Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[bilgistic]

Little Girl has a slightly swollen and reddish lower lip on the left front side, but she's so squirrelly, I can't get a good look at it. When she has an allergic reaction, she gets a swollen lip, but she's been eating the same mega-expensive venison food that keeps her allergies at bay. I bumped up the steroid dose tonight. She's been on a low-ish dose for months. Hopefully I can look at her tomorrow when she settles down for a nap after breakfast.

Here's a picture from a couple weeks ago. Little Mama is the upper "spoon". Oh, my heart!

[tiftgirl]

Shlamey has the most aggressive form of mouth cancer a cat can get.  The Dr (who was crying too) said it is probably just a few days.  But while she is still herself and eating and being Shlamey to just love and spoil her.  The next time she is having pain and not herself will be time.  She did say if it was at night or the weekend I can ask them just to give her pain meds and then bring Shlamey to her for you know.

They deal with a different funeral home than the one that took care of my boys and I have been looking at their urns.  The boys are both made by the same company and are ceramic, Shmuel's had cats in the sunshine in heaven and Shlomo's has cats at the Rainbow bridge.  They have one that is similar this is all different kinds of cats and I see one that looks like her.  They also have one of a white cat in that butt wiggle I'm about to get to pounce on (whatever) pose.  Would it be bad to have hers be so different than the boys?  I like them both but kind of like the pouncing one better.

I'm just sort of lost right now.  She is going to go but I want these last few days to be happy and filled with love but she is the kind if our routine changes she gets suspicious, so, I'm trying to let her be and just love her.

[Mindthinkr]

@tiftgirl I’m heartbroken to hear this news about Shlamey for both of you. I know that you will do your best to give her the absolute best of her days while you still can. I’m honestly gobsmacked. My heart cries for you and what you are going through. 

Your gut will tell you which urn to choose when it’s time. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by Mindthinkr
Spelling

[riley702]

I'm so sorry, @tiftgirl. Make as many good memories as you can. I hate losing a fur baby.

[walnutqueen]

@tiftgirl - my heart is aching for you and your beloved Shlamey.  I wish you both peace.

[DeLurker]

59 minutes ago, tiftgirl said:

Would it be bad to have hers be so different than the boys?  I like them both but kind of like the pouncing one better.

Different is not bad or wrong.  Choose the one that reminds you most of her - as a unique cat with a personality all her own.

I am so sorry.  I wouldn't worry about a change in the routine making her suspicious.  In my experience, they know that there is something not right with them and they appreciate the reassurance and comfort they get from you.

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, tiftgirl said:

Would it be bad to have hers be so different than the boys?

Not at all, but if the other funeral home is in your area, you should still be able to go with them directly (rather than to the other one through your vet), so if you'd prefer them, you don't have to go with the other.  If you want to do that, you could check with them in advance about how to make arrangements, so you don't have to think about it when the time comes.  Choose whichever one you'd most like to look at.

I'm sorry to hear the diagnosis.  It's okay to smother her with love a bit; of course you don't want to upset her by crying into her fur all the time and transferring your worry to her, since to her she's just home and happy right now, but you can disrupt her routine for a few extra hugs, pictures, and I love yous.  I'll be thinking of you and Shlamey.

[bilgistic]

I'm so sorry to hear this about Schlamey, @tiftgirl.

When it was Bilgisticat's time to pass last September, I had an in-home vet (Lap of Love; they are national) come and help him cross over on a Saturday morning (he had chronic conditions that worsened to the point where he no longer had any quality of life). The vet was a godsend, and she took care of literally everything. I had taken Bilgisticat's older "sister" to the vet's office when it was her time to go, two years prior, so I've been in both situations. Both were right for me at the time.

Be kind and gentle with yourself. You are doing your best while grieving, and no decision is wrong. Listen to your gut and try to not second-guess yourself. I'm wishing you peace as you move through this.

