Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mozart is....

The Cat of the Week on Franny's Cat Blog on About.com.  YEAH!!!  I always knew Mo was meant to be famous....


Oh, and stay tuned tomorrow....we have a surprise!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Finally Friday...


We are so glad it is Friday....we are saving up on the naps!!

Update on the kittens.  Mom got home last night and shrieked....the pen got loose and there were kittens out!!  3 in the pens...Georgia was curled up in the bed next to the pen.  Utah, Nevada and Bug (go figure she was involved in the jail break) were nowhere to be found but wandered out a few minutes later.  No telling how long they were out or where they were.

Mom changed the plan today....she moved their stuff into the kitchen and set the gate up in front of the kitchen entrance.  Cross your fingers that everyone is still in there when she gets home.  It gives the kittens a little more room to run around since she doesn't trust them to be out and about in the house by themselves yet.  When she was leaving this morning, Carolina and Georgia were "hiding" between the fridge and the wall and Maine was jumping around trying to get them.

Maestro is doing ok.  He has been on prednisone and pepcid for 3 days now.  Someone pee'd outside the box again, but she can't ever seem to catch anyone in the act - the downside of having a multi-cat household.  She was pretty excited about this ginormous box she found at Petsmart, so we may get an upgrade this weekend.  She hasn't bought the new food for Maestro yet, but hopes to get to is this weekend.  She is just worried that she is going to spend a fortune on food that he isn't going to eat.

Chiclet (the momma cat) threw up twice last night - mom was doing laundry at 9pm since the "big one" was on the cover on the sofa (she was feeling kind of smart for making sure the covers are on).  Mom gave Chiclet a pepcid too hoping that might help.  She just doens't seem to be putting on any weight and has been a little listless.  Mom hopes to get the rescue vet to check her out next week.

Plans for the weekend everyone???  Mom keeps saying something about the big MSU game on Saturday versus Iowa.  Someone warn the kittens since she likes to yell at the TV.  Whatever....  Us - we plan to try to find as much sun as possible to warm up in since it is getting colder here in Ohio.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

(not entirely) Wordless Wednesday

Courtesy of MSNBC's Animal Tracks

This boy is working on his tan in Rome at the Largo di Torre Argentina which is a sanctuary for between 250-300 cats in Rome.  How cool is that??

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tuesday terror....

Mo would like to place a complaint:
That little orange guy is getting on my last nerve.  He ran around last night for like forever....up the stairs and then back down then around and around the family room.  I can only take so much from the guy.  I swear he is stalking me.  I was sitting on the window box and he was on the scratching post when I planted on paw in the middle of his head.  Didn't stop him from swinging like mad at me.  Mom was laughing, but I don't think it was very funny.  She said I just have to smack him silly (I think he may already be at silly so what good is that gonna do??).  She said something about him getting bigger than me one day so I have to deal with him now.  I keep trying, but I don't think he is getting the message.

Junior says:  haha!!!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Mini Mancat Monday

Well, the little orange mancat is adjusting well.  He is still a little hesitant during the day - I still can't get him up in my lap after the eye ointment incident.  :)  However, he loves me at night and is out around the house during the day.  Plus he isn't nearly as jumpy anymore.  I have feral cat houses in the living room and he has been "cat testing" them for me.  Plus he LOVES to stalk Mozart - who just seems to find him annoying.  He has discovered that the kittens have food during the day and has been jumping in with them for a snack.  He whines when they get close but they don't seem to think he is all that scary.  LOL

Bug had a v-e-t visit on Friday and now has the first set of vaccines.  Weight - 1.6 pounds.  Oh - and I screwed up another one....Bug is a girl.  Which actually works from a cute standpoint.  :)  There is a petsmart adoption event on Nov. 13th.  I am hoping she is big enough to spay before that so I can try to find her a home of her own for the holidays.  Right now she is spending her days penned up with the other kittens and they are having a blast running around and being nuts.

back to front: Dakota, Utah, Carolina, Maine & Nevada

Georgia & Nevada


Bug

And an update on Maestro: nothing really exciting on the blood test.  Not sure if that is good or bad....  I refuse to put him through a boat load of tests just to prove something however.  So for now, the vet suggested changing his diet to a kidney prescription food.  Plus pepcid and prednisone.  I am going to give it a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference.  I guess I am reluctant to run more test since I don't know what it would prove - I refuse to put him through much and having a "timeframe" doesn't prove anything either.  So, we will treat the symptoms and see what that gets us.  So long as he is getting around and seems comfortable, then so be it.


Friday, October 22, 2010

good news bad news

Well, Ivy didn't eat the vet. I had to herd her back to the bathroom and she was NONE too happy about it. And she spent the time before the vet came swearing at me. However, they got in there with minimal problems and got her checked out, weighed, vaccinated and nail trimmed. No human screaming and Ivy only howled a couple of times.
Tim & Tom were fine as well. All vaccinated and checked out. Tim needs his teeth cleaned, but after this bill, it is going to have to wait.

