Re: Impossible
When I was having to daily medicate Gracie, I found that even thinking about pill time would send her scurrying. I would have to keep something else in my mind, (birds fluttering worked best!), or I wouldn't be able to find her when I had the pill popper ready :) . N TenHouseCats wrote: i'm firmly convinced that my cats LOVE to watch mommy run around the house after them with a loaded syringe as i said, great exercise -- MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
Re: Sigh...
Wow, a home-made piller! Aren't you the ingenious little cookie?! I like the idea of the Nutrical in the syringe behind the pill, pleasant tasting way to help it slide down their throat. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have not been following this thread much, but here is what I do to pill: Buy Nutrical or some other tube of gelatinous cat supplement. Stick the pill in the middle of a gob of it. Get behind the cat and hold the cat with one hand, while with the other opening the cat's mouth. With the hand opening the cat's mouth, use one finger to hold the lower jaw down so the cat cannot close the mouth and then with the finger that has the goo/pill on it stick the gob on the back of the tongue or down the throat. This always works for me, even with cats hard to pill. Another version is to cut the tip off a 1 cc or 3 cc plastic syringe so it has a wide opening, suck up some Nutrical or other goo in it, stick the pill in that, and use the syringe like a piller to pop the pill and goo down the cat's throat. Michelle
Re: going to the vet
You most certainly may give him injections at home. Your vet probably figures you're like most pet owners who don't want to deal with it. He don't know you too well, do he? Get them, or someone that comes to your house, to show you how to give the injections. I never board my animals for vet care, if I can possibly help it, they get much better and more observant care at home with me and it's not stressful for them. Of course, if you're not able to be home, and he's in critical condition, that's another matter. I wasn't suggesting that Brooklyn doesn't like to be handled, I got that he's a love muffin from your other posts about him. I was talking about getting him used to being restrained in a compromising position :) . Prayers that Brooklyn feels better very soon, Nina veggiepugs wrote: Thank you to everyone for your advice. You're all so awesome and wonderful. Nina thanks so much for the encouragement and support. I feel better today, but am still upset that I can't treat him and that he's feeling so awful. It breaks my heart. I called the vet today to ask about other alternatives and someone there said they're not available in liquid form, which Patti, you told me they were and I believe you over them! So, I wrote a letter to the vet and faxed him asking about alternatives including liquid form, injectable and transdermal. Well, another vet called me back who I've seen with my dogs and said that if he is still vomiting, to bring him in and that he may have to be hospitalized so they can give him injectable meds. Why can't I do this? I think Brooklyn has been through enough already! Nina thanks for the pointers on calming him about being handled. He wasn't afraid of being handled, in fact he's very good about being touched, petted, cuddled, held etc. But not after being tortured by me He just looks miserable curled up on the bed...he looks as though he feels so ill. And I'm sure he does. Well I made an appt to see the vet at 530 because I need to get him going on meds. Wish me luck and please give me any advice or pointers you think I might need before giong to the vet. ANy questions I should ask? Things I should be wary of? Thank you everyone!!! hugs Rebecca
Re: Sigh...
Ditto my dear. I love some of the purebred dogs, but I love ALL dogs and if it's a choice between giving up the purebred cats, or dogs and saving the lonely little souls out there dying everyday for lack of a home, well then, that's not much of a choice is it? N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a message dated 11/29/05 1:54:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I'll realize there are good reasons for breeding. Sorry, with the number of innocents MURDERED every day in shelters, I personally can not see ANY REASON, GOOD OR OTHERWISE, FOR BREEDING Patti
OT - broken femur ball removal
Hi guys, I know we've been really bad about OT stuff lately, but I was hoping I could sneak another way OT question in. An associate of my husband was away on his honeymoon and returned home to find his cat injured. His post is copied below. Don't ask me who was watching the cat etc., I don't know these folks. However it happened, they care enough to reach out to anyone who might have some advice for them to help their baby. Knowing how good you guys are at advice... Any ideas? Anyone have any similar problems that could provide insights? I told him about anti-inflammatories such as Gluco/Chond, MSM, Lyprinol, because after Googling the subject it appears that there shouldn't be complications with pain after surgery. I also mentioned suspicions of infection. Thanks for any help you can give me to pass on! Nina ... while we were away barry the cat had a fight with another cat underneath a car and broke his femur. the vet removed the ball of the femur from the pelvis and apparently cats can recover well without the bone once the muscle adapts. but there must have been some nerve damage because when we got home, he was dragging his leg and then he started to cry more and more until it got to the point where we had to take him back to the vet because he was obviously in pain. so he's been at the vet for a week on painkillers and they're gradually reducing the dosages to try and work out what is hurting him. they have talked to specialists but still don't know whats causing the pain. i wonder if you have heard of anything like this before.
Re: Off topic, but why does my cat do this?
That's so very cute! What a doll-baby! It sounds like Miss is bringing you fresh sock kill for you to learn how to hunt! I think that's so adorable. Have you tried playing with some of the smaller objects she brings? She's probably a good fetcher. Momma ferals, I guess house cats may do it too, bring half dead critters to their babies to help them learn how to hunt and kill for food. It sounds like she loves you very much to make sure your education is not lacking :). Nina Dudes wrote: Message I know this is off topic, but I have a burning question that i'm hoping someone can answer! Maybe shed a little light! Why does my cat do this: My oldest female Miss is constantly bringing us *gifts*. She does this while meowing very loudly. We always know when she is coming with a gift, because she announces itwhile she is bringing it. She brings us her toysmostly,a fuzzy ball,a toy mouse or sometimes it issomething of ours. She is constantly bringing out our socks,a shoe if she can carry it in her mouth,a bra, even a roll of toilet paper. She raids our closets and climbs the shelves to find what she wants. If we shut the doors to the closets, she tears up toilet paper or paper towels, so we just let her do her thing. Most of the time, we notice she does this when she wakes up anddoesn't find anyone around. She will start meowing and searching for something. We've leftthe house before, and left her napping, only to come back to find a pile of toys and socks or undergarments (clean, dirty, doesn't matter) in the front room. It got really bad when she firstcame to usand she had a litter of kittens. She would steal shirts, towels, anything she could carry in to her kittens!So I think it is her way of doing something for us.I wonder if she thinks of us as her kittens, and she must take care of us.It's very endearing, but Iwould love to know why she doesthis! I think if she went outside, neighbors would be missing thier socks, too! We have caught her digging in our laundry, getting anything she can find that she can carry in her mouth and bring to us.Sometimes she will stomp on whatever it is, and then pretend to wrestle it before she deposits it for us. Then she will look expectantly up at us, and Meow? We tell her thank you, and then she look proud of herself, and willgo offtoget something else. It's harmless and kind of cute, but kind of quirky. Does anyone have any ideas why she might do this? Sandy
Re: Off topic, but why does my cat do this?
Lora, Take the milk ring from him and roll it on the floor. My guess is he'll run after it, retrieve it, and bring it back to you for more play! You may need to encourage him to bring it back the first few times. My Ursula loves those dumb rings too. Nina Lora wrote: Jenn, LOL. Our Baby Mason does this! :) Only he prefers plastic milk jug rings. Late at night (or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it) he walks through the entire house, room to room, meowing to himself with this stupid ring in his mouth. Neither are any of the other cats around him nor are they interested in what he has to say! :) Me and my husband just have assumed that he likes the sound of his own voice. ??? Never figured this one out either, but it sure is CUTE! Out of all thirteen (13) kitties he is the only one who does this. Even his biological sister (from the same litter) does not behave in this odd fashion. Lora
Re: medicating Brooklyn
Another hint for flavor compounding... Banana. I don't know why banana works so well to cut bitterness, but it does. It's not a flavor that I would have every associated with cats, but it does work. Nina TenHouseCats wrote: one of my bengal friends, who's on daily heart meds, SWEARS by the 3-fishy-flavor compounding flavor--he's nowhere near as fond of the other choices and i can't believe i was a catmom for more than 15 years before someone taught me about scruffing wonder how much of his attitude is his name? them brooklyn folks can be tough! (yes, it's a joke--first cup of coffee and all that) -- MaryChristine
Re: Saying Goodbye
Allie, I'm so sorry about your baby Lola. Words fail me, it's so very hard to lose them. Please try to take some comfort in the fact you gave her a warm and loving home. She had someone to care for her and to care about, in that you were both blessed. Bless you for helping others, and for making your corner of the world a soft place to land. Love and sympathy, Nina Allie Deaver wrote: Well, I took Lola in to get re-evaluated, regarless of the fact that she has been going downhill fast. The results of the second test and bloodpanel were not nice, especially with her emerging symptoms. The fluid in her chest is continuing to accumulate, she stopped eating (Ive been syringe feeding her a high-cal prescription diet), she is very anemic and very jaundiced. Her breathing has become very labored and she isn't really moving around much. After discussions with 2 vets and quite a few other sources of research (including this list), we've decided to help her over the bridge after we've had a chance to say goodbye. She has too many things off in her bloodwork, her red blood cells appear to be committing suicide, kidney enzymes are elevated, despite my efforts (pedialyte) to keep her hydrated and her liver enzymes are high despite my efforts to keep her fed (Hill's a/d). She is so weak, and since she is a just a kitten, who was born with the disease, it looks highly unlikely that aggressive treatment would do anything except buy her a little time. I think I'm at peace with my decision. I had plans to take a foster in this weekend, which I think I'll go through with since it will give me something to do and a place to direct all of my love. Plus, what better tribute to Lola than to save the life of another cat in need? I've requested that the foster be vaccinated against FeLV this once, just to be extra careful. Thanks, everyone. Allie
Re: Separating the kitty household
Steph, I like Hideyo's idea of the screen door. Could you put one on your bedroom door? That way poor lonely Chief might not feel so isolated. I'd also rig him a wonderful cozy bed right by the door. You'd be able to talk to him through the screen door too. I understand not wanting to alienate Rosie, after all, she was there first. I also understand the fears of mixing fiv and felv together, but I have made the decision that once someone is a member of the household, their a member all the way. I would keep talking to them and watching their behavior. For instance, when you see Chief blocking Rosie's path in the kitchen, (for whatever reason), I'd step between them and tell Chief to respect Rosie and let her pass! Keep reminding him that he's lucky she allows him to share her home, that she's the Grand Dam and he needs to honor her majesty! I'd talk to Rosie and tell her how important it is to you to have her help in smoothing out Chief's rough edges. Ask her to help you get through to Chief that his behavior is not acceptable. That you love her, but you want him to be happy too. It may take a while, but you guys will figure this out. If Chief doesn't back off, give him a time out, (a very short one, just a couple of minutes), behind a closed door. Set him up with a room of his own, maybe a bathroom? Make it comfortable in there, give him everything he needs and use that as his time out space. Spend lots of time confined in there with him. When you go in with Chief, (not after he's been naughty!), tell Rosie you're going to spend some time with Chief to try and help him understand his position in the family, (below Queen Rosie!). When he's pushy with Rosie and doesn't back down when you tell him to, let him cool his heels in his room. Then let him out and try again. Keep telling him being in the house is a privilege, he has to follow the rules! It took months for our socially retarded, cat hating, Kimba to get it, but get it he finally did. Nina Hideyo Yamamoto wrote: Oh... I am so sorry that you are torn... well.. one thing I can suggest is that do the introduction process start all over again. It will take a while, but it's very doable.. I have two cats who wanted to kill each other, (literally, one of the bigger one goes to a throat of a smaller one to kill), but after re-introduction, now they are completely happy! They don't groom each other or anything, they happily co-exist - I usually use screen door between rooms instead of solid door and/or a crate technique.. but never throw them into a room with no protection..what have you tried? -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Steph E Caldwell Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:05 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Separating the kitty household Hideyo Yamamoto wrote: I guess, I have a little bit concern regarding mixing FIV positive with FeLV positive together even if they got along well.. I tried total seperation when we first got Chief. Rosie lived in my room, had seperate food, water, and litter. But, she wasn't happy locked in my room unless I was in there. So, she pulled all her hair out that she could reach and started spraying things. has something that they are fighting against, I am concerned about the situation. I worry, too... She's vacinated for it, spent a good bit of her early life outside, so I think she's pretty well immune. Rosie goes to work with me everyday, so they're only together for a few hours. They do share litter boxes and a waterdish, but that's it. Right now, she's happy in my room at night, but now Chief doesn't have anywhere to sleep and he's unhappy with my door shut... Steph
Re: Separating the kitty household
Hmm... Rosie's failing health, and the fact that you've tried to dissuade Chief from initiating play changes things. I'd suggest bringing in another fiv kid to interact with Chief, but that would probably upset Rosie... You talked about a hole behind the ironing board and it gave me an idea. Since Rosie is so much smaller than Chief, could you rig small safe houses in several rooms near, or on the floor where Rosie could retreat to? You could make the openings small enough for Rosie, but not large enough for Chief and the interiors deep enough to give Rosie a sense of security. I'm a big believer in allowing our geriatric friends the opportunity to live their last years in peace and harmony. Chief's not making this easy for you guys! How about a rigged kitty door that's only large enough for Rosie to squeeze through to your bedroom? That way she'd have a room that she could come and go to, if she chooses, and Chief could only gain admittance when you're there to supervise. Your sweet girl deserves some peace! I'm sorry to hear about Rosie's tumors, I pray she recovers and the tumors remain small and benign. It's wonderful that her mom and sister lived such long lives, but it makes the transition of moving on with our lives without them even harder. It's so hard to adjust :( . N Steph E Caldwell wrote: Nina, I've been running interference between these two since last December! Chief moved in three nights after my Alphie passed... I think part of it with Rosie is that she wasn't ready for another kitty in the household, and maybe she views him as taking Alphie from her? I let her see Alphie before he burried her, but we all took that hard. She didn't eat for a week afterwords unless I sat with her. Then I started bringing her to work because she couldn't handle being alone, and she still doesn't like to be alone. I have talked to Chief and told him that, and I've talked to her, but she's just flat out scarred of him. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and if she approaches his dish while he's eating, he leaves and lets her have it, if he approahes her while she's eating, she doesn't leave, but won't eat, either. He's being playful, she's scarred, runs, and he chases her because he wants to play... It's gotten some better since he and I play (we play tag, when he's through playing he gets on his safe spot and I pet him), but she's scarred to come out because she can't defend herself. Rosie's health is starting to fail, she's got some tumors growing in her abdomen, but right now she's in good weight, coat looks good, and she's eating, so my vet and I decided to leave them be and pray they're benign. I wouldn't put her through surgery if they're cancer, and I wouldn't treat her any different than I am now. She's old, and I'm not going to heroics to keep her alive. Her balance has also gotten poor and she's taken some pretty bad falls off previous perches and she literally can't get away from him other than this little hole behind the ironing board. Until her last fall from the top of the kitchen cabinets she had a few high perches that only she could get on, but now she's unable to jump more than a foot or so. So, I'm not just dealing with the social aspect, but the ailing health of my Rosie... I lost her mom three years ago, she was at least 15, but probably older, and I lost her sister last year at 13... So, her family had a good long life, but she's still getting on up in years...