[bmasters9]

It's practically a furnace out there on the porch where the kittens are; Wilma and Sally are panting, and won't even drink water to slake their thirst; Harry can't keep his eyes open either! We had a fan going to try to cool them off, but it was counterproductive; it was forcing more hot air down, having the opposite effect; my mother got some ice packs to put in the cage, and hopefully that'll mitigate the heat. 

[Bastet]

Can you bring them in the house?  If you're seeing panting and lethargy, they're too hot.

[bmasters9]

5 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Can you bring them in the house?  If you're seeing panting and lethargy, they're too hot.

Not an option; my mother is allergic to cats. Hopefully, it'll get cooler in the night, and that might mitigate it.

Edited June 19, 2018 by bmasters9

[Bastet]

You may need to wet them down with cool (not cold) water to speed up the cooling process.  Cats can get heat stroke, and these are just little kittens; they're vulnerable, so take a look at these signs of heat stroke in cats to see if they are exhibiting any in addition to the panting and lethargy.  Better safe than sorry!

[Mindthinkr]

Maybe your Mother would be ok if you just confine them to your room during the day with the door closed when the heat is oppressive. I have an allergic family member but he seems to do ok when I try the above. That and even if it begins to effect him he doesn’t mind taking a Claritin or Zyrtec. 

[bmasters9]

2 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Maybe your Mother would be ok if you just confine them to your room during the day with the door closed when the heat is oppressive. I have an allergic family member but he seems to do ok when I try the above. That and even if it begins to effect him he doesn’t mind taking a Claritin or Zyrtec. 

Tried to ask her-- no go. 

[Mindthinkr]

1 minute ago, bmasters9 said:

Tried to ask her-- no go. 

I’m very sorry for your dilemma and the kittens. Be sure to use Bastets suggestions and watch for heat stroke. 

[bmasters9]

10 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m very sorry for your dilemma and the kittens. Be sure to use Bastets suggestions and watch for heat stroke. 

Will do! Thanks for the concern. 

ETA: just went out to check on them, and I didn't see any more panting; also, Sally made a move to get a drink of water, and even skimmed the water with her paw. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by bmasters9
Looks like some good news

[ratgirlagogo]

The Minnesota Raccoon gets a song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk4HHwIkSjw

 

Best line: "she's gonna make it after all."

[KnoxForPres]

@tiftgirl and Shlamey.  I’m sending you both love.  To be sure, she knows she has an amazing owner. 

[MargeGunderson]

@tiftgirl, I'm so sorry to hear about Shlamey. I hope you can take time off the next few days to be with her. I'm sure she knows how much you love her. Please take care of yourself as well.

[tiftgirl]

Thank you all.

She's gone.

[Mindthinkr]

@tiftgirl I’m very sorry about your loss. My condolences. I hope the two of you had a ‘best as it could be’ day yesterday. 

[AgentRXS]

@tiftgirl I'm so sorry. Hugs.

[MargeGunderson]

@tiftgirl, I'm so sorry. Gentle hugs if you want them. 

[bilgistic]

I'm so sorry, @tiftgirl. You are a wonderful cat mom to care so conscientiously for Schlamey. Be kind and patient with yourself as you move through your grief. We are here whenever you want to talk.

[riley702]

I'm incredibly sad for you, @tiftgirl. Please be good to yourself, and feel free to talk about her here. We DO care.

[ABay]

@tiftgirl, I'm so sorry to hear about Schlamey.

@bmasters9, I'm freaking out about the kittens. Is there somewhere they can be that's not a furnace and not near your mother (who I am judging harshly in my heart right now)?

[bmasters9]

14 minutes ago, ABay said:

 

@bmasters9, I'm freaking out about the kittens. Is there somewhere they can be that's not a furnace and not near your mother (who I am judging harshly in my heart right now)?

Actually, we're doing something different today-- we're gonna feed the kittens, then let them go to the bathroom in their cage (however long that takes), then we're bringing them in the house (the house will be air-conditioned, and the kittens will be in a blue carrier that our neighbor gave me). We're doing this because I checked the thermometer, and it's more than way too hot out there!

