100% Again

Bambino:  Good news, everyone!  I'm 100% well again!  The Prince of Pounce is back!  Unfortunately, I pounced Oja and it had been so long since I pounced her that she hissed at me.

Karen Jo:  Oja wasn't very happy about it, but I was.  I got an email from Dropcam requesting a post and to send them a link to the post.  I did one for them, but now I got another request for a post with a link in it.  So here it is.  They were interested in my cats' quirks.

Bambino:  I demand petting at 0-dark-thirty after Mom gets back from the big white litter box.  I taste every food bowl until I find one I like.  After I am done eating, I dig at the place mat, trying to bury any leftovers.  I give Oja gentle head butts and rub up against her.  I am the only cat she allows to do this.

Spyro:  I love getting way up high.  I also get up on the valence above the curtains in the living room and I get up on top of doors.  I try to get outside when Mom opens the door.  When Mom sits at the kitchen table and tries to read the newspaper, I sit on the paper and demand to be petted.  While she is petting me, I snuggle my head into her armpit, then bite her.  You should hear her yell!

Oja: This is the first picture Mom ever took of me I have a short curly tail.  When I am happy, I curl it up like a chow dog.

Rocio:  Or a pig.

Oja:  ::WHAP!::  I am also the grumpy cat of the family.  It takes me weeks or months . . .

Rocio: Or years . . .

Oja: to make friends with another cat.  I did make an exception in Julius' case and accepted him right away.

Rocio:  I am the only cat who likes to sleep like this.  I like to tease Oja and make her yell, which is probably why she never made friends with me.

Horus:  Like Spyro, I like to get up high.  Here I am up on top of the filing cabinet.  I also get up on top of the valence in the living room and up on top of doors.  I also like to try to escape when Mom opens the door.  Sometimes Spyro and I work together.  One of us distracts Mom and the other one runs out.  As she makes a grab for the escaping cat, the other one runs out.  We only want to go out and scratch our backs on the concrete and chew on the grass, but Mom always walks around behind us until she can grab us and take us back inside.  I like to threaten Rocio and make him yell.  Oja is my friend and I don't like the way Rocio makes her yell.
                                      
Julius:  I am the newest one here.  I have only been living here for a couple of weeks.  My quirk is that I'm afraid of the Lady.  This is as close as I will let her get to me, unless she is giving out treats.  Then I will get close enough to her for her to touch me.  I even let her pet me a little until the treats run out.  Then I run away again.

Super Sunday

 Bambino:  I have some great news: I'm well!

Karen Jo:  I'd say 99% well.

Bambino:  Why only 99%?

Karen Jo:  The Prince of Pounce isn't back yet, but I'm sure he will be.

Bambino:  I got a little better every day and the night before last I played with Mom's shoe laces and the sleeve of her pajamas.  Today I rassled with Julius and napped with him.  I can do my mighty leaps again and I eat up all my treats and food.  Yesterday, even the kitten food disappeared.  I say I'm all well.

Karen Jo:  You are certainly well enough not to have to go back to the vet tomorrow.

Bambino: YAY!  I want to thank everyone for purring for me.  It worked!

 Spyro:  It is Sunday and most of us are taking our Easy.  I'm in the blue bed by the heat vent, keeping warm.

 Oja:  I'm up on the tall scratcher, catching some rays.  Mean Mom says she isn't going to take any more pictures of me.

Karen Jo:  That's not what I said.  I said I wasn't going to take any more pictures of you in your cushioned chair under the kitchen table or in your chair in the computer room.  It's too dark and the pictures don't come out well.  I am going to concentrate on getting the camera out when I see you out, so there will be new pictures of you.

Oja:  Oh, that's ok then.

 Rocio:  I'm up on the big pillow in a great big sun puddle.  It's so bright I have to cover my eyes to nap.  Mom says that I've been a bad boy.  I've been annoying Oja again, once in the computer room and once in the kitchen.  She is such a lay-about that I've just been trying to get her up for some exercise, but she doesn't like it one bit.

 Horus:  The trouble with sun puddles is that they move.  When I started my nap I was right in the middle of the bigger one.  At least my tail is getting some rays.

Julius:  I'm glad that Bambino is well again.  I missed playing with him.  I'm getting my rays up on the table.  I still won't let the Lady get close to me with the clicky box.  I did let her pet me while she was giving out treats, but I run from her the rest of the time.

