Oliver Update

Oliver has now been inside the house for 5 weeks! After about 10 days in the Jack and Jill bathroom, we moved him to the guest bedroom. He has been much happier with more space to move around.

On September 8, Oliver was neutered! It was a long day for him. He also received the rest of his vaccines. I had been concerned about some weakness on his hind end. He seemed to be stiff after getting up and often quickly sat back down. Unfortunately the vet was unable to see Oliver in action. Oliver decided that he was really going to show his distaste for having to be at the vet. He hissed and spit and even growled. The vet felt it was best to save an exam and possible x rays for another visit.

Since the neuter, he has really emerged. He loves to play each evening with my husband. We call it “Daddy Fun Time”! He will run and jump and loves to play with the feather wand or the da rat wand toy. There is still something not quite right with his back end, but it does seem better. We plan to give him more time and further investigate later if needed.

Before going in for the neuter, he was choosing to spend a lot of time under the dresser. The space was tall, but it was hard to interact with him. While at the vet, I decided to block under and dresser and also under any other places. He can still go under the two small cat condos, but for the most part is he totally out in the open. This has really helped. During the day, if the window is open or there is a strange noise, he often chooses to go into the bathroom. Yet he will come out when we go to visit or when we bring food.

I am still waiting for tom cat urine to dissipate! I have read that usually around the 2 week mark, it really starts to fade. We also plan to make another wire barrier to put outside the bedroom door so we can start some face to face introductions. I have been doing scent swapping for a few weeks. All of the cats know he is here! The barriers are very simple and inexpensive to make. We buy one 12′ piece of wire closet shelving from Home Depot. We have it cut into either three 4′ pieces or two 6′ pieces. They are then put together with zip ties. For Oliver’s room, we will be using the 6′ sections since we are unsure of his jumping or climbing skills!

All in all things are going very well. He is very calm and quiet.

Here are a few pictures of him.

A Long Overdue Update

It has been quite awhile since I added anything new to my blog. But the time has once again presented itself! So without further ado, I will give a brief recap of the past year.

All of the cats are doing very well. Jake is still king of the house and makes sure that they all know it. He is now 12 and starting to slow down a bit. Yet he still enjoys play time and any type of food. He wants to be the sole boss of all (even the humans).

Jake

Marvin turned 10 in March. He is still my sweet sweet boy. Also still skittish, but still improving. He is my little snuggle bunny at night.

Marvin

Cisco turned 7 in June. His urinary issues continue to hold steady. He gets a daily regime of supplements and lots of added water to his diet of all wet food. He is one BIG boy weighing in at almost 14 lbs. He is not overweight, just very large and muscular.  He loves to spend his time lounging by the windows.

Cisco

Shadow turned 10 in January. He is still my baby. He loves loves loves living inside. He went through a period where he started to spray again. Fortunately it lasted just a few weeks and he is now back on track. He is very vocal when he wants attention or food!

Shadow

Stellar turned 8 in July. He is still very sweet, but also reserved. He too enjoys being inside and watching the outside world from a warm loving home. He is the sense of calm.

Stellar

 

Hampton turned 7 in April. He has made the most progress. He is so much more confident. He comes onto our bed at night and enjoys walking around and exploring. He still hides when others are in the house, but his confidence has just soared in the past few months. He loves my husband!

Hampton with my husband

 

All 6 (Left to right: Hampton, Stellar, Shadow, Jake, Marvin and Cisco) enjoying Churu.

In late February a cat was wandering around our back forest. I went out to check on the cat. The poor thing. His eyes were almost completely matted shut and there was discharge coming out of his nose. I had no idea how he was navigating around the forest. I fed him a can of food and then tried to get him into the carrier. Something spooked him and off he ran. I told him if he needed help to come back. A few weeks later, he appeared. I took the carrier with me along with some stinky cat food. I was able to get him into the carrier and to  the vet. I had told a neighbor about him and she said she could foster him or make him a barn cat. He went to the vet and was an intact male with a bad upper respiratory infection. His eyes were just a mess. Yet he was very sweet and loving and enjoyed being pet. After the vet appointment, I was able to drop him off to his new home. He has since been neutered and adjusted to the household with 3 other cats. Unfortunately his eye issues continue. He is having surgery later this week to hopefully correct the scar tissue that has formed. I am just so happy he has a wonderful loving home. He was named Rocko! He is no longer a foster and also will not be a barn cat! He was a fantastic home and will spend his years inside!

Rocko on the day I caught him.

 

Rocko in his new home.

 

Another cat showed up a few weeks later, but it appeared to just be passing through. I did see it again a few weeks later and it appeared he had been injured. He was limping and had a patch of fur just hanging from his side. I never saw him again. I do hope he was gone back home or at least recovered.

