Going to the Vet

For some reason the fact that I keep a little curl in the end of my tail amuses my Mom no end. She even took a picture of it today. Mom is being mean to me again. She didn't give me my sardine at all. I asked and asked for it and I know that she has lots of them, but she wouldn't give me one.

Karen Jo: You are still making poop puddles, Herman, so I decided to just give you your cat food and see if that helps. There is something worse coming for you, too, I'm afraid.

What could be worse than not getting my sardines?

Karen Jo: You are going to the vet as soon as I can get an appointment for you. I saw your foster Mom at the store today and she agreed that you needed to go, so we can find out what is going on with your digestive system. She said that once diarrhea gets started in kitties with leukemia, it can be hard to stop it.

I don't want to go the the vet. The last time I was there, they stole my fur.

Karen Jo: You might get some more stolen this time, too. You are getting mats in your chest fur and I can't seem to brush them out. It won't be so bad, Herman. We just need to find out what I need to do to get you well again.

But I am better today. I even played with my nip ball a little while you were at work.

Karen Jo: I noticed that, but you didn't move it very far. I was glad to see that you had moved it at all, though. You still need to go so we can get you better. You don't like making poop puddles, do you?

No. After I go, will I get my sardines back?

Karen Jo: We'll see what the vet says about it. If she says it's OK, then you will get your sardines again.

Oh, I hope that she says that it's OK for me to eat sardines.

Warning: Poop Alert

I just got brushed again and now I am looking at Mom, wondering what she is going to do next. Mom is now brushing me twice a day. I love it. I took a couple of half-hearted swipes at my wand toys today, but wasn't interested in my other toys. I don't know why Mom is making such a big fuss over my not playing. She has always known that I am not much for playing.

Karen Jo: It's just that now you don't play at all and that worries me. Otherwise, you are acting normal. You chitter at the birds; you snoopervise my cooking very closely; you cuddle with me in bed and wake me up for breakfast. I am now going to talk about poop, so stop here if you don't want to learn more than you probably want to about Herman's litter box.

I am really confused now. I found both poop puddles and normal poop in the litter box this morning. My problem is that it looks like the normal poop came after yesterday's poop puddles, but before the ones I found this morning. Herman is back on the diet that he was eating when he first moved in, except for the sardines, but he was getting tuna almost daily at his foster Mom's, and he didn't make poop puddles then. Can it be taking this long for the effects of The Missing Link to wear off? Could giving him The Missing Link have caused him to develop a more sensitive tummy? I just don't know what to do. His appetite is normal and he is eating more of his Fancy Feast than he was, but still leaves it totally alone in favor of his dry food sometimes. He drinks quite a bit, especially from the faucet. I feel sure that he isn't sick, because he doesn't act like a sick cat. He is very interested in his surroundings and he's not hiding or lethargic. If the poop puddles don't stop soon, I am going to have to take him to the vet, because it's just not healthy for it to go on for so long.

Not Well Yet

I have just been brushed and now I'm cleaning my toes. I am still not feeling all well yet. Mom wants to tell you about it.

Karen Jo: Apologies for the long time between posts. My dentist wanted me as rested as possible before surgery, so I went to bed shortly after I got home from work up until the surgery date. The dental surgery went very well and I feel fine now. The allergies are even letting up a bit.

Herman perked up quite a bit right after I cut down The Missing Link, but the diarrhea didn't go away. Last night I took him off The Missing Link completely. He wasn't playing much at all and he was only eating about half of his Stinky Goodness and less than that of his sardines. He has been preferring his dry food. He is not acting really sick. His tail is always up, with that little question mark curl at the end. He demands his canned food, but then just picks at it. He still grumbles his way down the hall when he thinks I don't get up quickly enough, but he doesn't run down the hall full speed like he used to. He still loves his brushing and we had lots and lots of great cuddle time while I was recuperating from my surgery. Tonight he ate almost all of his Stinky Goodness, so maybe The Missing Link is getting out of his system and he will be back to normal soon. I hated to take him off of it, because I could tell that it was doing him good, but if his system can't tolerate it, then it has to go. I am ordering him some 3V to see if he will accept that added to his food. I am hoping that it was the fiber in The Missing Link that was causing him problems. If he doesn't get back to normal soon, then I will have to take him to the vet to see if there is something else going on.