Fantastic Friday

 Bambino:  I feel a little better every day.  I am eating like I used to and drinking and using the litter box and doing the little things I used to, except play.  That may be coming.  Mom saw me running twice today.

Karen Jo:  The blood test showed just what I expected it to.  Bambino is definitely FeLV+.  I found out something I didn't know before.  Sometimes the virus causes FeLV+ kitties to develop a low grade fever with no other cause.  When the fever breaks they are back to normal.  I am encouraged to know this.  Bambino has been eating like he can't get enough again.  There is never any Stinky Goodness left, except the kitten food.  No cat seems to really like that stuff, though some of it disappears.  If Bambino isn't back to normal by Monday, he has to go back to the vet.  At the rate he is improving, I have hopes that he won't have to make that trip.  Thanks for all the purrs and good wishes.  With all that going for him, he should be well soon.

 I'm up on the couch with the Halloween bear.  Mom hasn't cleaned up since the last time the blurpy was here.  Horus and I both escaped the other day.  The fun thing is that Mom always goes after Horus first because he is harder to catch and I never leave the yard, but he does.  That means that I get to stay outside longer.  I don't like the cold white stuff on the ground, though it isn't everywhere and I can find some grass to munch.

 Oja:  Here I am in the cushioned chair again.  Mom is complaining that every time she gets out the clicky box, I am under here where it's really hard to get a good picture of me.  She should get out the clicky box when I'm out.  I don't know what's up with Bambino.  Mom was lying on the bed, watching TV and Bambino was lying on her, getting petted.  I came up close to get some petting, too, and Bambino whapped me.  He has never done that before.

 Rocio:  I understand now why this is Horus' favorite spot.  It's really comfy.  I have gotten fed up with Horus trying to intimidate me.  This time I growled and charged Horus.  That'll teach him.

 Horus:  Julius was playing with this stuffie a little while ago.  I'm trying to see what the attraction is.  Or maybe I'm looking for stray treats.  The blurp tosses them all around.

Julius:  Mom was a little slow with the clicky box.  When she started trying to take my picture, I was up on the pillow with Spyro.  I cuddle with Spyro lots.  Mom keeps trying to get a picture of my snuggling Spyro in the blue cat bed, but she has to get too close to get a good picture and I always run away.  The only time I come near her is when she is giving out treats or if she is lying in bed with other cats around.  Then I will lie next to her feet.

More Good News

Karen Jo:  Just a short post today.  I have been really busy and I'm very tired.  Thank you all for all your purrs and good wishes.  They are working.

Bambino:  I am feeling even better today, though I am still not 100% myself yet.  I forgot to say yesterday that I haven't lost any weight.  I jumped up on Mom's chest before dawn and wanted a long petting session.  Mom said that it was great that she had her lover boy back.  I stayed on Mom until she got up in the morning.  I started eating some of the regular Stinky Goodness both for breakfast and dinner.  I also ate  some of the really good food.  I wanted my treats today, too.  I ate them all up several times, but left them a couple of times.  I am not really playing again yet, but I did chase Julius down the hall early this evening.  Tomorrow I should get my test results and Mom decides whether I have to go back to the vet.  If I improve again tomorrow as much as I have improved today, I might not have to go back.  I didn't hide from the blurpy girl today and even took some treats from her.  I am taking more of an interest in what's going on around me and even outside.  I think I will be all well soon.  Thanks for purring for me.

Good News at the Vet

 Bambino:  Man, what a morning I had!  First the blurp came over and I didn't feel like dealing with her.  Luckily, whenever she comes over Mom puts our ham-micks on her bed and won't let the blurp come into her room, so I just sacked out in a ham-mick until the blurp's grownup came over.  Then Mom picked me up and put me into a PTU.  Off we went to the vet with me complaining all the way.  After we were put in a little room, Mom opened the PTU and I got out to explore for a little, but I didn't get much looking around done when a lady came in, picked me up, put me on a table on a comfy mat and started poking and prodding me and holding a round thing to my chest.  Then she stuck something where it didn't belong.  Thankfully she left after that and I went to hide behind Mom.  Then another lady came in and felt me all over and held a round thing to my chest and talked to Mom.  Then she took me into another room and stabbed me several times and pilled me and put something on my hind leg.  Finally she put me back in my PTU and we went home.  When I got there, my fur on my back was all wet and I couldn't shake that thing off my leg.  After a bit, Mom took the thing off my leg and gave me some really yummy food and I ate most of it.  I would have eaten all of it, but Julius kept sticking his nose in.  It turns out he's not all that afraid of Mom when food is involved.  A little while later I felt hungry again and ate a few bites of dry food.  There was an intruder kitty in our yard and I jumped up on the table to watch out the window with the rest of the mancats.  It's the first time I have been really interested in something in days.  Right now I am in the playpen catching some rays.