On Friday, August 7, it was a nice evening. We were sitting out on the deck and my DH looked down to see a cat. It was a small brown tabby. I took out a can of food and he gobbled it down. After a bit he wandered away. Of course he showed up again the next day and after a few days, he was hardly leaving the yard. I could get close to him, but not close enough to pet. He preferred me to keep my distance. He was quite scrawny and not very big. I worried about him at night. He was not a feral cat and seemed somewhat oblivious to the other wildlife. One evening a group of raccoons chased him. I knew that he couldn’t stay outside. I also knew that I did not want to care for an outside cats again. It was just too much of an emotional roller coaster for me.

Stray cat

On Wednesday, August 12, I decided to trap him. I set out the trap with some yummy food and within 10 minutes he was in the trap and upstairs. I am using a Jack and Jill bathroom that has plenty of space. I added a small cat tree, litter box and cozy bed. He was not very happy at first. I left him alone to settle and later brought some food. Of course he hid behind the toilet (which later had to be blocked) as well as promptly hissing at me. Yet he did come out every time food was brought to him. This was a good sign! Later that night, I decided to check on him. Once I hit the stairs, the most terrible smell filled the air. I was afraid to look. Poor boy, had jumped into the bathtub and proceeded to have terrible diarrhea and then sat in it. Ugh. It was not a fun start to our journey.

 

First day inside.

The next day was better. He was still afraid, but I could see light inside his eyes. The hissing continued. I took an old wand toy and attached a small brush to it as well another wand toy with a baby spoon attached.  This allowed me to be a bit further from him while still interacting. I offered some baby food on the spoon and he really enjoyed it. Next I tried the brush. He enjoyed it and purred a bit. His absolute favorite treat, is Churu. It has the consistency of baby food, but in a pouch. It wasn’t long before he was licking it off my fingers.

Brush and spoon attached to wand toy.

Friday, August 14 was vet day. My vet is still doing curbside drop off. I wanted to see if he had a microchip, confirm sex ( I was pretty certain a young male), SNAP test for FELV and FIV, vaccines and deworming. Of course there was no microchip. He is a he and estimated to be between 12-18 months. He is intact. Best of all he is free of FELV and FIV!!! He did have fleas and they found hookworms in his stool. Both easily treated. Poor boy was exhausted that day. He allowed some brushing and some pets later that evening.

The next day he was really out of it and quite grouchy. He hissed and hissed and wanted nothing to do with me. The vaccines and vet visit from the day before had really taken a toll. I brought in a small cabana so he could curl up. I left him alone most of the day. He did perk up at night and enjoyed some pets along with some fresh chicken. We decided he needed a name…. Welcome Oliver. His name means peaceful.

He has now been inside for just over a week. He eats like a champ 3 times each day. He uses the litter box. I will say that I forgot how terrible tom cat urine smells. He will be neutered in September. He is starting to be interested in some toys. Yet still leery and uncertain.  I had to take away the cabana as each time I entered the room, he would hide inside and not come out.  I really need him to be out so I can work with him. I just know he was someone’s cat. Being an intact male, leads me to believe he was thrown out or left on his own to wander and sow his oats.

Oliver enjoying some play time.

Oliver after enjoying some petting.

For now he is with us. We are in the middle of a kitchen renovation. There are some very noisy days ahead. Once the kitchen is complete, I hope to move him to a spare bedroom. This way, we can interact a bit easier with him and continue to work on socialization. After the neuter is complete, I will begin some introductions with the other cats.

I am taking everything one day at a time. The other 6 know he is here and so far all is fine. I have done a bit of scent swapping without any issues.

Sometimes the Universe works in mysterious ways. I was meant to help Oliver and I do believe he came into my life for a reason. It has been 4 years since a new cat arrived in my life. It feels like getting on a bike again…. I so enjoy the experience. I feel energized by this opportunity. There is just something inside of me that comes alive when I think of Oliver.

It’s Been Awhile….

I cannot believe that the summer is dwindling away.  My summer has been busy along with some ups and downs.  While the summer began cool and wet it is ending warm and dry.  We have not had any rain in almost 3 weeks.  The cats for the most part are doing well.  I will try to summarize the events.

I will start with Shadow.  Last year Cisco attacked him which led to 2 vet visits.  While Shadow recovered physically, mentally he was a mess.  This led to him spraying.  After 2 months of trying everything I could think of, the vet prescribed Prozac.  It was a miracle worker for him.  The spraying stopped in 5 days.  While this was great, the Prozac did make him sleepy and took away his bubbly personality.  It also created issues if I ever wanted to leave the house.  No one (except my DH and DS) were able to give him the daily dose.  Missing a day was ok, but more than that could start up the spraying or cause him some withdrawal symptoms.  I decided that this summer, I would try to wean him off.  It was much easier than expected.  He has been off since mid July and has not sprayed once!!  His bubbly silly personality is back as well.  I do have him on CBD drops to help keep his anxiety low.  So far so good!!

