The Weird Things We Do For Our Pets

With six pets in the house, it seems like fairly often there’s something going on with one of them. Sometimes as pet parents we find ourselves doing some pretty weird things all in the name of keeping our pets healthy and happy.

The latest something is that Milo seems to have developed a food allergy. We’re not sure what he’s allergic to, but something periodically causes Milo’s mouth to swell up a little, and gives him a rash on his legs. He’s clearly miserable when it happens, and has to get a steroid shot to clear it up. 

Taking Milo to the vet is an ordeal for everyone. Apparently he’s worse when I’m not there, which is hard to imagine because it’s horrible when I am there. We’ve learned to take pictures of his skin issues before we go to make it easier for the vet to get a good look. Needless to say, we want to figure out what Milo is allergic to, and find a better food choice for him as soon as possible.

Milo’s last appointment (when they determined that it’s most likely a food allergy) was with a different vet than our usual vet. They recommended a food that is prohibitively expensive, and made the suggestion that Milo be fed separately from the other cats.

Milo doesn’t like being separated from the other cats, and seems to get really upset if he thinks they’re getting special food or treatment that he’s not getting. And when Milo gets too upset or stressed out he chews on his back legs and pulls the hair out, so we try really hard not to stress him out.

We talked to our regular vet about our food options and our worries about feeding Milo separately, and she agrees that separate feeding just isn’t the best choice for us. So she told us to go to the pet store and take pictures of a lot of different foods (she told us a few basic proteins to try to avoid, as well as some to look for) and said that she’ll research the foods, and double check all of the other cats’ records to help find a food that will be a good choice for all of them.

We went to Pet Smart on Sunday and spent quite a bit of time reading cat food labels and photographing bags of cat food. We got one or two strange looks in the process, and I’m pretty sure we spent more time reading labels on cat food than we ever have reading labels for our own food.

I called the vet’s office on Monday, and they said it would be much easier if I printed the pictures and brought them in. So I went on Walgreen’s website, submitted the pictures, and scheduled to pick them up after work.

It was incredibly busy when I went to get the pictures. Apparently Monday afternoon around 5:20 is the time to go to Walgreen’s. So a manager was helping out in the photo department. He asked me to check the pictures before I paid, so I opened the envelope and pulled the first stack out. 

Before I had a chance to say anything the manager started apologizing about how they must have given me the wrong pictures because it looked like, for some reason, I had gotten a lot of pictures of labels. I then had to explain that the pictures were exactly right because I had taken them in an effort to find an appropriate food for my cat with food allergies. I think at that point he decided I was a crazy cat lady, and that sending me on my way as quickly as possible was the best choice because it was the fastest checkout experience ever.

I took the pictures to the vet’s office on Tuesday, and they had a good laugh about Walgreen’s thinking something must be wrong because surely someone wouldn’t take and print a bunch of pictures of cat food.

So what about you? Have you done anything weird because of your pets lately?

The Quirky Quartet

Since Saturday’s post about painting with them went over fairly well, I thought I’d take today to introduce (or re-introduce if you’ve been around for a while) you to our quirky quartet of cats.

Milo & Howard

Howard is our oldest and first adopted cat.  I had him when Nick and I met.  He came from the county shelter, and wasn’t the cat I thought I was looking for at all.   But when I saw Howard I knew he was the right little guy for me. 

Howard is by far our friendliest and most outgoing cat.  He loves people and always greets company.  He also loves other animals and seems to greet any new pet arrival by saying “Hi!  I’m Howard, your new friend!”

Milo is our second oldest and second adopted cat.  He’s also the first fur kid Nick and I adopted together.  We adopted him a little over a month after we were married because we decided Howard need a kitty buddy.

Milo is probably our most high maintenance cat.  He’s very loving and affectionate toward very few people and doesn’t have much use for the rest.  He can also be very impatient and doesn’t handle disruptions to his routine very well.  He absolutely loves Howard, though.  The two of them are best friends and spend a lot of time cuddling together.

Frankie is our youngest cat, but third adopted.  A friend posted on Facebook about her sister needing to find a home for a kitten.  The next thing we knew we were adopting Frankie.

