Mancat Monday - Flashback

 Mancat Tanner wants you all to see how much his "baby" has grown!

You can barely see Ollie behind Tanner, and yes, Ollie is standing!

Now when Ollie stands behind Tanner there is no hiding!

Weight Loss Wednesday

This handsome boy would like you all to know that he is back down to his lowest weight!  Over the last two weeks, he lost 2 ounces each week, and now weighs 15 lbs 6 oz!!

So proud of you Tanner!!

Two on Tuesday

My oldest and youngest share a moment, or at least a chair...Way to go boys for getting along!

Mancat Monday

On this week's Mancat Monday post, we will focus on the oldest mancat, Smokey.

Smokey loves to go out in the yard when the weather is nice.  He starts his journey off with a nice munch of grass.  We will be happy when the grass turns green again!

Next, is a refreshing drink from the bird bath.

Finally, he can begin his tour of the yard...there is a lot of pigeon poop in the yard near this drain...it comes from the roof when we get rain. 

Sometimes Smokey can be unruly and go to the front of the house...

More often than not, he circles back and takes a nice nap in the sun!  His black fur really soaks up the warmth!

All About Ollie

Ollie will be turning 6 months old this month.

He has been losing his baby teeth.  Here is a top canine tooth, freshly lost.  Auntie happened to see it on the floor, after we noticed a bit of blood on Cousin Georgie's neck!

 

Ollie is also growing in the pre-molars in the back of the mouth, and his poor gums are so red and irritated right now.

 

Click Here to see a page diagramming the dental anatomy of cats. 

 

This is a current photo of him. Here are some facts about the one and only Oliver Hughes!

1. He weighs 7 lbs 14 ounces.
2. He can jump almost 5 feet in the air trying to catch his favorite toy!
3. He is more confident in exploring his home, including climbing bookshelves, and getting on the wall mounted bookshelves you can see at the top of this photo!
4. He is a pretty good rule follower, and does not have to be told repeatedly to stop doing something, or to get down.
5. He still loves to nurse on your fingers, especially when he is tired
6. He doesn't sit in laps real often, but will seek you out at times. He does snuggle close in the bed though.
7.  He talks A LOT!
8. He loves going for stroller rides
9. He helps around the house (photos below)
10. He experienced his first snow, although we missed going out in it, but we did go out after the next sleet/snow event :)

He fills the bird seed containers...

He sorts pinto beans... 

First sleet event...getting his feet cold!  He was so curious about all the sounds around him...

 

He is a super fun boy, and has changed so much from that helpless little kitten we picked up 5 months ago!  Way to grow up Ollie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weight Loss Wednesday

This week, Tanner pretty much maintained his weight, only gaining 1/2 ounce.  His current weight is 15 lbs 9.5 ounces.

We had wonderful weather over the weekend, and have had a couple of really nice days here this week.  Yesterday, temps were in the upper 70's!  Today is warm but raining, and tomorrow it will be in the low 40's.  But we will all enjoy the warmth when we get it.  Tanner loved being able to munch on the catnip plant in the garden. 

Some of the daffodils were blooming last weekend, and now they have all bloomed and are just beautiful! 

 

We hope you are getting glimpses of Spring where you live too...It is coming!



Mancats Bake

The other week, we had a snow storm.  And while, it was nothing compared to what many of you have been getting all winter, it was a big deal for us here in the South.  As usual, things were shut down for a period of time, which was fine with me...I always welcome time at home to spend with the boys! 

The snow was very pretty while falling.  It snowed like this most of the day...I was glad to get to watch it from a warm house. 

The bird feeders were very popular!  We have many cardinals that come around and they are so pretty against the backdrop of white.  I took many photos from inside the house that day...this was one of my favorites.

Now, on to the mancats!  What better way to pass time than to bake some cookies?  Auntie started getting the ingredients together, and of course Ollie had to help.  He is a very curious boy, and loves to be a part of the action.  Watching Auntie spoon some flour into the measuring cup. 

Getting a closer look at the flour container... 

You have to level the flour...it is important to use accurate measurements when baking.

Finally, the batter is done...watching to see that Auntie doesn't leave any behind on the beaters.

 

Thanks Ollie...I don't think Auntie could have done it without you!

Weight Loss Wednesday

It seems like the Weight Loss Wednesday posts are coming more frequently...does anyone else feel like we are zipping through this year?

 

Tanner is pleased to announce that he had some loss this week.  He lost three ounces, bringing his weight to 15 lbs 9 oz!  We are getting back on track!

 

He has a fair amount of loose skin, but I don't think they remove that the way they do in people :)  He could probably shed another pound just by getting rid of the excess!

 

Here's a photo from this past Sunday...he is looking like a normal cat, nice and lean, but not too thin. 

 

 

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.