I Have More Trust Issues Than This Feral..

[rubysmama]

buffster : been wondering how things were going with you and your boys, so glad Jcatbird posted her query post. Glad you got through your final clinical. Good luck with your studying, and eventual job search. Also paws crossed that Charlie is just having furball issues, and that you, yourself, feel better soon.

 

[pearl99]

Buffster7 , so glad to see an update also! Have been thinking of you and Charlie and Finn. How great you are done with school! Except for boards. Hopefully that is relatively soon! Best of luck in the job search and hope you get just what you want.

Yes let us know about the vet appt. results. Hope by now you are feeling better too.

Things here are fine, still intro'ing Ziggy but she's such a calm cat that it's not a problem and she still loves her "room."

Gracie had to have a tooth pulled and a full dental from a tooth resorption happening (had never heard of that) and it took two weeks for her to fully get back to herself but she feels much better now with that tooth gone.
Also Gracie's heart murmur is gone, must have been caused by stress while she was in the shelter according to the vet.

And, I am just fine. Surviving the covid restrictions but feeling some effect of not getting out or seeing people as much. TCS has helped that!

 

[Buffster7]

Hi ladies! Thank you so much for touching base!

As for catching up.... lol. Got time? I guess you know about Smokey. Purry just got stung or bitten by something. Me too. At first I thought a feral might have gotten his ear but I am leaning towards the hornet now. I got zapped twice. Purry is better. Prints has joined us for now. I am searching for three lost cats too. All in all, not much going on.

Oh no, I did not and still don't know about Smokey - I must have missed that update when I was perusing your post, I will go back and find it! Now...I don't know who Prints is, either! It sounds like I have some catching up to do!

Good luck with your studying, and eventual job search.

Thanks rubysmama! The studying has already begun..'they' recommend 6-8 weeks full time study for the boards, but I think I can pull it off in 4 weeks. I'm scheduling my exam for 4 weeks from Monday, yikes!

Also Gracie's heart murmur is gone, must have been caused by stress while she was in the shelter according to the vet.

Whaaa?? That is fantastic news!! It sounds like you've had YOUR hands full with the cats! So glad that Gracie is feeling better, getting healthier, and that Ziggy is 'chill' for you in spite of the intros. You do have a beautiful crew!

Charlie's vet appointment didn't happen - they were running behind that day and one of the techs came out to the car and said it was going to be quite a while before they could get to us, and I could wait or reschedule. I had to meet with my accountant to get my taxes filed, so will need to reschedule. I contemplated forgoing it altogether since he seems to be doing so much better. But that cough.. I just don't know. I don't think a hairball cough would be happening this frequently, would it? He coughs like that at some point every day. If it were a tumor or heart issues, would blood work reveal a problem? Or should I just go straight to a scan?

 

[Jcatbird]

Bloodwork can reveal a LOT! In fact, there are new blood tests for the heart. Much can be determined with bloodwork so that would be my first choice. I am wondering about asthma/cat bronchitis. Bacteria and allergies are still my guess at this point. If he coughs daily, yes, get an appointment to be safe. Show the vet that coughing video! That is a great diagnostic tool. Maybe you could send that on in ahead of time and get a response? I would try. It might save a visit.
You haven’t met Prints?!?!? Oh. Then here is a giggle. He has spots all over and he appeared after Froggie worked some magic so we are sure that the spots are Frog foot prints. Also, this kitty has already left Prints all over my heart. Trying to find him a home though. Here is your giggle.

 

[Buffster7]

Show the vet that coughing video! That is a great diagnostic tool. Maybe you could send that on in ahead of time and get a response? I would try. It might save a visit.
You haven’t met Prints?!?!? Oh. Then here is a giggle. He has spots all over and he appeared after Froggie worked some magic so we are sure that the spots are Frog foot prints. Also, this kitty has already left Prints all over my heart.

Oh my word, Prints is perfection!!! NO wonder he's stolen your heart. I must go search his story out of how he came to join the clowder. It is amazing the way these kitties find you! I have noticed that the local kitties seem to find my yard, too - how do they know? They will come here to lounge can usually be found in my yard even though I do not feed or interact with them (most belong to someone and I cannot allow my heart to get involved with any of them). What do your clowder think of Prints? It would be so entertaining to watch them when a new arrival comes on the scene.

