Mancat Monday

The mancats had a pretty good weekend.  We had some lovely weather and they were able to go outside for a few minutes.  It was in the 70's here on Sunday, so we all enjoyed the sunshine and warmth!  Today, we are back to sleet and freezing rain :(

 Smokey loves going outside and eating grass.  He explores the yard and usually ends up in the side yard, where the sun is beating down on him, taking a nice warm nap.

Tanner and Cousin Pirate found the small catnip plant that has survived the winter.  It should start growing soon and will be quite large by the end of summer.  It is still pretty potent and the boys loved getting high from it!

 

Ollie and Cousin Georgie do not get to come outside like this for 'free time' yet.  They are still too unpredictable and wild!  They did go for a stroller ride around a couple of neighborhoods and had a nice time.  They love to stroll.  You can't see them, but trust me, they are in there! 

Tanner's eye started running again, so we are doing more drops.  It is still a touch swollen, as you can see below.  This is looking pretty good compared to what it was before...

 

Here is a link to a video showing Tanner getting vacuumed.  He loves it!  It was a treat for him this weekend, since he has been feeling so poorly lately.  He doesn't want or get vacuumed everytime, but he was in the mood, and enjoyed it this weekend!

http://youtu.be/zGz3RGswN8o

Weight Loss Wednesday

This week Tanner crept up a couple more ounces bringing his total to 15lbs 12 oz.  He is still at a net loss of 4 pounds 2 ounces, so not too concerned.  My focus at this point is getting him healthy again and over this crazy URI.  He is improving more now, the eye is looking better, and the sneezing has all but stopped.  Of course, we are on antibiotics, so we are dealing with diarrhea now.  I've started back up with the probiotics to help calm his digestive tract.

 

So while, Tanner has been out of commission some and not wanting to fully play with Ollie...Ollie has found a way to entertain himself, at Tanner's expense, I might add :)

Tails are great fun!



Mojo - 5 Years

Mojo, you've been gone for 5 years now.  It doesn't seem real.  You were only with me a few short years, but I'll never forget that time with you.

You were laid back and wise beyond your years.  You always seemed to know that we were only trying to help you.

 I'm so sorry that you were dealt a bad hand in the health department, but you rose to the challenge and showed us all how to live for today, and live life to the fullest!

 

This video was taken almost two weeks prior to Mojo crossing the bridge.  He had been on steriods for a few days and was feeling much better.  The weather was beautiful, so we allowed him some time in the yard.  WARNING:  His tumor is quite large, so if you are squeamish and don't want to see it, then don't click!  At this point, we were still able to control his discomfort, and his spark for life was still there!

 

 Our last photo, it was almost time for you to journey to the bridge.  You were sweet to the end and loved to snuggle.

 Fly High Superman...you are missed everyday.

Mancat Monday

This mancat seemed to be getting over his very persistant cold, but ended up this weekend with a very swollen eye, with lots of discharge.  He earned a trip to the VET this morning, and is now on antibiotics and more eye ointment for the next 10 days.  Hoping this will do the trick, and he'll be back to playing with his favorite crinkle puff balls before long!

Thirsty Thursday

Today, Smokey is showing off a few drinking spots around the house...We have had to move a few glasses and bowls because of wild kittens, but that's ok.  Everyone is adjusting! 

This glass does not sit here normally...Smokey was being spoiled this day! 

We have had to move this container to the sink, so if it gets knocked over, it isn't a big deal.  This container collects the cold water that runs before it turns warm when doing dishes.  We then give it to the birds.  Of course, the cats like to drink from it too!

 

Medically, Smokey is doing pretty well.  We just rechecked our blood work, and his thyroid is in the normal range now, so we will keep going with our pill.  He is eating pretty good, but did lose an ounce last week, so I'm giving a couple of appetite stimulants each week to help encourage eating.  He is still getting fluids a couple of times a week, and tolerates that ok.

 

He has started going downstairs at night and just talking and talking!  I used to think he was lost, and would go get him, but now I'm thinking he is being a brat.  I don't go down to get him, and he comes back to bed in about 15 minutes.  We snack and snuggle, and sometimes he'll go back downstairs and talk some more, and sometimes I can get him to go back to sleep.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I can't tell if he is being forgetful about where his food is located (we have two cages for him), if he is wanting to play because he slept all day, if he just wants attention, or what...I'd like to figure it out, so I can get a good nights sleep again!

 

I've thought about closing him in my bedroom at night and just leaving his bowl of food on the floor and see what happens.  Of course, this would mean, Tanner wouldn't be able to sleep with us, so that isn't ideal. 

 

I welcome any suggestions you may have...

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner gained a couple more ounces this week, bringing his weight to 15 lbs 10 ounces. 

 

As you can see from the photo, he is still dealing with a runny eye.  The eye became quite irritated looking over the weekend, with big yellow goobers.  He is now on some eye ointment for this, and will hopefully be feeling better soon.

 

This has been the most persistant, lingering cold we've had to deal with in a long time. 