Re: Steph/grandmas
Oh Steph, I hadn't been following this thread, I'm so sorry for all your heartache. This certainly is a bad month for you. Ours seems to be Feb. We're always losing someone, or having some catastrophic thing happen around that month. Take a deep breath, give yourself permission to be weepy, indulge yourself in any way you can. Know that you are cared about and make sure you do something nice/positive for yourself. I'm sending you hugs and support to gain the strength you need to see you through. One thing about life, it never stays the same, things are always changing. When things are dark, I close my eyes and hold on until the light shines again. Surprisingly, it always does. Hold on girl! Nina Steph E Caldwell wrote: wendy wrote: OMG Steph! What a horrible thing for your aunt to do? Has she lost her marbles? Is she always that way, or was it her reacting to her mother's death? People do strange things when they are in emotional distress. No she was always a heartless you-know-what. She told my grandmother to her face that country club people shouldn't mix with mill hill people (mill hills in the south are houses the textile mills built for their employs, my grandparents both worked in mills and we still own the mill house they bought... and we still live there!), that was her excuse for not including her mother in their thanksgiving plans that year. I'm totally thrilled to be an only child... my dad's side isn't very nice, I look at the other three girls and wonder where he acme from 'cause he's a wonderful man and very generous and honest... his sisters lack those traits... one of hte three is a wonderful woman, but a habitual liar and truth stretcher... she's the only one I'll speak to. Guess I'm lucky I got the good one of the family for a dad! I am sorry that you lost your grandma and I am even sorrier that some of your family members don't understand you. Thank goodness for the grace of God, when everything else that's supposed to be fine and normal isn't. Thanks... I've been weepy and sad today... This entire weekend really... and this group is the most suportive and understanding group around... I lost my aunt fifteen years ago this month, my granddad 5 years ago this month, Candy, the mother to my Rosie, three years ago last month, Alphie, Rosie's sister, a year ago today, several other of my kitties died this week in the past 15 years, my Rosie has ailing health and isn't getting any better, and my dad has heart disease and is getting worse. I'm just totally unprepared to deal with facing anything at this point and I'm not prepared to accept mortality right now... I'm tired of dealing with death and dying... Somehow I've ended up horribly depressed lately, and I gained 20lbs to boot and nothing fits. Sorry for dumping my problems on you guys... Steph
Re: Pictures of my Kitties
Thanks for sharing pictures of your babies. Your Rosie looks like such a regal miss, like she knows she's important and doesn't appreciate it when others don't get that fact. Chief is so mischievous looking! I remember postings about TeeCee before, is this the same cat? I'm telling you that boy could win my heart in an instant, (I love the naughty boys!). N Steph E Caldwell wrote: I just stuck some photos up of Rosie, Alphie, and TeeCee/Chief http://photos.yahoo.com/stefffi_c album Kitties Steph
Re: meds
All and all, it sounds very encouraging! I'm so glad that Brooklyn is feeling better! Good for you with getting your nerve up to administer those meds. I know you just bought the script for the liquid stuff, but like I said before, I hate forcing anything vile down their throats if I can help it. Why don't you try the pilling again? If you and Brooklyn are getting better at this, you may be able to successfully pill him and he won't have that nasty taste in his mouth. Jenn and a couple of the others mentioned how the piller they've used didn't work right for them. I have a half dozen of the things and there's only one that works great every time. Ask your vet to sell you one of the ones that they use that works well, (otherwise you're coming back in to bother them again!). Nina veggiepugs wrote: Hi Everyonejust an update and a question. First question...how much does that Roomba cost? That sounds AWESOME! With a kitty, two rabbits, one who LOVES to kick her litter all over the place and 2 dogs that shed enough to make another dog, that would be AWESOME! Secondly, not a question but...YAY! I successfully gave Brooklyn his medication 3x already. Yesterday he got me, bit me but accidentally i think, then this morning he seemed to not fight as much, but he was also wrapped in my blankets. He was quick to forgive me this time and I feel as though he's getting used to it because he usually would sulk afterwards and today he just ran into the kitchen and asked for breakfast. So his appetite is back and even after he's been traumatized! The issue though, is that he tries to spit it out. He gurgles it up and drools out the meds. I feel so bad, it must taste SO awful. The dr gave me Flagyl/Albon mix in one and decided against the famitadine i have no idea how to spell that but I know you guys get it. Anyway, so Brooklyn is not so much opposed to me opening his mouth, he's good at that now, but as soon as he feels the syringe go into his mouth and he gets a taste of the meds, that's when he struggles. It really must taste disgusting. So, this morning I opened his mouth and tried not to touch the syringe to his mouth before squeezing it and carefully squeezed it into the back of his throat. He didn't spit up quite so much this time. He still has diarrhea but isn't throwing up anymore which, looking at him, seemed to take a LOT out of him. He seemed a little dehydrated yesterday but had plenty of water last night. Actually, he was drinking a lot. Is that a bad thing or a good thing? He was at the water bowl for a good few minutes or so. This morning he was out on the couch lounging in the sunlight coming in through the window. Never did that before. Guess he is feeling more comfortable. I'm glad to see that. So, we're doing better. :) Thanks for listening everyone and thanks so much for all your support! hugs, Rebecca
Re: meds
Or would there be too much liquid to fit? Or, would the liquid make the gel cap soften and break to quickly before you can pill a kitty? Yes. They wouldn't actually break, but when you get the gel caps wet, they melt. You can buy empty gel caps at the health food store, (for the dry meds), but I've never been able to find them small enough. I use the empty gel caps from the CoQ10. I used to put the quartered Doxycycline, (abx), in it because of the potential esophageal damage and because it tastes lousy. Nina wendy wrote: Someone in here said that they make their own pills using empty gel caps, which I think is a fantastic idea. This might be a dumb question, but depending on how fast you can make the gel cap, can you use the liquid in those? Or would there be too much liquid to fit? Or, would the liquid make the gel cap soften and break to quickly before you can pill a kitty?
Re: Test protocol question
Lynne, At 2.5 yrs and after living with the positives for such a long time, my bet is that another test will turn up negative as well. I'm not sure what the exact gestation period is for felv, I'm not sure anyone knows, please members, if you know... Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to have them retested for peace of mind. I'd wait at least three months, unless you intend to add to the household and want to make sure these guys did not become infected. I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Many of us have gone through the heartache of losing one after another to this terrible disease. My sympathies to you and yours, Nina Lynne Moquin wrote: Advice appreciated for when or if we need to test our two cats again : Our third cat died of FeLV cancer on Nov.2nd. The three cats all had fairly close associated during the last month as in, being in same room and some physical contact. The other two cats had blood drawn on Nov.5 and both Elisa and IFA were negative. Should we test them again and if so when ? One vet said to be absolutely sure test again but he was convinced himself they are okay. Another vet was all for vaccines no matter what. These two are 2 1/2. they had one single vacc. at age 12 weeks and as of age 14 1/2 weeks were in VERY close contact - grooming, sleeping, eating - up to late Sept. early Oct. Thanks so much Lynne __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca
Re: Test protocol question
When I read your post again, I misunderstood you. I thought you had three pos that died. Let me see if I have this straight, you had 3 cats, one of which was positive. They all lived together for how long? One month? What was that about being in very close contact since they were 14.5 weeks? I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused. Nina Nina wrote: Lynne, At 2.5 yrs and after living with the positives for such a long time, my bet is that another test will turn up negative as well. I'm not sure what the exact gestation period is for felv, I'm not sure anyone knows, please members, if you know... Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to have them retested for peace of mind. I'd wait at least three months, unless you intend to add to the household and want to make sure these guys did not become infected. I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Many of us have gone through the heartache of losing one after another to this terrible disease. My sympathies to you and yours, Nina Lynne Moquin wrote: Advice appreciated for when or if we need to test our two cats again : Our third cat died of FeLV cancer on Nov.2nd. The three cats all had fairly close associated during the last month as in, being in same room and some physical contact. The other two cats had blood drawn on Nov.5 and both Elisa and IFA were negative. Should we test them again and if so when ? One vet said to be absolutely sure test again but he was convinced himself they are okay. Another vet was all for vaccines no matter what. These two are 2 1/2. they had one single vacc. at age 12 weeks and as of age 14 1/2 weeks were in VERY close contact - grooming, sleeping, eating - up to late Sept. early Oct. Thanks so much Lynne __ Find your next car at http://autos.yahoo.ca
Re: My dear Garfunkle's new departure
Very nicely put MC. It's so very difficult to remember the big picture is not all within our focus, esp when we're hurting. Ah for the days when ignorance was Queen and I felt justified in my tantrums against the seeming injustice of it all! I still have tantrums, but now I get mad that we earthlings, (as a whole, present company excluded, of course), are so darn thick that we need lessons to knock us to the ground before we start to get it, whatever the hell it happens to be at the time. PS Jenn's idea for an OT group seems to be wasted on us! :) N TenHouseCats wrote: not guilty, wendy--you were doing what needed to be done at the moment if we truly believe that things happen just as they are supposed to, then how could whatever we do be wrong? hindsight is, really, useless--because no matter how much we may want to, we CANNOT go back hindsight can be a great teacher, tho, for the next time--just goes back to that cycle of everything is just as it's supposed to be personally, i INTELLECTUALLY know that everything fits into the tapestry, and that each thread belongs just where it is; emotionally, i forget a lot--healing, for me, comes when i remember the whole... MC
Re: pumpkin
Like any fiber, it's suppose to regulate. I can't get anyone in my house to eat it, so I can't vouch for how well it works. Everyone seems to pull out the suggestion, so it must be helping somebody. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Can someone remind me, is pumpkin supposed to be a laxative, or a cure for diarrhea? Some people on the Sphynx rescue list are feeding it to their cats as treats, and I'm curious as to if this is a good idea (will feeding it to "normal" cats make them get diarrhea or become constipated?)
Re: Introduction
Marissa, I agree with everything Michelle has said, (bless her). There is a group for assist feeding, I suggest you poke your head in there for some advice. You can assist feed for months, but you want to make sure that Jake is getting as balanced a diet as you can. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-Assisted-Feeding/ I have never heard about dehydration from interferon either. The drawback from daily interferon is the potential "immunity" of it's benefits. I've heard, and I don't know if this is true, that if you give small doses, (.5 to 1cc) daily, there isn't as much concern about that. Look in the archives for discussions on Feline interferon, you may be interested in that as well. Cats won't eat what they can't smell. Sometimes slightly warming the food will bring out the aroma and encourage them to eat. Usually they will lap at food when they won't chew. You could try warming some goat's milk for him, or adding a couple of drops of salmon oil, (if he likes salmon) to make it good and smelly. My guys eat better when I pet and cajole them, every cat is different and I can't tell you how many hours I've spent crawling after someone on my hands and knees with a bowl of something yummy in my hand. Oh, that reminds me, try switching from a bowl to a plate and only putting tiny bits of food down at a time. The slippery elm is a good, safe suggestion for nausea. Something that helped my Gypsy was a prescription called Metoclopramide syrup. It helps with the spasms and doesn't taste bad, (at least not in my opinion :) ). Welcome to the group, I'm so sorry Jake is not feeling well, but I'm glad you found us. Hang in there, you're not alone. Prayers for Jake's quick recovery, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Marissa, Hi and welcome, and BLESS YOU for adopting a cat with FeLV! My suggestion is this: if he is still on Baytril, take him off it. Cats are not meant to be on Baytril that long-- it is a very strong drug. My Lucy was on it for a month for bladder infection when she had a stone two months ago, and she is still having diarrhea from it even though she has been off it for weeks-- she never had diarrhea before, but it really screwed up her system. So take him off it and give him acidophilus, which is good bacteria for the gut to replace all the good bacteria that has been killed off by the Baytril. Also, take him off the Vitamin C, which can also cause diarrhea. There are other ways to make URI's better. Give him Lysine, which you can get in health food stores, which supports the immune system and is anti-viral. Also 6 drops of echinacea tincture each day (get the kind without alcohol). And read the archived posts and the articles on this group's web page about Immuno-Regulin, which has really helped a few of our cats kick hard-to-beat URI's. And if he really does need antibiotics, try Clavamox or, less traditional for URI's but very effective we have found, Doxicycline. Also, at this point he probably has an upset stomach, so I would give him 1/4 ofa Pepcid (the kind that is all famotidine with no other ingredients) once or twice a day. If his symptoms are from URI and too much antibiotics, this course should help. You should realize though that there are other things that cats with FeLV are vulnerable to that could cause the GI symptoms, like intestinal lymphoma. That can be controlled with steroids and chemo, but has to be diagnosed. For now, though, I think I would assume that the problems are from the exceedingly long course of Baytril and the Vitamin C, because that could definitely do this, I think. Good luck and please keep us updated.
Re: NJ feral group
Hi Renee, I've lived outside of Princeton, on Long Beach Island and in Rockaway NJ, (near Morristown), but I live in CA now. Your post nearly brought me to tears. Knowing there are caring souls that can't turn their back on the sweet innocents gives me hope that the human race is moving in the right direction! I too care for ferals in my neighborhood without any support from neighbors, and very little help from rescue groups. If you find a network who is able to help you will you please pass on the info? Anytime you want to talk to someone about ferals, please feel free to email me directly. I do remember seeing a feral group on the internet, have you checked that out yet? Nina Renee M. Simon wrote: Hello, I am trying to find some help for a feral colony in Cumberland County NJ, some of whom have tested positive. I do not have any idea how many are ill, but I am not seeing any symptomatic cats. Can you refer me to anyone who might be willing to help in NJ? I am simply a homeowner/pet lover who lives here and I can no longer pretend that I do not see their suffering. I would like to have someone knowledgable about ferals to teach me how to bring attention to their cause and find them some help. I have contacted everyone I can think of and have read all that I can find on the subject. However, how does one person find funding and supplies to begin to help these cats? Thank you for your time. Most Sincerely, Renee Simon
Re: NJ feral group
Renee, I've sent you a couple of emails off-list. Are you getting them? Nina Renee M. Simon wrote: Message Thank you so much for your kindness. The going was tough the last 2 days and my tears have been many. We are a small beach community and today the winds have been 60mph with lots of flooding. I haven't seen any of the cats today and I wish they were warm and dry. It makes me sad to think that I cannot find help for them anywhere. Your kindness has helped a great deal. All my Best, Renee
Re: NJ feral group
Renee, You are so very welcome. How nice to be someone's angel! I'm glad some of my suggestions made sense to you and that my moral support helped you feel less alone. This group is full of angels, as you've now found out. As I said before, I'm betting that Emma, (and probably her best friend too), will make the transition to house cat pretty quickly. You guys already have a connection. I understand the reluctance to "force" the issue, but most cats are not good with change of any kind and Emma might be inclined to keep the status quo without some stronger persuasion, (she has no idea how wonderfully her life will change!). Her short life has been all about simple survival, getting through the day alive, that's all she'll be thinking about. Ya gotta be a little pushy so she can see for herself all the benefits of being with you. You won't be sorry, once she understands that you are her 'angel', you'll have a devoted friend for life. If you've never trapped before, I can understand your feelings of discomfort with the prospect. Look at it this way, yes they're frightened, yes it is unpleasant for them, but it's a necessary trade off for making their lives sooo much better. It's like dealing with visits to the dentist. Pleasant? No. But so much better to endure the momentary discomfort and keep your teeth! The truly feral cats that you trap will be so much better off getting neutered/shots. The colony will not only stop multiplying, but as long as they have food and water provided, they will stop fighting and live much more harmonious lives, (having food provided and being neutered eliminates the reasons for fighting, hence cutting down on the transmission of disease!). Continuing to feed a feral colony, while well intended, is only half the solution. I have had the misfortune of seeing the suffering and miserable deaths of sweet innocent kittens (most kittens born in the wild do not make it to their 1st birthday). You have the power to stop some of this suffering! We humans put these poor cats in the position of surviving on their own, only we humans have the power to stop the cycle. Get with one of the rescue organizations in your area, (Jenn sent you a wonderful list of links that will surely turn up some help for you). Let them know that you are willing to do the work, but you don't have the funds necessary for such a large undertaking. Hopefully you'll not only get financial assistance, but find a new friendship in someone who will help you with the physical tasks as well. Patti is right, you don't have to handle the ferals at all. You trap them, take them to the vet still in the trap and bring them home while they are still asleep in a carrier. Transfer them to a larger pen where they can recuperate from their surgery in safety and then release them a couple days later. If you trap someone that's friendly, hopefully the rescue you've found will be able to foster them and find them a home. You can do it girl. Sorry this is so long. Can you tell how near and dear to me every feral in the world is?! Please let us know how you are doing. Whatever the depth of your undertaking to help these guys is so very appreciated, esp by any of the cats you help! Nina Renee M. Simon wrote: Oh Nina, Thank you, thank you, thank you! YOU HAVE BEEN MY ANGEL TODAY. i was feeling so frustrated and your words really soothed my soul. I completely believe that the angels send certain kitties my way. Last summer a feral close to death arrived on my doorstep. After vetting and testing, wetook him in. He is sleeping next to me now. I found him collapsed on the grave of my beloved Miss Kitty. I really loved your ideas about shelter. I think I will open my crawl space tomorrow. I can't believe I didn't think of that! And this is farm land, so free pallets are always around! Maybe my hubby could get some heavy totes from work and we can use them. See, all I had to do was ask and wonderful help arrived. I cannot thank you enough! you have just eased my mind tremendously. At least I have a good start and something constructive to do tommorrow for Emma and Abby, as well as the others who live in the marsh. Three days ago, someone who was feeding one all summer decided to take him to the vet in hopes of adopting him. He tested positive, but was asymptomatic. I do not know if they kept him or pts. My boy Jasper was tested twice and was negative, so we were lucky. I currently have 4 cats and 2 dogs. I have over 3000sq ft so they all have their own places. My hope was to bring Emma into the house, but she seems to feral to me and I am not sure she would make the transition.She is about 2 yrs old I think. I don't know if she is positive or not and I don't have a room to keep her isolated safely. I am waiting for divine inspiration on that one! I am also going to write to my local newspapers and see if they can help,maybe an article? I will also post an ad to see if anyone can donate supplies. It is
