Chooo.

Choo…. Choo, Choo.. Chooo…

Hi!

Chooo!

(Sorry.)

I’b a bit better today. Bob is still laughing at be. She says that she knows whenever I walk into the roob. She doesn’t need to see be cub in. But I got to laugh at her too. There was one tibe today, when Bob was having trouble with her allergies, that we were both sdeezing together.

Choo.

I’b going to the vet toborrow borning. Bob talked to her today and found out that the bedicine isn’t what’s causing by dark-colored poop. The vet says that’s usually an indication of intestinal bleeding. So we’re bringing a sabbple of it with us. The poop is better though and by floofs look pretty clean.

The vet also cut back on by dose of the cherry yuckies because of the sdeezing. Good; then I won’t have to wear so buch of it. It’s really sticky, you know.

Wish us luck toborrow. We’re bringing all sorts of questions to the vet about trying sub of the things that sub of you suggested. Thanks.

Headbonks…

Ahhh Chooo. Ahhhh Choo.

I’b feelig a bit better, but Bob keeps torturig be wif dat dard bedicid.

Good; she’s coblaidig dat her hadd looks like a pid cushiod. She used a taow today, but I’b widdig dis fight; I keep lettig duh cherry yuckies rud out of by bouth. (So dow she’s washig my frodt edd ad dot by back edd.)

Dare’s a lot less blood ib by poo ad it’s stardig to look like ropes agaid. It’s dis fuddy dark color, dough.
Dow if I culd odely stop sneezig life would be good. Chooo!

(Colette, you know that your rhinotracheitis kicks in if we don’t taper off the cherry yuckies slowly. The doctor wants you on them for a while so you really do have to take them!)

Dope!

Questions and Questions (No Answers)

I started to answer some questions in the comments section of my last diary entry and realized that it might be better done in a new entry.

Okay. The vet Mom takes me to (right now) is our general practice vet that has been with all us furs for almost 25 years. I’ve seen this vet several times over the past two years since Mom adopted me, and she was the one who caught my feline hyperthyroidism. The iodine-radiation treatment I got for that was at New York Veterinary Specialists. The treatment and whatever tests that were still needed prior to the treatment were performed in that state-of-the-art facility. These are actually some of same doctors that treated BK and Teddy McLovin’.

Ever since Mom got me there’s been a constant dialogue between Mom and the vet about food and treatment options. We haven’t necessarily talked about everything, because how much complaining can you really do? Mom was so happy after my hyperthyroid treatment when I stopped itching myself bald and bleeding in places and I finally made my first rope poop (rather than loose plops). I stabilized with rope poops and we’ve been trying to find (unsuccessfully) better alternatives to the food I’ve been getting. With every replacement we tried to slowly introduce I ended up with a blood in my poop. I stabilized on a combination of Prescription Diet w/d and California Natural kibble and Natural Balance canned Chicken/Liver and Turkey Giblet. Lately, for no real reason, it started to get bad again.

While I have a mile-long list of things I tested allergic to, I never tested allergy-positive for tuna fish. We tried that again after my iodine-radiation treatment, because I love it so much. It was a disaster. We also figured out that we can’t do Natural Balance Venison and Pea or Evo 95% Venison—they both have trace amounts of fish oil in them. Weruva (Grain Free) Chicken made a mess and so did Blue Buffalo’s Chicken product. (I’m also highly allergic to beef, duck, rabbit and lamb.)

When I started giving Mom a hard time about eating my wet food, we tried putting Wellness “deVour” into the food. There was nothing in it that showed up as an allergen for me--it was a disaster. We moved to crumbling Stella & Chewey’s kitty chicken treats into the food. Same deal. Likewise, Stella & Chewey’s raw chicken patties. What the three have in common is cranberries—which is supposed to be a wonderful digestive. That’s when we tried Stella & Chewey’s raw chicken doggie treats—they have only chicken bone meal and freeze dried chicken. No go. The only treats that didn’t make a mess is Wellness Chicken or Turkey—they’re hard to get where we live and Mom decided that we really can’t afford them on a constant basis right now.