 

Ollie and Smokey are sneezing some, but everyone is getting extra Lysine each day, so I hope we can keep it to just a few sneezes, and not a full blown cold like Tanner had.  Fingers Crossed!

 

I'm not worrying too much about Tanner's weight gain...I am glad he is eating well, and just want him to start feeling better.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner is almost back to normal after his terrible cold.  Right now, we just have a runny eye...still treating with Lysine.

 

As for weight, Tanner took the old wives tale of "feed a cold" to heart, and gained a couple of ounces this week.  Current weight is 15 lbs 8 oz.  I am still very pleased with this weight, and so happy that the boy is feeling better.  He even asked to play this morning, which is the first time in two weeks!

 

We appreciate all the healing purrs we have received while Tanner was recovering.  

Mancats Renovate

The mancats have had an exciting week...The downstairs of the house has been crazy messed up, while the new flooring was installed...

 Cousin's Sophie and Georgie enjoyed the new jungle gym of furniture in the breakfast nook...we were thankful everything fit, but it was a bit like tetris tying to get it all in there!

 Ollie quickly tired of the process...moving furniture is hard work

 One day, the floor guys came and ripped out the areas of the carpet where the cats had been naughty!  They covered those areas with a product called "Kilz" to get rid of any remaining odor.  This area outside the powder room was constantly dirty, just from kitty feet tracking litter out of the bathroom.

 This area in the dining room was the main naughty spot.  Before we invested in new flooring, we made sure we had the culprits under control...it was all behavioral, and some prozac is working nicely to keep them happy and worry free and using the litter box appropriately!

 Cousin Pirate is guarding the new wood floor...it has to sit in your home for a few days and acclimate before being installed. 

Cousin Pirate, Tanner and Ollie laying on the new carpet in the den.  We put hardwoods in the front room (where the boxes were sitting), the dining room, down the hall, and then created this faux hall in front of the powder room, to protect the carpet.  Then we replaced the carpet in the den.

 

The boys like it all now, but Ollie was a bit afraid of the new floor for a while, especially the hardwoods in the hall...a few ping pong balls helped to show him how fun this new area was going to be!

 

It took a while, but all the furniture is back where it belongs now, and the house is getting back to normal...Mancats are through renovating for a while!

Three Boys - Thursday

Little man Ollie had his neuter yesterday, and did fantastic!  Everyone at the vet's office loved him, and they threatened to steal him from me.  I don't think he spent much time in his cage for being toted around!  He is a love bug and enjoys attention.

 

At home last night, he was starving, so he ate really well.  I had hoped he would go on to sleep after a hearty meal, but no, he was a wild man!  I think he was so excited to be back home, and to see Cousin Georgie...they played and played.

 

Tanner is feeling better, and did not need an antihistamine this morning!  He is still sneezing some, but does not seem as "stopped up" as he had been.

Smokey has been having a rough time lately, and so another trip to the vet has revealed that he is hyperthyroid now.  We have started on his medicine for that, and I can see improvement in his eating, and overall perkiness.  He is also in the high-normal range for kidney values, so even though he looks good on paper, we have started giving some fluids, twice a week, to see if that will also perk him up.  He seems to stay in a constant state of slight dehydration, and that is enough to make him feel puny. 

 

So, he is getting a thyroid pill daily, a shot or pill of Pepcid daily, appetite stimulant a few times a week, sub q fluids twice a week, and then his arthritis shot and immuno-therapy injection each just every two weeks.  He is turning into a pin cushion/medicine cabinet!

 

My hope is that we get him back on the right path, get his blood values stabilized and can maybe wean from some of these meds/procedures...but we will keep doing them as long as they are needed.

 

That's the news on my three boys this week...

 



Weight Loss Wednesday - Interrupted

We interrupt our regular weight loss Wednesday post for a special announcement...

 

Ollie is going to be neutered today!  This is the final procedure in growing up...my little boy isn't a baby any longer!

Purrs for no complications please...

 

Procedures today: Neuter, microchip, FeLV/FIV recheck

 

PS - Tanner is doing better and therefore will not be seeing the vet today.  I think a couple of more days and we'll be over this cold.  Knock-on-wood, he is still the only one that has gotten sick.

Mancat Monday

This mancat is still sick.  The congestion just won't clear up for him, and he is miserable.  I called the vet, just to see if there was a reason for him to be seen, and they said no.  Unless the discharge changes colors, indicating infection, he just has to work through it.  They did give me some saline drops to put in his nose...BTW, he hates this!

 

Saturday, he spent the day in the bathroom with the humidifier going. 

 

I've given Sub Q fluids a couple of times because he appears a bit dehydrated.  He is getting antihistamines regularly to try and help dry up the gunk in his nose and throat.  He is getting Lysine in every meal...at least 1000mg a day.

 

He is still eating well, and even had a bit of ice cream last night to help him feel better. 

 

We are going on 5 days of severe congestion.  You can hear him breathing in another room!  I wish you could teach cats how to "blow their nose"...I think it would help him!  Has anyone tried the baby nose suckers before on their cat?  Any luck?