Re: NJ feral group
Renee, Yep, one day at a time, one task at a time. I'm always beating myself up for not doing more, but doing ANYTHING is what's important. I know exactly what you mean about getting easily overwhelmed. We both have to work on narrowing our focus and just helping as much as we can. A plan is always good :). The world is such a mess, we can only deal with what is right in front of us. The trick is to keep moving, keep doing something positive. I try to keep the Serenity Prayer in mind. Easier said than done! I would be very careful about who you approach, for the very reasons you've stated. Some people have nothing better to do than to make life miserable for those that can't defend themselves. Sad, but true. I would go down that list of rescues, make up a form email to send and look for help from them. Don't give up easily, make yourself a pleasant, but squeaky wheel. Sometimes I think they wait to see just how persistent you're going to be! So many people say they want to help, after the rescue gets involved the contact drops the ball and the rescue is left dealing with everything on their own. When they know you are serious about helping and not just someone looking to pass the buck, they become much more receptive. One of the rescues that I've worked with pays the full price for spays/neuters, sometimes they pay for the shots as well. They haven't been able to help me with adoptions, (hence my overflowing household!), but I'm happy to take whatever assistance they can give. They'll have traps to lend you, valuable advice and sometimes can give you food and supplies too. Don't be discouraged if some of the rescues don't share our love of ferals. I'll never understand how people can say they love cats, but are selective in that love. Sigh. Do stick your head in any feed stores, or pet stores and let them know you could use donations of food that's about to expire, (you don't have to tell them the location of the colony). You'll be surprised at what you can get, but you have to ask! You better believe I'm with you. I'm right there at your side, I wish it could be more than in spirit, but you've got lots of unseen help behind you. I truly believe that. You just wait and see, things will start falling into place and you're going to make a tremendous difference in those cats lives! Oh, wait a second, I dropped one of my pom poms! Seriously, you are earning Heaven points big time. Keep it up! Nina Renee M. Simon wrote: Nina, thank you again for your words of encouragement and support. I woke up today feeling like a new woman...which isn't so easy anymore at 41! I decided that I must change my perspective for the time being. It is very easy for me to become overwhelmed at the enormity of the situation and the lack of support both physical help and financial. So, I decided to take a deep breath and realize that I do not have to fix everything today. I will step up my efforts and be diligent in learning as much as I can, while investigating all avenues. If I let myself get overwhelmed, then I am afraid I might fizzle out. So, I wll just put one foot in front of the other, start thinking creatively and get going.As only 1 person, I certainly cannot afford to fix it all myself, so I will do what and can do.I think that is a good start. I very much appreciate you being there with me in this. They are all such precious souls and I will do whatever I can to improve their health and existance. I promised them that I would do my best. I am going to print out some relevant info and see about approaching some people in town. But I hesitate to draw too much attention to them, because I fear for their safety. People here are always looking for scapegoats and excuses for acting violently. I do not want these babies to pay the price because I was naive. So I will read, learn and do my best for them. Thanks again so very much!! Renee
Re: Introduction
Welcome Presto and Everett! Could you tell us a little more about the way your kitties live? When you say "introduced to the colony" instead of "cattery" or "sanctuary" it conjures visions of more of a free roaming society set-up. Are the all the cats confined to some sort of habitat? Do they live with you in your home? Do you have any neg as well as the pos? I'm just curious about how the day to day lives of your charges work. I'm very pleased to hear that you've changed your custom of immediate euthanasia when encountering pos. What changed your mind on this protocol? I'm not asking merely to be nosy, any information on altering the perceptions of other rescuers in regard to pos is valuable in the fight to enlighten people about the worth of these wonderful cats. Bless you for your open hearts, all your hard work and the contribution you make, Nina Presto wrote: Greetings. We are Presto and Everett. We operate a private, at-home sanctuary for cats who have either Felv or FIV. In addition, we have several ferals who could not be TNR'd to their original locations. They are isolated and fully vaccinated before being introduced to the colony. It's not an ideal combination, but death was the only alternative for all the cats we have. I've done rescue work for twenty years, in HI, WA, CA,MA,and briefly in the Congo and Venezuela. My husband and I met fourteen years ago. He is as dedicated as I am toour work with cats. When working as a foster home, ithad been our custom to havepositive-testing newcomers euthanized. Four years ago, we decided to cease fosteringand to becomea positive-testers' sanctuary. We've cared for thirty positives.We currently have fifteen. Our death rate isthree to four per year. We are our veterinary clinic's top client, and average eight-thousand a year in payments to them. We also use Tufts Univ. Veterinary Hospital when needed. We are always keen to hear insights on cat care, especially pertaining to the positives. Likewise, we've learned a lot and are glad to share. Presto
Re: Introduction
Presto, Hi again. I just re-read your post. I was confused because you wrote "death was the only alternative for all the cats we have". Did you mean that you release the ferals back to their own "wild" colony and do not take them into your sanctuary? Nina Nina wrote: Welcome Presto and Everett! Could you tell us a little more about the way your kitties live? When you say "introduced to the colony" instead of "cattery" or "sanctuary" it conjures visions of more of a free roaming society set-up. Are the all the cats confined to some sort of habitat? Do they live with you in your home? Do you have any neg as well as the pos? I'm just curious about how the day to day lives of your charges work. I'm very pleased to hear that you've changed your custom of immediate euthanasia when encountering pos. What changed your mind on this protocol? I'm not asking merely to be nosy, any information on altering the perceptions of other rescuers in regard to pos is valuable in the fight to enlighten people about the worth of these wonderful cats. Bless you for your open hearts, all your hard work and the contribution you make, Nina Presto wrote: Greetings. We are Presto and Everett. We operate a private, at-home sanctuary for cats who have either Felv or FIV. In addition, we have several ferals who could not be TNR'd to their original locations. They are isolated and fully vaccinated before being introduced to the colony. It's not an ideal combination, but death was the only alternative for all the cats we have. I've done rescue work for twenty years, in HI, WA, CA,MA,and briefly in the Congo and Venezuela. My husband and I met fourteen years ago. He is as dedicated as I am toour work with cats. When working as a foster home, ithad been our custom to havepositive-testing newcomers euthanized. Four years ago, we decided to cease fosteringand to becomea positive-testers' sanctuary. We've cared for thirty positives.We currently have fifteen. Our death rate isthree to four per year. We are our veterinary clinic's top client, and average eight-thousand a year in payments to them. We also use Tufts Univ. Veterinary Hospital when needed. We are always keen to hear insights on cat care, especially pertaining to the positives. Likewise, we've learned a lot and are glad to share. Presto
Re: I Need Prayers for Callie
S**t Tad. Prayers for Callie's recovery, Nina Tad Burnett wrote: Dam this disease... We rushed my beautiful little dilute calico from AW to the vet early this morning...I found her lying on the floor this morning, cold and almost lifeless and did a terrible sick sounding cry when I picked her up...I wrapped her in a jacket and got her warmed up and she came back to life a bit She apparently had diarrhea in the night and was very dehydrated... The vet gave her sub Q and will draw blood for testing if she gets any stronger...She seemed herself yesterday morning... She was the alfa cat in the room and was always with me when I was there and always the 1st to come for food ... Last night she slept in the cat tube instead of right beside or on me and didn't come for the last snack of the day as usual but I free feed dry food and didn't think that much of it until this morning when she wasn't climbing on me to wake up She recovered from being such a mess at AW to such a good kitty and I never thought this was going to happen so soon but now all I can do is hope she will bounce back... Tad
Re: Nina's Greeting and Question
Ah Presto, you and Everett sound like our kind of people! We seem to have some things in common, I devote myself to rescuing those animals I can, (not on your scale though!). I maintain two small colonies of ferals and my house is full of rescues. I have even enclosed the back of my house, (with bedroom window!), into a "habitat" of safe outdoor space. I too was introduced to the joys and tribulations of pos through the motherly devotion induced by the sweet innocent needs of a litter of kittens. I came upon my litter of 6, 2.5 week old kittens in a box placed outside the door of a closed spay/neuter clinic. The poor little angels were near death, starving, bloody from flea infestation and so very pitiful! I had had experience with bottle feeding and blindly jumped into the task of being surrogate mom to these new additions. At the time I couldn't figure out why anyone would pull such tiny babies from their mother's breast to abandon them in this way. When the first of the kittens, Flash, died 6 months later, (we had no experience with felv and never had them tested), I figured that the momma had probably succumbed to felv from the stress of delivery. We had adopted out 3 of the kittens, (the two that died within their first 8 months had been adopted out to the same home), the other kitten adopted out, (to a dream-home), is still healthy at 2.5 yrs old. Of the 3 that remained in my home, 2 have passed, Jazz at 18mos and Gracie at almost 2 yrs. Tim the 6th kitten tested neg and remains healthy, (thank God). We live in Oxnard CA. There's a site where you can add your name, location and a picture: http://www.frappr.com/felvtalk My husband Bruce and I share our home with 6 dogs and 5 other cats, a nice even dozen. Although, there is a newcomer to my feral dishes that looks to be a stray so... I'm very glad to have you with us. I'm sure you have much to contribute and this group is unparalleled in it's compassion and knowledge. I was close to losing my mind from grief and ignorance when I found the list. I truly don't know how I would have coped without everyone's support. Once again, welcome! Nina Presto wrote: Hi Nina, thank you for welcoming us. I'll describe our arrangements, and how we got started. Over three-hundred cats have come through my home, wherever it was, in the past twenty years. In CA, so many healthy cats are killed yearly because of overpopulation that I chose to have the positives euthanized, so that remained my policy. In '96, we returned from Zaire and moved to MA. We immediately became extensively involved in rescue work. In '01, a co-director of a humane society begged me to take in a litter of 8-wk-old kittens, six of whom had tested positive for leukemia. We were their last chance. We decided to take them. That was the turning point in our policy. Initially, we kept the kittens isolated, but eventually integrated them. The first kitten died at six months; the last, at 3 yrs. 10 months. The seventh is still negative. In the mid-eighties, I took in positives, thinking that the Felv vaccine was sufficiently effective to protect my other cats. It wasn't. That's why I stopped keeping positives. But now, although not foolproof, the vaccination is much more effective. We did our rescue work from apartments until '03, when we bought a modest house. We had the carpets removed and wall-to-wall vinyl flooring installed throughout the house. The vinyl is imitation marble:white with gray tracery, and shows anything that spills on it--hairballs, urine, anything.We can spot anything and clean it up immediately. We have eleven jumbo litter pans in several rooms, and change them often. Our back yard is enclosed with cat-proof fencing; only certain cats are allowed to go out there. Everett built an outdoorenclosed, roofed cat porch behind our bedroom window. It is accessible 24/7, 365, by an enclosed tunnel that runs to itthroughthewindow. All the catsare able to use that. We have quilted calico cat-pads throughout the house, onsemi-high surfaces, for the cats' comfort and privacy. We feed the cats on two enormous polished woodentables in our kitchen. Thismakes clean-up easier, and the cats enjoy being on a high surface. We havea supplementarysnacking station on the floor. The kitchen is actually quite lovely. Newcomers are isolated in our study, a large room with a picture-window, until two weeks after they've had their second FVRCCP/Felv vaccination and have been spayedetcetera. Then they are introduced. Welive with thirty-six cats, which is too many, but will go down through the sad attrition of death. Only two are placeable. The others are feral or positive or both. We haveresisted taking in any more, unless the case is extreme and there is no other alternative. Alley Cat Allies recently asked me to take in some positives from their hurricane rescuees. I couldn't do it. I was devastated. We sent them twenty Tomahawktraps and cash,
Re: Callie...Its sad news
Oh Tad, I'm so very sorry about Callie. I know it's hard to see the blessings when you're in so much pain, but it is a blessing that she was strong and well up until her last days. That's the way I would choose to go, if I were given a choice. She sounds like such a special girl, and you were her special human! It's so hard to let go. It never gets easier. I don't know how you do it Tad, you have such an enormous heart. Every cat that finds sanctuary in your loving home is so very fortunate. I so admire you and Marie for all you do. No one knows better than you the heartache and joy involved in so generously loving and caring for these forgotten angels. There's so much I admire about you. I love the way you except every cat as an individual, never pressuring them to conform to some imagined standard of how they should be, or how you expect them to interact. Prayers and sympathy to you, Marie and your household in your grief. May the joyous memories soon overshadow your tears, Much love, Nina Tad Burnett wrote: She was so strong and well just yesterday morning that part of me wanted to believe that she would bounce back but when I found her this morning on the floor and she did a terrible cry when I picked her up I knew that something was terrible wrong with her... The blood test showed kidney function had stopped and the vet said that she had so little blood in her vains that he suspected internal bleeding probably in the liver... When I brought her to the vet this morning she could barely hold her head up for a short time and after being at the vets all day and having sub Q liquid all day which is probably what kept her alive she was even weeker...The vet felt she was probably in pain and didn't think anything would bring her back so we sent her on ahead to the Rainbow Bridge Callie was a feisty little calico...She was reported at AW to be hard to medicate and when she arrived here we learned that she would only let you touch her for a few seconds and then you better let her go... We learned where the limits were and soon she began to trust us and Marie did better with some of the other AW cats than I but Callie definitely chose meNow that I think of it she was never close to any of the other cats but she was always with me whenever I was around... She new when I was putting on clothes to go outside and meow and meow and she would be waiting at the door for me when I came back in... A few time that she did sneak out with me she let me catch her and if I would tell her NO as I when out she would sit there and wait Right now she would be sleeping on top of the monitor while I am on the computerShe was such a good friend to me and she had so much personality...She had some hard times during her life but she was happy and loved here at the end...I only wish she could have stayed longerI can't believe she is gone so soon I will miss her for a long time... That leaves 4 of the original 6 from AWOJ has never been a totally healthy kitty...He has had to stay on antibiotics for several bacterial types of infections and he has never played and raced around the way some of the others do but he has always been a big purr and snuggle bunAnd antibiotics is easy to keep them going...Both OJ and Fred who is my first FeLV+ kitty who gums seem to get infected when I take him off antibiotics...He only has a few teeth left now...I have had Fred well over 2 years...I have had several worries over Fred and OJ and they are both special buddies so I can't complain ... They are still hereI guess this is just the way it was meant to be Tad and Marie
Re: Pictures of Maizee
Oh Sherry! Your Maizee Grace is/was so adorable! She stole my heart with just her picture, I can certainly see why you were so devoted. What a doll. N Sherry DeHaan wrote: Hi all I put a few pics up of Maizee in the Rainbow bridge album at the OT web.Just wanted to share her sweet face with you great and caring people. Sherry Yahoo! Shopping Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping
Re: Just Ducky
Ducky is a tuxie/tabby! My newest arrival, Pistol Pete, is a tuxie/tabby too! Way too cute! N Rachel wrote: She's about 6-8 months old and she is tabby on top and white on the bottom. Very cute!!
Re: OT:help with my dilemma
Hideyo, That's a tough call with Hannibal. How wonderful that his blood work is all in the normal range now! You're such a good mom! Did I understand you correctly, that Hannibal only has one tooth left in his head? How can he eat anything solid with one tooth? It's alarming that he's lost two pounds over a two month period. I know how special Hannibal is and how scary it is to subject him to surgery, but if he won't eat because he's in pain... I wish I had some advice for you, these decisions are never easy. If he is in pain because the root of the tooth is exposed, (and not because the tooth is impacted/infected), might he benefit from some sort of topical fluoride treatment? Using fluoride on exposed roots reduce and sometimes eliminate pain. I know there are prescription fluoride rinses for humans, maybe they could be used on cats? Nina Hideyo Yamamoto wrote: Hi, everyone I am in dilemma and I need your opinions. My Hannibal who has had kidney problem might need to get his tooth pulled out he only had one tooth left, but the root is showing and its hurting him as he grows after the food touch his tooth. He is an older feral boy, and has kidney problem (thought this very last blood work showed that everything is back into the normal range yeah I have been giving him fluid a couple of times a week along with V-B12 and complex injections).. anyway, he had lost a couple of pounds since the last check up which was two months ago, and am thinking that it might be due to his tooth.. he likes to drink juice from fish can.. but try to avoid eat a solid food if he is in a perfect condition, I would have them pull a tooth right away, because he is an older boy, because he has low grade heart murmur, because of the past kidney issue, because of high globulin, the vet thought he might have FIP (though I personally dont feel that he has some reasons), I am going back and forth as to what I should do I would love to have it pulled if he will go through the surgery ok.. but you just never know.and I cant afford to lose him from the surgery - --any advise?