(Just one aside—we’ve recommended some of these products to other kitties when they didn’t want to eat. They are wonderful products. I’m the world’s pickiest eater and I loved them! Samsara’s getting them now (no fair!) when she doesn’t want to eat the wet food that Mom gives her once a day with her asthma pill mixed in. Samsara looks forward to the evenings when she gets these treats. And, believe me, she’s living high on the hog when she gets them!)

P.S. I also tested positive for allergies to Brewer’s yeast, which rules out 99.9% of the kibble products on the market. It also rules out Pill Pockets.

Mom is beginning to think that it may not be the food I’m getting right now at all, that it’s my condition deteriorating. And she’s beginning to realize that my giving her a hard time with eating the wet food usually starts a couple of weeks before my poops start getting worse. The one positive side-effect of the prednisolone (cherry yuckies) I’m getting now is that I’ve started eating like a horse. Maybe that’s why I got the horse pills? Mom has always said that I drink like a fish. Marrakech and I practically empty our water fountain once a day.

Anyway, this lengthy preface is just to give you a clear understanding of where we’re at and to say that Mom actually hasn't taken me to the vet since my follow up exam after I got my iodine radiation treatment. But we have been in constant contact with the vet over the phone.

If the Tylan doesn't help, the vet wants to do a biopsy. We and the vet are still trying to avoid the invasive tests—and, up to now there hasn’t been a concrete reason to go ahead with them. Our vet is also looking into an experimental treatment that a West Coast Veterinarian claims he has had success with. Another fur, (wish we could remember who) recommended the book he wrote:

Pets at Risk: From Allergies to Cancer, Remedies for an Unsuspected Epidemic by D.V.M. Alfred J. Plechner (Author), Martin Zucker (Contributor).

The book deals with autoimmune system disorders and a corticosteroid replacement treatment. Our vet is beginning to think that the treatment has possibilities. She wants to do some more research before deciding whether or not to go ahead with this lifetime therapy.

One of the things pointing towards doing this is something else we haven’t really talked about and you most likely missed in my bio: I also have feline rhinotracheitis.

Mom says that for a pretty girl, I sure am a mess.

One last note about this is that, as Alex’s mom could tell you, there is no cure for what I’ve got, and there’s no magic bullet or pill that’s going to make this thing go away. Unfortunately, you try one thing and another and another…. And it’s like a moving target.

In the meantime, it’s really lovely knowing that you care and that you’re all purring for me. You furs are the best!

Headbonks…

Horse Pills and Battle Gear

Egads, what a day! Mom got the Tylan pills from the vet. Those aren’t kitty pills, they’re horse capsules. The vet told Mom to be really careful to make sure that they don’t open because Tylan is really bitter.

This isn’t going to be fun. I tried to scratch Mom today when she gave me the cherry yuckies. (I’m getting good at making sure some of it splashes back out of my mouth.) Out came the rubber gloves and in went the pill. Yuck!

Maybe we can work out some kind of compromise here, Mom. Like you take the medicines and I’ll be a ‘good’ kitty? (No? Why not?)

We were just reading up on Tylan last night—Mom found out it can also be administered via injection.

Well. Let’s see how the pills work out first. In the meantime, I’m getting really good at hiding behind the sofa and under the bottom shelf of the sideboard. Unfortunately, Mom’s getting really good at getting me out from under the furniture too.

Small comfort, she’s giving me a lot of extra love.

Quick Update on Me

I overheard Mom on the phone with the vet today. This is not good--hushed voices--something about most likely IBD.

I heard her saying something about that dose of the cherry yuckies she missed and the blood in my poops. Then she said that even though it's been a couple of days since, the cherry yuckies only seem to be controlling the blood and my poops are worse. Yeah, I've gotten a couple of baths and she did have to use the pet wipes a few times already.

I've also gotten smarter about getting that stupid medicine. She keeps pushing my paw back down saying, "Colette, we don't scratch." Why not? Wouldn't you?

The last part of the conversation I overheard was something about Tylan pills, and I heard her saying that she might have to revive her battle gear (rubber gloves to keep from being clawed).

Uh ohhhh...

