or hear the other cats) is to put me in a medium-sized plastic carrier (dog crate), but then I would have to be bathed two or three times a day at least because I wouldn't have room to rest except where I squish. So Foster Mommy thinks the bathroom is better than that. Foster Daddy wishes they had an area where I could have the room I need but be able to see the others so I wouldn't feel so lonely.

They come in during the day and night and clean my butt, clean the floor where I've squished, and pet me, but I still call for them and everyone. My mama cat came in today and inspected every inch of my new living quarters while Foster Mommy was cleaning it. I think she approved, because she used my litter box and licked me, let me nurse for a few minutes, then told Foster Mommy she wanted back out again. When I cry, she doesn't come running to the door to see what's going on, but she gets to check on me once a day. Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy both make sure that my room gets cleaned so that there's only a few spots before it's clean again.

I can't wait until this is all over and I'm back with the rest of the household! I also have to wait until I'm better before I can be put up for adoption again. :P

Squishy squished :(

Squishy writes:

I'm stuck in the litter box room! Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy won't let me out, no matter how much I tell them I want out! Mama and brother aren't doing a thing about it, either; they're playing like nothing is the matter! They came in to check on me once, but now they are acting normal!

Foster Daddy first noticed me squishing (what they call diarrhea) on Sunday afternoon. He didn't think anything of it then, except to clean it up. By the time Foster Mommy got up from her nap, her comforter had to be washed because I was up there. She put me in confinement!

A couple hours later, Foster Daddy gave me a bath. It felt so good to be clean, and I was very well behaved during my bath. But then it started up again. :( I can't help it, and can't feel when it starts, so I don't use the box for it except sometimes.

Foster Mommy gave me a roundworm dewormer and will get tapeworm tabs today. She took me to the vet and I got to meet all the nice people there. I also got to meet the cat I am named after! He's so big and fluffy! He only has one eye, but he's so nice; he sniffed me and I sniffed him, then he sniffed me some more. The receptionist got a few pictures of us together and will e-mail them to Foster Mommy when she gets a chance. They all were so happy to meet me: Squishy Jr., and to know that their Squishy has someone named for him! Dr. Bob had my fecal sample (which I gave while waiting for my appointment) sent for testing, and will have the results sometime today.

Foster Mommy writes:

We learned something with this! Do not put a cat (especially a kitten) with diarrhea in a room with a clay-litter-filled box. They will get it stuck in their fur, paw pads, everywhere, and it will take a good bath and stiff brushing to get it out! We stopped on the way back from the vet to get World's Best litter and switched the box immediately upon arriving back home. Now the others have the clay litter in their box and the bathroom box has the corn.

Taking care of Mommy

Yesterday, Mommy went to the doctor to find out the results of her tests. All her blood tests came back normal, so that's really good. The results from her physical were a different story. The doctor diagnosed her with fibromyalgia. Basically this means she has a lot of pain all over her body. She even got bruises just from the slight pressure during the physical.

When she got back home, she immediately lay down in bed again, and we all climbed up to snuggle with her. Rori and Smokey brought her their toys to throw, and we all got petted. Then she fell asleep with all of us snuggling. When she woke up, she had been "gifted" with three sparkle balls.