Farewell Cissy

 Karen Jo:  This is the last picture I took of Cissy and I'm glad she was out of her cave.  I was going to write a really upbeat post about Cissy.  She was moving around the house more and Monday morning I woke up to find her sleeping on my feet.  I had noticed that her abdominal muscles were working in an unusual manner on Sunday, but I thought she was working a hairball through or something.  Monday afternoon it became apparent that she was having difficulty breathing, so I called the vet and had her taken in on an emergency basis.  Her chest cavity was full of fluid.  She had only 1/4 breathing capacity.  The vet said she had the equipment and training to drain Cissy's chest, but she had only done it once before and fatal stuff could go wrong.  I told her to go ahead since Cissy was so bad already.  The vet came out again a few minutes later to tell me that Cissy had gone into cardiac arrest and I told her to just let Cissy go.  The vet had just set Cissy up for another x-ray so she could be sure of the best place to put the needle when Cissy decided that it was Rainbow Bridge time.  Brody was probably calling her.

 I missed Herman's remembrance day, which was Veteran's Day, so I thought I would just add it on here.  I was sad and lonely after my Mother's death and I found a notice of a cat who was sad and lonely and desperately needed a forever home.  He was FIV+ and FeLV+ so no one would adopt him.  I went to see him and it was love at first sight for both of us.  Herman got lonely for feline company and I heard about Emma and brought her home.  I have written many times about how they didn't get along, but most of the time they sort of got along.  There always seemed to be a truce at the buffet.  They greeted Cissy at the Bridge.

 Austin was also there to greet her and ask how his buddy Rocio was getting along.

Of course Brody ran to greet her.  I am sure they were both thrilled to be reunited.

On another note, Tabitha went to the vet for her first rabies shot and checkup.  She is 100% healthy and needs another FeLV test when she turns one, as she may be fighting it off now, as the vet noticed some activity in her lymph system. Go, Tabitha!

Brody's Vet Visit

Karen Jo:  My blog was supposed to have a "Save Net Neutrality" banner just below the header today, but the code I copied didn't work.

Brody:  I went to the vet yesterday and it was good news.  My temperature has gone down to 103.5 from 104.  My weight has gone up from 6.7 lbs to 8.2 lbs.  Neither Mom nor the vet lady could figure out how I gained 1.5 pounds in one week.  I bet I know.  I eat whatever I want and just lie around most of the day.  There is no sign of fluid in my chest or abdomen.  I only have to have one shot every other day now.  I'm pretty happy about all of this and so is Mom.

Karen Jo:  I am very happy.  Brody might have diarrhea, but it's by no means certain.  He is getting a little Metronidazole in liquid form just in case.

Cissy:  Well, I don't have diarrhea any more.  Mom had to call the vet lady because I hadn't gotten any better by Saturday morning.  Half an hour after the vet lady called her back and told her to come pick up my meds, I pooped a mighty poop and proved that I didn't need any meds after all.

Karen Jo:  I picked them up anyway, because the vet lady was nice enough to tape them to the outside door after closing time.  I'll hang on to them.  Some other kitty might need them.  Brody won't eat the Forti-Flora.

Spyro:  I picked up spraying a bit from Horus.  I sprayed the wall by Cissy's new litter box and I sprayed Cissy's big cardboard box in the kitchen.  Then I quit doing it.  I did pee in Cissy's new litter box, but I did it the regular way.  I guess I got caught up in the kitty politics.  They seem to be dying down now.

Oja: I have almost given up cornering Cissy and making her scream.  It just doesn't seem like much fun any more.  I have that new kitten Tabitha to hiss at.

Rocio: I was watching the birds when I got this itch.  Ah, that's better.  I really got into it with Cissy the other day.  I don't know why.  I haven't bothered her since.

Bambino:  I dumped the toy bucket over so Tabitha would have more toys to play with.  Yeah, that's it.  She is a lot of fun.  She will pounce almost any cat.  She leaves Brody, Cissy and Oja alone.  She learns fast.