Not Quite Back Yet

Mom asked me to tell you all that we’re here and that your lovely and kind comments (for all three of us) have been keeping her going through setting up the new computer.

She says that she feels like the biggest computer bobo. Wow! What a difference going from Windows XP to Windows 7 and Office 2010. We’ve also always had a desktop. Now we have a laptop—a big leap. I bet I could pawdle (can that replace the word handle?) that pretty easily. Mom says she feels like she has two left thumbs. She also has to look at the keyboard way too often to find cursor movement keys and stuff.

We’re still only going to be on Catster sporadically—she still has to move all our files and do a million other things.
Unfortunately, I’m probably on that million other things list. The cherry yuckies have helped with the poops but I have blood in them and Mom thinks there’s more blood than I’ve had in the past. Looking into the crystal ball, it sounds like there are tests looming large in my near future.

We still love you, it’s just going to be slow for a while. We’re also planning on taking the Valentine’s pictures off the profile pages and putting up some new ones. The new ones, alas, are only a small part of all the files that have to be moved or saved to disk.

I’ve now wised up a bit. I see Mom starting to head toward me with the syringe and I make myself scarce. She still catches me sound asleep. Oh well. No biggie.

Marrakech is starting to do better, but I’ve been taking up some of that slack by being cranky. But, let me tell you, I don’t know what they put in those cherry yuckies; they’ve been making that canned food supper taste awfully good lately. I finished eating everything in the bowl after Mom threatened to save it in the fridge tonight; yesterday I asked for seconds. (She gave me more!)

Anyway, we’ll try to keep you updated as we know more.

Headbonks…

My Funny Valentine

In honor of Valentine’s Day we thought that instead of complaining, we would talk about the things we love about each other.

It may be a few days before we get back to effuryone with thanks for Marrakech’s DDP. Our computer is old enough and has had enough problems that it’s going to the computer bridge—it’s only a matter of time before it dies and we lose all our stuff. We just got a new one and need to take the time to set it up and get our files transferred. But in the meantime, we do want to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

As a preface to this writing thought we’d post the wonderful lyrics to Rogers & Hart’s , classic song, “My Funny Valentine”. Obviously not everything is appropriate. We’re cats, not peeps or birds, but the general idea holds so true for us.

My Funny Valentine.
Rogers & Hart

Behold the way my fine feathered friend
Thy virtue doth parade.
Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend
The picture thou hast made.

Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair conceal thy good intent.
Thou noble, upright, truthful, sincere,
And slightly dopey gent.

You’re my funny valentine
Sweet, comic valentine,
You make me smile with my heart.

Your looks are laughable,
Un-photographable.
Yet you’re my favorite work of art.

Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak,
Are you smart?

But don’t change a hair for me
Not if your care for me.
Stay, little Valentine. Stay!
Each day is Valentine’s Day.

###

Yes, I am a smarty-pants. But you know something? I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve earned that badge through the school of hard knocks.

Marrakech and Samsara never knew anything but kindness. They went straight from their biological mothers’ home to Mom. I wish I had been so lucky. I belonged to a family once, and I was always sick. And because I was always sick, I was cranky. Wouldn’t you be cranky if you always felt sick? You know what that family did? They dumped me at Manhattan CACC, a high-kill shelter. Bideawee rescued me, and that’s when the rest of my life began. Bideawee didn’t know what was wrong with me either. They tried to make me better—probably just well enough so that someone could adopt me.

Mom saw my picture here on Catster. I was pawing at the glass door of the cage I was in, calling “come get me”. I need someone to love too. Mom saw that picture and we bonded even before we met. She came to meet me and I took one look at her and that was it for me. I wrapped myself around her legs. I let her put her face in my belly and play with my paws and my tail…

They put a bowl of food in the middle of that room where we got to know each other. I was always hungry and really skinny back then because my body couldn’t digest the nutrients in the food. I had such a hard time deciding between eating that food and making sure that the lady who came to meet me didn’t leave without me. (She did leave without me, but only for the weekend so the shelter could finish giving me a round of antibiotics. She wanted to make sure that we didn’t start off on the wrong footing.) In the end, I abandoned the food and gave Mom my full attention.

