Almost Wordless Wednesday

Update on Tanner...his blood pressure is just fine. They did multiple readings throughout the morning and while he was on the high side of normal, she felt this was just due to stress. No med change.

Many of you may remember that the vet school was recommending an anticoagulant for Tanner. After some deliberating and researching and discussing with his primary vet, we have decided to start an aspirin therapy on him. He will be getting a half of an 81mg baby aspirin every three days. We all felt this was the safest route to take at the moment, realizing that there are stronger options still available if needed.

Thank you all for your concerns and purrs for Tanner...he is a good boy and I want to see him around for many years to come!

Mancats Love to Clean

This weekend we spent a lot of time at home cleaning. It was a great weekend for it, and the mancats helped out. We were recently given a bottle of @SeaYu Clean+Green Natural Pet Stain + Odor Removers to try out. We were given the Furniture Refresher. It took us a while to figure out a good place to use it, because our cat beds are simply washed in the washing machine, and the slip covers on the couch are washed periodically too. So what would be a good area to use this product? I asked the mancats...and the answer was unanimous. They all said this area near their favorite cat tree needed to be cleaned. Someone, who shall remain nameless, pees in this area on occasion. While most of the liquid hits the carpet, some will get on the curtain. We thought we would try the furniture refresher on the curtain, as it is a difficult area to clean.
I sprayed the curtain, and went ahead and did the floor as well...Let it dry and was impressed with how well the residual odor that was left by our other cleaning agent was removed. The area was fresh and clean smelling. The little bit of stain on the curtain was removed too. We were happy to not have to take down the curtains to wash them!!

Smokey gives the Clean+Green products two lasers on!

If you haven't tried these products, I recommend them. You can visit their website here, and see how the products work, and the many varieties that are available.

Tanner Tails

Today Tanner is off to the vet again to get his blood pressure checked. He was not pleased this morning to be shoved in the PTU again! This time he is going to see his regular vet instead of the cardiology group at the vet school.
Here he is sitting the car, trying to alert the neighborhood that he is being taken away...you should have heard him! I tried to video him singing, but he stopped when he saw the camera, typical.

Sitting in our room at the vet...he is hooked up to the blood pressure machine...notice the blue cuff around his tail? This machine was a bit alarming, as it kept beeping at him...that's enough to get anyone's blood pressure up!

Close up of the cuff on his tail...

Now they are trying it on a front arm...he is holding on for dear life! He turns into a super snuggly boy at the vets office! I'll take hugs anyway I can get them from my boys :)

The only reading they were able to get was on the high side, so he is spending the morning with them. I will go and rescue him in a couple of hours!

I hope his blood pressure isn't high enough to require a change to our medications, but we will do what needs to be done to keep the boy healthy. I also have a 'diet' plan I am going to discuss with his vet today too. I found some great information at the Pet Obesity Prevention page, but I want to run these ideas past his vet just to make sure we are on the right track.

We hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thursday in the Garden

Today we are in the garden...the boys still aren't allowed out because of allergies, but they have given me permission to show you around.
You can see other beautiful gardens at Jonesie's place...

In the bed near the intersection we have Day Lilies that are blooming now, blanket flowers and some purple things. We are trying to get this bed established so we don't have much work each season in it...

These pretty purple flowers are very wild looking and we love them!

Here is our visitor...Auntie found him when she was tying back the daffodil stems...do you see him?

Here is a better shot...do you see him now? It's a toad! He was gone later in the week when I went back out to look for him...I hope we will see him again though.

Well there you have it...our garden tour with a visitor.

Wildlife Wednesday

Last weekend mom and Auntie went to the Wildlife Festival...there were many fun animals to learn about...we thought we'd let mom share with you today...
This is a vulture. Not sure what kind he is though...

This is an owl...maybe a barred owl. Some animals were better labeled that others :) He belongs to the Piedmont Wildlife Center.

