It's About Time

It has been a long time since CC went to the vet. I think the last time was in 2009 when I brought her down to Kendall for an abscess (no doubt created by an Inky attack!). 

Since then she has been living alone in her own private suite. She's much happier there. She doesn't have to defend her territory or deal with her pesky brothers. CC still gets the best food in town and we spend time with her every day. She even goes out for walkies occasionally (on a harness with her Mamma and sometimes Papa too). 

I've been noticing lately that she doesn't finish her meals. I checked her teeth and they looked pretty bad to me, so today I brought her in to see good ole Dr. Yao. He's nearby and very nice and honest. We like his staff too. 

Today at the vet CC weighed just over 12 lbs and the doctor said she looked great for a 15 year old cat. I sat and stared at her in the streaming sunlight (that office is much sunnier than our house) and marveled at her beauty. I'm so thankful that she lives with ME!!!

CC behaved very well and everyone at the clinic fell in love with her too. 

Teeth.  Yes.  Teeth. She needs her toofers cleaned!   Teeth cleaning for cats and dogs is considered surgery.  I will have to bring her back for this another day. She will have to fast the night before and they will do a complete blood panel then administer anesthesia before beginning the cleaning process. Also, I was warned that she may need to have some teeth extracted. I remember Scooter had that a couple years ago and maybe JP did too. 

So...I will post about the actual cleaning once it is over. 

One more thing...I may have her hips X-rayed while she is under because she has been walking "funny" for years and we think there may be something going on. 

Ramble ramble ramble. Stay tuned... 

CC Recovering

CC is recovering in the guest bedroom. She is much happier away from INKY. INKY has been behaving better without CC. He attacks Scooter a bit...but not the way he used to with CC.
CC still needs a new home. I have asked a few friends and they all said "no". I am holding out for a neighbor or friend to take her before I seriously consider letting a stranger have her. At this point we are willing to keep her in the guest bedroom as long as we need to. I will not compromise on the new living situation for my sweet girl!
Thanks to all of you who have expressed concern for her (and the whole family). We appreciate all your prayers and good wishes and crossed fingers.

CC is Healing

CC has been resting in the guest bedroom since Friday. Her wound is healing ok. Luckily, she didn't need surgery or stitches. I guess it's better when the abscess explodes all over your home than when they have to cut it and drain it at the Vet! Dr. Rogoff was very kind and thorough with CC. I will bring her back to Dr. Colker on Friday for a checkup. She is still sleeping a lot (like she has been doing for over a year) but at least she can climb up on her window perch now and she even plays with the string a bit. I bought her a new KONG Kickaroo toy, but I think she thought it said "lick a roo".
So...now I am starting to face the reality that we need to find another home for CC. It's just not healthy for her to be living in fear like this and certainly not cool to have ANOTHER abscess! I have asked a couple people so far and they said no. People are getting RID of pets in this economy, not adopting.
I have a new prospect today. I'm hoping I can talk him into loving my CC. Wish us luck!

Abscess!

Came home late last night to discover that CC has an abscess on her backside (again!). I picked her up and it exploded all over me and the couch and INKY went mental! He was howling and hyperventilating and all that. I'm not including a picture again today cuz that would be gross and I'm wicked tired and not near a computer. I quarrantined her in the bathroom as spike tried to distract Inky with a feather wand toy. Also, we sprayed felliway around the house and I notified my facebook peeps. Eventually, CC tolerated a warm compress on her oozing spot a couple times. I called doctor colkers answering service who apparently spoke with her (that late at night even!!) And she wants us to come in this AM. The woman told me they open at 8 AM. That sounds pretty early for Kendall Animal clinic...but I hope its true because here I am awake at 6:30 AM after a restless night preparing for the 45 minute drive.
In addition, we have almost completely made up our minds to rehome CC. Some of you may remember that an abscess on CCs backside is what started the intercat behavior problems about a year and a half ago! Anyone want a beautiful snugglepuss?