Karen Jo:  The good news from the vet is that there is no indication that Bambino's FeLV has become active.  The bad news is that we don't know what's wrong with him.  His temperature is slightly elevated, but that's not unusual for him.  Just going to the vet can do that to him.  He might have an upper respiratory infection, but there aren't enough indications of that to put him on an antibiotic yet.  He might just be feeling under the weather for some reason.  He got a shot with B-complex and B-12, subQ fluids (in case he got dehydrated) and some blood taken for a new FeLV test. He also got an appetite stimulant and I got some more to give to him later.  He could be back to normal in 24 hours or so, or he might not be.  I'm supposed to watch him for signs of an URI, like sneezing or discharge from his nose.  The test results will be back Thursday and will tell us for sure if he really is FeLV+.  If he's not back to normal by then, I am to take him back in.  Keep your paws crossed.  Thank you so much for all the purrs pouring in.  I am sure that they are helping him and I know they are helping me.

Spyro:  I just love making Mom get down on the floor to take my photo.  The blurp was handing out treats like crazy and I was the only cat brave enough to get close enough to her to eat them.

Oja:  I feel discriminated against.  Mom manages to get clear pictures of all the cats, except me.  She took two shots of me and this one was the less blurry so she used it.  I haven't been sleeping with Mom lately and she wants to know why.  I'm not telling, but it might have something to do with a certain orange kitten.

Rocio:  I grabbed Horus' favorite spot today.  Just look at the great sun puddle up here!  There was an intruder kitty in our back yard a few minutes ago and I'm still watching for her.  I know it's a her because Mom knows the cat.  She lives up the street from us.

Horus:  Rocio and I traded spots today.  It's comfy up here and I got some sun on me, too.  I have been grabbing Mom's lap a lot lately.  She pets me and tells me how hard it is to type with me in her lap.  Too bad.

Julius:  The Lady caught me by surprise.  She was facing the other way, then she suddenly turned around and took my photo before I could run.  See my cool stripes?  Mom says I look a bit like a Rex cat she saw at a cat show once.  Mom kept trying to shoo me away from Bambino's really good food, but I kept sneaking back.  Bambino let me have some and he let me have his leftovers when he was done.  He didn't leave me much.

Purrs for Bambio

Update: Bambino was making motions in his mouth with his tongue like he was thirsty, so I thought I should syringe some water into his mouth, but I remembered that kitties generally don't like that.  Then I remembered that Herman would eat Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys when he refused to eat anything else, so I went to the store and got some.  The Elegant Medleys have a much higher moisture content than the pate style, so I would be taking care of two problems as once.  I gave Bambino just a little bit of the Elegant Medleys and he ate most of it.  I'll try to get some more down him later tonight.  Right now it's "Yay!  He ate!"  Thanks to all of you for the great comments and the purrs.  I know they are helping.

Update:  I had a long conversation with my friend who is an experienced Mom and foster Mom to special needs kitties and we came to the conclusion that as Bambino is not terribly sick yet and his vet knows him and has dealt with FeLV+ kitties before, it would be best to wait until tomorrow and get him an appointment with her.  At the emergency vet you never know who you will get and it's a long trip.  His regular vet also has a new treatment for FeLV+ kitties that the emergency vet might now know about.  Many thanks to Ann of Zoolatry for the badge on the sidebar.  Please feel free to put it on your own blogs.  I know the power of the purr.

Karen Jo:  I am worried about Bambino.  He hasn't eaten much since Saturday.  I have tried putting him in front of the food and the food in front of him, but he sniffs it, licks it and walks away.  He ate a few treats yesterday, but today he walked away from them.  He hissed at Horus this morning, which really worries me because he has NEVER hissed at another cat.  He spent most of the day yesterday sleeping.  I can't take him to his regular vet today because they are closed.  I left a message with a good friend of mine about maybe taking him to the emergency vet, but I'm not sure they would see him.  He is still walking around with his tail up and jumping up on the furniture, so he's not deathly ill.  This could be something minor like a kitty cold or it could be a FeLV flare-up.  Please purr for him.