 

[walnutqueen]

@tiftgirl - I am so very sorry for your loss.

[DeLurker]

@tiftgirl - So sorry.  Please be kind to yourself.

[Mindthinkr]

@bmasters9 Especially after seeing what your heat values are I’m so relieved to hear that your adorable little balls of fur are going to get a break from the heat today. A hug to your Mother,  who is now allowing you to do this. 

[Bastet]

I'm glad the kittens will be inside where they belong in that kind of heat!  Much relief here.

Sorrow here as well - @tiftgirl, my heart hurts in empathy for you on the loss of Shlamey.  What a whirlwind - you think she just has bad teeth and is a little slow to heal, then, whammo, aggressive cancer diagnosis.  I'm sorry for what you've been through, and for what you're now going through.  Your boss sounds understanding, so I hope if you need to take some time to just lie down and deal with feeling like you've been run over, you do that.  And any time you need to cry, vent, or share memories, we are here for you.

[bmasters9]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I'm glad the kittens will be inside where they belong in that kind of heat!  Much relief here.

Just brought 'em in!

[emma675]

Tiftgirl, I'm so sorry. Take care of yourself, it's hard.

[DeLurker]

Every time I go in the shower, my cat hangs out in the bathroom.  The minute I step out and am drying off*, he comes rushing towards me like he is going to rub up against my legs so I am always trying to rush and dry them first in an effort to avoid having it happen, thereby transferring a ton of cat fur to my legs.  He always veers off at the last second, so this is probably just him playing head games with me.

*Prior owners remodeled the master bath to take out the oversized tub and separate shower stall that are the norm in this area.  They needed more closet space.  So my bathroom doesn't have a tub of any size anymore and a shower that gives you a little more room than a phone booth, so that is why I have to step out of the shower to dry off.

[bilgistic]

He just wants to you to smell like him again.

[riley702]

Pearl is a water-loving cat. She will stand with her front legs in the water bowl and lick water off her paws, THEN flicks her paws and water on the wall. We might have to put up plastic to save the wall. Outside, she loves the fountain and will sit on the top rock in the water. Her mama was a white barn cat and she's pure white, too, but has some Siamese features, and her cousin, Wren, is Siamese, but hates water, so I'm not sure why she loves water so much.

[EighteenTwelve]

Lily used to leap into the bathtub once it was empty, after I'd taken a bath in the winter.  It's a cast iron tub, so it stayed warm for a while.  Problem was, the tub wasn't entirely dry even though it was empty, so Lily would be enjoying the warmth and then realize one of her feet was wet.  Frantic foot-washing ensued until that foot was dry, and then she'd realize one of her other feet was wet and would frantically wash that one, and then the first foot would be wet again...

[bosawks]

I’ve only taken one bath since I’ve owned Alli, I’m a shower person.

But I tweaked a muscle and tried a hot bath and, well, as far as Alli was concerned it was as a total success as far as I was concerned an unmitigated disaster....

[tiftgirl]

Thank you all for such comforting words and thoughts they truly mean a lot to me.

Tues night her eye on that side was scrunched up and I thought the cancer was moving and that it was time.  We had a lovely night and I let her eat as much yogurt as she wanted (she loves it so much) and we had a talk and I told her how much I love her and that she would stop hurting and be happy and everything would be ok.  When we went to bed she snuggled up to me one last time.  Wed morning she did not want to get out of bed and she did not want breakfast and when I touched her body she kind of moaned a bit.