Frankie is more cautious than Howard, but definitely more of an explorer than Milo.  He’s very interested in scents; he loves to check out and sniff the vegetables that come in the CSA box.  Frankie also adores hair products.  I don’t use very many, so my hair is always a disappointment to him, but he loves to smell my friend Crystal’s hair.

Tara & Frankie

Tara is our second youngest and last adopted (for the moment!) cat.  She’s a failed foster.  We housed Tara and one other cat while the no-kill shelter was being renovated.  She was so timid and scared at first that we couldn’t stand the thought of taking her back to the noisy hustle and bustle of the shelter once she started to warm up to us.

Tara is still very timid and not a very social cat, but she adores Frankie and loves spending time with him.  I think she feels safe with Frankie.  She also likes to play with little things that she can bat around on the floor.  She loves the little toy mice and little things like bottle caps. 

So that’s our quirky quartet.  They all have their own quirks, and together they’re quite a quartet, but they keep life fun and interesting for us. 

Orange

Orange isn’t a color I usually think of myself as being drawn to, except when it comes to cats. I’m a sucker for orange tabbies, always have been, always will be. Howard and Milo are clear evidence of this. (I’d not so secretly like to have an orange tabby sanctuary, but Nick seems to believe that two orange guys are plenty.)

I didn’t really think there was much orange in my life, other than Howard and Milo, until I started looking around for pictures and ideas for this post. I realized I have a little more orange in my life than I thought.

So what about you? Do you like the color orange? What’s orange in your life? Are you a sucker for orange tabbies?

Howard & Milo - my favorite orange!



Violas in the garden

Pumpkin!  It's not just for Thanksgiving!

Yummy Carrots!

My favorite scent from the multipack.

June Is Adopt A Cat Month

Howard

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a crazy cat lady.  I feel no shame, and actually proudly proclaim my title.  I love cats.  Always have.  Always will.  We currently have four cats (Howard, Milo, Frankie, and Tara) which seems to be our limit for the moment.  All four of them are rescues, and I like to think that we’re giving them all a pretty good life. 

Frankie

Unfortunately, not all cats who wind up in shelters are as fortunate as our quirky quartet. 2012 statistics show that 70% of cats in shelters are euthanized.  That number is really high, and really scary, especially when you think about the fact that so many of those cats are perfectly healthy, adoptable cats.  There just wasn’t a place for them. 

Milo

Fortunately, June is Adopt A Cat Month!   A month all about adopting your very own feline companion or two!  Shelters are full of cats and kittens of all ages, colors, and personalities just waiting for their very own homes. 

Marta - a cat we fostered

In honor of June being Adopt A Cat Month, I am planning to give my blog over to cats for the entire month of June, and I’m hoping for your help and participation.  I’m also offering a prize to encourage participation and further help the kitties.  I want to feature rescues and shelters, and maybe some stories of rescued cats, and I’m looking for guest posts to do this.  Is there a cat in your local shelter who has been there too long?  Is your shelter trying to raise money to build/expand/improve their cat area?  Are you a rescue looking for volunteers for transports, foster homes, etc.?  Are you trying to place a special needs cat?  Does your area have a spay/neuter program in place for cats?  Are you a rescuer who has found an effective way to make the shelter/adoption process less stressful for cats?  I’d love to have your blog post on it.

Here are the rules:

1.       Absolutely NO cats and/or kittens for sale, NOTHING from breeders.  I am a FIRM believer in “adopt don’t shop”!

2.       You must send a link for the shelter or rescue the cat is from or that the story is about.  The link will be included in the post.

3.       Please include a link to Sweet Tea Reads on your regular blog, (you’re not required to have a blog to participate) if you have one, on the day that your post is scheduled to appear. 

4.       All posts and pictures must be received by Friday, May 23, 2014.  Please send them to dlzecher@gmail.com.  Once I get them all scheduled I will email you with the date that your post will appear.  I cannot guarantee the acceptance of all posts, but I will respond to all entries, and post updates as to the number of spaces left, etc. 