Shadow Babes

Cisco had a bit of a relapse in August.  He went from urinating 3x to a day to only once every 18-20 hours.  I upped his dosage of Cornsilk and added in D mannose along with adding more water to his food.  I also put the cameras back on all of the litter boxes to monitor him.  I think the cameras will be there for life.  It is too big of a gamble to not know what is going on with him.  Fortunately the Cornsilk and D mannose did the trick and after a few days, he was back to urinating 2-3 times each day.

Crazy Cisco with some catnip!

We have noticed that Jake is slowly down a bit this summer.  He turned 11 in May.  He seems to sleep a bit more and doesn’t want to jump as high when playing.  Yet appetite is fine and he acts normal.  Yesterday I was picking him up and felt a small movable lump on his right side.  Ughhhh.  I am hopeful it is just a lipoma and nothing to worry about.  He is due to see the vet for his yearly so tomorrow I will take him.  Jake also has bad teeth.  His teeth have given him fits since he was a kitten.  He is due for a dental cleaning, but he also has a minor heart murmur.  He will need to have this checked before he can undergo anesthesia.  Fingers crossed everything is just fine.

Jake

 

Hampton has really come out of his shell this summer.  He is often at the barrier chirping at me to come see him or chirping to let me know it’s time for food!  He really loves the cat super highway and is often lounging on the shelves.  I am very happy to see him out and about and being much more social.

Hampton on the Cat Super Highway

Marvin and Stellar are doing great as well.  Marvin is just such a sweet happy boy and Stellar is also quite laid back.  Both love attention and they even like spending some time together.

Stellar and Marvin catching some rays on the Super Highway

The kittens were here quite a few times this summer!  One time they were here for 10 days.  They are now almost 7 months.  When they come to visit, they are just the best travelers.  They will ride in the carrier for 3+ hours without a peep.  Once to our home, they do very well too.  They love to explore the basement and our first floor.  Shadow is very interested in Abbott and would probably allow him to come into the sun room.  Abbott wants in there in the worst way.  We have allowed him inside, but he must be held.  Jake does not like the kittens at all.  He hisses and wants nothing to do with them.  That’s ok.  We just keep all the cats separated.  I just love for them to come and visit!

Watching the birds in July

 

 

 

Costello and Abbott in August

The cat integration continues and there has been some progress this summer.  We got rid of 2 of the gates and are now just using the barriers ( tall wire shelving).  This allows Shadow, Stellar and Hampton to come right up to the barrier.  I will often see all 6 cats right up against the barrier.  We continue to allow Jake, Marvin and Cisco time in the room most evenings.  We give yummy treats and allow some exploration.  We are still cautious of Cisco.  The room does not seem very big when there are 6 cats and 2 adults in the room!  At times we have thought of just opening the barrier to see what happens.  Yet, I just do not think Cisco could handle it.  I have also put Jake into his tent and Cisco on the harness.  I then open the barrier.  Shadow and Stellar will come out.  Cisco is ok, but not relaxed.  I continue to try and I certainly still believe they will all 6 be out and about together one day.

Barrier between sun room and the rest of the house.

 

 

 

This and That

My son’s kittens came for a visit last week.  They are now 4 months old and so full of energy!  They came back to the shelter here so they could be neutered.  It was included in the cost of their adoption so it was worth it!  They did really well and you never would have known they had anything done.  It was hard to keep them from acting like kittens and wanting to play all the time!  At first I thought it was best to put them in a large dog crate.  Ha!  After just a few minutes, Abbot had climbed to the top and was hanging like a monkey!  I put them in the bathroom for the rest of the day and all was well.  Here they are after finally needing a nap.

Abbott and Costello

The other 6 cats in the house did so well.  They were not upset in the least by the kittens being here.  One morning, we put Jake, Marvin and Cisco in the basement and allowed the kittens to explore the first floor.  Shadow, Stellar and Hampton were able to watch from the sun room.  Abbott wanted in the sun room in the worst way.  Shadow was so interested in them too.  Abbott and Shadow had a little bit of paw touching through the gate.  Shadow was always the greeter of new cats!  These sweet kittens are just pure joy.  I love having them come for a visit.  I look forward to the next visit when they will be able to play.  The after neuter care instructions were for no over the top playing for a week.

 

Abbott and Costello enjoying some basement time and watching the birds and chipmunks.