I’m not going to say I never looked back. With a history like mine, you carry a lot of baggage with you. It’s really taken me a while to accept that I really do have a home now. And I love it here. Okay, so Marrakech is a pain, but Samsara is really sweet. Do I have to tell you how much I love Mom? I take really good care to make sure she knows it. There’s not a day that goes by without my holding her hand with my paw, without giving her gummy kisses, and without making sure I greet her and do my happy dance when she walks in the door. In short, there’s not a day that goes by without my saying “thank you for loving me”. I make sure that her day always starts with me—I jump on the toilet seat asking for my brushies (usually before she gets her coffee). Not right? Why? I always give her headbonks and gummy kisses too... And I’m always sorry afterwards when I lose my temper over nothing and give her the smacky paw….

This is Mom: Oh, Colette. You are a hard nut to crack, but that is what’s so lovable about you. You’ve gone from a skinny mangy-looking girl, to a gorgeous floof-ball. If you want unconditional love, get a dog. If you want an intellectual challenge, get Colette. One minute you’re stuck- up and aloof, the next minute, there’s no sweeter more lovable kitty than you. And you are so smart in so many ways. You argue with me and you make me laugh.

I just realized that there’s no such thing as reading a book or a magazine in the house anymore. You walk onto them all and cover them. I also realized that I’ve migrated to taking all my meals standing at the stove. It’s so much easier there than having to try to push you away from my plate at the dining room table. Wait a minute…who’s calling the shots here????

I wish people could see the big, powerful girl you are. You make me laugh with those mad, pigeon-toed dashes through the apartment at 90mph, hind legs skidding out in all directions on the bare wood floor. You make me laugh every time you explode out of the bathtub leaving wet paw prints all the way from the bathroom down the hallway. You leap on high surfaces as if they were nothing, but you’ve learned exactly what is completely off-limits and you never go on those things. For sure, I thought when I first saw that, that I was kissing goodbye to some really lovely antique collectibles. That never happened. They’re out where you could get them and I know I don’t have to worry.

I love your gummy kisses and holding paws with you. I love your crazy markings: that white patch under your right eye, even if makes all your photos look like that eye is always closed. And now, I’m going to tell a couple of secrets about those crazy markings of yours that really don’t show up in your photographs but make you even more special. I’m going talk about that fawn-colored bulls-eye right in the middle of the tip of your tail, and I’m going to talk about that one white toe on your foot, and the crazy apricot-colored spot on one of your back feet. I’m still trying to get those to show up in your photographs.

You may not always be the nicest kitty—you are cantankerous. But you’re also a softy. I see you trying so hard to maintain that nonchalant façade of yours, but you always greet me at the door, so happy to see me. When I hold you, you refuse to look at me, and at the same time, you melt into my arms and purr. And then we cuddle up together on ‘your’ sofa. It’s all the more gratifying seeing that I’ve earned your love and your trust because I know that you give neither indiscriminately.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetheart.

Plotting Revenge – Can Anyone Help?

Plotting Revenge – Can Anyone Help?

This isn’t funny, furs! She’s making a fool out of me. You know who.

I had some poo plops in my floofs yesterday. First I got a bath. Then I got towel dried…and horrors… I got hair dried! Then I got a kiss and out came that saccharine voice telling me what a good girl I am.

Later, I heard her on the phone with the vet. They were talking about food again, and IBD testing and immune deficiency treatments. Finally, Mom and the vet agreed on a temporary measure. It appears I’m going to be sharing that bowl of cherries with Marrakech (prednisolone) for the next few weeks.

So, I was just ambling along minding my own business when she cornered me. I’ve seen that move a million times before. You know, the between-the-knees maneuver. I should have suspected. I’m the only fur in the house that hasn’t been subjected to that treatment in quite a while. Next thing I know my head is being tilted upwards. I was so shocked that my jaw dropped open. Gack! Couldn’t she have saved some for her precious “Keshy”? Wow that was a mouthful! The worst part was that Mom had this really self-satisfied look on her face. It was like she’d just stolen candy from a baby or like she was the cat that just ate the canary.