5.  Please keep an eye on your guest post to respond to comments and any questions about your cat, shelter, etc.  You're in a better position to answer specific questions than I am.  

Let’s use the power of Blogger for the good of cats during the month of June.  Maybe, with a little luck, we can get the right cat (cats) seen by the right person (people).  Crazy cat people unite! 

Tara

Now, on to the prize.  Every rescue or shelter (must be a non-profit organization) featured in a post will be entered into a drawing for a $25.00 donation from me.  Multiple posts featuring the same place will result in multiple entries.  I will announce the winner on Tuesday, July 1, 2014. 

Please be patient with me, as this will be my first experience with guest posts.  If something isn’t clear or just doesn’t make sense, please ask in the comments, and I’ll do my best to improve things.  Let’s keep this fun and in the spirit of helping cats. 

Please Tell Me I’m Not the Only One

Doesn't he look like a sweet cat?

It seems that many of you are animal people.  That’s at least part of why I like you.  I’m hoping (because misery loves company, right?) that at least some of you will tell me I’m not the only person with a cat who carries on like a demon spat straight from the very depths of hell at the vet.

I know cats don’t care for the vet.  I get it.  Cats tend to be somewhat contrary.  They aren’t like dogs.  Our praise means little to nothing (sometimes less) to them.  If they’re unhappy they want us to know it.  I get it. 

That being said, I can’t help but think that our cat Milo is an extreme case.  We’ve found only one vet (fortunately we like her and she’s a good vet) who will see Milo and actually do anything other than quake in fear before the wrath of Milo. 

He’s terrible at the vet; he growls and hisses from the moment we walk in the door until the moment we walk out the door.  He bites and scratches.  He latches onto fingers/hands/arms with his claws and drags them to his mouth to bite.  He clamps down and doesn’t let go.  Giving Milo an injection is a four person operation; the vet to administer the injection and three of us to hold him down. 

We’ve tried various things to make his vet visits less traumatic for everyone; they plug in a Feliway diffuser hours before we come, we give him treats in the carrier, we put nice soft blankets and/or an article of clothing that I’ve worn (I’m his person) in the carrier, and we all speak in soft, soothing tones.  The vet’s office also schedules his appointments so that we spend as little time waiting as possible.  I’m not entirely sure if this is just to give Milo less time to get worked up, or if it’s also to keep from frightening other people and animals waiting in the lobby. 

Yesterday morning Milo had an appointment for a skin problem.  I took him in the nice big carrier, padded with a blanket and the t-shirt I slept in the night before.  He rode in the passenger seat with me reaching in to gently pet him on the way.  We sat in our little corner of the waiting room and were taken to the Feliway scented exam room almost immediately. 

A clear plan of action (there are probably military operations performed with less planning than goes into opening Milo’s carrier) was in place before the door to the carrier was opened because Milo has a history of coming out swinging.  Yesterday he outdid himself.  He shot out of the carrier and grabbed the nearest vet tech.  He left her with a nasty scratch on her hand that bled all over the place.  He escaped our grip twice and screamed as though we were skinning him alive when he got his shot.  Everyone in the room, except Milo, was bleeding by the time it was over.  The furniture was knocked over and there were blood spatters on the floor.  All from giving one cat a shot.

I worry about what they think of us there.  I can’t help worrying that they think we’re abusive, or at least mean, to Milo at home because he’s so hateful and angry there.  I don’t think they believe me when I tell them he’s a sweet kitty at home.  It probably helps some that our cat Howard is so good at the vet; he happily bounds out of the carrier purring and rolls over to have his belly rubbed. 

I hope Howard earns us some redemption for Milo.  I still worry, though, that they suspect us of doing horrible things to cats, or at least to Milo.  So please tell me I’m not the only one with a cat like that.  Do you have a cat who behaves that way at the vet?  Better yet, do you have a solution for dealing with a cat who behaves that way at the vet?  

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  This seems like a great day to share an article that made me very happy.  I hope it will brighten your day too.  PetSmart Charities has adopted their 5 millionth pet! 