My 6 cats are doing well.  We have been working on getting all 6 together.  After dinner we are taking Cisco and Jake into the room ( Marvin is usually already there!).  I keep a close watch on Cisco.  He is doing really well and usually just lounges in the room.  Yet there is still a part of me that does not trust him.  I worry that in a blink of the eye he will hurt Shadow, Stellar or Hampton.  So we will continue moving at a snails pace!

I have been taking Shadow, Stellar and Hampton down the basement during the day.  They love to go down there, but no longer can go at night since Jake is down there.  I have been putting Jake and Cisco upstairs and then opening the door for the other three.  Shadow loves it down there.  Stellar loves it once there, but it takes effort to get him down there.  Hampton is another story…  He has to do everything at his own pace.  I carried him down the other day and he was not happy.  He ended up hiding in the litter box area and it was so hard to get him out.  Today, though he was happy as can be to walk down on his own and explore.  He is a funny funny boy!

Marvin ( on the cat tree), Stellar and Shadow watching a wild turkey! There had been a few chipmunks there to watch too!

Hampton did make it down to the basement on his own!

 

The basement has become a popular place this summer.  There is lots of action on the patio.  Today I have seen numerous chipmunks and squirrels as well as lots of birds and even the turkeys.  There is a bird feeder that hangs above the patio off the deck.  When the seed drops, it’s a race to see who will find it!

Jake, Marvin and Cisco watching the chipmunk and bird action.

 

We have had so many new creatures to see in our yard this year.  Last year was such a blur.  We keep asking each other, “Hey, did we see this last year?”.  Right now, the male deer are regrowing their antlers.  It is fun to see them with the fuzzy tops.  The female deer have given birth and we saw the first fawn in the yard yesterday.  Soon the turkeys will give birth to their chicks!  We have a pesky raccoon ( who we named Dolores) who had 4 little ones.  Raccoon babies are just so cute.  The birds have been amazing since mid spring.  There have been some new ones and I wait to see what the rest of the summer will bring.

Male Baltimore Oriole

 

Red headed woodpecker

Male turkey

 

Grey tree frog

The month of May was spent working in the yard.  I had plans in my mind from last summer to make a section of the backyard into a landscaped area.  It was full of brush, weeds and major tree roots.  I really wanted a separation from our yard and the start of the forest.  I guess it was the “city” girl in me who still wanted a bit of manicured gardens!  I began the task last year in the late summer, when I cleared the brush.  By mid fall we were able to plant a few hosta  and some ground cover called creeping nettles.  So when spring rolled around the area was clear of brush, but not clear of rock !   The yard was full of rocks and so many had emerged during the winter.  I spent 3 days filling buckets of rocks.  They ranged from small pebbles to 7-8″ stones.  I had been planning the design as well as the plants.  My inspiration for the area came from my friends Bob and Reta.  They had a shaded area of backyard when they lived next door to me.  I remember the periwinkle ground cover and many of the potted plants they used to brighten the space.  I know that Bob would truly love the area!  The area is almost completely shaded all day so my choices were very limited.  I planted periwinkle (vinca) as some ground cover that will help in disguising the roots from a beautiful beech tree.  I also did a few more hosta.  I have some colius, elephant ears, caladium and impatiens all in pots scattered about. We added a stepping stone path too since the area was often pretty muddy.  Once the plants were in, I felt it was still missing something.  I decided a rock wall would help.  I searched the forest and ended up finding enough for one side.  I think it was that step that put my body over the edge!  Mulch came next ( and that did do me in!).  We then decided the other side needed a rock wall too so we went back to the forest to hunt!  It turned out exactly as I had hoped.  I am still tinkering with plants and it’s an experimental year, but the space is so nice to look at each day!

 

This was in May 2018 and you can see the brush and sparse grass.

 

May of 2018 showing path going up.

August 2018 before I cleared the brush.

 

October 2018 after brush was cleared and a few plants added.

This was in March 2019

April 2019 the day the project started.

 

 

Completion end of May 2019

 

Stepping stone path

 

Panoramic view

 

Our June weather has been terrible.  It has been raining cats and dogs and also been quite cloudy.  The temperatures have been on the cool side, but getting outside to enjoy it has been difficult.  Today is finally a nice sunny day after 6 straight days of gray skies and rain.  One day last week the high was only 64.  I am unsure if this wet weather will wreck havoc on all my flowers, plants and vegetables.  Everything is so soggy.

I hoped you enjoyed this catch up post!

KITTENS!!!!!

No, not mine!!!  Welcome Abbott and Costello!!  These two sweet boys belong to my son.  I had the opportunity to spend a week with my son and the kittens.  It was such a wonderful experience.  All of this would not have been possible without all of the love and support from my wonderful husband.  He stayed home with all 6 cats for 8 days.  That is no small task considering how some needed medicine and some needed special food, as well as cleaning all 6 litter boxes twice a day.  And let’s not forget watching out for Cisco who was still recovering!