Feeling Better

Mom, I thought you were supposed to do a limerick today.

Karen Jo: I was, but writing limericks with a head full of snot is turning out to be rather difficult. Besides, I wanted everyone to know how much better we are feeling today.

That's great. Mom asked me if I wanted to sit still for a picture today, and I said no, so here is another picture of me watching the birds. At least Mom thinks it is the other one. I am feeling a whole lot better with the reduced amount of The Missing Link. I am eating almost all of my Stinky Goodness again and I don't wake Mom up every few hours for different food. She fed me at bedtime and I let her sleep until 8:30 this morning.

Karen Jo: I am very grateful for that, Herman. I had to get up at nine anyway to go to my doctor's appointment, so everything worked out just fine. I feel better since I got more sleep and my allergies don't seem quite as bad today. My doctor recommended a new allergy medicine, which I will try tomorrow. Other than that, I am in great health.

I got brushed twice today. Once before Mom went to work and once when she got home. I love it. I even played a tiny bit. I also hit her up for three Temptations by scratching on my platform. I haven't been doing that much lately.

Karen Jo: I am looking forward to seeing you run down the hall at full speed to show me that you want to play again, Herman. I hadn't realized that I was missing it until you started to perk up again a little bit. I am really sorry that it took me a week to figure out that you weren't feeling too good and your tummy was getting upset. I now know what caused that mystery barfing episode. It was too much The Missing Link for your system, even though it didn't show up for a couple of days. I think you do have a delicate tummy, as your vet suspected. I will talk to her about it when you go in for your checkup this spring.

Do I have to go to the vet?

Karen Jo: Yes, Herman. You need your checkup and your rabies shot, but it's not for a while yet. Don't worry about it. It won't be too bad.

You told me that we get to spend two whole days in a row together next week. That sounds great.

Karen Jo: Don't get too excited about it. I am having dental surgery and I need the two days off to rest up and recover, so it will be mostly cuddle time. I am getting two implants put in, so that in about three months, I can start chewing normally again.

I like cuddle time just fine. I bet there will be some brushing time and some play time, too.

Karen Jo: There will definitely be some brushing time. I hope we both feel good enough for play time, too. There might even be some more blogging time. I am not to do any work, so I can blog as much as I feel up to doing without feeling guilty about not doing something else instead.

Mean Mom

It's been forever since Mom helped me blog and she hasn't been much fun lately, either. She has been really mean to me. First, she let me run out of sardines again.

Karen Jo: Sorry, Herman. I did find your sardines on sale and got you a bunch. You won't run out again any time soon. I did try to make it up to you with chicken, cheese shreds and a crumb of cooked hamburger.

The cheese was OK, but I didn't want any of that other stuff. I wanted my sardine!

Karen Jo: I know. You complained about it loudly and long, in your most petulant voice.

You haven't been playing with me much, either. I wanted to play soccer the other day and you just ignored me.

Karen Jo: When I have my coat on and am headed toward the door to go to work is not the best time to try to start a soccer game. The last few times I tried to play with you, you only wanted to play for maybe a minute. I think maybe you haven't been feeling so good lately.

You shut me out of the bedroom again this morning.

Karen Jo: I'm sorry, Herman. My allergies started very early this year and they have been worse than they have been in many years. The last three weeks I have just been a walking snot machine. It has drained all my energy and made fun things, like brushing and playing with you and blogging, seem like chores and the chores seem almost unbearable. Luckily I am going to my doctor tomorrow morning about my TSH test and I'll ask her about getting a referral to an allergist. Yesterday after I got my teeth cleaned, I got home and had no energy at all. I had dinner very early, then lay on the bed to read for a while. You came and cuddled with me.

