The Tagged Game

THE RULES
Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write about themselves (the seven random facts) as well as the rules in their diary. You need to select seven cats to tag and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment (via p-mail) telling them that they've been tagged and that they need to read your diary for more information. My family is going to play by altered rules and we are not going to tag other kitties. Mom was on vacation for a week and came home to a mail box full of 'tags'

MY SEVEN FACTS
1. I have Chronic Renal Failure and have to have medicine twice a day and fluids 3 times a week.
2. I am declawed in the front, which my mom very much regrets.
3. I am possibly the fussiest eater on the planet.
4. I get to go outside on a leash and harness.
5. I have been on an airplane twice.
6. I was born a barn cat.
7. I have lived in three different states.

Kitties I tagged:

I'm not tagging any other kitties.

My Tail of Devotion for Buster

This is a special Tail of Devotion

See All Tails of Devotion

Kidney Disease

I haven't really talked about this in *public* until now, but my good friends know that about 2 1/2 months ago, I was diagnosed with kidney disease, also known as Chronic Renal Failure, or CRF.

It's been a real busy couple of months for mom and me as we try to figure out the best way to treat this disease. I've had blood work done twice and I'm sure I'll have more in the next couple of months. Mom had a consultation with a renal specialist vet out in California who gave her lots of great information that is going to help me a lot. The most important was to get my blood pressure checked right away.

As it turns out, my blood pressure is very high and I am taking medication for that. Hopefully we will get it under control very soon. Here is my treatment regiment:

- Fluids (latated ringers solution), three times weekly. Mom heats the bag to 102 (my body temp) to make it more comfortable.
- Norvasc for my blood pressure, twice daily.
- Enalapril also for my blood pressure, once daily
- Phosphorus binders - three times daily in my food to control phosphorus level
- B complex liquid - once per day. Keeps my energy level good and helps my appetite
- Fatty acids, we use GNC Multi-Oil, omega 3, 6 and 9
- Psyllium husk mixed with water, mixed with my food. To avoid constipation often caused by the phosphorus binders
- Cosequin, every other day, for my arthritis

So as you can see, I keep mom pretty busy taking the best care of me that she possibly can. Oh yes, I do try to make her job even more difficult by being really picky about eating. She buys me all kinds of yummy food, but you know it's a strange thing! What tastes GREAT that morning, I don't find all that interesting in the evening. That's part of my job, I gues.

Oh, a very nice man from one of her CRF groups had a kitty who recently went to the Rainbow Bridge from this disease. All of you Bridge kitties, be on the look out for Coal from Syracuse, NY. I didn't know him, but his dad is a great guy! Anway, he sent lots of Coal's medications and supplies to my mom for me. She was so touched by this kindness that she almost cried.

She gets very sad going to those groups sometimes. There is lots and lots of great information and she has learned so much about how to help me and where to get my supplies for less money and stuff, but she reads about lots of kitties going to the Rainbow Bridge and it always makes her cry. So all of you Bridge kitties, please look out for the kitties from the CRF groups, OK? Be nice and show them around, make sure they know how everything works there.

I'd like to give a special shout out and thank you to Mr. Mike, Coal's dad, not only for taking such good care of his friend, but for helping my mom by sending Coal's supplies to her. We'd also like to thank all the folks on the CRF and Phosphorus Management groups for all of the support and the knowledge they so willingly share to help folk like my mom and me, who are new to CRF. And a BIG BIG thanks to Dr. Lisa Pierson in California for all the good advice she gave my mom.

Song For Our Friend Lucivar

Since Luci's sister seems to get all the good poems and songs, Jack and I collaborated on this theme song for Lucivar, a/k/a Massivar.

Massivar, we apologize that we weren't any more creative than to use the same tune as was used for Emmagan's song, but since she sings it all the time, I'm sure you have the tune stuck in your head already. Now you can have dueling theme songs.

This is to the tune of "Spider Man" and it's a little number we call Massivar. OK band, hit it!