When my son got the kittens, they were only 8 weeks old.  I could not believe how tiny.  Both were just over 2 lbs.  They both adjusted to their new home quite quickly.  There was a lot of kitten proofing to be done!  At first they started out sleeping in a large dog crate at night.  We were worried they were too small to be left out.  Yet after 4 nights, they were unhappy in the crate.  We placed a small cat bed in my sons bed for them and they have been there ever since!

A vet visit was also in order.  Both had runny eyes so a few days of eye drops were necessary.  Costello also has a case of coccidia.  This is being treated with a liquid medication that is most horrible tasting.  He is on it for 3 weeks.  Hopefully this will do the trick.  Fortunately Costello did not have any of the horrible symptoms.  I do hope that at the next check up, he is clear!  My son is learning quickly all the ins and outs of caring for animals!

One of the hardest parts of caring for these two was the litter box.  With kittens you should not use clumping litter since they often try to put most anything in their mouths.  Clumping litter can then cause gastrointestinal issues or even an intestinal blockage.  It was often easiest to just dump all the litter after each use.  I guess you get used to it, but what a waste of litter!  Hopefully in June he can start to use regular clumping litter!

After I left and my son went back to working in his office, the boys were then left alone during the day.  We had spent some time cat proofing the bed room, but felt that at first they should be in the large dog crate.  Ha!  This too only lasted a few short days.  They kept dumping the small water bowl and then choosing to lay in the litter box.  Now they are out in the bedroom during the day with lots of toys and a window perch to see outside.

These two boys just love to play.  Anything that moves is a toy.  That includes their tails!  The two are very very bonded.  If one is out of sight for more than a few seconds, one will call to the other.  Then when it’s time for a nap, they often curl up together.  They are also turning into lap kitties.  My son sends pictures of them both sleeping on his lap in the evening.  They are possibly the best kittens ever!  They have made a wonderful addition to his life.  I will always cherish the time I had with both my son and the kittens during that week.

This post would not be complete with kitten pictures.  So without further ado, meet Abbott and Costello!!

Abbott

Abbott

Abbott

 

Costello

Costello

 

Costello’s favorite toy!

 

 

Cisco’s Struggles Continue

Cisco remained at the vet hospital until Friday, April 5.  I was so happy to have him home.  He seemed to do pretty well once home.  He urinated and ate some.  All good signs.  Yet overnight on Friday, he started the dreaded in and out of the litter box.  This continued into early Saturday morning.  He was producing small amounts of urine, but would stay in the litter box for over 5 minutes.  I called the ER vet and they wanted to see him.

The experience at the vet hospital has been very frustrating.  We have been there many many many times throughout the years and for the most part received top notch care for our animals.  This time around was different.  The communication with me has been terrible.  I have felt very disconnected from what is happening to Cisco.  The worst was that they “forgot” to feed him for 36 hours.  We do not have much choice in where to take him.  It was the weekend so back we went for the 3rd trip.

Cisco was seen right away, but we did have to wait quite awhile to talk with the ER vet.  He was wonderful.  Fortunately Cisco was not blocked.  There was some inflammation still present and possibly some irritation from the catheter.  Cisco was given a low dose, quick acting and quick to leave the body ( within 24 hours) injection of a steroid.  This was tried to hopefully reduce some of the inflammation.  Then some of his medications were readjusted.  We were sent back home a few hours later!

He did pretty well Saturday afternoon and into the evening.  He ate some and was resting.  Yet after dinner, he had some diarrhea.  He did not want anything else to eat.  Overnight he slept well until 4 am when he was in and out of the box.  This time it was small amounts of diarrhea.  He did continue to urinate.  He absolutely refused to eat anything.  He was in a very uncomfortable “meatloaf” position and he was licking his lips.  A sure sign he was nauseated.  I called the ER vet and I was able to give him some Cerenia that I had on hand for the nausea.  I was to continue with his other medications.

When he had the pu surgery 2 years ago, he also developed diarrhea.  We never knew if it was from one specific medication or a combination of too many.  I had my feeling it was the gabapentin.  On Sunday he was a lethargic mess.  He hid upstairs under one of the beds and at times he refused to even open his eyes.  This really scared me.  When I picked him up, he was like a limp noodle.  Once again a call to the ER vet.  I was assured this was normal for all of the medication he was taking.  I was then told to reduce the amount of gabapentin so he wasn’t so drugged.  Since the diarrhea was continuing a prescription of Flagyl was called in.

I was told that I would need to syringe feed him if he did not eat by evening.  He also needed some food in his stomach to handle the medications.  Fortunately I knew how to syringe feed (sad memories of my sweet Sadie girl).  Cisco hated this.  He cried.  Yet I persevered.  He needed to eat something.  I manged to get him to eat about 1.5 oz of wet food blended with bone broth.