Hideyo's court case
Hideyo, You haven't mentioned anything about your upcoming court case with animal control lately. Isn't it scheduled for Dec 12th? How are your preparations going? If anyone who wanted to, hasn't sent a testimonial letter to Hideyo yet, please get on it. Let us know if there is anything else we can do to support you in your fight. Nina
Re: Hideyo's court case
I'm not sure if it would help either. There may be no credence to our opinions at all. I am hoping that some consideration of why Hideyo has so many cats, along with substantiation of the living conditions she can provide, might have some sway. Yes, letters from people that attest to Hideyo's character, without first hand knowledge of her circumstances aren't concrete, but a stack of such testimonials might still have some tiny influence. Hideyo deserves our support and this is the only thing I can think to do. Do you have any suggestions of how else we might be able to help? Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: As a lawyer, I really can not see how a testimonial from someone who has never seen the premises would help in any way. We all know Hideyo cares a lot about her cats and does everything possible for their health, from her posts, but all a court is really going to care about is what the premises looks like and testimonials from vets and others who have actually seen the cats and the care first-hand, I think. I can't see that a court would give much credence to the opinion of people on an online listserve. Michelle
Re: Hideyo's court case 19th??
I remember a story that Hideyo told us about a cat caught in a drain, (or some such thing), where the local media and some local offical was involved. I suggested that she talk with them and ask for their help, but I don't know if they have been contacted. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: No, I don't think it can hurt. But it is really important that Hideyo get something from her vet (better if he is willing to testify in person or write an affidavit, which is a sworn statement) and from neighbors and local folks familiar with her rescue work. If she shows up with only online testimonials, it will look bad. Michelle In a message dated 12/8/2005 3:17:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I did wonder that as I began writing mine last night. Still, it can't hurt--or can it?And, it's the 19th isn't itnot the 12th? Hideyo? Kerry
Re: Nina's Greeting and Question
Presto, Bottle babies are a great deal of work, but oh so rewarding. There's nothing like being mommy to these little tinnies. So trusting, so loving and adorable. They sort of imprint on you the way chicks or ducklings do. I'll never forget the first time I realized just how dependent on my guidance they were... I had them in our backyard for some supervised outside play, (they were probably about 8 weeks old at the time). I had been expecting a call and when I ran in to answer the phone, I looked down and all six, (who had been busily playing in different areas of the yard), were huddled around my feet looking up expectantly at me, waiting for the cue that the danger had passed. They had all raced in with me when they saw my alarm. Talk about cute! Talk about trust! The feeding regime, that of course has to be done every couple of hours 'round the clock, seemed to go on forever. By the time the last one had been fed and washed, the first was hungry again! Happily the soccer world cup games were being televised at the time, so my husband didn't mind taking some of the 3am feedings since he was getting up to watch the games anyway! I have a couple of short video clips of the kittens on my website, http://www.companiondogtraining.com/ go take a look. I never had a urination burn problem. Hmm, I'm not sure why. I did have the help of my dog Vladimir, (surrogate mom extraordinarie). He would happily help clean and groom the kittens, so maybe that's why they didn't get as irritated. I remember finding the "magic spot" on my first bottle-baby, Ursula's tiny bladder. Laying them on their back and pressing ever so slightly, will send a stream of urine flowing like a fountain straight into the air which can be caught with a wash cloth strategically placed! I caught myself musing the other day about how nice it would be to foster, (and I use the word foster lightly!), some litter in need. (I was so unhappy knowing I couldn't take in any kittens while I had felv in the house). I swear, I must be out of my mind! That invisible neon beacon on my front lawn probably has "helpless kittens wanted" written on it now! My sister substitute teaches 2nd and 3rd grades. When she was doing her student teaching for her credential, she had applied to an Oxnard district. She was told that they only hire bi-lingual teachers, (although they will take male candidates who only speak English occasionally because they're so scarce). Was the last time you lived in Ca 20 years ago? Nina Presto wrote: Nina, this is incredible. Your experiences very closely parallel ours. The only difference with the litter is that you received yours much younger, and that there were six kittens rather than seven. And your outdoor enclosure, complete with bedroom window...what parallels! I greatly admire anyone who bottlefeeds. That's a great deal of work. Cleaning the urine off the kittens' bellies after they're fed was the part I found frustrating; they got urine burns. How did you handle that? I'll check out the website; thank you. Ah, Oxnard. I applied to their public school system for an elementary teaching job, twenty years ago. I applied all over the state of CA. Oxnard never called me. I know CA by public school district. When I first arrived there, I put a state map on a corkboard on my wall, and put colored pins in all the places I applied to for teaching jobs. Must've beeneighty or more. It was very hard to get elementary positions back then, as it always is unless you're a bilingual or special ed teacher. I'm glad to meet you, Nina!
Re: Hideyo's court case
Actually Hideyo lives in, I think it's AR or NV. I can't remember which right now. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Presto, It is possible that your elderly friend, if she is able and willing to help, could help by visiting Hideyo and talking to her and then serving as a witness. If she is respected in the community (i.e. not in trouble herself for having "too many" animals), her testimony could help. Michelle
Re: Hideyo's court case
Oops, neither Ar or Nv! I think you're right, thanks Kerry. N MacKenzie, Kerry N. wrote: Message Hideyo lives in New Mexico, doesn't she--Albuquerque.
Re: Now Prayers for Buffy and Questions
Tad, How is Buffy doing today? N Tad Burnett wrote: It never rains but it poursToday Buffy is not acting herself... She also came from AW and from early records she was pulled at the same day and very similar condition...Vet recommended PTSI even wonder if they are litter mates... Any way...A trip to the vet revealed fluid in the chestShe now has pills and will be on interferon...
Re: HELP: PLS PRAY for my Hannibal
Imagine if you'd been paying out tooth-fairy style for all those teeth! (Actually I guess you have, the vet bills must be enormous at your house!). I like the idea of using the whiskers on ceramic kitties :) . Maybe you could give them as a thank you gift for donations to the cause... and with your generous donation of $50 dollars or more, you get a ceramic kitty with authentic fallen whiskers! N Presto wrote: Message May I add a little humor? Sometimes in traumatized times, a little humor helps. You might want to have Hannibal's tooth saved. I have a tooth collection. Whenever a dental is done on one of our cats--and many, many have been done--I have the extracted teeth saved. The doctor and I examine them together, and then I place them in a container with the cat's name on it, and stash it in my tooth collection. I've joked about having them put on a necklace, African-style. But I'm not serious. I also have a whisker collection, in containers in the same drawer with the teeth. Whenever I find a shed whisker on the floor, I pick it up, admire it, and put it in my whisker collection. I thought maybe I could have a potter design little ceramic cats and insert the whiskers in the appropriate places, entitling them "Carpet Scraps" to make people aware that they hadn't been pulled from the cat. But I thought better of it. Presto
Re: HELP: PLS PRAY for my Hannibal
Hooray for Hannibal! I'm so pleased to hear he came through so well. Don't forget to let us know when he starts eating better! N Hideyo Yamamoto wrote: Message Yes! I was so nervous.. but I waited by his side the entire time.. now he is painful tooth free!! Thank you for all your prayers!
Re: OT:CROSS POST..Newnan, GA.-Newnan-Coweta Humane Soc - BLIND KITTEN...
Terrie, This little angel's story broke my heart. I know it says that you have to apply for adoption in person, but couldn't someone else adopt her and then have her transported? I don't know why I'm asking, my husband would kill me, if he knew what I was thinking, but I just can't stand to think of her being in this situation without anyone to love her. Do you know the person that asked for cross posting? Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: CROSS POSTING! Please help me spread the word about this baby!! This absolutely breaks my heart!!! Shelter Rescue [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2005 10:11:09 -0500 From: Shelter Rescue [EMAIL PROTECTED] Julie, Didn't know if you had another picked out to replace the orange kitty for the front page, but this kitten is in "the back" - and that means the next to be put down. She wasn't going to be put up for rescue/adoption, but the supervisor agreed to give her a few days. Although the flash of the camera makes her look as though she has no eyes in the picture, she just has the foggy eyes and you can tell that she is blind. Read the description below. IC-4 KITTEN Domestic Short Hair,Tabby - Grey Mix Size: Small Age: Baby Sex: Female ID: 05120510 Coweta AC Notes: PLEASE CONTACT COWETA COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL TO ADOPT THIS PET: 770-254-3735. This precious baby will break your heart!!! She is blind...she looks to have cataracts over both her eyes (you can see when we took her picture how the camera reflected the cataracts). She was brought into animal control because she "bit" someone (she was probably very scared because she can't see). When I took her out to take her picture...she snuggled up as close as she could get to my neck and began to purr non-stop even while trembling. It broke our heart to put her back into her cage (she felt her way right back to her spot behind her litter box). PLEASE..please do not let her life end at animal control. She desperately needs to be part of a loving family where she will be safe. Please hurry! This sweetie will be avail. for adoption, rescue OR EUTHANIZATION 12/15!! NOTE: CCAC CANNOT ADOPT ONLINE OR OVER THE PHONE. ADOPTIONS MUST BE DONE IN PERSON. This pet is eligible for a gift of the first month of ShelterCare pet insurance paid for by Petfinder.com. For more information on pet insurance please visit us online at http://www.sheltercare.com or call 1-866-375-PETS. E-mail this pet to a friend! Newnan-Coweta Humane Society Newnan, GA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Pet Inquiry: IC-4 (Id 05120510 Coweta AC)
Re: OT:CROSS POST..Newnan, GA.-Newnan-Coweta Humane Soc - BLIND KITTEN...
I'm thinking about it. As understanding as my husband is, and believe me, he's understanding, when I told him her story today, he looked at me with exasperation and asked me to please try and realize I can't change the way the world is. His advice was to focus on the joys instead of the sorrows. Not bad advice, but this baby is haunting me. Why, do you have more information about her? N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You thinking of taking her Nina?
Re: OT:CROSS POST..Newnan, GA.-Newnan-Coweta Humane Soc - BLIND KITTEN...
So sad. There are times I don't know how I'll survive the grief of all the little angels that never get a chance. I was wondering about the cataracts too... I've never had a blind, or deaf cat in my home. But then again, there was a time I never had a kitty with felv too. Have you tried to contact the person that sent out the cross post about the little blind girl? I didn't want to get their hopes up, but I can't stop thinking about her. Do you think you might be able to take her in? N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I tired to get the white injured cat...the injured pit pup and was too late...
Re: Cotton
I don't know Sandy, I don't have any experience with treating lymphoma. Michelle is our resident expert on that, (unfortunately for Michelle). I do know that I've stopped listening so gravely to the prognosis' of vets. Miracles happen every single day and since this is a suspicion and has not been determined, I would fight hard against the urge to give up hope that Cotton is here for a good long while. Didn't you say that he was acting like the feisty little kitten he is? What did this vet suggest as your next move? Is it possible that new xrays/diagnostics might show something different now that he seems in so much better health? What did his blood work indicate? Keep your chin up, we're all pulling for you and Cotton. Nina Dudes wrote: Hi Everyone; I got a second opinion on Cotton's xray of his 2 view abdomen which we got when he was sick almost a month ago. Thevet said thatCotton's liver and kidneys are enlarged, which makes her very suspicious of lymphoma. She said that if this is the case in both his kidneys and liver at such a young age, his prognosis ispoor. Any thoughts? Sandy
Re: FYI: Blind Kitten at Coweta/Newnan Shelter-here is the latest I have
Tonya, OMG this is fabulous news! All the arguments you made in your previous post have been running through my mind and I had started to come to the sad conclusion, that not only would it be difficult for my own household, it would not be the best situation for this little girl either. It looks like my numbers are going up again. I just took in a young one that showed up at my dishes and now there's a new Tom in my habitat as well! I'm so glad someone is stepping in to be her hero! The knot in the pit of my stomach is starting to ease. I hate calling her "the little blind girl", does she have a name yet? I can't wait to hear she's out of there and with someone who wants and knows how to care for her! Special little precious girl, look how many hearts she stolen! Nina catatonya wrote: cpqcpq6 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: "cpqcpq6" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 23:45:12 - Subject: [kittycityrescue] FYI: Blind Kitten at Coweta/Newnan Shelter I called the shelter today and spoke with both the animal control sargent, and the humane society representative. The kitten is being quarrantined per regulation because she bit someone. It's ridiculous, yes we, and they, know that. But that's the rule. They will keep her in isolation for 10 days to make sure she doesn't have rabies. Whenever an animal is turned in for biting (and no rabies tag), that's what happens. I told them I would come and get her on the day she is released. That's this coming Thursday, Dec. 15. If anyone else was thinking of taking her, please let me know because on the one hand, I have many, many animals, and it is always better (especially for a special needs animal) to have fewer in the household. But on the other hand, I have had a blind cat, so I know how to care for her. I thought I would post this to see if anyone had an intention of trying to adopt this kitten, and also to let you know that she WILL have a home come Thursday--one way or the other.
