Annie almost got eaten!

Annie was only outside for a short time, maybe an hour or so (the kitties like to go outside in the backyard around dusk; they usually want back in pretty quickly.) --> --> --> When she came back in, sweet little Annie's face was a mess! The right side was practrically hairless, and her nose was all bloody and the edge of her eye was torn. There were a few puncture wounds, and her left ear was scratched up. It was like something had been just gnawing on her head; the whiskers and eye brow hairs on the right side of her face were all chopped off too. We don't know what it was; a dog? a raccoon? a fox? Thank goodness she got away and didn't get hurt any worse!!!!!!

She didn't want to be picked up or petted for a couple of days; just wanted to sleep curled up real tight. I gave her some homeopathic remedies for pain and bruising, and to keep from getting absessed, which seemed to help. I carried her to the litter box a couple of times, and made sure she was comfortable.

It's been about a week and a half, and she's back to being playful and affectionate. She started eating again after a couple of days, and now her wounds are healing. Wonder how long it will take for her hair and whiskers to grow back?????

I helped with Hurricane Katrina Animals

I let my mom be gone for a really looong time; I had to stay at home with all the other kitties, the dog and our dad. She was off helping rescue animals abandoned and left behind in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I helped because I was a good kitty while she was gone. ButI sure was happy to see her when she came home!!!

Here's my mom's story:

We spent several days of working/helping with the rescued animals at the Tylertown, Mississippi rescue site/encampment that Best Friends Animal Society has set up there. (About 100 miles north of New Orleans.) It was the most wonderful, miserable, fantastic, awful, incredible week spent with some of the most wonderful, generous, compassionate people -- I'm sure I won't ever be able to forget it.

A friend and I took a u-haul trailer full of donated supplies (a really big thank you to everyone who supported us with donations assistance and/or money - it certainly went to a very good cause.)
Every day, the rescuers (my heroes!) went off into the toxic sludge of New Orleans and each night, they brought in 20, 40, 60 dogs/cats/misc. small pets. Everyone would wake up and gather at the "Ellis Island" area to offload the animals. We would coax them out of their crates, loving and welcoming them even though we were always aware that they may be contaminated from the toxic areas they were rescued from. Some were so scared and traumatized that it just made you cry. Some were emaciated, burned, injured - but a lot of them weren't. They were walked and watered and put back into their crate to await the next day when they could be examined by vets, pictures taken for ID, and grouped into their new temporary pens.

And every day, in horribly hot and humid conditions, amid swarms of bugs, volunteers kept pouring in from all over the country. We fed, watered, walked, poop-scooped, and cared for all the dogs & cats and critters. We cleaned & sanitized mountains of crates so they could be used again for the next day's rescue efforts. We tried to keep from getting heat-stroke by drinking water/Gatorade/juice practically non-stop all day, and hosing each other down with the water hose. (The dogs had to be hosed down a couple times a day - it was just too @#&#@ hot!!!!!) We sorted and organized donated food and supplies. Some of the volunteers prepared sandwiches and sometimes a hot dinner (bless them). The vets and vet-techs worked to vaccinate and micro-chip the animals, and to tend their wounds and illnesses. It was both exhausting and exhilarating.

We cried tears of happiness whenever an animal was reunited with their people. Everyone cheered and teared and took pictures and wished them well - it was the best part of each day!

Then, each night, we'd fall into our sleeping bags and hope to get a few hours of sleep before starting it over again the next day. (It was extremely hard to sleep because of all the barking dogs and nighttime camp activity.) Regardless, my heart is still there with the wonderful volunteers and Best Friends employees who are continuing to take care of those poor, wonderful, and very-lucky-to-be-rescued animals.

PS - I took tons of pictures while I was there - and have them posted at http://community.webshots.com/user/evelynblack Scroll down to the albums titled "Hurricane Katrina".

(More info available at www.BestFriends.org)

Happy & Healthy despite everything!

Update: I still have a weepy right eye, but my coat is luxurious, my whiskers have grown back in, and I'm happy and healthy otherwise. I've got a good appetite and good bathroom habits, and I'm affectionate and playful. -> -> -> We're continuing to pursue her health issues with homeopathic care - I think that's why her overall health and immune system have improved so much.

Bartonella (Cat Scratch Fever) - Positive

3/30/05 The vet had advised checking for Bartonella, the cat scratch disease bacteria, and just got the results back from that blood test - and poor Anastasia is also positive for this.

This Bartonella bacteria can cause chronic insidious diseases such as inflammation of the eyes, gums and oral cavity (a common condition of pet cats), enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, kidney disease, upper respiratory disease & vague neurological signs in some cats. However, most infected cats are healthy carriers and go unnoticed by their owners.

It's treatable with antibiotics. And may cure her eye problem!!!

New Name - ANASTASIA - and adoption!

With all her health issues, and the lack of success so far, we figured it was pretty unlikely that she'd ever get adopted out. So she's not a foster kitty anymore - we've decided to formally add her to our household.

So Annie has now been christened Anastasia - seemed to me that since she's now got a permanent home, she deserved a more fitting, more characteristic and descriptive name. I think she likes it!

Coronavirus/FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) Positive

3/11/05- I just found out that Annie was possibly exposed to FIP back in September when she first came to my house. This is a non-treatable, ultimately fatal kitty disease. A 10 month old kitten named Gizmo was put down yesterday, diagnosed with FIP after being sick for 5 to 6 weeks. (He came in with several siblings, all looking like concentration camp victims - severely malnourished and emaciated. - only 2 survived.) He and Annie crossed (limited) paths for about a week, both at my house, before he was adopted out. At that time, Annie was very sick and had very little resistance to any germs or viruses that might come her way.

3/17/05 Bad news - Annie was tested yesterday, (blood test) and she has tested positive for the Coronavirus that causes FIP. This may be why she has had so many other health issues.

Tapeworm, ugh!

I noticed several “sesame seeds” (worm segments? eggs? from tapeworms ) in the hair around her anus. Flea-comb didn’t find any fleas or flea dirt on her or any of the other cats. Since tapeworms are transmitted/caused by fleas; how is it that she got tapeworms but not fleas???????????????????????

Treated her with droncit, which cleared it right up.

Homeopathic Treatment

Started homeopathic treatment for Annie with a homeopath who was recommended to me. Saw some good results!

The weepy eye didn't clear up right away, but there were some other great improvements indicative of an improved and strengthened immune system -- within a short time her coat looked less raggedy, less unkempt, (she felt good enough to groom herself!), her broken off whiskers started to grow back in, and her eyes look brighter & happier. Her face seemed calmer or softer, more comfortable - instead of looking swollen & painful like she had a migrane headache.

Blocked tear duct

Vet visit - vet’s notes: Annie has epiphora (over running of tears) secondary to a “blocked” nasolacrimal duct in the right eye. She did not have any drainage of fluorescein stain through the nostril after application in the right eye. Probably needs expensive micro-surgery to unblock it.

Chronic Weepy Right Eye

She was treated with antibiotics, decongestants, eye ointments, steroids - nothing could shake this problem. Her face had a constant accumulation of teary discharge, which certainly didn't look appealing or healthy.