Because millions of adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized every year PetSmart chooses not to sell cats and dogs in their stores.  Instead they allow local rescue groups to use the space for adoptable pets.  This is personal for me, not only because I support adopting rather than buying, but because our Milo came from a PetSmart.  It’s a nice feeling to read that 4,999,999 other pets like Milo (okay maybe not quite like Milo, he’s definitely an original) have been saved through the program. 

I hope this brightens your day, and gets your weekend off to a happy start like it has mine.  And I’d love to hear about it if any of you have a fur kid adopted through PetSmart.

Things Aren’t Always As They Seem

Milo's "snack"

Things aren’t always as they seem, especially things seen on x-rays.  That is what I’ve learned this weekend.  What everyone thought were twist ties on Milo’s x-rays have turned out to be pieces of floral ribbon.  It took me a minute to recognize the pieces when the vet showed them to me when I picked him up today, but that’s exactly what they are.

The wreath with what's left of the ribbon

The wreath was in one of those couple of boxes of stuff that had been stashed in a closet to be dealt with some other time.  I had mostly forgotten about it.  It had been banged up a little in the move and I meant to get around to fixing it, but somehow never had.  I may have forgotten it, but it had a ribbon, so was always on Milo’s mind. 

We’re still not sure how or when he got into the closet to eat it, but that’s definitely what it is.  I came home and checked and you can see the chewed edges of what’s left of the ribbon.  I have since thrown the wreath away, something I wish had done before now!

We have decided not to lift our ban on twist ties, since they’re kind of a similar texture to the floral ribbon and have now decided that we won’t have any wreaths, or anything else, with floral ribbon.  It’s just not possible to keep Milo from eating, and it’s not worth it when he does. 

 Milo is home and doing well.  Thank you so much for all of your well wishes for him after my original post.  He is currently separated from the other cats, so that we can keep a close eye on him over the next 24 hours.  He is expected to continue to improve, and will hopefully be back to his “normal” self soon, barring any complications.

Twist Ties - More Than A Simple Way To Close Bread

My long weekend hasn’t gotten off to the smoothest start.  One of our cats, Milo, started vomiting Thursday night and was still vomiting Friday morning.  He has a habit of eating anything string or ribbon like, so I was concerned that he had possibly managed to eat something he wasn’t supposed to.  His appetite and behavior were normal, everything was normal, except the vomiting.  I checked all of his usual forbidden “snack” choices; all of our shoes still had the laces, all of my dresses and tops with ribbons still had the ribbons, the Christmas wrapping paper, etc was undisturbed, and nothing else seemed amiss.  But the vomiting was very, very unusual for Milo.

I called his vet and got him in for an appointment.  Milo hates the vet.  He hates any situation where things are altered from his normal routine, and he doesn’t like to be touched by many people, so he really, really hates the vet.  I ended up dropping him off so he could be sedated and x-rayed to look for any sort of impaction.  I was really hoping that this would turn out to be yet another case of me panicking needlessly about the fur kids.  It wasn’t.

Photo from Wikimedia

Milo has apparently eaten something metal.  His vet says it has to be metal because of the way it shows up on the x-rays.  It looks like pieces of thread in his intestinal tract.  There are four pieces, about a half inch long each, of whatever “it” is.  Everyone seems to suspect twist ties.

I can’t remember the last time we had twist ties in the house.  We buy the cinch style garbage bags, and it seems like all of the bread and bagels we’ve bought lately have come with the plastic clip rather than the twist tie.  That being said, I can’t imagine what else it is.  It doesn’t look at all like jewelry in the x-ray, and I’m not missing any jewelry.  Neither one of us can think of any metal thread-like object we’ve had.  The vet says it doesn’t matter what it is because that’s not going to change the course of his treatment.  We’d just all like to know from a curiosity standpoint.

Milo stayed overnight at the vet’s office for observation.  He ate well last night, which they say is a good sign, and today’s x-rays show that the object seems to be moving along, so it’s looking good for him to pass it.  He will be staying at the vet’s office until he passes it, since he will have to have surgery if he doesn’t pass it soon, or if any complications develop.  We’re really hoping it passes soon with no complications.

