Meow Like a Pirate

Today, September 19th, in the year of our Lord two thousand and fourteen, we be commanded to Meow Like a Pirate! We sail the high seas in search of gold doubloons and pieces of eight.

Avast, seein' how we be land lubber and lily-livered mateys, we hired a couple of buccaneers to take to the high seas in our place...

Shiver me Timbers, they be returning with fantastic spoils and plenty of grog...

Ham, or Big Slab of salt pig be on the menu...

Lobster or Roach of the sea

niptinis and grog for the swashbucklers....

Milk and bubble teas for the buccaneers-in-training...

Fresh spoils of the seas too...

Be nay ne'er shy and commence ye-selves to partying...All ye scurvy dogs!

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner continues to do well with his treatments.  Yesterday was Doxorubicin, which is the third chemo drug in his protocol.

 

Over the weekend, we had some beautiful weather here in North Carolina.  We took advantage of it and let the big cats have a little outdoor time.  The babies still can't be trusted to not be wild (not sure they ever will), so they stayed inside.  We did open the windows and bring in fresh catnip, so don't feel too bad for them!

Tanner enjoying a stroll in the yard...heading towards the garden with the catnip!

 Score!  Tanner found the catnip...he had to fight with the tomatoes for a prime spot though.  The garden has gotten a touch out of control! 

Tanner and Pirate having a meeting under the tree.  They are not allowed to go past this tree when we are out...So far, no one knows how to climb the tree either...do your cats know how to climb a tree?

Tanner spots the babies in the window...hey guys!  The babies would go from window to window watching the bigs!

 

Today is Cousin Georgie's 1st birthday!  Happy Birthday Georgie!!

 

 



Wordy Wednesday

Well, I forgot to do a Tanner Tuesday post, so we'll do it today...

 

Tanner is doing well.  Last week, we repeated the ultrasound and so the boy was shaved again :)  Here are the specific results of his ultrasound.  I'm going to need to to google some of these terms!

 

Abdominal Ultrasound (Sept 2nd):

-Markedly improved, but persistent subcapsular tissue of the left kidney

-Resolved right renal nodule, but persistent perinephric steatitis

-Mild splenic lymphadenopathy

-Improved jejunal and colic lymphadenophathy

REMISSION STATUS: Strong partial remission

This week, the chemo was in pill form, and thankfully, they let me give it at home.  He still had to run over to his regular vet for a quick CBC, but was back home before he knew it!  We waited to hear from the vet school to make sure his counts were high enough for the pills.  They were, so I gave them at home.  He gets a total of 75 mg of cyclophosamide (a 25mg pill and a 50mg pill)  The 50mg is a bit large, so I think next time I'll ask for three 25mg's.  Tanner is a champ at taking pills, but these were larger than his regular heart pills, so it was more of a challenge.  Auntie and I wanted to make sure he didn't get too upset taking them, so I would give the pill, and then she would offer him a small spoonful of ice cream to wash it down!  Then he would get the next pill and another small spoonful of ice cream.  When we finished, he just sat there waiting for another pill!  I think that plan worked just fine!!  Mary Poppins was right...A spoonful of sugar DOES make the medicine go down!

 

Tanner continues to eat well and play hard.  He doesn't know he has cancer, and he doesn't seem to realize he is getting meds for it either.  Thankful for no side major effects!

 

He has been sneezing some since last week getting the vincristine.  We are doing lysine in his food.  Everything is clear and isn't effecting his appetite or behavior.  We'll see next week when he goes in what they do about it...last month, we took a week off from chemo and treated with antibiotics.  Now that this seems to be a pattern, I don't know if they will treat with antibiotics but still give the chemo, or once again, make us wait a week.

 

Well, that's our update this week...looking good for Tanner!

 



Mancats Adjusting

This weekend was spent trying to establish a new 'normal' in the house, one without Smokey.  I am thankful for scrapbooking and friends that provided a nice opportunity to be productive, instead of dwelling on the loss.  I do not have regrets about the decision I had to make for Smokey, but I still miss my snuggle bug.  It is especially hard at night when he would lay on my shoulder, like a baby while we watched tv, and then he would share my pillow throughout the night.  I keep telling Tanner and Oliver to "step it up" but they haven't taken to snuggling yet!

 

Oliver does not seem to notice that Smokey is gone.  They were not close, so I am not surprised.  When Ollie would try to snuggle in the bed at night, and would get too close to Smokey on the pillow, Smokey would bite him in the butt!  I can't blame Ollie for not being too eager to share the pillow with me!