This is an Eastern Screen Owl (Grey morph). His tree was cut down, and his right wing amputated by the chainsaw.

This is a barred owl...she is visually impaired in both eyes. She came to the rescue as a result of a collision with a car. Barred owls are one of the most common owls in the US.

This is a Great Horned Owl. They are found throughout the US and are the largest and heaviest of the horned owls in the US. They will eat cats! This sweet girl has a wing injury.

This is a Red-Tailed Hawk. She collided with a truck and broke her leg therefore she cannot be returned to the wild.

This hawk was a 'pet' of sorts for a falconer. He uses her to hunt mainly small animals like rabbits and squirrels.

This is an Eastern Screech Owl. He is fully grown...what a cutie!

There were other examples of wildlife at the festival as well, such as turtles and snakes and lizards...mom and Auntie enjoyed the birds the most though.

We hope you have enjoyed seeing this wildlife today...tomorrow, we'll show you a guest we found in the garden!

Two on Tuesday

A friend brought over this bottle of wine...Gato Negro...black cat. How appropriate for my household! Devon thought the black cat on the bottle looked a lot like him...

Mancat Monday

Mancats love the fresh nip...we trimmed the plant in the front yard as it was getting out of control, and the boys enjoyed laying with the branches.
Tanner is hanging out...you can also see Devon's tail at the bottom of the photo...he was laying with it until I came over with the camera...he was in a snuggly mood and needed some attention and pets.

Thanks everyone for the Gotcha Day wishes for Smokey...we totally forgot! Even though I didn't realize it was this weekend, he did get some tuna juice on Saturday. Some porkchop on Thursday night, and some roasted chicken on Sunday. He had a good weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Toesday Tuesday

Tanner would like to thank everyone for all the purrs yesterday...he felt comforted all day and did remarkably well at the vet school. It was rotation change day too, so he had about 4 students with him at all times. He did not mind the extra heart listening and prodding. He is happy to say that no orifices were invaded during this visit! He tolerated having his blood pressure taken too (they squeeze the base of your tail for this). I believe he behaved so well because of the purrs...thank you all!

His heart remains stable, but they are concerned about his risk for developing blood clots in the left atrium. We are discussing the option of an anticoagulant medication for him. I have many more questions to ask the vet before we start this medicine though.
Now on to our regular post...Toesday Tuesday...

Toes featured today are moms. Tanner has always loved to play with moms toes and enjoys when she sits with him so he can play...

Some kitten is in need of a nail trim....better to catch nekofly with, I suppose.

Got it! Mom's toes are the best!

Mancat Monday

Mancats love to help mom eat dinner...

PS - Tanner would appreciate some purrs today. He will be going to vet school for his annual Cardiology appointment this afternoon. He gets real nervous, so calming purrs would be nice.

Cinco de Mayo in the Garden

KC and Missy are hosting the 4th annual Cinco de Mayo party...we are so excited to be invited and are heading over shortly.
We decided to have our pre-party in the garden, since it is Thursday...

The Gerber Daisies are showing off their party colors! So bright and pretty...

This is a rose from our neighbors yard...he has many unique colored roses this year...

The blanket flower is sporting festive colors too!

Our knock-out roses are full of blooms right now...

There are more lovely gardening kitties over at Jonesies place...stop by and see what they've been up to this week!

Wordless Wednesday

Mancats enjoy Window Whiffies

Saturday was a beautiful day in the South...not too hot nor humid, but lovely. We checked the pollen counts to make sure Smokey wouldn't have too much trouble. Everything looked fine, so we opened the windows for a couple of hours.
Tanner was up there immediately checking on the fresh air, and enjoying the birds that hang out in this tree.
You can just see Devon's head here...Auntie was outside and they were both curious about what she was doing.
Cousins Sophie and Pirate also enjoyed the fresh air...

We are enjoying the quiet weather right now, and send our thoughts to those in the deep south recovering from the deadly tornados.