Ivy gained weight and everyone else lost a little. sigh.....

And the bad news - I had her weigh Maestro again and he had lost more weight. 2 pounds from March which is 4 pounds in a year. Not good. She drew more blood and took another urine sample so we shall see. And of course while she was there he threw up twice. Not sure what is up with that. He is still eating and getting around, though I do sometimes think he is getting senile. Dr Taylor is going to call Saturday or Monday with the results. But, like I told her....he is 16. I am not doing anything drastic. She did recommend a 1/4 pepcid once per day that might help with the throwing up. Keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you updated.

I did get a good pic of Maestro while he was sitting on the chair the other day with me:

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A true loss....

I just read this article on the Best Friends website.  A friend to remember  I got to attend a puppy class when I volunteered in March and Don was an amazing force.  He said something that stuck with me - before they started their puppy classes, about 30% of their puppies were returned.  In the five years he had been doing the classes, they had had 3 puppies returned the entire time.  What an amazing testiment to his dedication and the true worth of socilizing puppies.

Safe journey Don!!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Not-so-Mancat Monday

Breaking News:  Utah and Maine are GIRLS!!!


OK - in my defense, they were tiny when I checked for gender and I never rechecked.  Utah was dozing yesterday so I decide to get some kitten love.  He rolled over and lo and behold...no boy parts.  Which prompted me to check everyone else.  OK - except the calico girls....though maybe I should check.  :)  Anyhow, Nevada and Dakota are definitely boys and Utah, Maine, Carolina and Georgia are girls.  Which means the three tinest kittens are in fact girls.

Everyone was out in the pen playing yesterday and having a blast.  It is getting funnier to watch now that the other kittens are big enough to start giving Bug a run for his money.  :)

SPARTY ON!!!

My parents and I decided to try to attend Midnight Madness at MSU this year.  We went to East Lansing Friday and went to the bookstore, watch the Homecoming Parade and the stood in line for 90 minutes to get into Midnight Madness.  We got autographs from some of the players and then went into watch the festivities.  It was late but it was a lot of fun.  Mom has a crush on Draymond Green - she got a picture with him last year at the Final Four and then got his autograph this year.  She did the same with Korie Lucious.  I think they were both a little tickled to be signing pictures like that since mostly they were signing posters and basketballs.  It was cute.   I wish I would have thought to try to get another picture with the both of them.

Saturday we got tickets to the game and watched MSU beat Illinois and remain undefeated!!!!!!!






Thursday, October 14, 2010

Dinner and Collars

I was hoping to get a better video, but this kind of tells the story too.  I am asking Santa for a Flip camera for Christmas.... (make sure to use the sound - Tim and Tom were talking to me)



Also, Catster was talking about Dr. Lord's cat collar study.  You can see the Catster article here: Catster article and the full study info from OSU here: OSU Cat Collar Study.  Tim, Tom & Mozart were actually part of this study.  I wasn't sure if they would tolerate the collars and leave them alone.  I was surpried.  Because I had three involved, we used 3 different types of collars - strechy, regular and safety.  I have since switched everyone to safety collars.  The only problem I had was the strechy one which was on Tim. He HATED it at first and it got pretty fuzzy from him scratching at it.  I figured I would come home one day to find it off as he maanged to get out or he managed to convince Tommy to pull it over his head.

Well, I came home the one day and the collar was off.  I thought I had the picture on this computer, but apparently not - I had to take a picture so others would believe me.  The collar was off....and unbuckled.  WHAT???  So I put it back on and made a note.  About a week later, same thing.  Strange....  Put it back on and made another note.  And two days after that, I am sitting in the living room.  Tim is laying on the floor and Daffodil (a foster and one of Ivy's sisters) was laying on top of him.  The kittens would have been about 6 weeks old at this point.  As I watched, Daff reached up and started chewing on the collar - pulling the strap through the buckle.  It took her about a minute or so, but she managed to get the thing unbuckled.  I just stared....I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen her do it.  I reported it at the end of the study, but I am not sure Dr. Lord believed me.

Anyhow, I firmly believe ID and microchips are the best way to get your animal back. Microchipping more than anything since collars and ID can come off.  Spud won't wear his collar but he is chipped.  Junior is next on the chip bandwagon - wish I would have thought to do it when I got him neutered.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Help an organization

OK, so I am all about raising money to help the animals.  Since reading Homer's Odyssey, I have been more interested in the Blind Cat Sanctuary.  They are involved in the Pepsi Refresh Project to build another building to house FIV and FeLV cats - YEAH!!!

You can click here, get a link and then vote.  You do have to login, but it is painless - we promise.  Pepsi Refresh Project

Monday, October 11, 2010

weekend update

Friday night the kids came out to play with Bug in his condo.  They ran around and jumped on each other like crazy.  Then I put a box from work in there and the games really began.