I called the Dr. and they said to come in then. I took her blanket so she wouldn't have to be on that cold table, but when we got there they were all ready. They had a lovely big pillow with a scoop in the middle.  The laid her blanket on top of it.  We got all the paperwork and bill paying done first and they explained how everything would happen.  They left us alone for a few minutes and she rubbed all over me was so sweet.  They took her and put in a catheter and then brought her back and put her on the pillow. I got up and was talking to her and petting her and the Dr. gave her the sedative and she just gently leaned into my hand and we laid her down.  I kissed and told her I loved her and that she could go.  The Dr. gave her the other shot and I just petted her and talked to her and then the Dr. said she wasn't in pain anymore.  The wrapped her in her blanket and took her out.  The nurse came back, not with a hair clipping, but with a plastic kind of ball (almost like a Christmas ornament you can fill with stuff) just full of her hair.

So, as odd as it probably sounds it was gentle and peaceful and sweet.

I go between just sobbing and then feeling kind of numb and at loose ends for a bit.  It goes back and forth.

I talked to Shana and explained that Shlamey is gone and we won't see her but she is still in our hearts and always will be. I'm not sure she understands. She seems to be looking for her but does not seem distressed about it.  She has been very sweet with me and keeps petting me and stroking my face because she knows I am sad.

I just miss my girl and wish I could have, I don't even know what I wish it's not like I could have made her better or prevented that.  I guess my heart still doesn't quite believe that even though my head knows it is true.

I will just be glad when I get her ashes back and she is back home where she belongs.

PS - all the tub talk - Shlamey loved to "drink"from the tub faucet and I would always turn it on a very slow drip, so, not enough to quench a thirst, but it was her thing and she loved it.  I just realized that I am still doing it and it is dripping now.  I don't think I want to stop it yet though.

Edited June 21, 2018 by tiftgirl
Add Shlamey's tub story.

[riley702]

(((hugs)))

[bilgistic]

@tiftgirl, I send gentle hugs.

[DeLurker]

Sir Robin needs your help.  He has been hacking a bit in the last week with what I assume is a hairball issue.  He drinks lots of water and I brush him everyday to get rid of loose hairs, but he does eat dry food.

I did some research online and saw lots of recommendations for giving him some pumpkin puree.  I ended up buying Gerber pumpkin baby food instead because I figured that it was a better size and resealable.  The ingredients are just pumpkin and water.

How much and for how long should I give it to him? 

I've been mixing about a teaspoon in with some of Kook's canned food (Kook gets dry, but canned is used to make a meatball around any meds I need to give him) because when one pet gets a treat, they both expect a treat.

[Mindthinkr]

27 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Sir Robin needs your help.  He has been hacking a bit in the last week with what I assume is a hairball issue.  He drinks lots of water and I brush him everyday to get rid of loose hairs, but he does eat dry food.

I did some research online and saw lots of recommendations for giving him some pumpkin puree.  I ended up buying Gerber pumpkin baby food instead because I figured that it was a better size and resealable.  The ingredients are just pumpkin and water.

How much and for how long should I give it to him? 

I've been mixing about a teaspoon in with some of Kook's canned food (Kook gets dry, but canned is used to make a meatball around any meds I need to give him) because when one pet gets a treat, they both expect a treat.

Science Diet makes a dry food called Hairball formula which I have been known to mix in with the Mindthinkr kitties regular dry food. I have also used a product called Laxatone (recommended by my vet) and can put a smidge on one of their paws which they will happily lick up. They have different flavors of it and it does seem to help. 

I’ve seen things here about the pumpkin purée but have no experience with it. I hope Sir Robin is just having a temporary glitch. 

[bosawks]

Pumpkin for dogs is good for diarrhea and constipation, it gets them coming and going as it were....

Alli gets some with every meal to keep her regular, since, with her stomach issues she has trouble with both and it works great.

I acknowledge that I might be hyper vigilant over her dietary issues but look at this face!

Edited June 23, 2018 by bosawks

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, bosawks said:

Pumpkin for dogs is good for diarrhea and constipation, it gets them coming and going as it were....

Alli gets some with every meal to keep her regular, since, with her stomach issues she has trouble with both and it works great.

I acknowledge that I might be hyper vigilant over her dietary issues but look at this face!