 

Tanner is doing well, both physically from his cancer treatments, and emotionally.  He doesn't seem upset about Smokey.  They were not overly close either, as Tanner was much more attached to Devon and now Oliver and Cousin Georgie.

 

Cousin Sophie is the one taking it the hardest of all the cats.  She has wandered around the house looking in all of Smokey's spots looking for him.  We gave her time on Thursday evening and Friday morning to smell him, and see that he was not feeling well.  It will take her some time.

 

Cousin Pirate is excited to have the best bed in the house!  He has taken over Smokey's spot in one of the beds at the fireplace.

 

Here are a couple of photos of Smokey from Thursday and Friday of this past week.

 

Getting in some final snuggle time on Friday morning...my sweet boy just did not feel good. 

Thursday night laying on the couch on his favorite wool blanket.  His arm is wrapped from the catheter.  He had needed it all week to get fluids, and the vet just left it in to make things easier on Friday.

 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog and sent purrs to Smokey.  Also, thanks to those that have left comments on Facebook for me.  I appreciate your compassion and understanding.  Sometimes it takes another cat lover to truly appreciate what you are feeling and experiencing.



Thankful Thursday

Updated: Just heard from the vet...Smokey is not responding to treatment at all.  His numbers have not improved.  He is telling us it is time to go.  Smokey will be crossing the bridge in the morning, at home, in his favorite bed, surrounded by love and family.

 

 

Today, I am thankful for the blogging community and friends!  Thank you all for the support you are showing me and Smokey, (and Tanner) at this time.  Thank you Ann for the wonderful graphic and for spreading the word about Smokey.

 

Smokey is at the vet for day three of fluid therapy...he seems a bit perkier today, is walking/standing better, and is cooperating at the vet's office!  He still does not want to eat much, if at all, on his own.  The vet used a syringe yesterday and fed him 1/4 can of AD food.  I hope if we can support him and get some more food into his system, he will feel better and want to eat on his own.  Eating is something we have struggled with for months though, although not to this extreme!

 

Today, he will have his blood work rechecked, and I hope we will see the numbers going in the right direction.  If not, other decisions may need to be made.  The vet has listed his prognosis as "guarded" at the moment, so we are taking things slow and are thankful for any small improvements we see.

 

I'm not exactly sure all the meds he is getting at the vets office, but this is what I do know:

- Cerenia (nausea)

- Clavamox (antibiotic)

- Something to help bring the phosphorous levels down

- IV fluids

 

A couple of things I am truly thankful for are:

1) Timing - so thankful I did not treat the Hyper-Thyroid at the radiation center earlier this year when we determined he had a problem.  I have had many wonderful months with my Goose!

2) I am thankful we held off on doing the blood work until August, and did not do it at the visit in July...the pet sitter would have been dealing with this problem because I would have been out of the country!

3) Very thankful that Tanner is doing well, and at least for the time being, I am focusing my main attention on one sick boy instead of two.

 

Things happen for a reason, and at the right time!

 

I appreciate all the comments on the last post, and the suggestions many of you made about alternative care options.  I plan to research those suggestions and may be contacting some of you for more information!

 

Thank you all for the continued purrs and prayers!

What a Week Wednesday

This has been a crazy roller coaster of a week, and it is only Wednesday!  Let me back up a bit for some background info...long post...

 

Smokey went to the vet on August 20th, for his bloodwork and FVRCP.  His bloodwork came back showing that his thyroid was high again, even on meds, and I was to increase the dose to twice a day.  The kidney values came back consistent with where they have been, high normal, but not extreme or overly concerning, given his age.

 

Smokey starts hanging out under a chair or under my bed more and more.  He comes out to eat some, but not a ton.  He still comes to my bed at night and shares the pillow with me.  He asks for a few snacks throughout the night, but not as many as he had been asking for.  I figure, his thyroid is acting up, so it will take a few days for the medicine to regulate the levels. 

 

This pattern continues.  On Labor day weekend, I have to be out of town, but Auntie is there watching over everyone.  I come back home Sunday night, and Smokey is weak and stumbling around when he tries to walk.  I also notice he is dehydrated.  Auntie says he has not been eating well at all.  So we jump into action...100ml sub q fluids, appetite stimulant, and nausea pill given.  He eats a bit but is very wobbly, and it is difficult for him to walk.