After a while, every one fell asleep - the kittens in a pile and Bug off to one side.  It was kind of sad actually.  So I got to thinking about it - there is no reason now that the kittens are basically eating on their own that Bug can be in the bathroom with everyone at night.  Friday night was the first night and he seemed fine with it and so did Chiclet, so he will be in there at night from now on.  Of course, I spent several moments during the night on Saturday and Sunday chasing him down the hall when he made a break for it.

The kittens spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the pen in the living room with a slightly different configuration than Bug's condo to give them a little more space.  They played some and spent a lot of time sleeping in the sunshine.  By Sunday night, Maine was whiny and when I put Chiclet in there, she let them nurse, so that worked out too.  The pen got moved this morning and everyone is in the bathroom with the pen giving them more space and some fresh air.


Maine, Utah, Carolina & Georgia

Bug, Nevada (top), Carolina, Utah, Georgia, Maine & Dakota

Dakota, Utah & Maine



Sunday was spent working on the feral cat houses we are going to put out this winter.  Holes were cut and insulation put in one of them as an experiment.  The first one got the Junior seal of approval....

Friday, October 8, 2010

Best Friends Blessing

I got to experience this when I went in March.  While the video can't convey the full experience, it give you some idea.  Each month they honor those animals that have passed.  For the yearly ceremony this year, they opened it up to members to send remembrances of their own animals.  A few friends and I sent one for Ava, who belonged to our friend Nancy and her husband Steve. 

While nothing makes losing a pet easy, I think it help to know there is an organization out there devoted to "No More Homeless Pets" and understands what we all go through as pet owners.

Check it out: Blessing Video

Thursday, October 7, 2010

new baby pics

Chiclet with Dakota & Nevada getting some breakfast
 
Georgia & her mommy

 
Wait - how does this work again?

 
Utah, Maine & Carolina


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Adoption News!!

Junior is up on Petfinder now: Junior on Petfinder  I don't know if he will get adopted this way - I have my doubts about how many get adopted over the internet as opposed to in person.  However, at least now SOMEONE can see him which is more than NO ONE seeing him when he is just at my house.

In other news, Pistachio was adopted on Saturday.  I wish her the best of luck in her new home.  Walnut and Hazel were moved to a local Petsmart.  Fingers crossed for them too!!

Pecan is doing very well in her new home.  Kelly's brother is slowly warming up to her - he is just adjusting after the loss of their previous cat.  And Pecan seems to have the dog under her cute brown paw:

Monday, October 4, 2010

(baby) Mancat Monday

Bug went to the vet on Saturday. They ran an FIV/FeLV test and it came back negative!!  I was going to start his vaccination series since he is 6 weeks old, but the vet suggested we wait a couple of weeks.  See, they put him on the scale and he weighs a total of 0.9 pounds.

We also had the kittens out Friday night and Sunday afternoon to play with Bug.  He is a little rough with them (I think he is copying the treatment he gets from Junior).  But the kittens are getting their teeth in, so Bug is in for a surprise when they start biting him back.


And speaking of Junior, he won't speak to me during the day right now.  He has some eye gunk and I put an antibiotic cream in it and he is holding a grudge.  But he is still checking up on everyone when we go to bed.  Saturday night he was curled up by my shoulder - which was edging into Maestro's spot at the head of the bed.  Maestro growled at Junior who just ignored him and went on purring.  Can't blame him - he gets ignored when he growls at everyone else, so it makes sense that therefore growling is to be ignored.  :)

Friday, October 1, 2010

Homer

OK - normally I don't post twice in a day, but I had something I was going to post about and got distracted by the car thing (which is now fixed thanks to a great mechanic and $168 on my credit card).

Anyhow, my friend Kelly gave me the book Homer's Odyssey a while ago to read.  I had a ton of library books out then and didn't get it read.  If only I had known what I was missing.  I picked it up earlier this week and LOVE IT!!  Homer has his own website and I have been over there recently too.  If you haven't read the book, pick it up.  It is an easy read and delightful!!!

And in other news, Bug has his first vaccination appointment tomorrow morning.  He will get another bath and then the full checkout.  Paws crossed!

Tim & Tom say take the weekend off!

I should have stayed in bed....



So I got up this morning, ready to go, got in my car and....NOTHING!!  OK - there was a click and that was it.  Dead battery.....  Now what???  I am SO thankful I live close to my parents.  Called Mom and she came to the rescue.  I am now driving her Beetle for the day.  And THANK HEAVEN for good car guys....I called Kevin (the car guy) and he agreed to not only fix it, but drive to my place (about a mile from his shop), jump the battery and drive the car to his shop!!  This guy is worth his weight in catnip (or chocolate chip cookies - I may have to bake this weekend).

All of which made me about an hour late to work.  I am once again thankful for the flexibility of working in a small office - not that I exactly had much of a choice.

Should be a quiet weekend.  Chiclet keeps trying to get out the bathroom door, so I am going to try the kittens with Bug for a while and give her a break.  Just going to have to supervise since Bug has teeth and the other kittens don't yet.

Oh - and MSU plays Wisconsin this weekend.  GO GREEN!!!  GO SPARTANS!!!