Re: Blind Kitten at Coweta/Newnan Shelter-here is the latest I have
Hooray! I love this list!!! Thanks Gary for sharing Grace's story, (big intake of breath on learning your baby's name). She sounds as wonderful as her furless parents! Thanks for the uplift! N gary wrote: I'm glad to see that someone is taking this kitten. I have a blind kitten (now 6 months old) that I took in to foster and she is wonderful, fostering is over, we would never give her up. She and her sister (not blind) chase each other around the whole house and she plays with toys just like any other cat and knows where the litter boxes anand where the food is. She jumps up on the furniture and the bed and jumps down with no problem, the jumping down took a while to learn. I recently took in 2 feral kittens to socialize and they are in a large crate that sits on a card table in my living room. Grace, the blind kitty, wants to play with them and the crate is close enough to the couch so she can get up to the crate. Lately she has taken to climbing up on top of the crate and laying there and she jumps down to the rug with no problem, the top of the crate is 5 feet off the floor. I'd say there isn't much see can't do except see. Gary
Re: ADMIN: Digest format change
Hi James! You're such a wonderful caretaker. Just wanted to post a little note of appreciation, (as always), for the way you moderate this marvelous group. We couldn't interact the way we do with out your support and indulgence. I love thinking of you behind the scenes quietly watching and reading. It makes me feel like I've got an extra guardian angel watching over us all! Much love to you, Nina James G. Wilson wrote: Hello everyone, I've received a few complaints about too many digests being sent out per day. So, I've reset the size of each digest to 100Kb from 30Kb. Hopefully, that'll solve the problem. I invite anyone who has questions/comments about this list and/or our project to email me privately at: phaedrus at charter.net I'm here to assist. Take care, and best wishes to all. James G. Wilson - [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.felineleukemia.org
Re: Cotton
Sandy, You have me in tears reading this. Life's choices are so hard sometimes. No one would judge you for doing what you think necessary in your own circumstances. We know you love Cotton and that you want to save him. Sadly sometimes having all the money and resources available is not enough to save them anyway. All you can do, is all you can do. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. Love can be so bittersweet, as with everything else, if there were no costs, no pain, how would the highs and joys be recognized or appreciated? Give Cotton and your son a hug and kiss from me. Enjoy Cotton every minute, don't forget, he may just surprise them all! Nina Dudes wrote: Michelle, please don't say it's ridiculous, because I already feel guilty enough for trying to please everyone. I may not have a choice, and I just have to do the best I can for Cotton with my resources and my situation. My husband Eric makes 3x the money I do, and has the final say in things like this, especially if it is a significant amount. It's just how we do things. He enjoys my cats', but notice I say they are my cats.He does not enjoy the bond or closeness I feel with them. I would do anything to save them, but he does not feel the same way I do about Cotton's treatment. There are many people in my life who feel the same as Eric, and don't feel like I am doing the right thing, they think I am throwing money away for trying to buy him quality time. I feel like I am not. And I think it is a good lesson to my son thatlife is to be respected and is worth saving.Unfortunately he's learning this in a very intimate way this time, because Cotton is his love.I intend to see it through to the end. I feel likeI have taught him this by the squirrel livessaved in my work in wildlife rehabilitation, which wasalso expensive. Zoonotic formulas are very expensive. So I am fighting an uphill battle with Cotton on many levels. I have to justify and fight for every step. So I will do whatI can as soon as I can. I couldn't bear it if any of you thought that I was being lax or casual about Cotton's treatment.I wouldn't be here if that was the case.My heart is breaking as I write this, knowing what I know. IfI had my way, we would have done these tests weeks ago. Sandy
Re: URI
Someone else on the list swore by a product called "Little Noses" decongestant nose drops for human infants and children. It warns on the label to not use it with any other decongestants and that there might be side effects of increased nasal discharge, sneezing, and the ones that bother me the most, burning and stinging. You could ask your vet about it. I don't think I'd spray it into the nose, if the congestion was bad enough to warrant trying it, I'd probably use a qtip to lightly apply, maybe even followed by some vasiline to prevent burning. Nina Marissa wrote: thanks everyone. I will try the lysine and keep in mind the Triaminic and Immmuno for if things get worse (hopefully they won't) Marissa On 12/11/05, Sherry DeHaan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was giving Maizee Lysine in the powdery form,I would put it in my hand and the silly girl would lick it.That didn't work all the time and it was messy,I also mixed it with fish food,yes I said fish food,she was a silly baby.But most of the time I put a scoop of it in some tuna in the morning and at night I put some in her capsule with her prednosolone. Sherry [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I agree about L-Lysine - that stuff works well on Herpes URI. I sometimes usually use 250-500 mg twice a day, and I generally don't worry about overdosing. It's so easy - you can mix it with food, or syringe it with fluid, or use the paste. Great stuff. Gloria At 06:50 PM 12/11/2005, you wrote: I like L-Lysine. You can administer it by mixing it in food. It comes in capsules which you can open and mix. I would say 500 mg. of L-Lysine once a day. I had bought some in free form and it was more granular than powder which they don't like so be careful if you find in free form that it is powdery. Good luck -- PAT Marissa wrote: Hi everyone, Well Jake has fully regained his appetite, and the diarrhea is getting better. Still not totally solid but its getting there. The vet game me i/d food and it seems to be helping, and I also got him benebac and Diarsanyl, thanks to the suggestions of this group. He still has been coughing and sneezing so I want to try to address that as well. People mentioned Lysine to me, but I was wondering how you administer it, and how much to give. I have seen it in drug stores in pill form -- do you crush it or does it come in powder as well? How much do you give and for what duration? Any other suggestions for URIs? He is doing great otherwise -- playful troublemaker and cute as can be! Thanks so much for all of your help, I really appreciate it! (So does Jake) Marissa Yahoo! Shopping Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping Yahoo! Shopping Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping
Re: A Hallmark e-card from Sandy
Very cute! My Chuskys esp liked it! Maggie is still whining and pawing at me. N
Re: Chrissy/Prissy on the bridge list
Gloria, First my condolences on losing Chrissy this way! It's so frustrating when people think they are doing the right thing, but don't bother contacting someone who they should know would be able to give them advice. I think you may be right, this had more to do with the adopter's emotional state than poor Chrissy's state of health. Shame on that vet for not encouraging her more vigorously to treat Chrissy, and shame on her for not contacting you. I've had adopters, that I thought were good homes do some horrendous things too, (One poor kitty has been declawed, it haunts me to this day). I can only imagine how upsetting this is to you. We try to do the best we can when placing them. It seems like no matter how hard we try, there are always going to be those that say one thing and do another. This is why I'm good at rescue and rehabilitation, and lousy at adoption. It's hard to have faith when there are so many people that don't react the way we expect, or would hope them to. I feel like hitting somebody, at the same time, I still feel sorry for the woman. If she were in front of me, I'm sure I could manage to feel sorry for her and hit her at the same time. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Actually, the owner indicated that it was her choice because she herself has had kidney stones and knows how much they hurt. She was new to that vet, as she just moved (like 10 miles from her former place). From what she said, she was just adamant about it, thinking she was doing the right thing. I mentioned to her that bladder stones were different than kidney stones, but she just said she didn't want her to hurt. I think she was trying to do the right thing, without listening to others. She's just getting over her mothers death, and seems to be depressed. I think it was a bad decision for good hearted reasons. Sigh again. Gloria
Re: Chrissy/Prissy on the bridge list
I don't know, I think I might talk to her about not being ready to take on the emotional hazards that come with the responsibility of holding another life in her hands. (I don't know if I'd put it that way!). She may just go get another kitty somewhere else. It sounds like she's in such pain that she can't bear to see anything/anyone suffer. Unfortunately that comes with life. She doesn't seem to have what it takes right now to suffer through the bad stuff to get to the good stuff. I'd certainly call, or write that vet to let him know there was someone out there that would have taken responsibility for Chrissy. Maybe he'll think about it next time someone wants to have an animal pts prematurely. Was Chrissy microchipped? You could suggest that he checks for a microchip before euthanizing anyone else. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Absolutely - everything that you said - you expressed it so well. So frustrating, and hard to evaluate the adopting woman's emotional state. And I end up with such a duality of feelings. She mentioned something about wanting to consider another kitty. I'm just going to ignore her and not call her back, although I've thought about calling / writing the vet. Gloria
Re: Chrissy/Prissy on the bridge list
Maybe Chrissy has saved more than one life with the sacrifice of her own. :( N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I've been seriously thinking about getting microchips. Don't think anyone else in our rescue group is that interested, but maybe I'll bring the subject up again. Those are all good points - I may do that. The vet is maybe 15 miles away, and may not be aware of our cat rescue, so I do want to make him aware of that too, and our policies and our contract with our adopters (we always take our cats back if needed). Gloria At 05:50 PM 12/14/2005, you wrote: I don't know, I think I might talk to her about not being ready to take on the emotional hazards that come with the responsibility of holding another life in her hands. (I don't know if I'd put it that way!). She may just go get another kitty somewhere else. It sounds like she's in such pain that she can't bear to see anything/anyone suffer. Unfortunately that comes with life. She doesn't seem to have what it takes right now to suffer through the bad stuff to get to the good stuff. I'd certainly call, or write that vet to let him know there was someone out there that would have taken responsibility for Chrissy. Maybe he'll think about it next time someone wants to have an animal pts prematurely. Was Chrissy microchipped? You could suggest that he checks for a microchip before euthanizing anyone else. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Absolutely - everything that you said - you expressed it so well. So frustrating, and hard to evaluate the adopting woman's emotional state. And I end up with such a duality of feelings. She mentioned something about wanting to consider another kitty. I'm just going to ignore her and not call her back, although I've thought about calling / writing the vet. Gloria
Re: cat question
Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself. If so, there are many wonderful, knowledgeable people on this list who will support you no matter where that decision takes you. I'm also praying that someone, if not you, will hear this little girl's story, take her in and give her the kind of life every kitty deserves. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet
Re: Buddha's 14 success story and a Question about Upper Respiratory infectio...
Hello Chandra, As I was reading your post about Buddha's behavior, (responding to your husband better), I was thinking that he may be preparing himself for the transition, then when you said how uncharacteristic it is of him, and how his personality seems to have changed... My Grace did the same thing and even after I figured out that she was disconnecting from this plane and spending more time out of her body, it still hurt so much to not be able to cuddle and comfort her. She just didn't want it. I respected her wishes and she rewarded me with one final loving connection when we were in the vet's office waiting to help her cross over. It may just be that Buddha is in a great deal of discomfort, but it might also be that he feels your energy desperate for him to stay and he just isn't able to handle it. I so feel for you, you've been such a good mom and I'm certain that Buddha loves you very much. It's so hard to let go, whenever the time comes, our time together is never long enough. I so very much hope I'm wrong and I'm praying for a long and happy remission. Much love to you, Nina
[Fwd: Re: FYI: Blind Kitten at Coweta/Newnan Shelter-here is the latest I have]
Here's the latest update about the little blind girl that was on death row. Prayers for her adjustment, she sure did touch my heart. N ---BeginMessage--- Hi Nina,Just to let you know how the blind kitten story ended:We were able to get her out of the shelter, and a Katrina rescue worker transported her to a woman who has a blind cat rescue AND works for a shelter. This woman is very devoted, and already has an appointment set up with a specialist. She plans to keep the kitten herself, so she is now in her forever home. That home is a 24 acre farm shared byother blind cats, seeing cats, dogs, chickens, and horses. The blind catsget everything they need and want, and live completely normal lives.So it seems that the best outcome has occurred for all!-Cathy__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ---End Message---
Re: Jen-- how is Ewok doing?--Another tumor
Aw Jen, I just caught up on the posts between you and Michelle about Ewok. I feel like there's a tumor in my belly :( . I'm so sorry. My thoughts, concerns and prayers are with you guys. I wish there were something else I could say or do. I hate this damn disease. I'm sending you all my love to comfort you. My arms are wrapped around you both, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Damn! I should have checked my email before I left...thanks for that, Michelle...I'm going to keep that one in mind! Ewok and I just got back from the oncologist's and it's as we all pretty much expected: a mass in his intestines (a lymph node I believe, but I'm so tired I can't think straight right now...). So he was actually given a round of elspar to see if the tumor responds...I guess we'll know in the next 24-48 hours. Please continue to send out those healing vibes!
Re: Buddha
Chandra, Please don't ever hesitate to post about Buddha. We've all been following your story and are sending prayers and good wishes to him. We want to know how you guys are doing. Such a wonderful post too! What a nice warm feeling thinking about your sweet Buddha sleeping on your chest. And I sighed with relief to hear how well he's eating and drinking! Very good indeed. Wonderful too, that he doesn't have to go in for fluids. If/when he does, please consider giving them yourself, so much less stressful at home! You can do it, everyone is concerned about it the first time, it gets easier. Thanks for the good, good news. Prayers and continued good thoughts coming to you, Buddha and Julian! Nina chandra simms wrote: I was a little hesitant to post anything this morning. I am a bit afraid that you might all be getting irritated by me posting so many LONG emails about Buddha everyday, but I am just so happy and really wanted to share a our good news, since I am POSITIVE we wouldn't have this good news without all of the happy thoughts, positive energy and healing prayers that have come from this group.
Re: Hideyo's court case 19th
Me too Hideyo! I woke up thinking about you and haven't been able to get you off my mind. We're all with you, praying for strength and articulation for you and insight, compassion and reason for the court. You've done your homework, you're ready, speak for all of us tomorrow. Meditate and pray tonight, take a deep breath and do your best to get a good night's rest. We love you, Nina Kerry MacKenzie wrote: Dear Hideyo Just want to wish you all possible good luck tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you and sending zillions of positive vibes your way. love and hugs, Kerry
Re: Jen-- how is Ewok doing?
Oh Jen, I'm so thrilled that Michelle and Simon were able to help you and Ewok! It's true that everything we do ripples out, we usually don't get to see it as clearly as you and Michelle have. Such a nice Christmas present, to be thinking of you and little Ewok enjoying your vacation together! Thanks for letting us know how you guys are doing. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: LOL! He does have the personality of an orange tabby, doesn't he! :) I've got two orange (girl!) cats who are just little firecrackers! Ewok is a black-and-white guy, very handsome, if I do say so myself... ;) I had a kind of epiphany the other day when I had taken your info to my regular vet...she thanked me for the info and told me that she's learned alot through me (I, of course, had to defer to this list and the wonderful, collective knowledge here!)...Anyhoo, it occurred to me later that perhaps future cats (and dogs) may be helped because of Ewok's situation and, in a way, he'll go on (even in memory) as a result much like Simon has very much lived on through his experience and the way it's helped others like Ewok! I don't know if that makes any sense...but I just sensed a real beauty in the way our cats' lives are interconnected even though they're miles apart! And I didn't realize how difficult dex can be to obtain on good faith! That info makes me all the more grateful for my vet! I'll have to be sure to thank her, again, for all she's done for me and my boy...speaking of the devil, :) Ewok just emerged from his jaunt around the house...he wants to know everything about everything and it kinda brings a tear to my eye that we've got this time together thanks to you and Simon! I will definitely bring up CCNU (sp?) the next time I talk to my oncologist...but, for now, I'm just taking it one day at a time! :)
Petition for adoption of armed forces animals
http://go.care2.com/e/iFF/E3/KyFd Again, so very off topic... I just signed this email petition to encourage our president to start treating the animals that serve in the armed forces with the dignity and respect they are due. It sickens me that these wonderful soldiers are treated as property and so often are discarded at the end of their tours of duty. I thought I'd pass it along for any of you that would be interested in having your voice heard on the subject. Nina
Re: FIV and calico
Calico's are notoriously feisty, strong willed and for lack of a better euphemism, leader-oriented. I'd never heard that they were more likely to get FIV, but the personality aspect sure makes sense, (same thing with the orange boys). Very interesting. MC, what's the name of the Calico group you talk about? Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Both female cats that I have had with FIV (still have Buddy) were and are calico Michelle
Re: Bandy's latest blood work
Hooray for Bandy and you! You're such a good Mom! How's Lil Rascal doing? Thank you for posting what is working with Bandy, I'm sure all your positive energy and determination are a big factor too. Nina MacKenzie, Kerry N. wrote: Message Wonderful wonderful news about Bandy, Kerry! You and Bandy are miracle workers! Yes, keep us posted when you have time. hugs to you both, Kerry M. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Kerry Roach Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 9:39 PM To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Bandy's latest blood work Hi everyone, Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and your kitties are doing good. Bandy's last blood work was in Oct..PCV 27 and weight 7.1#..so week before Christmas it was 32 and weight was 8.2#...His vet couldn't believe it...and I was a little nervous about having this done...I do go by his nose, too...and it is still very pink...When his PCV got down to 20, his nose was almost white...so I keep check on the pads, nose and ears.. I sprinkle on all his meals...some of an 800 mcg. pill of folic acid...I buy the Solaray brand at the health food store...I am giving him Co Q 10 once daily..He gets some pet tince supplement mixed with his interferon daily...and on occasion I give him an extra 1cc dose of it...I do give him bovine colostrum on all food, too..I also have some other immune stimulants that I got from onlynaturalpet.com.. all 3 of the mushrooms are in it along with green tea and Vit. E..I add omega 3, 6 and ! 9 fatty acids in salmon oil to 1 meal a day..Some other supplements I sorta rotate cause I can't give him all of it at once...I just try to make sure he eats well and so far he still is...He like dry food though and that makes it hard sometimes to get all his supplements in him...I just let him eat though.. If I hadn't had all these tests run and a bone marrow biopsy, I wouldn't believe any of it to be true...I still don't understand all the retic counts and all that...but they told me the anemia would be his worst enemy.. Anyway, if I think of anything else, I will post that as well.. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your kitties... Happy New Year! Kerry and Bandy
Re: Ewok update!