 

Monday rolls around and I give another 100ml's of fluid, another appetite pill, and decide to give some pain meds in case that is the cause of the stumbling.  The weakness continues and seems to grow worse over the course of the day.  He looks stoned!  He still makes it to the bathroom to pee, and still tries to eat when food is placed in front of him, so am just not sure what to do.  Take him to the emergency vet or not?

 

I knew his regular vet would be in the office on Tuesday, so he went there as soon as I got Tanner dropped at the vet school for his appointment.  She ran a bunch of blood work, and tests on the urine I had captured, and basically it came back that he was in complete renal failure!  It has been less than two weeks since our last blood work.  In addition, he is anemic and his bilirubin levels were high.  The ultrasound techs were there so they did an ultrasound to see if there was a blockage of some kind in the liver...there is not.  His bile duct is inflammed some though.

 

She kept Smokey yesterday at the vet and ran fluids all day through an IV.  He was also given some pain meds and antibiotics.  He is back there today to receive more fluids and meds.  He is still a bit on the wobbly side, but is trying to eat a bit better.  He still makes it to the litter box to do his business.  He still purrs when petted.  He still has fight in his eyes.  So I continue to give him a chance.

 

At the house, I have set him up in the kitten room, so I can close the door and confine him a bit.  This way, his litterbox, food, water and bed are all very close together.  The kittens can't bother him either, so he can have some peace and quiet and focus on healing.  I hope to see some improvements on his blood values today.  My goals to determine quality will be 1) the weakness improving or going away completely so he can walk around better, 2) Personality to return to a point where I see the old Goose again, 3) Eating well on his own without having to be forced or overly encouraged, and 4) Much less hiding under the chair, but being out and about like a regular family member again.

 

Purrs would be appreciated for my special boy.



Tanner Tuesday

Tanner is actually at the vet school today for his recheck and chemo.  They are doing blood work, repeating his abdominal ultrasound, and hopefully starting his next round of chemo, which will be the Vincristine (IV med).

 

Here is a short video of Tanner loving on his favorite bed and blanket.  He is doing quite well, and still does not realize he is sick or taking medicine!

 

 

Preliminary results from the vet show that the mass on his kidney is completely gone!  One kidney still has a thickened wall, so he is not in complete remission, but has had a good response to the chemo!  We are very pleased with these results!

 

They did start his next round of chemo today...the vincristine should be administered soon, and he will be ready to come home!



Tanner Tuesday

Tanner continues to do well with his treatments!  This week is rest week, so only a blood draw was needed yesterday.  His levels are all good still.  Next week, a repeat ultrasound will be done to see how his cancer is responding to the treatment, and he will more than likely start round two of the chemo protocol.

Last night Tanner was playing hard with his crinkle balls...here are a few short clips.

Playing with the ball until it disappears under the stove...

Auntie saves the day and retrieves the stuff from under the stove.  (Ignore the pieces of dry kibble that emerge!)

Tanner picks his favorite and continues playing!

If the videos don't work above...here are the links to them on YouTube

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 1

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 2

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 3



Mancat Monday

This monday will feature the ever budding relationship between Oliver and Tanner.  These two are just smitten with one another, and love to lay close together, wash each other and sometimes play.  Here are some examples of cuteness...

Brothers helping me work on some scrapbook pages... 

Brothers washing...sometimes this turns into a whapping show, but not always :) 

Oliver would like to point out that he is almost officially a mancat...this photo was taken on Friday, and he is 11 months old!!

 

Here's a washing video...



Tanner Tuesday

Yesterday was Tanner's day to spend at the vet school, and he did great!  His day started with a blood draw, and the values all looked good.  Chemo this week was administered through IV and is called Doxorubicin.  This is one of the stronger drugs he is getting, so we are on the lookout for side effects.  They can kick in 2-5 days out from treatment.  We are purring that he tolerates this newest drug as well as all the rest!

 

The cardiology team stopped by and checked his blood pressure.  I mentioned to the technician, when Tanner checked in, that he is looking pale again, especially in the mornings.  Wondering if another tweak to the heart meds will be needed...

 

When I went to pick Tanner up, I asked if I could go to the back and see where he is hanging out for the day.  I was allowed and Tanner has a nice space!  There is the standard bank of metal cages along the wall, but his is quite large and is on the upper level, so dogs can't sniff him.  He had water, the food I brought (but he wouldn't eat), a can of food he suckered them into giving him, a litter pan, and a box turned on it's side if he wanted to feel more secure.  I thought they had done everything they could to make his stay pleasant and comfortable for him!  Sorry I didn't get a picture.