 

Alli has a heart shape in her face...I’m sure she has a great heart as well. You are lucky to have such a wonderful partner. 

Edited June 23, 2018 by Mindthinkr
I spelled Alli’s Name wrong. Bad me.

[DeLurker]

Alli could be your legal defense if you ever commit a crime a la Son of Sam...just make sure you get a jury trial and show them that picture!

Kook gets some plain yogurt mixed in with his dry food in the morning to help keep things regular too.  He just thinks of it as his morning treat.

@Mindthinkr - thanks!  He eats Science Diet prescription food for dental care reasons and he loves it.  It never occurred to me there might be a dry food to address this problem.  Probably a good idea if I mix the two and just keep him on it as a maintenance item.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

Sir Robin needs your help.  He has been hacking a bit in the last week with what I assume is a hairball issue.  He drinks lots of water and I brush him everyday to get rid of loose hairs, but he does eat dry food.

I did some research online and saw lots of recommendations for giving him some pumpkin puree.  I ended up buying Gerber pumpkin baby food instead because I figured that it was a better size and resealable.  The ingredients are just pumpkin and water.

How much and for how long should I give it to him? 

Fiber is good for hairballs, so you're on the right track with the pumpkin (unflavored, unsweetened psyllium is easier and cheaper - but that's if you're feeding wet food to mix it into it; feeding dry, if your cat is one of those who'll eat pumpkin, that's the way to go).  Generally, you give a teaspoon a day.  You may want to start with 1/2 teaspoon.  You can give it until the problem goes away, stop, and see if the problem comes back.  If the pumpkin needs to become an ongoing addition to his food, at that small amount it's no problem to continue indefinitely.

[MargeGunderson]

It’s been a tough weekend for the Kitties Gunderson. The Younger is at the animal hospital. Last night she started to spit up foam and was hiding. We took her in and when they checked her out they thought they found a mass in her abdomen. The good news is that after an ultrasound they did not find a tumor, but she has an inflamed pancreas and her kidney values are high (but in the expected range of a kitty of 18 years). She spent the night and will be there overnight again while they are culturing her urine and retesting her pancreas levels. We visited today and she is very alert and looking for attention from everyone. Apparently she is quite the little flirt. We’ll get to take her home tomorrow.

The Elder went to the vet on Friday for a checkup and got a new medicine for pain. We gave it to her last night and about an hour later had to rush the other one to the vet. When we got back home, The Elder was unable to stand up on her back legs, which were basically sliding out from under her. She’s a little unsteady sometimes because of her arthritis but this was far beyond that. I looked up her new medication and her reaction is an uncommon but known side effect. I stayed with her all night in the living room to keep an eye on her. Fortunately she was moving around much better in the morning - better than usual, in fact. The vet’s office advised we not give her anymore of the new medicine and watch her closely. She’s also doing better now and doesn’t seem to be suffering any lingering effects. 

Mr Gunderson and I are exhausted, but happy that both are doing well. Hug your pets extra tight tonight!

@DeLurker, there’s a hair ball “medicine” that you can pick up at pet stores. They are usually a paste or gel that you can give to your cat. I’ve used them in the past successfully. 

@bosawks, Alli is a charmer!

[walnutqueen]

@MargeGunderson - the critters and I are sending healing thoughts out to the Kitties Gunderson, and hoping for swift recoveries.

[bmasters9]

All in a morning's work when it comes to my kittens:

--Sally learned to arch her back, and she and Wilma went at it briefly, and I think that she and Harry did it as well, and maybe even Wilma and Harry. 

--Harry went on the floor of the porch, albeit I didn't catch it until it was much too late (at least it was No. 1, and not No. 2). He and Sally were climbing in plants, and I assumed (foolishly) that they were bent on destruction; what I should have took it as was a desperate attempt to find a place to relieve themselves. Henceforth, I'll have to learn to read that better, and take them back to the cage when they show the signs.