Thanks for the update Jen. Prayers and good energy for Ewok to continue doing so well! I'm praying that the steroids and your love shrink that tumor and he becomes an even bigger xmas miracle boy. Much love, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi All! Hope everybody's holiday was a good one! Santa apparently heard my wish...Ewok did so well while we were at my Mom's house! I don't know what I would have done without that dex shot...I can't remember when I posted last, but I gave him the extra cytoxen I had last weekend along with the dex shot...I couldn't believe how quickly it kicked in! He went from vomiting to scarfing down food (and keeping it down) and near full play mode within 45 minutes! He remained this way all week and now we are back home in Houston. We had an oncologist's appointment this morning...there is still something going on in his belly, so the doctor has switched to a drug called Ceenu (Michelle, I'm guessing that this is the same as CCNU?). Hopefully, the tumor in his belly will respond... I absolutely loved having my sweet boy home with me for X-mas...his curiosity knows no bounds! :) Although a few moments were bittersweet, ironically, when he was at his best and being super- sweet...as I smiled I couldn't help but think how badly I will miss this little boy when he's gone...I try to keep those thoughts short and remind myself how special all of the good moments are! Thanks, everyone, for all of your thoughts and prayers! I'll try to keep ya'll updated as we go along! Jen Ewok
Re: Add Pansy to the bridge list
Oh Gloria, I'm so sorry, for Pansy and esp for you. I know how hard it is to send any of them off for surgery. I always worry and this is why. From the instances of this happening, it doesn't seem to matter how old they are. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for this sort of thing. Can you ask what kind of anesthesia was used? When I brought my Ursula in to be spayed the vet suggested giving her fluid during surgery. I hadn't heard of doing that before, I have no idea if that helps. Aw, this just sucks. I know how much you love your little charges and that you always do whatever you can to protect them. There was no way for you to know this was going to happen, and like me, I know that you feel strongly about no one moving on to forever homes intact. Try not to be too hard on yourself, (it's so very hard to not second guess our decisions after the fact), this wasn't your fault. Much love to you, Nina Gloria Lane wrote: Would you add Pansy to the Bridge list? I took her to the vet this morning to be spayed. When I called this afternoon, he said that she died after the surgery!! I was shocked. I got her in early December. She was not FELV, was a pretty little 6 mo old silver Persian, really sweet, playful, really pretty. I certainly didn't expect it, and will miss her. Gloria
Re: Happy New Year to All
Hello Dawn, Your sweet Charlie is adorable. His picture makes me want to stick my face in his fur and snuggle him! I can only imagine what you are going through. I'm sure you're devastated by his diagnosis. It's so hard, so many of us have been where you are. I don't have experience with lymphoma, so I can't help with specifics of treatment. Michelle Lerner has unfortunately dealt with cancer with many of her animals and has helped give support and great advice with what you two are facing. Why don't you do a search on the archives to benefit from the group's help while you wait for the group to respond to you and Charlie? I know there is a lymphoma group out there, (it's been mentioned on our list), that may be able to help also. I'm sending you, Charlie, and the rest of your family prayers and healing energy to help give you strength through this very difficult time. We do understand. Like you, my fur-companions are my babies, my friends and my soul mates. Give Charlie a kiss and head butt from me, be brave, love him and cherish him, (as I'm sure you do all your babies). Do your best to shake off any premature grieving and BE with him, right now, happy in the moment. After all, the loving moment of right now, is what truly matters. Never forget, miracles do happen, where there is life, there is hope. Much love to you, Nina
Re: Happy New Year to All
Oh Belinda that's such encouraging news about Stacy's Samba! That little Charlie has really touched my heart, (not to mention his mom). Thank you so much for posting the detailed info about the lymphoma group. Please everyone, pray for Charlie's good health! Nina Belinda Sauro wrote: Hi Dawn Charlie, You can find the lymphoma group here, I am a member have been since my Buddie was diagnosed with liver cancer in July of 2003, I lost her in July 2004. She had a good year and the group was a lifeline at the time. I'm still a member and their Feline Lymphoma Caregivers Guide website, is full of tons of information about many different types of feline cancers and has actual case studies of cats of members. There is info on oncologists, internal specialists, links to help for people who may need financial assistence. Information about different chemo protocols, holistic approaches and treatment options, just lots of stuff. You can find the group here (it's a Yahoo group): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/feline_lymphoma/ And the Feline Lymphoma Caregivers Guide website here: http://felinelymphomacaregivers.org/ By the way, I'm south of you in Sumner :) Prayers for Charlie to achieve a full remission. PS. If you join the group, there is a girl named Stacy whose Samba is currently in remission and he is also FeLV positive, he was diagnosed I believe right after my Buddie so he is doing well. Stacy is in Kansas.
Re: FIV and calico
Any black, Gloria? N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well, it seems to be a question that there is not currently an known correct answer to, but folks are providing their own experience with colors and FIV. I have 5 FIV cats - 3 males, 2 females, no calico, no orange. Gloria
Re: FIV and calico
No, they were saying that in their experience, the majority of the female FIV cats had been calicos. I don't remember seeing the start of this thread either, but it was either Patti, or MC that made the observation about a shelter/sanctuary situation. It was only an observation. Seems to me someone posted a paste from an authoritative source asking if there was any known correlation between fur color, (ie calico/orange gene) and FIV occurrence. From what I remember about that post, (I wish I could find it!), the fellow found the question interesting, but couldn't corroborate any studies involving color. He went on to talk about assertiveness associations and we all grabbed the ball and started talking about how calicos, (who are usually female and feisty), would logically be more likely to become infected because they're more likely to not back away from a fight. Did that help, or are you still confused? :) Nina catatonya wrote: I am SOOO confused! lol. I don't remember who started this topic, but were they saying the majority of ALL fiv cats are calicos or the majority of female positives only?? Because I do know there are many more male fiv positives than females. So it wouldn't make sense if most fiv's are calicos because most are males and male calicos are rare. Does that make sense? Someone straighten me out!!! My fiv was black by the way t
Re: anemia
Bonnie, I'm so sorry to hear Fu is not doing well. I've fallen for your sweet Fu through your posts about him and I'm praying that he once again makes a miraculous come back. If I were you, given how serious his condition is, I am worried about him making it a few more days , I might try the Epogen, maybe even IR. It's always such a heart wrenching decision making process when they're so fragile. I know you'll make the right choices, whatever you decide. Follow your instincts, you've done such a phenomenal job in caring for darling Fu, he knows how much you love him and that you do everything possible to help him stay healthy. Please keep posting about how he's doing, if you're able. Much love to you and Fu, Nina BONNIE J KALMBACH wrote: I'm wondering what to do about my fragile 19 year-old Fu. He is so anemic he can barely walk. He is not felv positive. The vet said his red cell blood count is affected by the pred we give him to keep his intestinal cancer in remission and the fluids he need for hyperthyroid related/probably kidney disease. The vet worried about reactions or consequences of epogen or petinnic. I have given him some chicken liver. I am worried about him making it a few more daays. Bonnie
Re: anemia
Well that seems strange. How is it that the members of this list have had good results and they have almost always had bad reactions? Could it be something about differing protocols, or applications? Maybe your vet is using more than others that have had success? Or the circumstances are different somehow? Where the hell is that crystal ball when you need it? Nina BONNIE J KALMBACH wrote: Nina, That was such a sweet post. I talked to another vet at the clinic; she is going to call a specialist at the vet school about Epogen. She said at the clinic where she used to work, there were almost always bad reactions to Epogen, which is why they are so cautious about it. Bonnie
Re: Cats in sinks
Thanks for the comic relief Bonnie. As I was paging through picture after picture, they not only made me laugh, but it warmed my heart to think of all the good homes out there with guardians that not only thought it was cute enough to take a picture of their cat in the sink, but wanted to share it with the rest of us. N BONNIE J KALMBACH wrote: http://catsinsinks.com/
Re: Need your help with Stretch
Wendy, I'm sorry to hear about Stretch losing weight and her breathing difficulties. Did your vet take any xrays? Did I understand you to say he thinks it's either fluid on her chest, OR an enlarged lymph node? I'm no vet, but they seem like two very different things to me. I guess the dex shot was to help with possible inflammation and he threw Baytril at it in case an antibiotic might help. I don't mean to disparage your vet, and maybe he's working this way for financial reasons, but he's not much of a diagnostician from what you describe. How can you treat her condition, when you don't know what it is? I think Michelle is right, you should ask for a referral to an internist and find out what's going on. I certainly pray it's not FIP, I have no personal experience with FIP, but from what I have heard, it scares the hell out of me. If her breathing doesn't improve dramatically, and very soon, you might need to get her to a vet that can drain the fluid, (if that's what it is) asap. I would be afraid of alarming you with all this, but I'm sure you're already very alarmed. I'm praying that Stretch responds to the steroid shot and/or the antibiotics and has a complete turn around. You and your family are in my thoughts, Nina wendy wrote: Hi guys, I don't know if you remember me saying that my nephew, who turned 11 in Nov., came to live with us in May, and we took in his three kitties that his mom just left at their house when they moved out. Well, one of his kitties, Stretch, started breathing funny yesterday evening. You could put your ear to her stomach and hear almost like a loud heartbeat off and on; like something squishy moving around in her stomach. We also noticed that Stretch has lost some weight and hasn't been standing so strong as we are used to seeing her. She's not big, but has always seemed kind of muscular. I guess these kinds of changes that are slow and gradual you don't notice right away, and we finally put it all together yesterday on the way to the vet. Luckily, the vet was still there and said that either Stretch has fluid in her chest or some other part of her body, or the lymph node in her stomach (?) has enlarged and is putting pressure on her heart/lungs. (I might not be remembering all this exactly). He said she might have pneumonia or it could be symptoms of FIP or FeLV. I don't think it's FeLV as I have never heard anyone talk about these symptoms, but I read up on FIP in my cat books last night and one of the symptoms is fluid in the body. The vet gave her a dex shot and put her on Baytril and said to wait and see if she responds to the medicine in a couple of days. He also said we will want to test her in a couple of days for FIP/FeLV. Stretch and her sister, Winnie, were found by my sister at Trader's Village in Dallas on a trash can lid at like 3/4 weeks, maybe younger, and my sister bottle fed them until they were old enough to eat. (That's why it was so hard for me to believe that she just left them in the house; she has always loved animals). So considering where and how they were found, it's possible they could have been exposed or born with FIP or FeLV. My questions are these: 1) Has anyone here ever heard of these symptoms? 2) Does anyone have any advice for us? Thanks guys. My nephew and I really appreciate your time and suggestions. :) Wendy __ Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com
Re: Need your help with Stretch
I wrote my reply to you before I got this one. I understand all to well the hardship of money concerns and vet care. I hate it when money is a factor, but sometimes it is. Having the fluid drained, (if that's what's going on), will make Stretch more comfortable and it's possible that it won't accumulate again. I'm very sorry sweetie. I know what you mean about not thinking you can take any more pain. You've got such a big heart, you can handle this, I'm just sorry you have to. Keep a close eye on Stretch, do the best you can for him under the circumstances. Remember, sometimes even with all the money in the world, we can't help them recover. Sometimes the best thing for all concerned is to love them, cherish the moments we have and help them transition before they suffer too much. Praying for a miracle too, Nina wendy wrote: Hi Michelle, Thank you for the info. I am going to give another day or two to see how things go before taking Stretch back to the doc. Frankly, we are tapped out on money. We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, and after spending hundreds of dollars trying to save Cricket, and with Christmas just passed, we are a bit broke. I had to put the $85 visit to the vet yesterday on a credit card that didn't have $85 dollars on it. I will do all I can for Stretch, but if it's cancer, I am not going to draw it out. We just can't afford the treatments. I feel so frustrated right now. I don't want Stretch to go through this. I don't want my nephew to go through losing his cat; he's been through so much as it is. And my attitude isn't it's normal hopeful self after losing Cricket. I feel it's too soon after Cricket; I don't think I can go through this again. I am praying for a miracle right now. If Stretch can just pull through this, and give us a little time, we will be better able to afford treatments in six months. I hope that some of you understand being in this place. How do you guys afford expensive treatments when you just don't have the money? Thanks, Wendy __ Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less. dsl.yahoo.com
Re: Bailey is anemic
I don't have suggestions to add, I just wanted you to know that I'm sending healing energy for Bailey's recovery and calming strength to see you through. Blessings to you both, Nina Belinda Sauro wrote: Hi All, Bailey will be getting epogen tomorrow if it comes in, I ordered it from Fred Meyer and it should be here tomorrow. He will get 400 units 3x's a week and then check his count again. He is eating a bit more today though still not enough and really hating the meds. He is so sensitive, I'm really worried about giving him the meds but he has to have them. I know this is part of the reason he won't eat, he is pouting because I keep putting stuff into him. He has very few immature cells and my vet say's his bone marrow is trying to makes cells but it is just not enough. I asked if the epogen would hurt him if he is still regenerating cells, she said no and she thinks any cat as anemic as he is could benefit from epogen. So positive thoughts this will pull him out of it really, really appreciated :)
Re: Buddha, Chandra and Julian
I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot! I know you know I meant that helping Buddha cross WAS the most loving thing you could do for him. N Nina wrote: Chandra and Julian, I'm so, so sorry to hear about Buddha passing. The week of him being back to his old self was such a wonderful gift for all of you! I know that you cherished every minute of it. My sweet little Molly, the second of my felv litter to pass also had a tumor behind her eye that caused it to bulge. She wasn't with me, she had been adopted out before we knew of her status. The family she went to had been struggling so hard to help her get well and were on their way to the vet's when her eye burst from the pressure of the tumor. I only tell you this so you won't ever feel that your decision to help Buddha cross was the most loving thing you could have done for him. Everyone on this list knows that it doesn't matter how long, or short our time together is, we are never ready to say goodbye to our sweet loved ones with fur. You three have such a strong connection, it lives on still. I have no doubt that Buddha will somehow make his presence known to you to let you know that he's once again, healthy, happy and has never left you. Keep your heart and mind open to the signs that he continues to love you and that someday you'll be together again. Don't be surprised if another needy angel shows up at your door. I'm betting Buddha is bragging about you in Heaven. Much love to you in your sorrow, Nina
Re: Have epogen for Fu - what to do next? (on death and dying)
Michelle, I think it was brave of you to put your thoughts into words and send them to Bonnie. It sometimes helps to have others comment on their own reactions to death and dying. Our western society is so intent on evading thoughts about death, let alone discussions about it. Thank you very much for sharing your experience with your elderly friend. It may give someone else the courage to discuss it with a loved one in similar circumstances. We were just talking about how special this list is, how sensitive to each other's needs and how supportive we are to each other. I think that comes from sharing the common bond of grief and our close proximity to death and disease. It certainly doesn't stop us from fighting with every fiber of our being to cheat it when we can, but it's become impossible for us to hide from death, and therefore we're more apt to face it and try to learn how to deal with it's inevitability in a more open manner. At least I know that is what has happened with me. I was just telling Kerry off-list that there are times when I feel I need a break from our loving group because each and every fur child's struggle effects me so deeply. The benefits so out weigh the pain, that I can't imagine leaving you. It's the same with our frail little angels, I would never trade knowing and loving them to spare the anguish of losing them. Much love to you all, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think, but am not positive, that it normally takes months for an adverse reaction to occur. But I would be afraid that any medicine could have an adverse reaction on Fu, given his age and condition. However, Epogen also takes a while to show any good effects, and Fu is already doing so poorly, that a part of me thinks you should just give it to him now. But maybe it is wise to wait until morning. Poor guy. But Bonnie, I hope you realize, even though it does not make this any easier to bear, that it is a miracle for Fu to live so long. He is like my friend Al, who died two years ago today a day short of his 98th birthday. I was with him on his last day, and I did not want him to go. But he was ready, and unafraid. He used to want to talk to me about death, as he felt ready and was very curious about what it would be like, and I was so freaked out at the thought of him dying that I could not talk about it and would tell him I did not think it was going to happen anytime soon. I wish now that I could have just dealt with it and talked to him about it, because he was ready and wanted to discuss it. I am not saying this because I think you ought to stop trying to make Fu better-- I am very aggressive in trying to make things better, and have always hated anyone saying that I should not try due to age or something like that (I almost punched the doctor when I took Al to the emergency room, three months before his death, and the doctor asked him if he wanted to be treated and, when Al said he did, commented that many people his age do not and are just ready to go!). I am just saying this because I think it is truly amazing that Fu has done as well as he has, that he has fought off so many conditions, and that you are incredible, absolutely incredible, for getting him this far. I used to think that seeing Percy get very old and die would be impossible to bear, having known her since I was 12. I used to be so fearful of losing her when I would see her at my parents'. But after adopting my positives and losing Josephine at 3 and Buddy at 1.5 years, I started looking at Percy with a sense of awe and gratitude that she had made it so far, and that she was going to die at the end of her life, the way things are supposed to be. I have been wanting to say something like this to you for a few days, but have had difficulty figuring out how to word it, because I do not want it to be taken as castigation in any way for your attempts to help Fu. While 19 is extremely old, I have heard of cats living into their 20's, and I think every cat should be given that chance. Michelle In a message dated 1/6/2006 10:28:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I picked up a vial of Epogen for Fu tonight. The vet explained how to give it to him over the phone and the pharmacist was also very nice and spent some time showing me how to go about it. My question is...is it possible for there to be an immediate bad reaction? If so, I'll wait until morning when I can rush him to the vet. The pharmacist said I could call her tonight for another half hour (until 10pm CST) or she'll be available all weekend. I'm a little fearful and am thinking I might wait for tomorrow morning, but my little old fellow is so weak. So now I'll go walk Jasmine, our Katrina orphan and check for replies when we get back. Bonnie
Re: Vitamin C for leukemia?