Massivar, Massivar
Watch him open his mouth and roar
He can eat a T-Rex head
So watch out buddy he’ll kill you dead
Look out
Here comes big Massivar

Is he strong, have no doubt
One smack from him paw and you’ll be knocked out
If he catches you unaware
Trust me you ain’t got a prayer
He’s big
Big giant Massivar

In the black of the dark
Crouched down he will sneak
Miss Mog he will stalk
Bite her tail, make her freak

Massivar, Massivar
Fierce giganticus Massivar
With a steel trap for jaws
Sharpened swords are his claws
For big Massivar, life’s jungle
Look over your shoulder, he never bungles
He’s huge giant Massivar

Christmas Time Ho Ho Ho

Well, Christmas is upon us. The tree is up and when I say up, I mean that it's pretty far off the ground this year. It appears to be fairly safe from cat kind, me included, as it sits twinkling atop the entertainment center. I do love a good chew on the branches, but mom has put all sorts of do-dads on either side of the tree, so we don't even have a clear spot on which to land. Too bad she chose to not trust us right off the bat. Oh ye of little faith!! She said something about "Once bitten, twice shy." I prefer the saying "Once bitten, forever smitten," which I'm certain is how the tree feels about me! The tree tells me that it misses my love nibbles this year.

The stockings are also hung by the chimney with care. Well, they are nailed up around the fireplace, anyway. And man, there are a lot of them. More stockings than there are humans, canines and felines. Lucy and I (being the brains of the outfit) have counted 10 stockings. 1 human + 1 canine + 5 felines = 7. We're all hoping that this doesn't mean mom is planning to bring home 3 more cats! Or worse, DOGS!!! One dog is quite enough, thank you very much. This wouldn't be unlike her as she is always dragging new cats into and out of the house. Our mom does what she calls "rescue".

At any rate, mom is giving no hints whatsoever about what our gifts are to be this year. In fact, she is keeping the holiday booty hidden in the trunk of her car. You see, besides being smart and beautiful, our Miss Lucy Furr is also talented and can open sliding doors, and mom's closet door is a slider. But we've all been talking about what we might be getting.

Colby thinks we're getting new shoes. I tried to explain to him that cats don't wear shoes, but he isn't budging. He's a real nice kid, but not very smart if you know what I mean.

Lucy is hoping for a Johnny Depp video collection. Nice for her, but the rest of us don't think he's as hot as she does.

Jack thinks we're getting an electric can opener so that we can open our own food (he's the beggar of the bunch). I told him fat chance on that one! I've asked several times for one of those. Since Jack can't read, he'd be in the pantry opening every can, thinking it's cat food.

Busbee thinks we're getting a pet door. I keep telling him there is no way that's ever going to happen. He wants to go outside so badly, but he can't be trusted. He'll slip his harness and not come to mom when she tries to get him. I'm still the only cat who gets to go outside (on a leash and harness) and I think that gripes Busbee. Hey, there are certain rewards for being the eldest in the household...sort of like Greg Brady's room in the attic.

Me, I'm dreaming of a tree house. One that's outfitted with a nice, cushy bed complete with one of those warming blankets that mom has on her bed. My tree house would have a TV that plays entertaining cat videos in an endless loop for me as I sit on my throne. And I mean a proper throne, not just the name you give to my favorite chair. I'm looking for an honest to goodness throne fit for the king of a cat that I am! Ahhhhh....dreaming of having some time and space to myself. Not sharing my litter box, my food bowls or my favorite sleeping spots. And make it big enough so my mom can come hang out in there with me, because I would like to not have to share her for a while as well. Santa Paws, do you think you can arrange that? I can assure you that I have been VERY good this year.

Pee Pops and the Round Worms

Oh, the humiliation of it all! I've gone and given everyone round worms and I couldn't feel worse about it if I had to sit in the waiting room of some free clinic. OK, that would likely make me feel worse because I really hate riding in the car, so I would be upset AND embarrassed. Mom is pretty sure it was me because I go outside on a leash and harness and I like to eat grass (it makes me throw up, but apparently I enjoy throwing up). But Jack also spent 24 hours outside a few weeks ago when Lucy opened the sliding screen door and let everyone out so that she could be alone with Mr. B.B. King, so it could have been him, too. Mom said she's not sure it was me and even if it was, cats and dogs get worms from time to time and there isn't much that can be done about it, that I should stop beating myself up over it! But I'm the elder of the house, I shouldn't be doing this sort of thing! And now everyone has had to take very yucky tasting deworming pills! Poor Busbee threw his up and had to take it a second time. Well, at least we only have to do it one more time!! I vow to never eat grass again!!!