You bet I fought her last night over the same thing. Heh heh. She won. :~(
How’s a girl supposed to see enough to hit her mark when there’s a hand over her eyes? I was thrashing at air. I didn’t even get to put one ribbon on her hand!

Okay… last night I already started plotting my revenge.

Plan A implementation: I’ve taken over Keshy’s corner of the bed. It’s the corner of the bed where she usually cuddles up to Mom’s face. Not that Mom would mind that so much; Kesh usually migrates under the covers or behind her knees anyway. I gave this one a new twist. Ready? I laid there staring right into Mom’s face at close range until she felt like she was being watched. She woke up! I waited for her to drift off again, and repeated plan A. It worked a second time.

But this could get old after a while. I mean, I do have to stay awake to drive her crazy like that. It’s too bad I can’t tilt her head back and drown her in cherry syrup!

This morning she waited until I was in dreamsville. She woke me up, tilted my head back and you can guess the rest. I never had a chance!

Plan B implementation: Trip her and injure her so she can’t make it to the kitchen for the medicine. I decided I would lay right under the step down from the dining room platform. Well, I thought that was a good idea until I thought about the consequences of getting stepped on. Then I also realized ‘if she can’t make it to the kitchen for the medicine, then she can’t make it to the kitchen for the food either’. Scratch Plan B.

Anyone have any thoughts about this? I’m open to lots and lots of suggestions.

Giggles.

Tagged By Samhain

I’ve been tagged by my new little friend Samhain . BTW, Samhain is awfully pretty, awfully nice, and awfully new. She could use some new furriends. Please do stop by her page and introduce yourself.

Here are the rules:
Name the 5 most annoying things your humans do, then tag 5 others to keep it going.

1. Mom breaks all my good balls, the ones with the metal bells in them. She steps on them and cracks them. All I’m left with is the bell. :~(

2. She keeps bugging me to eat the wet food. If it’s not tuna fish or kibble or chickie treats, no thanks. (P.S. It’s really quite simple—she just doesn’t get it. I don’t care if you put chickie treats in it; it’s still not tuna fish or kibble, or chickie treats. I’ll have my chickie treats without the frills, if you please.)

3. The can-opener tease. You know what I mean. We were imbued with supersonic hearing for a reason—tuna fish, salmon, sardines…. (My mouth is beginning to water just thinking about it!)

It never fails: I wake up from the most amazing sleep to the dreamy sound of the….CAN OPENER!!! Ooooooooh! I stampede down the hallway so she’s sure to hear me coming. I come to a screeching halt and I put the cutest look on my face. I wait with bated breath (still trying to look cute and needy). Oooh…she’s letting me smell?? … I might get some???? Tomatoes!!!!!!!!! Yuck! I’ve been had! What a waste of energy!


4. And do you know how inconsiderate she is?

- Where am I supposed to sleep when she’s watching TV in my sofa?

- Furthermore… (I love that word) … and furthermore… She could at least turn the piano keyboard power off! I don’t need a fanfare accompanying me —ta-daaaahhhh!!!!--every time I make the over-the-keyboard jump to the table.


5. She puts Marrakech in her lap with that ridiculous baby bottle twice a day when she’s supposed to be paying attention to me. Hee hee. I get even on that one. Bonk! Bonk! That’ll show the little floofless runt not to take up all my time. (Sometimes I sit on the aerosol can cap too. Then when Mom tries digging around under me to get it, I give Mom the old smacky paw.) Funny. I haven’t stopped them yet. No matter. I’ll just keep trying.

I’m tagging my friends:
FishStick
Pixie
Gentleman Jack
Tethys Fluffkins
Indiana

Bonk, Bonk…Headbonks….

Colette

Happy Lunar New Year (Year of the Rabbit).

We just received this lovely e-mail from my other name-sake, Samantha, a lady who is truly wise beyond her years. We’re reprinting it here, in part and as written (with the parts obviously intended for personal friends omitted). Samantha has already posted this to the blog that she writes. May we all learn from her wisdom.

We wish all our friends a joyous and prosperous, New Year (Year of the Rabbit).