As for Charlie, I've rescheduled his appointment and the soonest they could get him in is in a week on Friday morning. I am now gravely concerned. His coughing has increased exponentially over this last week, and it's happening throughout the day, I'm weepy as I write this. It's been happening since we woke up this morning, here is a vid after one coughing fit where Finn came over to check on him out - his concern is so sweet. I have sent the videos to my vet before, but everything changes when it becomes a daily occurrence, and it seems to have increased to daily pretty rapidly and within the past few days it is happening multiple times throughout the day. Hopefully they will have a cancellation, though if it is something insidious, I'm not sure what difference a few days would make. I will keep you posted, of course.

 

[Jcatbird]

They find us through cat vibes! Lol I suspect there is a cat version of the grapevine. I suppose the other cats see, smell and hear us and our cats. I don’t really know because I have been found even when I didn’t have a cat. The Universe sends them?
I try NOT to see them but..... do. I have something printed on my forehead maybe?
Prints appeared after a kiss between Froggie and Banjo? Lol I suspect he was dumped but he could be a feral turned semi feral. He hasn’t been exposed to other humans much yet. So far, he is scared of them but submits. Some young cats do that as a fear/survival mechanism. Similar to playing possum. He is doing very well with me though. Last night he really started playing for the first time. He knocked over so much stuff he startled me out of sleep! He did come to me when I called him though. Only a few cats have been around him. At first he was quarantined and then neutered. The girls in the room with Wanda Heart allowed him to roam the room without harrasment. Wanda Heart may be developing a crush on him. Callie gave him kisses as the designated greeter and peace maker. Liberty and Alley are still undecided and Tortie allows anyone as long as she gets held too. Did you see the lattice I put up at the doors? It’s working as a meet and greet barrier. BJ got to see Pronts and was baffled but not in a bad way. The rest will come in time. I’m general, new comers are accepted quickly here. The more the merrier? Sort of! Lol

The video of Charlie doesn’t sound terrible. I have heard way worse. It was short. I think I remember the last was more of a cough/wheeze. This one almost seemed more of a case of reflux. I still wonder if it is a case of allergy or sort of an asthma. Of course, it could be something more and it needs to be checked since you see it regularly and it seems to be increasing in frequency. Just so you know, BJ started coughing again and it scared me. I was worried about that case of heartworms he had. No return of them though! The vet gave him an antihistamine ( same prescription I am on) and he stopped! Fall allergy season! Here it is humans burning stuff that gets me! Wood stove and fireplaces! It’s not that cold here yet people! I have to wonder if BJ and I have that in common. Is Charlie still chewing his fur? Itching? Oh! I also noticed that if I make a big fuss and give lots of extra treats and pets, BJ doesn’t cough. (Am I still wearing that on my forehead?) Whatever works! Of course, when Bj gets extra treats, the Clowder must get them too. I should buy stock in cat treats!

 

[walli]

Aw! Finn was worried about him! I hope Charlie is ok!!!

 

[Jcatbird]

Just hoping to give you a smile. You know that another rescue came in , Prints. Well,I helped with another. The kitty already has a home. Since we had a Prints, the next one , an orange and white tabby needed a name. It’s Pawpurr. Prints and the Pawpurr. She paws and purrs. I hope all is well there. Just had you, Charlie and Finn on my mind.

 

[Buffster7]

Just hoping to give you a smile. You know that another rescue came in , Prints. Well,I helped with another. The kitty already has a home. Since we had a Prints, the next one , an orange and white tabby needed a name. It’s Pawpurr. Prints and the Pawpurr. She paws and purrs. I hope all is well there. Just had you, Charlie and Finn on my mind.

Oh MY! What a sweet face little Pawpurr has! I'm sure I've missed a whole bunch of activity at Chez Catbird since I've been gone! I'm going to mosey over and play peeping tom to your thread in a minute. All is well here, I just buckled down with board prep after my final clinical and took my boards this week - just found out I passed, so the job search is on. Unfortunately there are exactly 0 jobs listed in this city right now. It's bad. Praying that the right position will open up at just the right time.

The boys are doing well - we're in the middle of a peaceful patch right now, will attach pic below. Charlie is still over-grooming and he still has that cough, but his bloodwork comes back solid, so we can't figure out what the cause is. For now, though, it is pretty peaceful around here and I love it. I look forward to catching up with the kitty antics around here! I hope that all is well and that you are doing well; if you weren't you'd probably never say anything anyway, so it looks like I'll need to go nose around.