Yes, and you disturbed me.

Karen Jo: I woke up about 8:00 pm, realizing that I had been asleep for a couple of hours and needed to pee. I am sorry that I disturbed you, but I did get up and give you new food, when I figured out that you weren't going to eat what was in your dish, then I got into my jammies, flipped on the TV and went to bed. You woke me up about midnight, wanting more food, so I got up and got it for you. You woke me again at 3:30, wanting new food, and I gave it to you. Then you decided that you didn't want to eat that food and woke me up again at 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00, wanting different food and that last time is when I shut you out of the bedroom, because I really needed that last hour of sleep before I had to get up.

It wasn't until I found the mustard yellow puddle of poop in your litterbox and you barfed again shortly after I got home tonight that I finally figured out why you haven't been eating your Stinky Goodness like you used to. I upped your The Missing Link on Sunday to the recommended level and it is too much for you. This is exactly the way you reacted when I gave you the Newman's Own, which was too rich for you. No wonder you were always bugging me for new food. What I was giving you was disagreeing with you. I am really sorry that it took me so long to figure it out. I threw out what I had given you tonight and opened a new can of Stinky Goodness and cut back The Missing Link to half the recommended dosage. You were doing well on that, as this picture of your fur shows. Actually, this picture was taken when you were on three-quarters the recommended dose, but, thinking back, I realized that you were beginning to get pretty picky about eating your Stinky Goodness even at that dosage.

Thank goodness we got that straightened out. Does this mean that you won't shut me out of the bedroom any more?

Karen Jo: I hope that it won't be necessary any more, Herman. Now if only I can find a way to brush out those tangles you are getting on your chest. I am looking for a metal comb, but I haven't found one yet.

Does this mean more brushing for me? Yay!

Sunshine at Last

We finally got some sunshine again today. Here I am on my platform watching the birds at the feeder. I am also showing off my shinier fur. When I first moved in my fur had no shine to it at all. Mom didn't think much about it because she had only lived with short-haired cats before and had never paid much attention to it, anyway. Then she read up on my problems and realized that one of the things cats with FeLV need more of than most cats is fatty acids and one of the signs that we are not getting enough is a dull, dry coat. The bells went off and Mom started a campaign to get more fatty acids into me. The sardines and The Missing Link are doing their job, because my fur is much shinier now than it was. I'm not there yet, but I am not getting as much The Missing Link as is recommended for a cat my size yet, either. The directions suggested introducing The Missing Link into a cat's diet slowly and Mom is going even more slowly than was recommended because my vet report said that I might have a tendency toward a delicate stomach. Mom is really happy with the results so far and so am I. I feel great now. The morning after the barfing episode I wanted to play more than usual and today I am eating more than I have been. Maybe I'm just the sort of cat who needs a good barf once in a while. Speaking of playing: hey, Mom, where's my nip ball?

Karen Jo: I don't know, Herman. You lost it really good this time.

I want my nip ball.

Karen Jo: I know you do. If I can't find it in the morning I will get you a new one.

You are going out and leaving me on your day off? That's not fair.

Karen Jo: I have errands to run and food to buy. You need some more fishy Stinky Goodness. You don't want to run out of that, do you?

No way! I guess I'll forgive you for leaving me if you bring my fishy Stinky Goodness and a new nip ball. I just got used to your being home all the time on your day off.

Karen Jo: The snowstorms have been so bad lately that I didn't want to leave the house. We have had some good times together lately, haven't we?

We sure have. We learn more about each other every day. Now when I wake you up for breakfast, you give me fresh food, even if I haven't eaten what you gave me the night before. On my side, I don't wake you up again and let you sleep until you have to get up. I have also been keeping my claws to myself and only patting your face to wake you up. I still don't get why you giggle at me when I am trying to get you up, though.

