Krista's Care

[tarasgirl06]

I haven't been into murder porn for a while now. The ID shows got too Desperate Housewives for me. Mostly I watch Rick and Morty, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, and South Park until I run out of those. Then it's either KBO or BBC America for the nature shows. That's my Sling TV lineup on any given night. Sometimes BBC America shows movies instead of nature shows and I have to switch to one of my other Roku channels. I recently became a Prime member for the free shipping so I'll go through their catalog of nature shows. I also have purchased a few on Vudu. I can watch the Planet Earth or Blue Planet series over and over. If David Attenborough is narrating, I'll watch it.

My thoughts exactly. I've been looking at some on other channels, but I've seen a lot of them. Agree 100% on David Attenborough! The PBS nature programs are still and always the best IMHO.

 

[daftcat75]

Trying to finish up the new Scooby movie while giving her a chance to determine if she’s done.

She’s telling me she’s ready for dinner. She’s duped me before.

She’s got at least another 15 minutes.

 

[daftcat75]

I was calling her “Smaug” earlier this morning because she was draggin’. But since then, she’s been up on the counter for nearly every meal today. When I finish prep and I’m ready to bring her plate to her spot, I tell her, “I’ll race you.”. Then I walk just fast enough that she books it down the Katris and gets to her spot nearly the same time as I arrive and set the plate down. No doddling in the Strait of Yobooty! Most times I beat her by a step. Sometimes she wins. It’s fun to see pep in her step.

 

[sidneykitty]

I wanted to come say hi and see how Krista was doing.

In what I read in some prior posts, I'm sorry to hear she might have progressed to cancer. I 'm glad you opted to do chemo and I hope that she sees some results! I truly believe that she can especially with your dedicated care.

I'm cheering both you and Krista on.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I was calling her “Smaug” earlier this morning because she was draggin’. But since then, she’s been up on the counter for nearly every meal today. When I finish prep and I’m ready to bring her plate to her spot, I tell her, “I’ll race you.”. Then I walk just fast enough that she books it down the Katris and gets to her spot nearly the same time as I arrive and set the plate down. No doddling in the Strait of Yobooty! Most times I beat her by a step. Sometimes she wins. It’s fun to see pep in her step.

This is one of so many amazing things about cats. My Tarifa, who's 17, will do that, too, at times. She's slowed down somewhat, but she still has her priorities straight and nothing will stop her from claiming her prey.

 

[daftcat75]

This is one of so many amazing things about cats. My Tarifa, who's 17, will do that, too, at times. She's slowed down somewhat, but she still has her priorities straight and nothing will stop her from claiming her prey.

Torties! It takes a lot of cat (and a lot of cattitude) to get three colors in one feline.

 

[daftcat75]

Seems like we may have struck brown gold with our latest changes.

To summarize (for when things go sideways again and I need to remind myself what was allegedly working for her before), she's getting the chemo every three days.

I actually increased the psyllium she gets but instead of putting one smidgen diluted among the entire can, I put one smidgen each into midnight meal and second breakfast. In both cases, I'm secretly hoping it's filling her up a little so I can get some extra time between meals. But really, I want her pooping twice a day again for the amount that she eats and poops in a day.

I'm also trying a new probiotic with her. The dirt (the soil-based stuff from Vitality Science) has been destabilizing in the past. This PB8 stuff I got from Sprouts, she's only getting about a smidgen or a half-smidgen in her lunch right now. I can't tell if it's helping. But it doesn't seem to be making matters any worse.

I further reduced how much food I plate for her--about 9 oz daily, of which the plate and the carpet takes its share because Miss Toothless is a messy eater. I eliminated one of her overnight feeders but pack the remaining one a little fuller. Not enough to make up for the one I removed though. I also shrank her 3 pm meal by a quarter ounce. It's about the same size as her overnight feeder now. If we ever do return to working in offices again, this afternoon meal can go in a feeder and I'll come home over lunch until I can trust her to be left unpoopervised the whole day.

But I think the real game-changer was the B-12 shot I gave her last week. I found the needles and syringes I use on Medi-Vet so now I don't have that excuse anymore not to do it.

It looks like her morning poop was a one-and-done. She finished second breakfast and has retired to her tree for the morning.

 

[daftcat75]

But most importantly, I finally replaced my stupid Keurig Mini machine with a Hamilton Beach Flex Brew. It can brew the same cups. Although I personally hate the plastic K-cups and only buy the soft bottom kinds. But unlike the Keurig, it comes with a brew basket to use with ground coffee as well. It produces a superior cup of coffee than the Keurig and it's quieter. I think this machine will be far less ire-inducing than the Keurig. I was about to go Office Space on that old machine. I think Keurig had one good idea--a single cup coffee maker--and thoroughly messed it all up with their plastic cups and unreliable machines. The Hamilton Beach machine is twice the machine for half the price.

This is relevant to Krista because I still don't sleep the night through. This new machine will be a definite ally in her care.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Excellent Krista report! Hope you've hit on a formula that'll work well!
Yeah, one thing I really believe these days is that the higher the price and the hype, the more people will buy it because they believe the hype and think $$$=quality, which is just not true now, if it ever has been. The brands that have been around for awhile may be longer-lasting and better-performing. Or not. I tend to stick with those, though, because I usually have good luck with them. My roomie has one of those Nespresso machines and I have one with her from time to time, but it has those stupid little cups, and personally, I prefer the scoop-and-measure in my drip machine, which is from a Swedish company, Gevalia. The Swedes are SERIOUS about their coffee. The coffee is better and there isn't all the waste. I have a "gold filter" I bought separately that does the job quite well, eliminating the need for paper filters. *Those can be used for masks, right?*

 

[daftcat75]

She's doing this while I'm on a call with a coworker and I'm thinking, "please keep it together, no bonuses!" while I change my iPad camera view to the one she's on.

She was very good and one and done'd it like a pro.

And when I got off the call, she's still an hour away from dinner. So I sneaked her a few extra grams of food. She shouldn't have to wait an hour with nothing but her bum on her lips.

 

[daftcat75]

I think it’s time to rethink meal sizes. She’s been camped in front of her plate since she finished first dinner.



She’s still another 90 minutes away from second dinner.

 

[daftcat75]

Also “some other cat” has returned. I turn around and her meals are gone!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Also “some other cat” has returned. I turn around and her meals are gone!

Clearly, "some other cat" is depriving this poor cat of her required sustenance. *FEED ME!*

 

[daftcat75]

Another bring your cat to work day...

 

[tarasgirl06]

Another bring your cat to work day...
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She'd be quite a distraction with those long white stockings, wouldn't she?

 

[daftcat75]

Distraction? Hardly!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Distraction? Hardly!

View attachment 335209

 

[daftcat75]

And yet still

Her poop was just fine. No bonuses. I was getting ready to finish my work day and then we’d get dinner started. And she horked up afternoon snack.

But per usual, she seems no worse for the wear. She’s sitting in the filling spot making it very hard for me to finish my work day. She’s purring away and trilling a feed me song.

 

[daftcat75]

Double barf paw.

 

[daftcat75]

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

We got an extra poop at 9 pm tonight. But it was a good one.

I think it’s a one and done.