Hi Elizabeth, Congratulations on Tiggie's miraculous recovery! I'm sure you'll get responses from the others on the group, (we're slow on weekends usually), but I wanted to say hello and welcome you. Since you and Tiggie have already been through so much, and the fact that you have found TF, tells me you've been doing your homework and are probably already familiar with alot of the meds used to battle anemia. You don't state what the root cause of the anemia is, (which of course determines treatment options), and of course the word "natural" changes things too! :) I had been supplementing my felv kitties with Vita C, I use one from "Healthforce Nutritionals" called "Truly Natural". It's in powder form and doesn't have a strong taste, or smell. On the label it claims, "naturally occurring, truly natural, absorbable, non-toxic from whole food extract of acerola berry. Most of us supplement with Interferon A which you can get from your vet, L-lysine, some folks use Co-Q10, etc. A homeopathic remedy for all around body boosting is BioPlasma. You can check your health food store for that. I don't know if you are familiar with homeopathics, but you can put a tab, (don't touch it with your fingers), of BioP in a 4oz amber dropper bottle, success 5 times (smack the bottom of the bottle against your palm), and add a half of a dropper to her water dishes, or to some goats milk, (you can mix homeopathics with dairy products, but you should wait 15 minutes before feeding anything else. You can add it to a communal water dish too. Give us some more details about Tiggie's condition and how you guys came to be together! Nina elizabeth holtermann wrote: Im trying to find natural treatments for our Tiggies anemia. She was diagnosed FELV + about a month ago, was dying with an anal tumor, was started on Transfer Factor Plus and Seacure, operated on at the last minute, and has pulled through miraculously. She seems pretty much back to normal now, although we count each day as a blessing. She is still anemic, and Id really like to find something natural that might help that. Ive heard good things about Vitamin C...any ideas at all would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance, Elizabeth Yahoo! Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever.
Re: Great news about my court case
You know, Hideyo mentioned about how other caring people have had to relinquish/find homes for their animals when faced with animal control regulations about numbers. I've heard of abominable stories from other rescuers too. I remember listening in horror as one very dedicated woman told me about having to pts several cats that were sick/old that no one else would take. I don't care what I would have had to do, that would not have happened in my house! Hideyo is such an inspiration to all of us. It just goes to show you what can be accomplished, when you dig your heels in and just say NO! She may be the groundbreaking force in changing the ordinances in her town and, who knows, maybe an example for other states to follow. I don't want to jinx anything here, I know Hideyo's trials and tribulations are far from over, but isn't it just amazing what she's done so far? I don't know what I'd have done in her place, I'd probably be posting from some underground hidden location, if I were her. She instead has chosen to hold her ground and fight for herself, her furchildren, and all of us that pray for the day that animals are no longer treated as "property" and are finally given the respect and rights due to the loved ones they are. HOORAY for Hideyo!!! Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hideyo~ Such wonderful news. Hard work and perseverance certainly worked. You are blazing new trails... Hope you are giving yourself a pat on the back. I am so happy to hear the news! Hugs, Patti
Re: Great news about my court case
HOORAY for Merry too!! And of course let's not forget your part in all this. Michelle, (don't argue with me), please take a bow. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Yes, Merry, Hideyo's attorney, called me yesterday to tell me what her hopes are for the case (I had referred Hideyo to her) and said she was so glad that I referred Hideyo to her because she had seen several people harrassed by animal control in Albuquerque into giving up their cats and she could not get those people to fight back because they were so intimidated by the criminal charges, etc. She was so glad to meet Hideyo and see someone willing to stand up to animal control, and to be able to help her get rid of the bad ordinance (still not final, but she seems very hopeful). She is so impressed by how feisty, energetic, and smart Hideyo is, and so happy to be working with her. Michelle In a message dated 1/7/2006 2:20:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: You know, Hideyo mentioned about how other caring people have had to relinquish/find homes for their animals when faced with animal control regulations about numbers. I've heard of abominable stories from other rescuers too. I remember listening in horror as one very dedicated woman told me about having to pts several cats that were sick/old that no one else would take. I don't care what I would have had to do, that would not have happened in my house! Hideyo is such an inspiration to all of us. It just goes to show you what can be accomplished, when you dig your heels in and just say NO! She may be the groundbreaking force in changing the ordinances in her town and, who knows, maybe an example for other states to follow. I don't want to jinx anything here, I know Hideyo's trials and tribulations are far from over, but isn't it just amazing what she's done so far? I don't know what I'd have done in her place, I'd probably be posting from some underground hidden location, if I were her. She instead has chosen to hold her ground and fight for herself, her furchildren, and all of us that pray for the day that animals are no longer treated as "property" and are finally given the respect and rights due to the loved ones they are. HOORAY for Hideyo!!! Nina
Re: Great news about my court case - get yourself a lawyer
It's so true about people who have attorneys being treated differently. This is not a very significant example, but it opened my eyes to this very fact and changed the way I pursue disputes. On one of the many relocations of my youth, I actually had a job waiting for me in NY city. The company I would be working for paid for my moving expenses and I hired Mayflower to haul my stuff from CA to NJ. I had neatly marked all my boxes and when the drivers arrived they wouldn't wait for me to inspect all the boxes. I signed off, but I included a note saying that I had not inspected everything. Sure enough several of the boxes marked "tools" were missing. (Another lesson is to mark your boxes in code!). My significant other and I fought for months with the moving company, through phone calls and letters, each time they would put us off. (We were insured for loss and damage btw). Finally we spoke to an attorney about it. While we were in the attorney's office, after a 10 minute conversation mind you, he picked up the phone and that quick we were okayed a check to cover our losses! Made me want to spit! Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: No offense taken. Merry and I actually talked for a while about this very thing-- how the city attorney and the city council started acting differently once Merry announced to them she was going to take the case and put together a team of lawyers to fight it. She said the "team" was going to be her, the criminal attorney Hideyo found, and Hideyo's boyfriend, but she did not say that to the city people. She just said a "team" would be litigating it, and she said they all seemed very surprised and then started acting cooperative. I myself, in my jobs as a legal aid lawyer, have seen over and over how differently people with lawyers are treated. It is really shocking and appalling. One of my jobs right now entails going through and reading most of the hearing decisions that come out of the MA (I am telecommuting) welfare system (administrative appeal decisions) to try to get a sense of systemic problems that are occurring and to post relevant decisions on a website where legal aid lawyers can see and use them. Most of the decisions are in cases where the person did not have a lawyer. There are so many decisions that are denied appeals, where if the person had had a lawyer I know they would have won because they were completely in the right. It makes me very depressed. Michelle
Re: We said good-bye to Ewok this morning
Hello Jen, I'm so sorry that you and Ewok have lost your fight. I've been away from the computer for the last week because of back problems, but you and the other kitties on the list have never left my thoughts and prayers. Bless you and your sweet little Ewok, your love gave him a taste of what Heaven is like right here on earth. I'm so sorry, I know how much it hurts and what a terrible void he's left. Please try to think of him as having left the room, just out of eyesight, but still with you. He is you know. Except now, he feels no more pain, no more discomfort. Except now, he understands the 'whys' of it all. He's free from all our earthly strife, free to enjoy his brothers and fur Momma again. He made the right choice when he chose you for a friend and guardian. What a blessing that he and his wonderful little family found you, what a blessing that you recognized him and held him to your heart. So much love and commitment, what more could any of us wish for? I know the lessons you learned together are worth the pain, I'm just so sorry that our growth has to come at such a high, high price. Blessings and love to you and your family, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: More later as the pain is a little too fresh, right now...But I just wanted to thank you all for all of your advice and warm wishes. Ewok is now with his Mom and brothers Pips, Charlie and Chinney catching up on old times! Lots of Love, Jen
Re: CLS: Ducky
Oh Rachel, what a shock! I haven't been keeping up, but I remember you talking about bringing Lucky Ducky home and I'm so, so sorry. Please try to think of Ducky being lucky still. She found you, she found a home of her own. She found warmth and comfort and a place to feel safe enough to play. Even the way she passed was lucky in a way. If I had a choice about the way I will go, I'd certainly choose to go quickly, without the prolonged suffering that so many of us endure. Death is the crummy part of leukemia positive kittens, but it happens to seemingly healthy kittens too. I think this sort of thing is the just the crummy part of life in general. Please know that you gave her what she came here for. I hope you can take some small comfort in that. Bless your sweet little Ducky on her continued journey, and blessings and love to you in your grief. Nina Rachel wrote: Please add Ducky to the CLS. I found her last night when I arrived home from work. It seems that she passed away peacefully in her sleep while I was at work sometime yesterday. I almost mistook her for just sleeping in her bed. There was no indication of any problems. She had seemed to be doing just fine. I guess this is the crummy part of leukemia positive kittens, huh?
Re: stomatitis
Hi Belinda, I'm so far behind on the posts, but I saw this and wanted to respond. I seem to remember asking about an injectable Dox for my Grace, (you may remember that it pulled her back to me more than once). I was told there was none. I tried compounding it, but it was still so vile tasting that I went back to pilling. N Belinda Sauro wrote: Thank you Patti, guess my vet doesn't know about this, I asked if there was an injectable, I always prefer injections, MUCH easier. How about Doxy any injectable for that?
Re: Bailey Update
Belinda, I'm sorry if I missed the update on Bailey after his bone marrow test and feeding tube were put in. How is he doing? Did you find out anything more conclusive? Please let us know when you have the time and energy. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Bailey. N Belinda Sauro wrote: Hi All, Bailey is going to have a bone marrow asperate to find out what is causing his anemia on Tuesday, since he will have to be put under anesthesia for this I am going to have a feeding tube put in too. He is really starting to fight the syringe feedings. Please send prayers that he is strong enough to come through this, and that whatever is causing the anemia is something treatable. Thanks everyone ...
Re: Sweet Angel Sam/Add to CLS
Oh Del, What can anyone say at a time like this? I'm so so sorry. I guess they decided to take their last journey together. They must have known that you'd ultimately be strong enough to endure losing both of them so close together. I'm so sorry. Thank Goodness there are people like you in the world. You face so much, you do so much for so many. Bless you for being willing and able to keep your heart open, to face such sorrow and bring so much peace, joy and comfort. So many tears... Love and hugs to you, Nina Del H. Daniels wrote: My sweet boy passed awayearly this morning while I talked to him and held his hand. His last 24+ hours was bad, I didn't expect him to last as long as he did. His first clot was mid-November with back end paralysis but heregainedsome limb function. He threw another saddle clot Sunday night but rallied, then Wednesday night threw anotherand it was downhill from there. He wasnot going to survive when hecontinued to throw these clots frequentlywhile on the meds andhis heart was inconsistent. Ten minutes before he died Lightning Bug, his sister, lay in front of his crate for five minutes his head was right next to hers, like they were sharing unspoken thoughts before he moved on. He and Effie used to look at each other in admiration through the screen door, now they are finallyplaying together. It's hard losing two in a week. Del
Re: Bailey Update
Belinda, I'm sorry, I thought he had already gone through the procedure. It must be torturous to have to wait, but I do understand waiting for someone you trust. It's the same for human health care too. I'll never get used to the fact that people are made to wait for appointments when they are terminal. Sometimes the way things work just sucks. Hold on Bailey, help is on the way, Mommy is doing everything she can. My prayers are with you guys, Nina Belinda Sauro wrote: Hi Nina, His bone marrow aspirate will be this coming Tuesday, my vet is out of town until then and she is teh only one I want to do it. There are 3 other vets there but she did Buddie's tube and I want her to do Bailey's too. I don't see the other vets there unless it is an emergency and she is off.
Re: Lucy
Michelle, I just wrote you off-list about Lucy. I said alot of the same things Tonya did. As far as the broth... if you have some raw turkey, or chicken, toss it in a small sauce pan with some filtered water and boil it until you make a weak broth for her. That will be better than a canned broth with lots of salt and flavorings anyway, (more bland). It's just my opinion, but I think 10 hours of fasting is plenty of time to see if she can handle a teaspoon, or tablespoon of broth, or baby food. Going too long in between meals and eating on an empty stomach ALWAYS makes Gypsy vomit! When I would resort to Reglan with Gyps, I'd only have to give her one dose before I saw results with the next meal. She was so bad off at the time that you could actually see her stomach contracting. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ah, but that was Patches who just had surgery last week. Lucy had bladder surgery over 2 months ago. It has been anything but boring here, unfortunately. So did your ibd guy throw up repeatedly and only stop with reglan? How long would you have to give him reglan for, and could you tell why he would start vomiting all of a sudden? Michelle In a message dated 1/16/2006 9:50:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Keep us posted, but I really believe/hope it's nothing too serious if she's only throwing up right after she eats. Didn't she have pain med.s after surgery? Sometimes those take a while to get out of the system too. Is she on antibiotics? Sometimes they can cause an upset tummy as well.
Re: Here's the Poem I wrote after losing Tidge for those who wanted to see it.