Sunday night was pretty similar to Saturday.  He slept like a log until 4 am when he got up to use the litter box.  He had a nice normal sized pee, but then some more diarrhea.  He went back to bed until just before 6 when he was in the litter box again.  He did this a few times and it was once again the diarrhea.  I decided to just get up as he was due for more gabapentin and he needed to eat first.  The syringe feeding was once again not great, but he ate an ounce and took the medication.

He hates the gabapentin.  He cries, foams at the mouth and is miserable.  He is to remain on this for awhile so the vet is having it compounded into a palatable liquid.  I go to pick that up soon.  I called the vet again this morning to check about the continued lack of eating.  We are now to stop the buprenorphine ( pain medication) and Prazosin ( bladder spasm medication) and see how he does.  If he is not eating better by tomorrow they will start an appetite stimulant.

Today he is much more alert than yesterday.  It seems the lower dose of gabapentin is making him less lethargic.  Around 10 am, he ate about 2 T. of some dry food.  I hope that he will rebound again later today and try to eat.  If not more syringe feedings.

Taking care of a sick cat is so much work.  I am exhausted both mentally and physically.  I have read so much the past few days.  The FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) is a life long battle.  I am going to have to be vigilant with litter box habits and watching for other signs he might be headed for a bout of cystitis. I found a forum for cat owners with FLUTD and have found a few interesting supplements to help.  I will start him on those once this digestive upset leaves.  I just cannot add anything new to his system right now.

Hopefully my next post will have better news.

Cisco and his Urinary Issues

In the past, Cisco has presented with urinary issues.  Almost 2 years ago, he completely blocked and had to have pu surgery.  You can read about his surgery here.  He had been doing so very well.  In January I noticed that there were some very large pees in the litter box.  I saw Cisco go in one day and noticed he was there a long time and then saw the output.  I was concerned, but decided to keep an eye on it first.  After a few days, he seemed to go back to normal.  I then would find one really large pee once a week.  Then in mid March he started acting not quite himself.  I noticed the large pees were back.  I decided a vet visit was in order.

The vet did a urinalysis and some blood work.  I originally thought it might be due to the Prozac he was on.  I had read a few articles about urine retention in cats.  My vet wanted to be sure nothing metabolic was going on as well as check for a UTI.  He did have a UTI while blood work was all normal.  So par for the course he was put on Clavamox and urinary prescription cat food.  After a few days on this, his urine retention was no better.  My vet was on vacation so I spoke with the relief vet.  She suggested we start to taper down the Prozac.  Another 4 days went by and Cisco was still only urinating every 30-40 hours.

On Friday, March 29, 2019, Cisco was not quite himself.  He was hiding and not coming out for extra treats.  On Saturday morning he refused to eat.  Now I knew there was a problem.  He loved to eat and was so loud and vocal about it.  I called the vet and was told he should go to the ER vet.  It was best to have him checked to be sure he wasn’t blocked.

At the ER, he was examined and an ultrasound of the bladder, kidneys and abdominal area was performed.  The bladder presented with some inflammation and some unknown “debris”.  Yet his bladder felt normal size and he was not blocked.  We were sent home with Prazosin to help relax the bladder.  The vet felt it should work within a day or so.  He did urinate on Sunday, but it had been 43 hours since his last urination.  On Monday when he was still not acting right, he was prescribed gabapentin to help further relax him and also help with any pain.  All this did was make him loopy.

On Tuesday he was not himself at all.  I gave him a dose of gabapentin early in the morning.  By noon he was like a limp noodle.  He still had not urinated since Sunday and it was now 44 hours since last urination.  I called my vet who wanted to see him.  Cisco’s bladder was very large and hard.  He could not squeeze one drop out of  him.  So off to the ER vet he and I went.

My vet had called ahead so once I arrived, they quickly rushed Cisco back.  The vet came out to see me and said he was blocked and no urine would come out.  He would need a catheter.  She was not optimistic at all.  She felt since he had the pu surgery and still blocked there was little hope for him.  The catheter went in and the urine was retrieved.  He was then put on fluids and given pain medication.  He was then scheduled to see an internal medicine vet the next day.  I left the ER in tears.  She told me that once the catheter was removed he had a 40-70% chance of reblocking and at that point nothing could be done.  I felt so defeated and so worried.  Poor Cisco.  I knew he was scared to death.  How could it be that he might now survive this?

This morning the internal medicine vet called.  He wants to do a contrast dye x ray to check for any strictures in the urethra or possible stones or crystals.  If there is a stricture, a quick surgery would fix it.  Yet at this point he feels the most likely cause is the UTI which led to inflammation in the area.  I still firmly believe the Prozac played a roll in this.  The Prozac caused the urinary retention which then led to a UTI which caused pain and inflammation.  He is completely off the Prozac now and he will not go back on unless it is in a minute amount given in a compounded liquid form.