Easy like Sunday Morning

 Spyro:  Let the other cats take their Easy.  I just scratched for treats and I'm waiting for Mom to put down the clicky box and tell me I'm a good boy and give me some treats.

 Oja:  I'm taking my Easy in the cushioned chair in the kitchen.  It's dark and out of the way and no other cat will bother me here.  The clicky box is another matter.

 Rocio:  I'm taking my Easy on the couch next to the drawer where the treats are kept.  I don't want to miss out on any treats.

 Bambino:  I'm taking my Easy on the couch.  It's comfy here with room for any other cat to join me.

 Horus:  I'm taking my Easy all by myself in the safe room on the easy chair.  I love this fake sheepskin cushion.

Julius:  I won't let the Lady get too close to me with the clicky box while I am taking my Easy.  I just discovered the ham-micks.  I love them.

Caturday

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 Spyro:  Getting Mom down on the floor to take my picture was so much fun the other day that I decided to do it again.  It's so funny watching her get up again.  I haven't been doing much since yesterday.  I know where Mom has stashed all those new treats she bought yesterday, but I can't get at them.  I did knock the laundry basket over onto the floor trying to get at them.

 Oja:  Mom is so lame.  The picture she took of me in my chair was too blurry to use, so I have to appear in a repeat.  Now that I have accepted Julius as part of the family I am back to lounging around in all my usual spots instead of hiding from him.  He is the most polite kitten I have ever met.  He never pounces unless he is already playing with the cat he pounces.  I had to give Mom the stink eye today.  I was so comfy cozy on her lap, then she told me she had to get up, so I moved to my chair.  When she came back, Horus jumped up on her lap and she was petting and praising him just like she had been doing with me.  The nerve!

 Rocio:  See that purple fish by the scratcher?  It's stuffed with silvervine like the green one.  I rubbed it all over my face and now I'm playing with the blurpy's blocks and enjoying my sun puddle.  Julius is so great.  Just before Mom got out the camera we were snuggling and grooming and rasslin' just like I used to do with Austin.

 Bambino:  We have great sun puddles today.  I am just lounging around and soaking up rays. It feels so good.

 Horus:  I am up on the watch tower making sure that the other kitties behave themselves.  I have started eating treats more often.  I used to just ignore them when Mom would give me some, but now I eat them at least sometimes.

Julius:  Spyro had so much fun under here that I decided to try it, too.  He's right.  It is fun watching the Lady trying to get up again.  Last night when she went to bed I followed her and jumped up on the bed.  There were no other kitties up there, though, so I jumped down again.  I don't trust the Lady enough to be alone with her.  I did the same thing this morning after she woke up.

Friendly Friday

Spyro:  Mom didn't take any photos of us today because she was "busy" again.  First the tiny two-legger came over, then she left with her friend and didn't get home until nearly dark.  Our photos are half reruns and half unused pictures.  I am up on our fairly new scratcher busy scratching for treats.  One good thing about Mom being gone is that when she got home she had half a shopping bag full of treats.  Yay!  You'll never guess what Mom has for breakfast half the time.  Crunchies!  I love them.

Karen Jo:  It's Grapenuts, Spyro, and I'm amazed that you like them better dry than when I put the milk on them.

Spyro:  You don't use real milk and I don't really like it.

Karen Jo:  It's almond milk and it's good for me.

 Oja:  I am in the safe room by the heat vent.  It's toasty warm back here, which is nice because it's been cold outside.  I know because sometimes I greet Mom at the door and the cold air comes in.  I think I have mentioned that all the food in the kitchen is mine and I choose who I will share it with.  Last night at dinner and this morning at breakfast, I decided that Julius could share the canned food.  While he was eating breakfast, I sniffed his tail from the tip to his rump and gave him my seal of approval.  He is now officially no longer an orange threat.

Karen Jo:  This is amazing.  Oja has never warmed up to a new cat this fast.  It look her a couple of weeks after she came out of the safe room to make friends with Herman and Spyro.  It took months for her to make friends with Bambino.  She did make friends with Horus fairly quickly, but it was still a matter of weeks.  Rocio has been here a year and she still doesn't like him.  Julius has only been here nine days.