Bowl Bullying

What I've noticed is that CC comes down from her spiral staircase in the AM to eat breakfast with me. Then INKY comes over to the feeding station and CC cries and walks away. Then INKY "needs" to eat. When he finishes, CC goes back to eating and drinking. Then INKY "needs" to go right back and eat AGAIN! This goes on and on...as if they are each trying to claim the feeding station. Sometimes they do eat together (we have 2 bowls near each other) but I still can't help but think this is some kind of food intimidation game. There is another feeding station located elsewhere in the house where they all eat from time to time. But I'm thinking we could use ANOTHER separate feeding station. Problem is, in South Florida we have so many bugs it is difficult to monitor so many bowls for ants etc. The only other convenient place I can think to set up another station is not far from the front door (where I often see ants coming in!). I know that food should not be placed near litter boxes. When I feed them their wet food (once a day) I make sure to spread the bowls out all over the house so there is no competition. CC usually doesn't even come down for that and JP doesn't like to eat until much later when he can try to lick the crusted on crumbs from the bottom of the bowls. Our house is already under the control of the cats: litterboxes everywhere (from previous SPRAYING incidents a few years back) and cat trees, toys, structures ETC! allover the place! This is more strange feline behavior!

cold weather

Ever notice how cats go crazy in the cold? First of all, I had 45 lbs of cat sleeping on me last night. No, not one superfat cat, just 3 chubbers that add up to 45 lbs. That was cute and comforting but it leaves my body feeling like I got hit by a truck for a day or two after. Then this morning I wanted to bike to Starbucks (in 50 degree weather or so! brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Pretty cold for Miami!) and INKY was going after CC and Scooter and CC was going after Scooter (redirected aggression?), so I had to linger long enough until the tension dissipated. When I returned home from my chilly breakfast adventure, INKY wanted to play. I played silly stick (also known as silly string - it's a fishing rod type toy that has been chewed down so that only about 3 inches of string hang off it. INKY love love loves this toy!!!) a little, but didn't have the patience to really play PREY with him...so, he started going for Scooter Mercilessly. I had to lock Scooter in the studio for her own safety. I sprayed Felliway around so that INKY wouldn't mark the spots where the girls had been. Then INKY started going for Spike under the bed and poor Spikey was crying so I went and got him to save him from my ebony terror!
CC spent some time on my lap today. She does most days. She's become quite a lap cat and a mammas girl.
Then....I spent some time this afternoon trying to clean up the pee from where JP (and INKY, of course!) got upset about the roofers. I can't wait to get rid of this nasty carpet altogether! I want to go down to the Cement floors. That'd be way cool. I'm so sick of smelling PEE! I never had this problem before INKY!!! Good thing he's cute and smart and gorgeous and I love him to death!
Anyone out there on facebook? I just joined (not exactly sure why yet...). Please friend me - and my cats. Thanks.

Cat Scratch Feeder

We set up the new Pavlov's Cat Scratch Feeder. Thought it was a good compromise between free feeding and no free feeding (which the experts recommend. Even my vets office said free feeding is BAD). The cat just scratches the post on the device then food tumbles out into a bowl on the base. Problems have already surfaced in our house. This AM I found all the cats milling around the feeding station. No one was having a scratch at the feeder, so, no one was eating. I tried pulling CC's paws along the post to release the food. Scooter did a good job with it. The real problem was BOWL BULLYING. CC wouldnt let JP near the food and INKY was too scared to even approach the pole. He wouldnt let me touch him. Then I realized, JP and Spike will not be able to use the feeder since they have been declawed.
Side bar: I do not recommend declawing. I did this to them years ago before I really understood the horror of the operation and when I was a little scared to be scratched (I was raised WITHOUT CATS!!! Oh my! What kind of childhood was that??). Now I know the tricks to getting kitties to scratch where they are supposed to and not on the good furniture. OK, truth is, we dont have good furniture and anyway...we brought cats into our home, of course there's gonna be some damage etc! It's worth it. Cats rock!!!
Spike(husband) decided to try to modify the Cat Scratch Feeder so it will have a foot lever for the clawless cats to activate the feeding. First attempts were not adequate. I will keep y'all updated on that progress. Until then, I had to fill another trough with food so's the kitties dont STARVE!! I hope the Pavlovs Cat Scratch Feeder ends up working out for us all!
Do any of you have experience with this device?