Michelle, Thank you for posting your poem. It's beautiful and, of course, it made me cry. Nina
Re: Lucy
Hideyo and Michelle, I think the fluid idea is a good thought for Lucy, but I'm also thinking she's had enough stress the past couple of days. Unless she seems dehydrated, or she doesn't have a problem with receiving subq fluids, I'd leave her the heck alone. Keep feeding her tiny amounts of food, as long as you don't feel the need to fast her again, she'll put her weight back on. (It was 1 pound in 2 days, scary, but it could also have to do with fluctuations in the scale, or the times of day you weighed her). I wouldn't be as calm about this if I didn't go through the same sort of thing with Gypsy occasionally. I still panic when she relapses, (even with as little as one liquid stool, or one bout of vomiting), but I've found if I keep my head, (and I've also found that the homeopathic Phos helps), she works her way back out of it. I don't mean to sound condescending Michelle, but I'm really proud of you for keeping your cool through this, (relatively speaking :) Blessings to you both, Nina Hideyo Yamamoto wrote: Michelle, I hope she continues to get better I am thinking that if she lost 2 lb in two days its probably because she lost water in her body from vomiting may be you can give her fluid to compensate the fluid she lost?? From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 7:58 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Lucy Lucy has not been diagnosed with ibd, but it is what I suspect (and hope, alternative being lymphoma, but the soft stool issue started almost 3 months ago, which isa long time ago for lymphoma). Anyway, she held down a little cooked turkey for an hour this morning so I gave her more, that was 1/2 hour ago and so far so good, knock on wood. She thinks I am insane for giving her such small amounts. After meowing at me by her bowl and giving up, she went over and tried to manually open the cat food cabinet! She lost about a pound in two days, which scares me, but at least she is hungry, knock on wood. Thanks. Michelle
Re: OT: Dreams - using ACs
Hi Wendy, I have a couple of suggestions for when/if you speak with an AC. Not every AC can communicate with those that have crossed over. Make sure whoever you find is comfortable with that. Only give them the essentials. Don't feed them any information that they could expand on. It's actually better for them too. I can't imagine how they keep the voices of those they are communicating with separate from the their own inner thoughts as it is! I think that's why it's so difficult for people who do AC to connect with their own animals, or people psychics for that matter. First they would naturally be more emotional about their own loved ones, and second they know so much about them, it's hard to validate the information as coming from a different source. If while you're talking to them, nothing is coming through that convinces you they are actually communicating with Cricket, ask them to tell you something specific that only you and Cricket would know. They won't be insulted if you ask for specific validation, not if they're legit. Let me tell you a little story about what happened with a recent reading for my dog Vladimir... A couple of weeks ago, I was in another room when I heard my dog Vladimir scream out in pain. I went rushing to him and he was in obvious distress. Every time he turned his head, even slightly, he'd scream again. Nothing seemed to be broken, and he didn't scream when I touched him, but he was in trouble. I knew if I rushed him to the ER, they would poke, prod, manipulate his tender neck, take xrays and probably send me home with a huge bill telling me to watch him closely. There's nothing that anyone can do for soft tissue damage and I didn't want to put Vlad through a painful and stressful exam, if I could help it. I called the AC I use and happily she had time to do a reading. I didn't tell her anything except that Vladimir was in pain. No specifics about what happened, no specifics about what I thought might be going on. I did that on purpose. I knew that I wouldn't feel comfortable accepting her assessment of the situation if I wasn't sure she was actually connecting with him. As far as she was concerned the "pain" could have been a belly ache, or a leg, or whatever. I was delighted when she honed right in on his neck! She told me that she didn't see/feel any bone damage, maybe a small chip. She thought it was a stretched, or torn ligament, or muscle. She even told me how she thought the accident happened. By the end of the conversation, she was convinced that it would get better on its own. I started Vlad on a homeopathic called Traumed, (I had already given him 1/2 of an Ascriptin for pain), kept him quiet and away from the rest of the dogs for the next couple of days and except for squeals of pain when he turned his head the wrong way he seemed to be getting better. Within 10 days he was back to his normal, active self. I'm so grateful to have spared the two of us that trip to the vet! I have more stories of personal experience that have proved the benefits of AC. I am more than convinced that this is for real. The main thing is to find someone that you can trust to be accurate and to not give away information that will cause you to question the validation of the answers. Let us know your experience if you decide to try an AC, Nina wendy wrote: Hey Kat, I really haven't considered using an AC, partly because of financial reasons, partly because if I didn't know the person, I would be extremely skeptical about their truthfulness. The baby example was a great explanation of what you were trying to say about my own guilt getting in the way of communicating or being open to a sign. There's probably a lot of truth to that. :) Wendy --- Kat [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Wendy, Have you considered talking with an animal communicator? You WILL eventually "talk" with Cricket yourself, but for now, you are still too emotionally upset/still blaming yourself/feeling guilty/etc, and that can interfere with your own communication. (Sort of like when couples try SO hard to have a baby but they can't - and when they finally decide to adopt - and there by relax about the whole thing - they get pregnant.) Getting some inital closure with an animal communicator may just be the ticket for you. Kat (Mew Jersey) On Tue, 17 Jan 2006, wendy wrote: Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 08:26:08 -0800 (PST) From: wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: OT: Dreams Hi guys, I wanted to ask everyone's opinions/thoughts on dreaming about kitties you have lost. I know it's OT, but I have a hard enough time keeping up with the posts here, so joining the OT list is not an option for me time-wise. Since Cricket has passed, I have continued to look for signs from him letting me know he's ok. The be
Re: Bailey Update
Me too Belinda, your stomach must be tied up in knots. When are his procedures being done? We're all thinking about you guys. Let us know as soon as you are able. Nina wendy wrote: Hey Belinda, I'm sending out prayers today for Bailey. I hope he sails through the procedures and whatever is done helps him. It's so frustrating to watch our kitties not eat, so the feeding tube will hopefully solve that. I'm praying for strength for you also during this tough time. :) Wendy
Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
Hello everyone, I'm so sad and I'm reaching out to you guys for comfort and ideas about what to do for my new charge, Starman. I know I've mentioned him to some of you already, (we were calling him Manix, because he has a nub of a tail). The first time I saw him was a couple of months ago, eating at the feral dishes in my front yard. He's a big 'ol intact Tom, (we weighed him at the vet's last Friday and he's 16.8 pounds!). I have a fenced in habitat along the back side of my house. I used to keep the door open and food in there for anyone that wanted it. One day, about a month ago, Star wandered in there and I simply shut the door. It was the easiest capture I've ever experienced with a feral cat. I could tell he had had some association with humans because he was so vocal, but he was definitely hostile toward me and my animals. He spent most of the first two weeks hiding under the house. I didn't feel comfortable bringing him in immediately for neutering because he had URI symptoms. I made an appointment with a very expensive vet that is incredible with handling feral cats. I had to wait for an appointment, and in the meantime, I did my best to show Star not all humans are to be feared. I took it slow and used all my love and knowledge to gain his trust. He's come such a long way! He now rubs against me and allows me to clean his eyes with cotton balls and saline solution, (his eyes are better, but they're still runny with clear rusty brown tears and the occasional yellow/green goo in the corners). His lungs still sound congested, but I haven't heard him cough, or sneeze in a few days. He's spry and active, he comes running to greet me when he hears me approaching the habitat now. The poor little angel wants so desperately to be with me all the time. He's discovered what it's like to be loved and he can't get enough attention. My bedroom window is contained within the habitat and there are climbing shelves that lead up to it. Star cries pitifully throughout the night and early morning hours, I don't think it's because he wants to escape, he never trys to bolt the gate when I open it. He just wants me to come out and keep him company. He's begun climbing the shelving and scratching at my bedroom window. The other night when I opened it to pet and comfort him, he tried to bull his way past me into the bedroom. This was with a couple of dogs and cats on the bed beneath the window at the time! It broke my heart, but I couldn't let him in. I still didn't know what was wrong with him and I can't jeopardize the rest of my cats. So far, he hasn't done as well with making friends with my other cats, (poor little man doesn't seem to ever have had a buddy, not human, not cat). He doesn't hiss, or strike at them through the fence, (my cats do plenty of hissing at him), but he's still charging the fence when he sees one of them looking in. Last Friday we were finally able to get in to see the East/West vet that's so good with ferals. Oh, I was so proud of Star! He was scared to death with the experience, poor baby peed in his carrier. But he went completely limp and while covered head to toe in a towel, allowed the vet to draw his blood! I'm telling you there were tears in my eyes at the level of trust he's gotten to! After we brought him home he was even more affectionate with me. Yesterday I got the results of his tests from the vet. He tested positive for FIV. I'm devastated. There go all my hopes of acclimating him to my household. I can't take the chance that he won't bite someone and spread his FIV and I can't release him for the same reason. I'm so sad. I don't know what to do for him. He's so lonely in the habitat, I can't keep him in there too much longer. Since he's still symptomatic, I'm not even sure I should schedule his surgery for neuter. I'm going to take pictures and get his info out in the hopes that there's someone out there willing to give him a chance at the forever home he truly deserves. I'm doing my best to remain optimistic about his future, but I'm so darn disappointed. My mother and sister have both told me that I should pts for his own good. I know there are plenty of people that believe the same thing, I'm just not one of them. I appreciate you taking the time to read Star's story. Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I get so tired facing battle after battle. Nothing's ever easy. But maybe I'm just feeling discouraged right now. Maybe things will seem brighter soon. Love to you guys, Nina
Re: Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
Thanks Michelle. I'll look up the FIV lists. It's encouraging to hear that you found someone a home that way. I'd be willing to do whatever I had to to transport him to the right home. I thought I'd try the feral cat group you posted about before too. I want to get pictures of him before I start looking. He's really a handsome fellow. Long haired brown tabby with white on his chest and belly, and oh those jowls! When I first met him I thought his markings made him look like he was scowling. When he started to trust me, I realized that it wasn't his markings at all. He actually had been scowling at me! Now he's got the sweetest kitten _expression_ on his face when he looks at me. He just melts my heart. I did get your earlier email about segregating him in a portion of the house. We're not really set up well for that here. Since I'm always taking in fosters and/or doing TNR, I have to keep those spaces open for the ones that come passing through. I have been thinking about it though. It's really hard for me to imagine someone being happy with that sort of long term confinement. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Nina, you should definitely post on the 2 yahoo FIV lists. I found a home for Charlie, from the shelter, that way (though we had to drive him to VA from MA!) Michelle
Re: Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
I'm in Oxnard CA. It's north of Los Angeles and south of Santa Barbara. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Nina, where are you and starman located at? Karen see our available orphans at: http://members.petfinder.org/~TX418/index.html Karen 817-453-4888
Re: Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
Kat, Thanks for the suggestions regarding Starman. I do have some CS somewhere in the house, I'll have to look for it. I got it a while ago and chickened out in trying it. I'm already adding RR and BioPlasma to his water, should I put all three in there, or just the CS? When I met Star I judged him to be about 4 or 5 years old. The vet thought he might be more like 2. I was a bit skeptical, and she said, it's been a very hard 2 years for him. The kittenish look on his face now, sure does make him seem younger! What a great idea about the vanilla! Thanks for the tip. I bet that would help for return home trips from the vet. You know, when the best of friends hiss at each other because they smell like the vet's office. I can't keep the bedroom closed off, it's the personal territory of Timmy, the last of the kittens from my felv litter. I did just have a talk with Tim and asked him if he'd be so kind as to vacate the bedroom for a few minutes so Starman could come in for a little while. He jumped off the bed and, even though he didn't seem esp happy about it, he complied. I opened the window and Star came in the bedroom for the very first time. He checked the joint out, sniff, sniff, sniffing everything. There are some powerful doggy/kitty smells in there! He wandered over to our GSD, Zevon's bed and threw himself down, rubbing and rolling in ecstasy. You'd have thought someone had sprinkled catnip all over the bed! So cute! He hopped on the bed when I asked him to and spent about 5 minutes watching himself and me cuddle in the mirror. Such a fella! After about 10 minutes I asked if he were ready to go back outside and he hopped back out. As far as talking to my guys... I do it all the time. They get pretty fed up with me always bringing in someone in need, but they love me, so they indulge me. I have started telling Star that he needs to change his attitude toward my cats. He had a pretty good conversation with my littlest guy Pistol Pete through the fencing of the habitat. I also asked him if it would be okay to let one of my smaller dogs into the habitat with him. He seemed okay with the idea, so I let Zelda (JR Terrier x), in to investigate. Star watched with very little interest from one of the higher shelves. All this has me feeling a little more optimistic. I'm still going to look for a more appropriate forever home for him. Try as I might, my numbers keep on climbing! I'm so glad to have you guys to turn to when I get discouraged, Nina Kat wrote: Nina, Get some Collidal Silver to put in his water to help him get over his URI. I usually use 20 ppm strength, and just add a dropperful to the water dish each time I change the water. Once he is not sounding so congested, have him neutered. Being that he is an older Tom, it may take 6 weeks for all the hormones to get out of his body, but this should help - the others are probably reacting to his entact-ness. Can you keep your bedroom (temporarily) closed off for a week so that when you open the window to let Star in (after surgery and the 6 week waiting period), he can move around the room and get used to being inside? Then when he wants out, you can let the others in to start getting used to him being inside too. (Sort of like swapping bedding around to get everyone used to each others smells first.) Then, get some feliway spray (comfort zone plug-ins) and some cooking vanilla. Dab the cooking vanilla on EVERYONE (dogs included) both on the back of their necks and at the base of their tails - this will help everyone smell the same. The vanilla is non-toxic and can be re-applied whenever you feel like you need it again. All the while (starting now), talk to everyone and tell them what you are doing, why you are doing it, and ask them for their help and co-operation in this matter. And listen for anything that comes up - they will need to be reassured and know that they are not being left out of the process. Then, GO FOR IT!! You can do it! They will help. (And so will we, but you already knew that.) Kat (Mew Jersey)
Re: Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
Thanks Sandra for sharing the stories about your fur friends and the encouraging words for me and Star. I'm already feeling a bit better about the whole thing. Star is not felv pos, he's FIV, you know the cat HIV. You sound like our kind of people. It's always nice to meet others that share the love, concern and the necessary patience to befriend the forgotten angels in the world. Blessings and prayers for you and for Tabbs good health, Nina sandra wrote: My feline family sadly has been reduced from 6 to 4, due too OUR RED BOY rocky developing FELV back in the summer. He was our first stray to turn up on our door step, AND WAS WITH US FOR 4 YEARS, Chang was the last to be welcomed to our Villa, where upon he was only with us for 18 months, which was very sad, as he was so pleased to have found a home, and we where very upset to have him put to sleep due to kidney failure, and cat aids. on top of having taken 6 months to win him round to believing that we where his friends, it was very hard to not be in a position to treat him due to the fact that one trick of catching him with a visit to the vets and I would never get near him again for a month of Sundays. We had him neuter, and he would not let me get near him for over 4 months , Even though I did win him round again in the end. Now I also have our tabbs who tested FELV , he was someone's pet at some time and is having all the help that I can give him, even though I wonder if my Spanish vet is as on the ball as he would have be believe,But his heart is in the right place and I think he is very good, I could cry for you with regard to your stray boy, it is so sad than now he knows love that he wants you all the time, my Chang was like that, I wish you all the luck in the world in finding him a good home , or where you can find a way round keeping him happy with the time that you can give him, I do know that people have cats that are felv positive, and keep them in a separate cat house out side away from there house cats, but you are always unhappy that they can not be with you, unless you could get him a friend who felv as well ,that he may get on with once he is neutered. good luck take care Sandra [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Bad news about Starman - OT (long)
Hey gang, Thanks for all the encouragement about Starman. I have heard everything you're saying about FIV kitties before. I'm just so paranoid about subjecting any of my guys to the remotest possibility of danger. You guys know how darn protective I am. I would be hesitant to introduce any cat that didn't listen to me and was showing hostile tendencies toward my brood. They were here first and my mad house is stressful enough as it is! Of course I intend to have Starman neutered, no one leaves my house intact if I can help it! We'll see if he settles down enough for me to trust him around my other sweethearts. About 10 minutes ago I was petting Star on the shelf outside my bedroom window, (within the habitat). I guess I got to familiar, I'm not sure what set him off, but he bit me a good one. Broke the skin and it's leaving a bruise. I hissed at him to show my displeasure and then scratched my head wondering what I did to bring that on. Maybe I just got him over-excited and had let my guard down enough to not be observant enough to notice. Little dickens, correction, big dickens! This doesn't change my attitude about him in the slightest, I'm just reminded to not take his taming for granted yet. Please send calming thoughts to my big galoot. With a throbbing arm, Nina P.S. to Tonya, No, I didn't post about Star on the AC list. I answered someone else's post about a feral she was trying to help. I wanted her to know that not everyone agrees that ferals should be left to fend for themselves because 'it's God's way'. The last I heard from that lady, she had the kitten in her bathroom and was doing her best to become friends with him. Nina catatonya wrote: And Nina, Is this the guy you posted about on AC? I was given the same website about not 'interfering' with ferals because they have their own purpose. It's interesting. But if Starman is throwing himself at your window and crying for you I think it's because he is meant to be with YOU. I know we ALL have to turn away cats every day. I get the emails every day of who found what. What cats are being euthanized that day in metro shelters, etc. I'm no AC. But when one 'finds me' I feel that he/she found me for a reason and they are staying. Please at least give him a try if you possibly can. Brutus had huge jowls too. The vet called them 'shields'. He said Brutus had the biggest ones he'd ever seen and he couldn't believe he would fit in the cat carrier because of his size. lol. When he meowed it sounded like a growl more than a meow. The jowls go down after they get neutered by the way. Anyway, again, I don't know your situation. And I'm ashamed to say when I first brought Brutus home I wouldn't hardly pet him because I was afraid of him and his head was so gross. But looking back now, I can't even imagine not having had him in my life. I would gladly give anything to have him back even though we're overcrowded here. And I truly don't think you'd need to do any long term confinement. I'd put him in a separate room until everyone's used to that. Then I'd cage him where everyone else is just in case someone tries to fight. But I don't think he will after a little time. Big males like that have LOTS of testosterone and it takes a while to get it out of their system. Once it's gone I don't think you'll have any problems. If you DO keep him, watch out for the urine. Just ask Brenda! lol. The first time Brutus used a litterbox, and he did use it correctly.. it smelled up the entire house! And he was out on the screened porch. I had to change the box every time he went until the smell got better. The same thing happened when I fostered Lovey for Brenda. But these big, bad, bubba cats? It's STRONG! Get him to drink as much as possible and flush, flush, flush it out of his system! No pressure here. lol.
Re: Bailey Update
Belinda, I'm so happy to hear Bailey made it through his anesthesia. I was so worried about him. I know he's not out of danger by any means, but at least now he has a chance to keep some weight on while you figure out more ways to help him. I don't blame him one little bit for being upset! Prayers that he does well with his tube feeding and you get the answers you need. Nina Belinda Sauro wrote: Hi All, Bailey's number is down to 15% now (he's been on the epogen for 5 shots and last blood work was 6 day's ago so I'm really worried), so I did go ahead with the aspirate, it will take 3 to 5 days for an answer. In the meantime now I can give him the pet tinic, prednisolone, doxy, clindimycine, and pain medication he needs through his tube without him being so stressed about it. He is really PO'd and hissing. I will give him a 2 to 3 hours to settle down before I feed him a very small watered down meal and later tonight I will give him his meds in another small watered down meal. I hope he is as OK with the tube feedings as Buddie was. I'll let you know ... Sure am hoping and praying that whatever it is is something we can treat beat!!