I have been researching like crazy.  He has the diagnosis of FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease).  It is a complicated disease of the urethra and bladder.  It can present itself in many ways.  It can become challenging to keep the disease from flaring.  Yet with a prescription diet, lots of water, low stress, and nutritional supplementation, a cat can do very well for many years.  It will take very close monitoring of his urination habits.

Of course I had to find out as much as I could about this condition.  I had already been doing many of the suggestions.  I even went above and beyond by putting some of my cameras by the litter box.  I then knew exactly when he went.  This may be the way I do it for awhile now.

Please keep Cisco in your thoughts.  He is definitely not out of the woods yet!  He has not had an easy life.  For some reason, he does keep channeling his inner Misty!  Like Misty, Cisco loves to eat!  Like Misty, Cisco is noisy! Like Misty, Cisco has issues of the urethra.  Misty was the dog who passed away in July which led to many hardships and a prescription for Prozac for Cisco.  Now I know why they had such a strong bond!

Be safe my sweet Cisco.  May you receive as much healing energy as your body can take.

 

Cisco

March 2019 Updates

The cat super highway has been a huge success!  Shadow, Stellar and Hampton are each on it daily.  Jake likes to make daily visits as well.  Even Marvin has managed to go onto the lower level.  Cisco has not been allowed on it yet, but hopefully soon he can experience it too.

Stellar is definitely on it the most.  I have even seen him running up and down being quite crazy.  The other day he and Shadow were chasing each other.  This is exactly what I had hoped would happen!  Hampton chooses to go up at night, but he has gone all the way up and down.  For right now they still prefer the love seat with their heat pads.  I guess that it because even though it is officially spring, it still feels like winter here.  I hope that when warmer weather comes they will perch more on the shelves.  I will add a few pictures below.

Stellar who decided to walk from the super highway onto the window ledge!

Shadow loving on one of the shelves.

Night time shot of Hampton and Shadow

Jake who wants to go higher!

Marvin who is happy to just stay low!

 

This month has not been without a few issues.  First off Shadow was quite sick.  I had been slowly starting all of the cats on a new wet food.  I had read a lot about Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein and thought it would be good to put into the rotation.  I had been slowly mixing it into their food for about 2 weeks.  Shadow just loved it.  After 2 weeks, I was able to give it as their dinner.  It must have just been too much for Shadow since after 3 days of eating this food, he started to vomit.  This lasted for a few days.  He was very nauseated as well.  I had some Cerenia on hand and that did help.  I also started giving him Slippery Elm mixed into baby food 3x a day.  Of course I stopped the new food completely.  After about 5 days, he was improving.  He ate just enough each day to keep me happy and avoid the vet!  He now seems back to his old happy self.  Some day I will stop trying to add new foods and just stick to what works!

Cisco had been worrying me for a few weeks.  He was sleepy a lot, not interacting much with the other cats and staying away from me as well.  Yet the most concerning thing was his urine output.  He seemed to be urinating only once every 24-36 hours.  When he did urinate it was the largest pee I had ever seen.  He did this for about 2 weeks before I decided it was time to have him checked.  I am always hypervigilant about Cisco and his urine.  It was almost 2 years ago that he completely blocked twice with  a collection of 50+ struvite crystals and needed Perineal urethrostomy (pu surgery).  He had been doing just fine up until this point.  I took him to the vet and was worried that the Prozac might be causing urinary retention.  The vet wanted to check to be sure there wasn’t a metabolic reason and/or UTI infection.  So blood work and a urine culture were needed.  His blood work came back normal, but he did have a UTI with crystals.  My heart just sunk.  Fortunately I caught it before the crystals caused an issue again.  So now he is on a 2 week course of antibiotics and prescription wet food.  I was so hoping to avoid the prescription food.  If only it could be made with better quality ingredients.  Yet, I know that it is formulated to make it difficult for crystals and stones to form.  For now he can remain on Prozac.

I find myself feeling a bit sad.  There just always seems to be a struggle.  I guess when you have 6 cats, there is always bound to be something.  I try to remember that at least they are all living inside and no longer have to worry about all of the dangers of living outside.  This too shall pass……

And They Are Up!!!

Quick update to share some pictures.  It didn’t take as long as I thought.  A few treats were all it took!  Stellar was up part way by mid day yesterday and then all the way over night and this morning!  Shadow has been up just a few levels, but I can see in his eyes he wants to get higher.  Jake was in twice yesterday to enjoy the fun and has been yowling at the sun room door this morning as he watched Stellar on the top shelf!

