Play Day

Today I was right on Mom to feed me, as soon as I got up. Then I "helped" her make the bed. I made googley-eyes at her until she came over to rub my belly and then I attacked her with my muscular paws. She ran away!! I think I have more energy than I've had in a LONG time! My Mom is still worried about my excess drinking and peeing, but I have no complaints!

Holding My Own

Mom called the vet in the morning after she wrote my last diary entry and explained that we couldn't afford more expensive tests right now, but said I was still drinking and peeing too much, and vomiting some, too. The vet suggested Mom up my insulin dose to see if that would help. I'm still drinking/peeing too much, but I haven't thrown up since my dose was changed!! I'm still eating the usual amount, too, so Mom is now starting to hope that all the prayers have helped, along with the increased insulin. We will just have to wait...

Mom and I talked about all the cats who've sent their support, and as soon as we get a little more rested we'll get back to all of you!

Our love and prayers go out to all other Catster cats today (and their families), who are still waiting to hear some good news!

Tig xoxo

Comforting Mom

Last month I had to stay at the animal hospital for 3 days because I went into diabetic shock again and almost died, and I had to be rehydrated with intraveinous fluid. The vet said I had a urinary tract infection (common in diabetic cats), and that this had triggered the episode. I seemed well again when Mom brought me home, and I was a very good boy about taking all of my pills, to help me finish getting rid of the infection.

But I never did stop peeing and drinking excessively, and now I've begun throwing up my food now and then, as well. Tonight when I threw up again, Mom cried, because she is worried that I have something more serious wrong with me, and she doesn't know what more she can do to help me. My care has become more than she can handle, financially, and even if she can find a way to afford further treatment, she doesn't know if I'll recover.

I felt so bad for her that I snuggled with her for hours in the bed. We are both afraid of losing each other, but I know that whatever happens, we have a very special bond. We love each other SO much!!

Six Things I Like

Powder tagged me back in July and I wish I'd been able to respond sooner! Now that I'm in decent overall health again, I like more stuff than ever!!:

1. Wet food. I got sick of this a while back, but now that I'm having dental issues, it's my preference, due to ease in chewing.

2. My Insulin shot. If Mom forgets, I run to a stool in the kitchen where she usually injects me, and jump up on it to remind her. I'm NOT fond of the twice-daily poking sensation, but feel worse in the longrun if she doesn't do it every 12 hours.

3. My new and improved coat. After Mom put me on Dietetic Management brand food, my fur became very silky and less dry. Emmy eats the stuff, too, and I noticed the same changes in her!

4. My friends on Catster. I haven't been able to reconnect with some Very Important Cats yet and it's put a crimp in my tail as we shared special meowments together and I learned a lot from you VIC's....

5. Marking new territory. Mom did some apartment-sitting for a man who lives upstairs in our building, while he was away last month. One night when it was very late and nobody was awake, Mom opened our door and we followed her upstairs to that man's empty abode. She watered the plants and we ran around sniffing it all in. I didn't even pee on the carpet!!

6. Speaking of peeing, I'm doing that in real style these days. I figured out that if you let it go over the metal-lined hole in the floor of the bathtub, it disappears!! Mom wasn't thrilled at first, but I persistently trained her to accept it. She now realizes that her regular showers keep the urine stench at bay, and we save money on kitty litter!

I'll scratch 6 of you cats in to play this game a little later....

I'm Back on Catster

I'm thrilled today to be back on Catster! My Mom lost her Internet connection on June 9th because her ISP account and computers were hacked, and she wasn't able to get me back on Catster until today. I've really missed my friends, I've thought of you often, and will soon be catching up on my mail to all of you. Thanks for the gifts you sent during my absence! It's been over 3 months since I recovered from going into diabetic shock, so I'm used to the needles my Mom gives me everyday now for my diabetes.

Last week, Mom noticed that my breath was starting to smell a little funky, and the vet told her I'd soon need surgery to have a couple of teeth removed. I find that hard to comprehend, since I thought the dry food that I eat was supposed to help keep my teeth clean! I hope I don't have to stay overnight at the clinic when they yank out the teeth 'cause being there reminds me of the time I nearly died 'cause of the diabetic shock. And I never like being locked up in a cage, away from Emmy and Mom....

In the meantime, though, I'm managing to cope. Mom got a codeine-infused cream from the vet that she rubs on the inside of my ears. It helps dull my tooth pain. I hope all of you cats are healthy and that you had a furtastic summer. I can't wait to hear from you!

Love,
Tigger xo

I'm sorry to say that my Mom is behind in answering my pawmails. She will be getting to them as soon as possible, but she appears to be scrambling to keep up with human activities today. I'm gonna take a nap...as long as she remembers to feed me, it's all okay.