Long Paws

It has been a long long time since I have posted. I thought maybe y'all were getting tired of hearing about the same antics, shenanigans and tom foolery of my clowder. Here's the condensed update:
I thought Inky was getting a little better with CC...but he still chases her and they continue to hiss at each other and CC tries to avoid him. I guess that is a little better. Certainly better than when the problem started ONE YEAR AGO!!!
CC has become quite a chubber because all she does is eat, sleep and hide from INKY! I am considering removing free feeding for all cats.
Early on in January, at about 5 AM (the hour that INKY generally wakes up and wreaks havoc one way or another) INKY was smashing the wooden blinds on the bedroom windows and hyperventilating. I panicked, thinking he was seeing a cat in the yard...which would most likely result in INKY getting paranoid about his territory and recommencing the spraying of the home! Turns out it was Rocky Raccoon. I turned on the outside light to scare him away. Didn't work. I ran outside to chase him away...all the while INKY is on the windowsill hyperventilating and pacing. Rocky is not a skiddish raccoon. He just kept about his business in our backyard...nosing around and such. I tried spraying him with the squirter I use to deter bad kitty behavior. He just retreated into the shrubbery, but wouldnt leave the yard. I'm real glad my husband made friends with this critter earlier in the week when I specifically told him he was not to hang around with wildlife! Finally, I threw a small stone NEXT TO Rocky. NO, I wouldn't throw anything AT ANY ANIMAL!! And I ran screaming towards him. Finally he got out of the yard and INKY could breathe normally again. Luckily, I have not seen Rocky back in the yard since!
INKY and JP are both peeing/spraying around the house because (I think) they are not happy with all the renovations we have been doing. I try desperately to clean it up every day! Hopefully the Solar Panels and all that good stuff will be done soon and we will have extra money (from Federal rebate) to remove disgusting dirty carpet and put in pee-proof flooring!
Scooter is still quite...shy, but she loves to sit on my lap and purr and has even been hanging around the bedroom often. She still runs from INKY and caught a loud beating from him last week (no detectable injuries).
Spike lost most of the whiskers on the right side of his face and...as I feared, had a couple fleas which bit me up pretty good before I could get the flea meds on all the kitties. Hopefully, the fleas were the problem with his whiskers and sores on his head (too much scratching, I'm thinking).
I'll try to post again soon (no more long pauses in blogging) about the new bedding and toys etc. that the kitties got for Chranukkah. Please feel free to leave comments, questions, link to my blog etc! -Cathi

Back To Square One?

CC hates the tarps we had to put all over the house while they destroyed our roof (so's we can gets a new roof and then solar panels!!). Those tarps smell BAD! Also, there was all kinds of crap falling on everything making a huge mess. I ended up messing up my neck and back too. The roof people really should have warned us to evacuate. This has been very traumatic...but I will actually spare you the details.

The big bad news is that I went out of town for gigs this weekend and when I returned...I was told the kitties were not fighting (statement naive at best). They weren't getting their Bach Flower Essences either! This afternoon, INKY was after CC with a vengeance! He chased her up the spiral staircase and actually caught her and pulled out chunks of fur. There was screaming and hissing from all 3 of us and I had to run over and smack the TV so many times to scare him off her that I hurt my hand. Then he started hyperventilating and making awful sounds. This is the worst I've seen him in months. Seems like we may be back to square one.

Solitary Confinement

picture of CC on my bed during the initial reintroduction days when she had to get locked alone in the bedroom often. Ain't she pretty?? I love her!!!