 

Fingers crossed no one else gets it...because Ollie is going on Wednseday for his neuter...I need him to be healthy, so it isn't cancelled!

 

If Tanner is still sick, and we aren't see marked improvement, he may earn a trip in on Wednesday too, just to be looked at. 

 

Please keep sending purrs of comfort to my boy.

Terrible Tuesday

Tanner is feeling a bit under the weather lately.  He has a cold!  Please send a few comforting purrs for this mancat.  He is sneezing big, juicy sneezes, and has a runny, squinty eye.  We are treating with Lysine and extra snuggles.

 

Fingers crosses no one else gets it...One sickly mancat is enough for any household! 

Mancats Clean

Mancats love to help out around the house...

 Tanner let me know it was time to clean out from under the stove again!

 Look at all that loot that was hidden away!

Ollie and Cousin Georgie discovered the joys of mopping!  They both went crazy for the smell of clorox bleach!  They were rolling around on the floor just acting wild. 

 

Here is a link to a You Tube video showing the boys helping...(I hope this works)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7uQ1VTy34w&feature=youtu.be

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner had success this week with his weight loss...he now weighs

 

15lbs 8 oz, for a loss of 5 ounces.  He is getting extra snacks, as we are trying to slow the loss down a bit.  Maintaining week to week is fine too at this point.

 

Here are some gratuitous photos of Tanner and Ollie.  Tanner still just loves his baby, even though his baby is huge now!

 A little wrestling...

 A nice bath...

Special friends and brothers!

Tasty Teething Thursday

Ollie was given a new scratching toy...he loves playing with it.  He also enjoys chewing on it and eating the cardboard!  The toy is the Petstages Fold Away Scratching Tunnel.

 

 This is the standard photo from Amazon...look how pretty, and how it stands up!

Ollie and Tanner playing...Tanner laying inside the tunnel...good thing otherwise, the tunnel will fold up when kittens jump at it!

 Another playing shot...love those chicken legs!

 This was our toy after a couple of hours...the corner is chewed.  We have now had this toy for a month, and all corners are missing.  A lot of the pretty paper has been removed and destroyed, and the tunnel spends most of its time laying flat on the ground!  The boys love it though!

 

Question:  Do you have a cardboard eater in your house?  I'm hoping this is a phase, maybe teething, and we'll grow out of all this chewing!

 

Ollie asks...Do you think I'm teething? 

 

We want to give a shout of praise and thanks to Ann at Zoolatry for creating our new header and background!

 



Weight Loss Wednesday

This week, Tanner had a slight increase.  We had been adding some extra snacks and treats to his diet to help slow the weight loss down a bit.  I guess we over did it some!  The vet is super pleased, and would like for us to try and maintain where we are, but if a bit more is lost then that is not a problem.  He is a good size and is enjoying the health benefits of having lost over 4 pounds!

 

Current Weight: 15 lbs, 13 oz...increase of 1 ounce this week.

 

After a few very cold days, we had some warmer weather, and the boys enjoyed a bit of outside time...Here are a couple of photos from this past Sunday.

 

 



Mancat in Training

There are many things to learn before you can be a mancat...one is how to take care of the fish!

Ollie had to use some ingenuity to get close enough to the fish to help...this statue works perfectly!

 

Note: the statue was moved, but now Ollie can simply jump up on the table!

 Hello Mr Fish...how are you doing today?  You smell nommy!  Oops, I mean...can I give you some noms today?

I will sit up here and keep you warm Mr Fish!

 

Note: Mr Fish has a lid that clamps to the tank, so he should be safe :)  Thankfully, after this day of being overly curious about the fish, Ollie has since left him alone!  This one is keeping me on my toes!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, we missed a couple of Weight Loss Wednesday posts over the holiday, but never fear, Tanner was still losing weight!  I believe we had one week where we gained, but we are down again...

 

Drum Roll......

 

Tanner has now lost over 4 pounds!!!

 

Current weight is 15 lbs, 12 ounces!

 

 Tanner still loves Ollie...they share this bed many evenings.  Not sure how much longer they will both fit though!  Ollie is growing faster than Tanner is losing!

Nap time with brother is special!

 

For Tanner's success in reaching the 15's he is getting a pack of spring toys, and a new egg for his hard food.

 

I am going to the vet on Saturday with Ollie for more shots, and so I'll speak with her about Tanner's weight loss plan.  I think we should continue losing some weight, but don't want to get him too thin.  I like a cat to have a little bit of cushion or reserve on them, so they have some wiggle room if they get sick.  What are your thoughts on this?   What is your preference with your own cats?

More Christmas

Ollie and Cousin Georgie went to visit Santa Claus before Christmas.  They had been to the vet that morning, so we just stopped by on the way home.  They did reasonably well for it to be in a busy pet store with lots of noise and strange smells. 

 Cousin Georgie was a bit unsure of Santa...I think he would just prefer to get his presents from mom and Auntie!

 Ollie sat on the Santa 'belly shelf' but you can see his claws were ready, if the big man tried any funny business!

Later that afternoon, two little boys were wiped out from their big adventure!