 

[Jcatbird]

Great shot! The boys look great inspire of a Charlie cough. I had a feeling you might have gotten through boards about now! Lol I knew you would pass but..... A job will appear soon. I just know it! Power of positive thinking!

 

[rubysmama]

All is well here, I just buckled down with board prep after my final clinical and took my boards this week - just found out I passed, so the job search is on. Unfortunately there are exactly 0 jobs listed in this city right now. It's bad. Praying that the right position will open up at just the right time.

Congratulations !!! Good luck finding the right position.

The boys are doing well - we're in the middle of a peaceful patch right now, will attach pic below.

So precious.

 

[pearl99]

Oh MY! What a sweet face little Pawpurr has! I'm sure I've missed a whole bunch of activity at Chez Catbird since I've been gone! I'm going to mosey over and play peeping tom to your thread in a minute. All is well here, I just buckled down with board prep after my final clinical and took my boards this week - just found out I passed, so the job search is on. Unfortunately there are exactly 0 jobs listed in this city right now. It's bad. Praying that the right position will open up at just the right time.

The boys are doing well - we're in the middle of a peaceful patch right now, will attach pic below. Charlie is still over-grooming and he still has that cough, but his bloodwork comes back solid, so we can't figure out what the cause is. For now, though, it is pretty peaceful around here and I love it. I look forward to catching up with the kitty antics around here! I hope that all is well and that you are doing well; if you weren't you'd probably never say anything anyway, so it looks like I'll need to go nose around.

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Good to hear from you Buffster7 and yay for passing boards! Sending job vibes. There will be one.
The picture of The Boys is so nice, I love it. I'm glad to hear Charlie is doing okay and that there's peace!

 

[walli]

wow they sure have come a long way!!! sheesh!

 

[Buffster7]

wow they sure have come a long way!!! sheesh!

Ha, it continues to be a roller coaster! Just today I lay down to take a nap, Finn was with me. Charlie jumped up to join us and Finn attacked him! Charlie chased him and they started going at it. I'm still trying not to interfere but finally had to get up and intervene when it started sounding serious. I found them two rooms down, fur everywhere, and Finn was hissing while Charlie's hair was all standing on end with bottle brush tail. Sometimes I think they're relieved when I step in so they can quit the fight but still save face.

Anyway, I just caught up on your thread, W walli !!! I was so excited to read that you're cancer free and back to work!!! Are you back to feeling 100%? I know it takes a while to regain strength and energy. It was so good to see your name pop up. Keep us posted on how Sammie is doing. How could you tell that Charlie was the culprit - did you see/hear the altercation? Sammie and Finn have the same look about them - all cattitude and swagger, and size does NOT matter when you have attitude that big.

Just the other day Finn went after ME. I accidentally stepped on Charlie's tail, Charlie yelled, I instinctively picked him up to comfort him and he (Charlie) growled. Finn must have thought I had hurt Charlie on purpose due to Charlie's growling. So he attacked my leg through my pants and broke the skin! He's done that once before - where I picked Charlie up and slipped and fell with him in my arms, so Charlie growled. Finn attacked me and I had to shake him off my leg and shut myself in my bedroom, it was a bit scary. He is a vicious little defender when he wants to be. Or little attacker when he's territorial and jealous. Sigh. My little a-holes. I love them but they sure can be a handful.

 

[walli]

I'm not feeling 100% I'm part time right now, thanks!
I know it was Charlie, Sammy has been defending himself/territory for awhile, the other 2 don't have to I guess
Sammy has been in the garage I released him last Wednesday and he voluntarily comes back at night!!!
I was not expecting that, I let him out after Charlie leaves and when it warms up, and he will follow me around
the neighborhood, and then follow me back to the house and he hangs out around the house and then I can coax him
back in the garage at night, I leave partway open, so it's not a big noise when I close the door, he's still limping and has hair shaved
all over, so he looks weird, he's doing better. I'm planning on getting the 3 in my yard with no way out.
Tex and Black would never attack Sammy like that. Blacky and Sammy are somewhat bonded, and Tex is a weirdo! hee hee

I hear you about them being handfuls, Joey sent me to Emergency when I was going through chemo!

 

[rubysmama]

buffster : Just thinking about you, and Charlie and Finn. It's been a while since you've posted. Hopefully "no news, is good news".