 

He is one of just a few cats that the oncolocy department is treating.  The doctor said that most cats are too advanced when the cancer is found, and so owners don't want to pursure treatment.  So, we are lucky with Tanner that his cancer was found before problems became visible.  I hope the students and doctors are learning lots from Tanner!

 

Many of you mentioned in the comments about how lucky we were to have a vet school so close by, and you are right.  We are extremely blessed.  The Vet School at North Carolina State University is only 20-30 minutes from my house, depending on traffic.  The school is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the country as well.  I love the care and attention my boys get while there!

Mancat Monday

The Black Tornado strikes again!

Thankfully no one was hurt!  We know Ollie was involved because he was afraid to go down the hall for several hours...

 

Unfortunately, it is not our table, but a friend storing it while she is in the process of moving!

Poor innocent looking baby Ollie...did I do that?

Tanner Tuesday

Yesterday would have been chemo day for Tanner.  He went to the vet school in the morning, but when I filled out his paperwork, I had to mention that he was sneezing some and had developed a runny eye.  They felt it was best not to stress him more with chemo, so he came home with some antibiotics and we will go back next week to try again.  They still did his blood work, and that is looking good.

 

In paleness news...he is looking pinker lately!  We had stopped his heart meds while I was out of town, and are weaning back on now, so I believe they are the culprits of the paleness.  We are trying a half dose of his atenolol to see if it controls the heart rate enough without taking it too low.  We have also switched from Enalapril to Benazepril.  These drugs do the same thing for Tanner, but the Benazepril is processed through the liver instead of the kidneys, so in the long run may be better for him.  With him being at the vet school each week for the cancer, the cardiologist can pop in more often as check on him too.  They are doing a great job of working together!

 

He continues to eat well, play, and love on his baby, Ollie.  Life is good for Tanner at the moment, and we hope to keep it this way!

Mancat Monday

Today will demonstrate once again why our blog is called "Four Crazy Cats", with an emphasis on the CRAZY!

Here is Smokey, in the bed...notice what is laying in front of him...a dryer sheet.  I had been folding clothes and left one behind.  Smokey found it.  He has always loved a dryer sheet, and what does he do with them, you might be asking... 

He sniffs them!  He rubs his face on them and cuddles with them!  He is CRAZY!  But hey, whatever makes you happy, right?

Tanner Tuesday

Well, I have made it back to the US, and trying to get everything sorted our from my wonderful trip to Kenya.  I'm hoping the boys will let me steal the blog a couple of days to tell you all about it! 

 

Today,  I know you are wondering about Tanner.  Here goes...I called the vet school on Tuesday, July 22nd to set up his appointment for when I returned, but they insisted I not wait.  I had taken Wednesday off work, so I took him over that morning for a consult.  Tanner has Renal Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, to be exact, and is considered an oncology emergency.  The Lymphoblastic part makes his cancer rare and aggressive.  The prognosis is guarded even with treatment, but since Tanner came to the clinic not having any real symptoms of being sick, they hope this will increase his survival chances.

 

He started chemo the day before we left, and had a second dose yesterday.  He has also now started on Prednisolone twice a day.  His chemo protocol is called CHOP.  He receives 4 different medications, one chemo each week for three weeks, while taking the pred all the time.  Then repeat.

 

Week One - Vincristine (IV)

Week Two - Cyclophosphamide (pills)

Week Three - Doxorubicin (IV)

Week Four - Rest week

 

On chemo day, I drop him at the vet school where they do a CBC to make sure his blood values are ok to receive chemo.  The team consult to make sure he is still doing well, then the chemo is administered.  I pick him up in the afternoon.

 

So far, he is doing well with the meds.  We have nausea and diarrhea meds at the house to use as needed, but so far, so good.

 

Tanner is going to need lots of purrs to pull through this, but as long as he is feeling well, and tolerating the meds, we will continue to fight for him.  We will do a repeat ultrasound after either the first of second rounds of treatment to see how he is responding, and make more decisions at that time.

Tanner Tuesday

Well, I heard from the vet first thing this morning...Tanner has lymphoma in his kidney.  It appears to be localized to just the kidney since the lymph node aspirates came back clean.  The vet is calling over to the oncology department at the vet school this morning, and then I will be calling this afternoon to get him an appointment.  They can give us ideas about potential treatment options and prognosis.

The biggest challenge right now, is that I leave for a mission trip to Kenya on Thursday!  (See the page above for more details) 

The vet believes he should be fine while I am gone, and the week and a half of waiting will not impact him.  I will be putting the cat sitters on warning for signs to look for and what action to take. 