Karen Jo: That's because you stand on my chest and meow at me and pat my face, but won't get off me to let me up. You always look so surprised when I start to sit up and you lose your place to stand.

Not Such a Great Day

I lie around like this lots. That's why Mom has a lot of pictures of my just lying on the carpet. Today started out to be a great day. I woke Mom up for breakfast before dawn and she didn't grumble or anything, just got up and fed me and went back to bed. I joined her again after I ate. She woke up again earlier than usual and started moving around, but I didn't bug her and we both settled down again after a bit. She got up for good at her usual time and I started bugging her for my sardine. I don't usually get my sardine for about an hour after she gets up, but I was hungry. I finally bugged her so much that she gave in and I got my sardine early. Score! Mom didn't have to go to work today, so we played a bit and I got a couple of Temptations for scratching on my platform. About lunch time, the bad thing happened. I barfed, one big puddle and two small ones. I was a good boy and barfed where I always do, on the plastic mats under my food dishes. Mom was scared at first when she saw green in the barf, but then she remembered that my Temptations are green.

Karen Jo: That did really concern me at first, Herman. I don't know what made you barf this time. You haven't gotten any new food and it's been a couple of days since I upped The Missing Link in your Stinky Goodness. I have given you two Temptations close together before without any problems. Your sardine was from a brand new can, so it wasn't old or anything. I didn't notice a hairball in the barf, though the first puddle was pretty big and there could have been a small one in it.

Whatever caused it, it isn't serious. I am feeling fine now. A couple of hours afterward I had a big drink of water and a little while after that I started eating again. I played with Mom a little bit more and we had a really long brushing session. I even got a second brushing session later. Mom got one of the little mats by my elbow out with the brush. I won't let her cut them out. I don't like those scissors at all.

Karen Jo: I'm not going to force the "cut the mats out" issue. They don't seem to be bothering you at all and maybe as your fur grows I'll be able to get them with the brush. It amazes me that you scrim away from the scissors, but when the brush really pulls on your fur, you just accept it and keep on purring.

What are we going to do tonight?

Karen Jo: I am going to work/play on the computer. I am way behind on our visiting. You may come sit in the rocking chair and keep me company, if you like.

We'll see. I may just lie around the living room like I do when you are at work. I may take a nap on the kitchen rug. I may whap my nip ball where you can't see it again. Hahaha! I have made Mom find my nip ball four times today already.

No Sardines?

It seems like forever since Mom helped me blog. She's been goofing off a lot lately.

Karen Jo: Sorry, Herman. I have been having issues with being very tired on my days off. I'll try to do better.

You better improve in the sardines department, too. Can you believe that Mom actually allowed me to run out of sardines? There were no sardines at all on Friday. Sardine time came and she gave me tuna instead. I lapped up the tuna juice and left the tuna sitting there most of the day.

Karen Jo: I went to the store and bought you more sardines. I thought you liked tuna.

I do, but not as much as I like sardines. You better not run out again. I have been a really good kitty lately. I have been waking Mom up gently for breakfast and it has been working. I have even been waiting until the sun is up to wake her for the first time. Mom will give me breakfast pretty early if I have eaten at least most of my food now. She started putting more healthy stuff in my food and my fur is beginning to get some shine in it. My fur still sticks out, but I am less of an electric cat now.

Karen Jo: You are looking good, Herman. I just wish you would play a little more.

I play when I feel like it. I send you hunting for my nip ball every day. I love that. I knock my nip ball somewhere and get Mom to hunt for it. It's very funny. I would rather watch Da Bird fly over my head than try to catch it sometimes. Once in a while I catch it. Most nip toys don't interest me much. I like nip and when Mom puts loose nip on my cardboard scratcher I smell it and lick it and get it in my fur, but it doesn't make me crazy. I think nip just affects me a little bit. I do love to play with my nip ball, though. It's the only toy that Mom leaves out all the time. I smell it and bat it around and rub my head on it and lick it a little bit. Some nights Mom comes home and I have scattered all my toys around. Most nights, all the toys are right where they were when she left for work, except the balls. I love balls the most.