Oja:  You know what Mom has for breakfast some mornings?  Solid milk.  I love it and make her share.

Karen Jo:  It's called yogurt, Oja, and you are welcome to share.

 Rocio:  I am mostly in the blue cat bed by the heat vent in the living room.  It's nice and warm here, too.  I also like to play with the toggle and string from Mom's coat that you see hanging over my head.  I wish Oja would make friends with me.  At least Spyro, Bambino and Julius like me.  And Mom, of course.  When she has yummy meat or fish for dinner I stare at her until she gives me some.  I only want a bite or two and Mom always gives me what I want.  I love to lie on Mom's legs when she goes to bed.  It's comfy and warm.

 Bambino:  I'm up on the couch watching Julius play.  That boy loves all the toys and wants to play all the time he's awake.  Sometimes he curls up with me and we groom each other.  I am glad Mom got so many treats.  We were nearly out and I scratch for them a lot.

 Horus:  There is nothing better than my favorite pillow in a sun puddle for a nap.  The tiny two-legger wore me out with Da Bird this morning.  Mom got a new bird for it and it was more exciting than usual.  The tiny two-legger even petted me.  She has learned how to do it right and it feels good.  Rocio upset Oja again this morning and I had to chase him down the hall.  That boy will never learn that he can't make friends with Oja.  She has to make friends with him.

Julius:  I still won't let Mom get too close to me with the clicky box.  Oja lets me eat in the kitchen with the big kitties now.  Yay!

Karen Jo:  But your kitten food is in the safe room.

Julius:  Let Rocio eat it.  I like the big kitty food better.  Oja doesn't hiss at me any more.  She really sniffed my tail this morning, all over.  I think she might even like me now.  You will never guess where I slept for the first part of the night last night.  The Lady went to bed and Spyro followed her and she was petting him, so I jumped up on the big bed.  The Lady ignored me and just kept petting Spyro, so I snuggled up to her leg and went to sleep.  It's very comfy and warm up there.  I think I might try it again.

Closer and Closer

 Spyro:  You see that green fish I am sort of lying on?  It's stuffed with silvervine and I just got a bit high on it and now I'm rolling around and playing with anything I can reach.  Mom gets these fish from Nip and Bones and they are wonderful.

 Oja:  I have stopped hiding from Julius.  I've decided that he isn't a little orange monster after all.  He mostly leaves me alone, but I still hiss at him if he gets within two feet of me.  I love hanging out on top of this scratcher.  The top is curved and fits my body perfectly.  I even scratch on it for treats sometimes.

 Rocio:  Mom took a terrible picture of me.  I show up better on the photo of Julius she posted at the Tabby Cat Club.  I am having fun with Julius, but Oja got all hissy with me again today.  I wasn't doing anything to her, honest.  Horus has stopped hissing at me, though.

 Bambino:  I am thinking about scratching for treats on our new scratcher.  Mom got it for us just before Julius arrived and it's really fun.  We tore our last inclined scratcher all to bits.  Julius and I rassled a little bit more today.

 I'm napping to catch my breath again.  Julius and I rassled this morning, then the blurp showed up.  She's been coming over more frequently.  I must say that she's more fun now.  She has gotten the hang of using the wand toy and I love it.  She is also pretty generous about giving out treats, which the other kitties really enjoy.  Even Julius came out once, but she scared him.

Julius:  See how close I let the Lady come to me with the clicky box?  I turned my head just as it clicked, so I'm a little blurry.  I have been having an exciting time.  Yesterday afternoon I actually pounced Spyro's head and we rassled until he ran away.  At night the other kitties tend to disappear and last night I decided to find out where they were going.  I walked down the hall and at the end I saw a room with a big stripy thing in it and there were Spyro, Rocio and Bambino.  I jumped up and there was the Lady, too.  That scared me a little, so I just stayed at the very end and watched for a while, then left.  I jumped up again this morning because Spyro and Bambino were there and the Lady was still there, too, so I stayed at the very end again, then left.

Karen Jo:  My bedroom is at the end of the hall and I have a striped bedspread.  I was glad that Julius jumped up on the bed.  Maybe he will get braver about getting close to me as he sees the other cats lying beside and on top of me.  I petted Julius a little today.