 

Please purr that:

1) Tanner will not have any trouble while I am out of the country

2) The vet school will have some good information for me when I return

3) That I make the best decisions for Tanner and the care he deserves

Mancat Monday

It was a rare moment when all three boys were gathered around eating.  Now, normally they do not eat on the table, but Smokey had hopped up there to get some goat milk.  The others joined, so I added a plate of canned food to try to keep them occupied! 

Smokey on the left, drinking some yummy goat milk.  It is a new favorite in our house.  Smokey and Tanner both love it!  Oliver isn't so sure, but I think he'll come around one day and try it.

 

Oliver is in the middle.  He is now 10 months old, weighs 11 pounds and is as wild as ever!

 

Tanner loves to eat, and is getting a fair amount of extra snacks these days.  He seems hungry all the time, so as long as he isn't gaining much weight, the snacks keep coming!  Medically, I am still waiting on his results.  I called on Friday, but the aspirate tests had not come back in yet.  Thanks to everyone for the purrs!

Waiting Wednesday

Today we are waiting...waiting on results from Tanner's ultrasound yesterday.  Tanner and Smokey went in last Thursday for their annual vet check-up and rabies shots.  During his exam, the vet noticed that Tanner had a very enlarged left kidney.  We did x-rays that day, and it showed it was a bit irregular in shape and large.  She wanted him in on Tuesday for the ultrasound, so that is what we did.  His blood work came back all normal, kidney values and red cells, all good. So now we wait to speak with his regular vet about the ultrasound and needle aspirate results.  In the meantime, enjoy some shaved kitty photos!

Tanner's belly is really soft :) Anyone want to guess how long it will take for this to grow back?

Doesn't look quite so bad when he is standing...

Wordless Wednesday

Like The Island Cats recommended...we are taking it easy this week!

 

Toesday Tuesday

The photo is a bit blurry because some kitten doesn't like to be still.  Here you can see that Oliver is changing into a girl kitty by growing his nails long!  His girl name is Olla-Keisha.  He is happy to report that he was snagged by the spa crew shortly after this photo and clipped back into a budding man-cat!  Ollie does not enjoy having his nails done, and will growl softly at you while it is being done.

 

He loves to climb on this clothes rack though.  He has taken to trying to chase his tail while up here...it isn't the most graceful of activities!  This kitten is a nut for sure!

Weight Loss Wednesday

This post isn't about weight loss, but more about some side effects that Tanner is working through at the moment.  If you all remember, a couple of months ago, Tanner's blood work came back showing he was anemic.  Well, we have been monitoring him, and he is acting and eating normally.  He still at times though, will look rather pale.  His nose will be pretty white, and his feet pads will be more white instead of pink, etc...I took him back to the vet because I thought maybe his anemia was getting worse or something.  His blood work actually came back really good!  The anemia appears to have resolved itself, and his numbers looked good for everything they tested. 

 

So why does he turn pale at times?  The vet is wondering if because he has lost so much weight (25% of his total body weight) that maybe some of his heart meds need to be adjusted now.  She believes at times, his blood pressure is dropping causing him to appear pale. 

Here he is with a nice pink nose!  This is what it should look like... 

Another pink nose shot... 

Hard to see because of the angle, but here is a whiter looking nose...When I see him like this, I am to check his heart rate to see if it is elevated, meaning it is compensating for the lower pressure.  And then aggravate him, to see if he "pinks" back up.  I usually give his tail a good squeeze!

 

We checked his blood pressure at the vet, and it was pretty normal for a stressed cat.  He was also very pink at the vets office because he was upset!

 

We will be working with his cardiologist to see which med we need to tweak to get him to stay pink :)

Toysday Tuesday

Ollie and Cousin Georgie love to play with a certain toy.  They are both big jumpers and do a good job of giving each other a turn at play.  Auntie and I try to give them jumping time several times a day!  One of these days, I will get a good photo of them jumping big...in the meantime, here are a few ok photos...

 Ollie taking a turn...Georgie is in his spot waiting, do you see him?  (He is behind Auntie, under the hammock!)

 Looking a bit silly with this jump, but at least I got him in the air!

Cousin Georgie will jump for the toy too, and can usually catch it mid air, but he also loves to roll around in the floor!  We love Georgies black pads on his white feet!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Toysday Tuesday

Oliver is now 9 months old, and loves to play.  He still enjoys doing flips on the ground when playing and is quite good at it!  Here's a new video captured over the weekend.  Enjoy!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Tanner is happy to report that his weight has been fairly stable over the past few weeks.  Slight losses and gains but remaining right around the 15 pound mark!  This is exactly where we want him, until we can get some more muscle developed, as he lost a fair amount of muscle along with the fat.