Karen Jo: That has been true since you first moved in. I am always looking for new kinds of balls for you. You do like your mousie wand toy pretty much, too.

That one is fun when you make the mousie move along the floor. I like to pounce on it then.

Trouble

See this sweet innocent face? Can you believe that my Mom was really mean to me this morning? She shut me out of the bedroom. All I did was wake her up for breakfast.

Karen Jo: That's not the whole story, Herman.

All right, I woke her up four times for breakfast, but that's only because she wouldn't give me any new food.

Karen Jo: I didn't give you any new food because you hadn't eaten what I had given you last night. I don't mind getting up really early to give you breakfast if your dish is empty, but I won't give you new food if you are just being picky.

But I have woken you up several times for breakfast before, but you never shut me out of the bedroom.

Karen Jo: You never stuck you claw in my ear before, either.

Whoops. I'm sorry. You didn't get up until after sardine time.

Karen Jo: I know, Herman. I needed my sleep. I had to go to work today. I did give you breakfast and your sardine after I got up. In fact, I gave you two breakfasts because you ate the first one up so quickly.

I was hungry. I did eat about half of the old food by the time you finally dragged yourself out of bed. You didn't eat anything good for lunch today.

Karen Jo: I put tomato sauce on my pasta today.

I know. I tasted it. It was yucky. You didn't play with me before you went to work today.

Karen Jo: I know. After my late sleeping I got behind schedule a bit. I did give you your brushing, though. You don't usually want to play much before I go to work, anyway. We had a good play time after I got home from work.

I love my brushing. I purr the whole time. You aren't going to shut me out of the bedroom again, are you?

Karen Jo: I won't if you don't use your claws on me to wake me up. Your paw on my face and your meows work well enough.

I'll try to remember that.

Mancat Monday

Mom was shooting into the light again, so this picture isn't great, but I wouldn't hold still for her any other way. I am using one of her big, clompy boots for a pillow. I am not scared of them at all any more. As you can see, my fur is still sticking out in every direction, but if you look at the top of my head, you can see a little shine in my head fur.

Last night I decided that I wanted to be with Mom while she was at the computer, so I inspected her room again. I hopped upon the rocking chair and went over to Mom's lap on the computer chair, then walked on the keyboard. Some weird noises started coming out of the speakers, so I checked them out. Then I checked out the shelf where she keeps her mouse and the top of the media case where the TV sits. There wasn't room for me anywhere, so I walked back over Mom's lap to the rocking chair. You know what? That rocking chair isn't so bad. It has a comfy cushion on it and Mom could reach me to give me scritches while she read the computer screen. I stayed there until bedtime. When Mom went to bed and turned out the light, I wasn't sure what to do. I stayed in the rocking chair for a little while, then went over to the computer chair, which was still warm, and stayed there for a while. Finally I decided to join Mom in bed.

For lunch today Mom was having pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken. I told her very politely that I wanted some. Mom said, "Kitties don't eat pasta." Ha! I again told her that I wanted some and she gave me a piece. I sniffed it and licked it, then walked away. Mom put it in my food dish, then I ate it all up, but I didn't ask for any more. I think I like alfredo sauce. I really didn't want Mom to go to work today. I snagged her pants cuff with my claws to try to make her stay, but she went anyway. We had some good time together when she got home. I was really hungry and ate half a can of Stinky Goodness right away. Mom gave me a quarter can, as usual and I ate it up and asked for more, so she gave me another quarter can. I ate that up in record time and looked at her, so she gave me another one. I haven't finished that one yet.

I lost my nip ball somewhere today while Mom was at work. She'll find it for me sometime or other. I played a little with the Cat Dancer, but only batted it a couple of times. Mostly I just wanted Mom time and scritches. It seems these days that I would rather just cozy up to Mom for attention than play with her.