Mourning for Zesta

My Mom just heard that Zesta has suddenly passed away during her spay surgery. Zesta is one of our friends, and we were just getting to know her. We are very sad, and so sorry....My Mom and me were just talking to Zesta and her Mom online a few days ago. It seems so very sudden. Please send your condolences to her in a group listed on my page called: "Circle of Love Fur Zesta."

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by the Super Sweet kitten ***M***. The rules for this game are that each cat who is tagged has to list 7 random facts about themselves. They must then tag 7 other cats, making sure to list the names of all who've been tagged at the end of their list of random facts. Each of these seven kitties then needs to be sent a pawmail telling them to read this diary entry, so they will know how to play the game themselves.

Puurrrrr....Seven things about meee:

1. If my Meowmy tries to sleep in I give her a "tongue facial." Licking her eyelids is the most effective way to raise her from a deep sleep. She doesn't need to use those "exfoliating cleansers" anymore!

2. Meowmy found out I'm part Bengal. Bengals like to play in water, so Meowmy put a dish of water near my litter box, and now I use it to wash kitty litter off my paws after I go to the can. Meowmy is thrilled 'cause there's a lot less kitty litter to vacuum off the carpet!

3. I don't like it when there are humans visiting here, and they talk amongst themselves. I walk over and insert myself between them, and talk as loud as I can, until they notice me.

4. When you convert cat age to human age, I'm almost exactly the same age as Meowmy. We are both going through our Middle Age Crisis! And we love each other as much as it takes to go to the moon and back, to the moon and back, to the moon and back, etc, etc, to infinity.....

5. I live in Toronto, Canada but I have distant relatives in Asia, 'cause Bengals are a cross between the Asian Wildcat and the common tabby.

6. Meowmy would like to toilet train me to save money on kitty litter, but all of the cat toilet training sets she has seen in pet stores are made for cats 12 pounds and under, and not a 17-pounder like me! If anyone reads this and knows how training a "plus-size" kitty is done, please pawmail my Meowmy.

7. I was already neutered when Meowmy got me. Emmy was afraid of me when I first joined our household, but it was "love at first sight" for me. I may not have all of my original parts, but I can still recognize a bee-ootiful gurrl when I see one!

I've looked through the profiles of everyone I've been in touch with recently on Catster, and most have already been tagged to play this game.
Meowmy will continue to look for me on the weekend, and eventually post some names, but if anyone reads this who has not yet had a chance to play, please send me a pawmail, and Meowmy will add your name for me!

More Cats to Thank

Thank you SO much to the two cats who helped me identify my Bengal roots: Lucky and Tony (in alphabetical order). When we first joined Catster Mom noticed that my coat markings and body postures were similar to those of two of my friends, the part-Bengal brothers Lucky and Squirrel. A few weeks later, we became friends with another part-Bengal boy, Tony, (of the family of Tony, Ashley, and Callie, ILM). Tony looked an AWFUL lot like me, especially in the face. The articulate Moms of these sweet cats were kind enough to point out various aspects of my appearance, my movements, and my "behavior" that were Bengal-ish. Now Mom knows why I'm different than "purebred" Domestic Shorthairs she has known and she can try to stimulate me with activities Bengals often like. Maybe I'll be able to slim down and beef up! Em will like THAT.....

Things Change But Mainly They Will Stay the Same

I am back to wolfing down as much food as ever. When I eat, I tip my head back slightly to throw each mouthful down my throat, kinda like a wolf does...A kitty doesn't really need to CHEW their food anyway, DO they, since it will all digest once it reaches the stomach....Mom noticed, before I got sick, that I was more frequently "cutting the cheese" but that seems to have "passed" now, just like my poor appetite...A couple of days ago I started sharpening my claws again on my well-worn scratching post, and now I am back to chasing and slugging my gurrlfurrend Emmy! Mom is a l'il disappointed in me....I know I SAID I was gonna be a better kitty, but I guess I'm just a Domestic Shorthair abuser...It's in my blood, and I can't help it!....I found another excuse, too....I'm also part Bengal!! Yup! Mom read me some posts from one of the Bengal group pages that said we Bengal types are often quite naughty. I love my Emmy and I'd like to please my Mom, but my genes just won't cooperate....Ah well, Em needs to lose a little weight, anyway.

Mom will have to give me insulin shots twice daily, for the time being. I get really crabby a few minutes before each shot. I glare at anyone who looks at me, Em has to stay away from me, and I WILL NOT BE DISTURBED. Again, though, I just can't help it; my blood sugar is plummeting! I still limp around on the foot my IV tube was stuck in, but most of the time I don't let that dampen my enthusiasm for the old "chase and swat."