 

[Buffster7]

buffster : Just thinking about you, and Charlie and Finn. It's been a while since you've posted. Hopefully "no news, is good news".

Hi Rubysmama! Ahh, thank you for thinking of us, and I'm so sorry for the delay. I am currently working 3 jobs to make up for that long stretch of unemployment during clinicals and then Covid, so I'm working 12 days on, 2 days off, rinse and repeat. I am tired, but it's just for a season.

The boys are doing fine, depending on the day. They still have few days that they tolerate each other, most of the time give each other a wide berth, but Finn loves a good attack so they tussle every now and then. I occasionally give them a break from each other by shutting one of them in a room for a day when I leave for work.

Remember that coughing Charlie was doing? We finally got scans of his lungs. The lungs are inflamed, but no tumors - so I'm thankful for peace of mind there. Vet says it's asthma, and we can do prednisolone. I have not done it yet as it's a steroid and Charlie is already food-obsessed, overweight, and acts like he's always hungry. I'm trying to get weight off of him, not put it on. His joints could not take any more weight gain, so I'm hesitant to put him on a steroid. He still over-grooms, but he seems to be holding steady and not getting worse. Definitely seems to act less itchy since I eliminated beef from his diet. Will see how he does as allergy season ramps up. Still sporting a mohawk as he grooms down both sides of his body but can't groom his head or his spine. Anyone have experience with prednisolone or other steroids with their cats?

Since I'm working such long hours I ordered a Litter Robot, hoping to conserve some precious time. I'm hoping it'll solve the problem of Charlie peeing high over the top of his litter boxes, too. I got it set up today, and Finn immediately claimed it as his territory and attacked Charlie when Charlie tried to use it. Guess who's currently in a time-out. The thought has crossed my mind that the combination of these two has added every bit as much stress to each of our lives as joy. At times I feel so guilty because I think Finn was happier living the wild life outside and Charlie was happier as an only cat, yet I love them so darn much that the thought of rehoming Finn just crushes me, I couldn't do it. He trusts no one else but me, and his devotion to me is commented on by everyone who sees us together. I'm 100% committed to both boys, I just wish they got along better and didn't feel so threatened by each other.

That's about it - I'm sorry if this sounds like a Debbie Downer post, this is just where we are at the moment and in this season. I suspect it'll get better when I'm not working so much and they're not alone for such long stretches of time. What about you guys - how are your babes doing, and is there any big news that I've missed?

 

[rubysmama]

No wonder you haven't posted recently, what with your incredibly busy schedule. Hopefully it will be over soon, and you'll be able to relax.

Sorry about Charlie's asthma, but glad there's no tumors. I've never used prednisone or steroids, but the topic comes up a lot on the site. Here's a link to threads with prednisone in the title, if you want to check a few out: Search Results for Query: prednisolone

That's so sad that Charlie and Finn haven't become friends. If only they knew how much better all your lives would be, if they could get along better.

Nothing new with me and Ruby. Jcatbird always has something going on at Chez Catbird. Right now she's building a catio, and searching for little Thrasher who got out of the house a couple weeks ago, and hasn't yet come home.

 

[Buffster7]

No wonder you haven't posted recently, what with your incredibly busy schedule. Hopefully it will be over soon, and you'll be able to relax.

Sorry about Charlie's asthma, but glad there's no tumors. I've never used prednisone or steroids, but the topic comes up a lot on the site. Here's a link to threads with prednisone in the title, if you want to check a few out: Search Results for Query: prednisolone

That's so sad that Charlie and Finn haven't become friends. If only they knew how much better all your lives would be, if they could get along better.

Nothing new with me and Ruby. Jcatbird always has something going on at Chez Catbird. Right now she's building a catio, and searching for little Thrasher who got out of the house a couple weeks ago, and hasn't yet come home.

I'm so glad there's nothing new with you and Ruby - a peaceful existence is something to be treasured and preserved!

Oh my word, I have been trying to search Jcatbird's thread for the post on Thrasher, but I can't find the originating post - did this happen sometime in March? How long has she (Thrasher) been gone? This is one of my worst fears - I'm so very sorry Jcatbird is going through it.. Praying for a little birthday miracle!

 

[rubysmama]

Thrasher's been gone a few weeks, though Jcatbird did have a positive sighting of her yesterday. So hopefully there will be good news soon. Here's the link to the first post about Thrasher getting out: My Feral And Rescued Cats