And we are now instituting a ban on twist ties in our house.  I have a feeling this episode is going to be expensive, and it has definitely been nerve wracking.  So, no more twist ties!  I just don’t trust him not to pilfer one away for later snacking purposes.  I guess twist tie versus plastic clip closure will now be the determining factor in buying bread and bagels.  Who knew such a seemingly innocent object could lead to so much trouble?

Who Says Cats Are Sneaky?

I’m a cat lover, actually I think I’m probably closer to being a crazy cat lady than just a cat lover; crazy cat lady or just cat lover, I LOVE cats.  I love my cats, my family’s cats, my friends’ cats, pretty much all cats. I have always had cats in my life.  I dream of winning the lottery so we can have a bigger house, with room for more cats.  (You can read more about my cats Howard, Milo, Frankie, and Tara by clicking on their names.) 

As a confirmed cat lover (and possible crazy cat lady) I always find it very hard to understand when someone tells me they don’t like cats.  To me that’s a bit like announcing that you don’t like oxygen.  I just don’t understand it.  I really don’t understand some of the reasons either; especially when someone says they don’t trust cats because cats are sneaky.

It has been my experience that our cats aren’t sneaky at all.  In fact, sometimes I’m pretty sure we’re getting the cat equivalent of the middle finger.  Maybe it’s just our cats, but here’s some photographic proof that at least some cats are not sneaky at all.  The package they’re trying to open is a package of treats that they took out of the cabinet right in front of me.  When I got the camera and came to take the pictures, they just kept right on trying to open the treats.  There was no sneaking off from the scene of the crime.

Sneaky, huh?  Sometimes I wish mine were a little sneaky.  I think there are some things I might actually be happier not knowing about.

Milo

Milo is the second oldest and second adopted of the quirky quartet of cats. He is the middle child. He will turn four next month. He’s also the first fur kid my husband and I adopted together. We adopted Milo on November 1, 2008, just a little over a month after we were married.

My cat Edison and my husband’s cat Tinkerbelle had defected to my parents and sister respectively, leaving Howard as the only cat. Howard is not an only cat kind of guy, so we made the decision to adopt a feline companion for him. I perused petfinder looking for a cat who seemed suitably deranged to be Howard’s buddy.

Milo seemed to fit the bill; he looked absolutely insane in his picture, and his foster mom described him as “interesting, playful, energetic, and entertaining”. There was also a comment of “bring out the toy mice and watch what happens”. (We later learned he frantically chews the tails off because of a string fetish.) He sounded like the cat for us! I also learned that he had been dropped off at a vet’s office after his mother was hit by a car when he was about six weeks old, and I am a sucker for animals with sad stories.

We submitted our application and picked Milo up on Saturday afternoon. A volunteer with the rescue even stayed a little late to give us time to make the hour drive to the Pet Smart he was at. We met Milo and he was everything and more they said online, so we headed home with him.

He screamed (the blood-curdling scream that only a furious cat can manage) during the entire drive home. I don’t think he even paused to breathe. That hasn’t changed; putting Milo in the carrier still results in horrific screaming.

Milo and Howard bonded quickly and have remained good buddies. I guess the orange guys have to stick together.

Milo is definitely an interesting guy. If he were human I believe he’d be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or possibly some sort of disorder involving paranoia. He’s very frightened by anyone or anything new, and doesn’t handle disruptions to his routine well. He’s also very focused. If we take something away from him and put it in a closet he will sit in front of the closet for hours trying to open it.

Milo also has quite a few fetishes, the most extreme of which is anything ribbon or string. He has eaten more shoelaces than I care to think about; we now have to keep shoes with laces in one particular closet that he can’t open. He has also eaten all of the drawstrings out of our pajamas. And he loves Christmas! All of the packages with ribbons are Milo’s dream come true!

I am Milo’s person. With any other cat, I might be inclined to say that they are my cat, but with Milo it’s a case of me being his person. I am the person he sleeps next to, and the person whose lap he will always sit on. I’m also the only person allowed to pet his head. It’s a Milo thing. I have no idea why he chose me, though I do feel honored. And I love being Milo’s mom. He’s everything we hoped for and definitely helps complete our little family.