 

He feels good and looks good these days.  We may have to come up with a new Wednesday theme, as our weight loss journey comes to an end!

 

He is still eating the Calorie Control food, two cans a day, plus 1/2 cup of dry, with a few small snacks thrown in for good measure :)

 

He still loves sweets, but we don't get them very often.  He also enjoys some table scraps, like steak, chicken and corn on the cob.  He is learning to like greek yogurt, but is still very disappointed that it is not ice cream!

 

He will go next month for his annual visit, where we will recheck his bloodwork, to see how the anemia is resolving, and maybe make a new plan for his food.

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Thankful Thursday

Wow, has it been over a week since we last wrote?  The mom better be careful before we start looking for a replacement!  AND, this week, she is staying at a house watching three GIRL cats!  The nerve...secretly though, we will be glad when she is back.  Auntie does a good job watching us, but nothing beats a mom!

Smokey Update:  The biopsy came back showing - nothing definitive!  How's that for being vague?  The vet that saw him recommends removing it to have it tested further, but said it could be anything from an infected bug bite to cancer...let's just cover all our bases here!  So, Smokey will be going next Wednesday to see his regular vet and discuss the options and get her opinion.

 

Smokey is thankful it wasn't 100% something bad...we still have hope!

 

Smokey's main need right now is to gain weight...this is hard for older fellas and we are struggling at the moment even to maintain week to week.

Tanner is doing well, and is thankful for all the fresh nip growing in the garden.  We bring some in most weekends for everyone to enjoy.

Ollie is a crazy pants and should be thankful he is cute!  Precious mementos left by Ollie so far include:

1) Ding in the floor from knocking an ornamental apple off the ledge

2) Another ding in the floor from knocking the pear off the other ledge (Ollie does not like fruit!)

3) Hole in the wall from knocking over a dining room chair

4) Set of blinds is crooked because the string on one side was broken and has had to be tied up until it can be replaced

5) scuffs on the wall from knocking the lamp off the table

6) Trying to climb up between the wall mounted cabinets in the kitchen and has pulled a piece of something down from between two of them!

 

Don't let that sleeping baby in the photo fool you...he is a wild man!  I must be getting old, but I don't remember kittens being this destructive!  He is keeping us on our toes, for sure.

Happy Gotcha Day - Smokey!

 

18 years ago, Auntie and I drove to a small town almost an hour away and picked up Smokey.  I had located him from an add in the newspaper.  He was tiny, although the rescuer said he was 8 weeks old.  He was living on a screened in porch with a bunch of older cats and one other kitten.  All the cats were eating out of a cool whip container, and it was really too tall for the kittens to eat from.  The older cats were constantly growling and everyone seemed nervous being on that porch with so many others.  I chose Smokey because he had stripes and that is what I had in mind for my first kitten.  He was named Smokey because he was grey, white and black...the colors of smoke.  Little did I know he would turn solid black in a couple of months, and would be the cause of my love affair with black cats!

 

Smokey, I am so glad to be your purrson and I wish for many more years with you!

 

Medical note: Smokey will be going to the VET on Friday to have a lump checked out.  It is in a similar location to Mojo's so I am a bit concerned.  I am hoping it is just a small cyst or maybe an abcess or something...purrs are appreciated!

Mancats love toys

This photo is from Tanner's birthday, but he got a few more of these crinkle balls for "Mothers Day"...since he thinks he is Ollie's mother! 

 

I finally found a string toy that Tanner would play with this weekend, even if the babies came around.  He is acting more and more like his old self again! 

 

We hope all the Mother's out there had a wonderful celebration yesterday.

Mancat Monday

The boys got an Easter bowtie this year...let's see how that went, shall we?

Smokey was ok, but not thrilled.  Do you see all the fur about the fly away on his head?  He is shedding like mad these days! 

Tanner is very cooperative when it comes to wearing things.  He just sat there...It was hard to get a photo of the bowtie with him looking at me though... 

Oliver thought he was being attacked!  Here are a couple of videos that show how Ollie reacted...

 

http://youtu.be/-ENQ-eQrAiI

 

http://youtu.be/BwZvacsF8Rg

 

Please Note:  Ollie had the collar on for maybe 5 minutes :)  He has a lot to learn from his brothers!