 

Stellar enjoying the birds!

 

Shadow (left) and Hampton (right) exploring and finding treats.

 

Stellar up top over night.

 

Shadow ( low level) and Stellar climbing up!

Stellar all the way.

 

Stellar enjoying the view from up top!

 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  I am so pleased they are using it so quickly!

Catification Time

There have been a few ups and downs this past month.  We were off to a pretty good start with all 6 boys having meets and greets daily with yummy food rewards.  There was no hissing, posturing or chasing.  Shadow and Stellar were wanting out of the sun room more and more often.  Then all at once, Shadow started to spray again.  At first it was just once or twice a week and then it worked itself up to once or twice daily.  Each and every time was on the front of a litter box.  After discussing with the vet it was decided to up his Prozac from 2.5 mg to 5 mg.  I did this slowly and started giving about 3.5 mg for about 10 days and then all the way to 5 mg.  The spraying stopped after the first week.

Cisco had been doing so well.  He was quite calm once again.  Then my husband and I went out of town for the weekend.  I had someone in to feed the cats.  Yet I decided to not have her give any medicine.  Cisco was having a more difficult time taking the pill.  It has a very bitter taste and my disguising it had not been working.  A few times each week I was having to pill him.  I figured one full day without medicine would be ok.  I gave the medicine on a Friday around 3 pm and he and Shadow did not get their medicine again until after 4 pm on Sunday.  So it had been a full 48 hours.  Cisco was a bit on edge.  Yet I didn’t put two and two together that not having his meds for 48 hours would cause an issue.  On Monday, Stellar was wanting out of the sun room in the worst way.  We had been talking about letting him out as he does well with Cisco.  Cisco had been upstairs and when he came down, he didn’t see Stellar.  I am sure it surprised him and out of the blue he went after Stellar.  He chased him and jumped on top of him.  Fortunately no biting or scratching.  Yet poor Stellar was a mess.  That was a huge mistake on my part.  We have spent the past week doing damage control.

I had been thinking for awhile of adding some vertical space in the sun room.  Shadow used to love to climb trees and be up high.  Stellar enjoyed it as well.  They do use the cat tree, but just don’t seem to love it.  I felt that if there was vertical space in the room, more cats could be in the room comfortably.  I spent the week researching ideas that would work in our space and not break the bank!  I owned two Jackson Galaxy books, “Catification” and “Catify to Satisfy”.  Both had wonderful ideas.  I also searched Pinterest.  My wonderful husband drew up a plan, did all of the measurements and made a list of what was needed.  On Saturday off to Home Depot we went.  We decided on 24×12 and 12×12 shelving along with one 36×12 and one 72×12.  The shelving was Rubbermaid wood laminate shelving.  The most expensive part was the brackets.  We ended up using 24 brackets!  We then purchased some indoor/outdoor carpeting.  Home Depot was able to cut it to the width we needed.  Double sided carpet tape was used to secure the carpet.

The project took a bit longer than I expected.  We had to map out on the wall the exact height and placement of the shelves in coordination with the existing furniture.  Of course Shadow, Stellar and Hampton had to be removed from the room.  Shadow was thrilled!  Yet Stellar and Hampton were not happy.  They huddled together behind a chair in my office most of the day.  Shadow on the other hand, watched us some of the day and then made himself at home and took a nap on the couch!

Shadow resting during Catification

Of course the weather outside was just awful all day.  We had 20-30 mph winds with gusts to 50 mph.  It was loud with all of the wind.  This made the day even more difficult for Stellar and Hampton.  When everything was finished and I managed to shoo them back into the sun room, they promptly went to hide behind the love seat.  I scattered treats all about the new shelves.  Shadow got brave and went onto the first and second level, but no higher.  I kept the boys in the sun room overnight since it was so windy and I had hoped they might explore.  All 3 did go onto the lowest levels, but nothing higher.  The technique is to guide them with a feather wand and treats.  None of them would be intrigued enough by a feather wand.  Yet treats might do it when they are more settled.

Here are a few pictures

Top most shelving

The finished product

This morning, I added a few more treats to the area, but the boys would not budge.  It was still very windy.  I decided to bring Jake into the room.  Jake is fearless and will do anything for a treat.  He also loves to be up high.  I brought him into the sun room and placed him on one of the shelves and pointed out a few treats.  Away he went doing the cat super highway two complete times.  I hope to take him in a few times each day so Shadow, Stellar and Hampton can watch.  Here is Jake in action.

Jake eyeing his next treat!

Jake enjoying the view outside.

A huge thank you to my wonderful husband for all of his hard work and putting up with my quirks during the process!  You are the best honey!♥♥♥  Hopefully in the next post there will be pictures of more cats using it.