Colette Sidonie-Samantha

“Lunar New Year is the one I am excited to celebrate even if it's filled with rules, regulation, superstition and crazy elders. The celebration focuses on family/friends, life and the future outlook. It's a colorful 7 day long holiday fill of get together and food. In Chinese culture for example there is no such thing as resolution rather one is to set goals and look towards a better and more successful as well as prosper future in every area in our lives. We clean our homes thoroughly, buy new outfits and use brand new things as symbol to start on a clean slate in the New Year. As for terminologies, vocabulary used in the same sentence are not "I'll try' but 'I will'; it's not "completed" but " excelled". In the pass years I have slowly change my personality and characteristic, part of growing up and darn glad I am continuously revolving.

~I refrain from immediately blaming birth right, pass history, destiny, family and society over every little situation that cross our paths. We all are born relatively the same with a head, heart, body, 2 kidneys, hair and most average human body parts. What we are given to start off with depends on which lucky family you were born into, ethnicity, class status, environment, religion, and birth origin (all which writes our background). However what we make out of ourselves from the resources offered to us is our own doing. How we beat the odds and win over obstacles and make wise choices is up to us. We pave out own path as adults; hence, our life is our responsibility. Of course what we can’t control is other people's decisions, mother-nature or natural causes like illness.

~I have greater faith in myself, family members, friends and others, even in dealing with unforeseen circumstances.

~I am more forgiving and/or willing to not take things to heart. …

~I learn to listen better and speak slower in conversations. I find not only do others respect you more but you learn so much when you listen instead of draining others out with the sound of your own voice. After all we live on this planet together, so why the arrogant or hate?

~I am more willing to take up challenges on changes forced by others head on. I enjoyed working with trouble kids, I sort of lost faith in the system but instead of quitting, I took a different route on making a difference by focusing on children with autism from middle/low income family.

~I manage my will power to defy others, myself and the universe. Most certainly I have failed on many projects but I keep at it (yippee I will pester you 100X if I must). The 5 wonders of the world didn’t erupt overnight; it took time and determination to built. *This true occurrence: a daddy group was organized by a lonely stay at home dad on the 1st month, no one responded; 3 months, only 4 dads; 6 months, a buddy joined him and bought along a few friends; 2 years later this club is 305members all dads strong. Gotta keep at it if you want it to happen bad enough. God only help those who help themselves. We also have to help each other to succeed.

~I am limited at feeling sorry for myself or anyone else for that matter. If I wanted a pity party …. I also don’t tolerate attitudes but I am mellow towards it. *If anther person can’t stop yelling, lecturing or snapping at me, I actually look at them with an underlying pity on their karma & soul. Each of us is capable of controlling our temper.

~I find myself reaching a level of divine patience especially towards irritable and intolerable or ill mannered individuals. *I get the same result or even better if I don’t rush into things. It's better to take your time and do it right the first time then to have to go back and fix mistakes. Think before you speak or act. Alas, when I speak to a frazzle person calmly they also slowly relax.

~I am working on stay neutral like the Buddha. If I don't agree with someone's views, I either say nothing or ignore the subject. This is not to say I ignore grievances or complains cause I'd hate it if someone constantly act like my problems are unimportant.

~I am proud to be Facebook Free for over 6 months. I think that decision had bought me closer to people because now I am force to make plans and call them. I am content at winding down the number of people I label close friends. My circle of friends may be small but my network of acquaintances/colleagues/peers is large than life and I care about every one of you.

~I have gotten better at working at being below my mean. I learn how to be happy living without wants and bargain hunting for needs. Trick is to ignore temptation and expensive difficult people. And surprised even though I have a financial tighter budget this year to work with, I actually am more in touch with friends. I am most certainly grateful most of my peers are understanding of my hardship and even generous and forgiving of what I can’t offer. Thank You!

~I have grown cultural well rounded in all area from music, books, museums (art), and films.

….

….

~I have set my goals and ‘to do list’ and actually crossing things off even if it means making sacrifices here and there.

May you and you love ones have healthy as a turtle, good fortune, joyous, and safe Lunar New Year (Year of the Rabbit). “