This morning I was watching Barking Mad in my bedroom and I wasn't sure if all the angry cat sounds were coming from the TV (where behaviorists were trying to condition a cat to be comfortable (ie. do not attack and otherwise freakout) around dogs. I paused the show (love DVR's!!! I highly recommend this device!) and ventured out into the house at large (not that it's a large house) to find INKY sitting, flat-eared, on a piece of furniture, for lack of better term, and CC cornered under the computer desk AGAIN!

Soon enough there was crying from CC and howling from INKY. CC started to attempt to walk by INKY (pretty confident move! but not smart). INKY was getting really riled up, so I picked up CC to transport her again (maybe that's not smart either. I wish an expert would read this blog and HELP ME!!!) but INKY was not moving and I couldn't walk past him with CC in my arms. I tried distracting him by tossing crunchy balls and shaking containers filled with coins (we have these strategically placed around the house) and I tried pushing the office chair into the "furniture" (OK...it's another tupperward tub filled with some kind of collectibles) to frighten him away, but when INKY gets in this aggitated state therer seems to be nothing to bring him back. CC and I were trapped in the corner. It was pathetic. I reached for a fly swatter and tried gently nudging INKY's behind off the...ok...classy tupperware tub. We're not rich here! And I guess we're not so classy either. We'd get rid of the tubs in the TV room if the kitties didn't love sitting on them so much!

I digress.

So...I put CC back on the floor under the desk and managed to sneak by INKY myself without incident. I realize I probably made things worse by coming at INKY with CC...and the chair and the noise. Man...I feel like I'm trying so hard here and might not be making the right choices. I need professional help. No...I mean a feline behaviorist. My time with Mieshelle Nagelschneider has long expired...even though she hasn't completely abandoned me. She's the best. I don't know how to hyperlink her name so click this: http://www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com/

At any rate...who is actually still reading this? God bless you.

I coaxed CC out with some cat milk (gave it to INKY too once he appeared to calm down. Gotta stack those positive interaction experiences. THIS I know!). Bottom line: I put CC in solitary confinement in the guest bedroom suite. She has food, water, litter, cable TV...everything a cat could want. Oh yeah, futon and compfy places to sleep - since that's all she ever seems to do now (STRESSED KITTY). I just went back in there to play with her but she must have been hiding under something...or maybe she finally busted out and hitched a ride back to southbeach to reclaim her sobe party-girl lifestyle! She hates the 'burbs.

Cat Wrangling

Last night CC was up on her perch atop the spiral staircase (built for kitties only) and INKY was below STARING at her for hours. She began to descend and INKY was getting chatty. Since CC would have to walk (or run) past INKY to get food, water or bathroom) I made an executive decision to transport her via my arms past the dreaded INKY and to her food bowl. Dunno if that was smart or not. I ended up with a couple scratches. But I think CC is too scared to go near him sometimes. Saw a video yesterday that talked about, among other things, signs of a stressed cat and I think CC is stressed: compulsive drinking, sleeping A LOT!!! and hiding and she may even be losing fur. Spike(husband) and I even talked about rehoming CC (easier to do than the obvious rehoming INKY).

This AM CC was still up on the perch and INKY still stalking her below. I managed to entice INKY with a toy into the guest bedroom and play with him and hang out for a long time so CC could come down and eat etc. INKY enjoyed his "Mommy-INKY time" today.

So...I have heard no screaming, hissing or fighting since .... ooooh, 11 AM...what day was that? Yesterday? Yeah! New record...but, I was away from home most of today. Doing some work for the Miami Shores Flute Ensemble. When I stopped by the house to feed them at 4:30, INKY and CC were sitting suspiciously close together. I checked INKY's claws and he didn't have any CC fur stuck in them!

I hope you enjoy this closeup picture of CC hiding in INKY's tent. Inky likes to go crazy camping! She's really pretty. Don't you think? I got my Cat Wrangling book yesterday. I'll let y'all know if it is any good. Pettiquette by Amy Shojai is awesome!

Had fun swimming with Tab and her kids today. Came home starving waiting for Spike to come home. Guess it's just me and my quality television programming this evening.