Horus:  I haven't bothered Cissy in ages.  It just doesn't appeal to me any more.

Karen Jo:  I am wondering if the calming spray is having an effect or the kitties just got bored with tormenting Cissy.  Whichever it is, I hope it lasts.

Julius:  Here I am showing off my side stripes.

Karen Jo: If any of you have wondered what I looked like, you can see me in the mirror.

Tabitha:  Boy, have I been exploring since the last time Mom posted.  I have discovered the living room.  Wow, it is big!  When I first ran into it, I stopped and did the kitten dance.  I arched my back way up and bounced around.  There is lots of room to run and play and rassle, rolling over and over.  There's lots of toys in here, too.  There's a neat box with holes in it and toys inside.  I am having so much fun!

Cissy's Vet Visit

Cissy: Mom made me go to the vet today, just because she found a little diarrhea on the kitchen floor.

Karen Jo: Any time I see something amiss with one of my FeLV+ kitties they go to the vet.  I'm really glad that  you are using your new litter box.

Cissy:  It's in the kitchen.  It's just my size and it's full of pretty crystals.  What's not to like?

Karen Jo: It turns out that you probably have stress-induced colitis.  It should go away in a few days.  To help it go away I'm spraying the calming spray on the seats of the chairs near your special spot.

Spyro: All these kitty politics give me a headache.  I'm just going to hang around on the smaller cat tree.

Oja:  And I suppose you are trying to blame me for Cissy's colitis?

Karen Jo:  You are the one giving her the most problems.  The vet surmised that you see her as a threat to your stature as Alpha cat.

Oja:  It's about time someone figured out that I am the Alpha around here.  How could that pint-sized house panther be a threat to me?

Karen Jo:  I figured it out that day you beat up Horus.  If she's no threat, will you please let her be?  She's terrified of you.

Oja:  She should be.  So should all the kitties in the house.

Rocio:  Ho-hum, politics again.  Think I'll take a nap.  It's been quite a while since I scared Cissy.

Karen Jo:  I would be really happy if you never did it again.

Bambino:  While Spyro is napping on top of the smaller cat tree, I grabbed the top of the tall cat tree.  I stay out of the politics around here.

Horus:  I am lying next to Cissy's new litter box.  Mom was clever.  She bought one that 's uncomfortably small for us bigger cats, including Oja.

Karen Jo:  I have a question.  Cissy's got diarrhea, so who left the pile on the blue rug by the door?

Horus:  Um, I don't know.  Maybe Cissy doesn't have diarrhea all the time.

Karen Jo:  It was an awfully big pile for Cissy.

Horus:  You don't take me out often enough.  I want out on my leash and harness every day.

Julius:  Know what?  Tabitha is really fun to play with.  She even knows how to rassle!

Brody: I am holding my own.  I don't seem any better or worse today.  Mom is always taking a picture of my shaved spots.

Karen Jo:  You always lie with your shaved spots up, so I don't have a choice if I take a picture of you lying down.

Tabitha:  I am finally brave enough to lie down without hiding first.  Mom got a decent photo of me at last.  She had to take it from a distance or I start moving all around again.  You can click on the photo to biggify it.  I don't think Oja likes me, either.  She hisses at me whenever she sees me.

Karen Jo:  Don't worry, Tabitha.  Oja does that to all new cats for at least two weeks.

Cissy Replies

Brody:  I feel a little better every day.  I am sleeping with Mom again.  I am trying to hide a little bit from my meds, but Mom doesn't have to work too hard to get them in me.  I finished up the Amoxidrops last night.  Yay!  Today was big med day -- the 5 mls of Proxyphrenol and Interferon and my shots.  In the photo I am trying to decide if I want more Elegant Medleys . . .

Brody:  Or if I want to share with Julius.

Julius:  He decided to share.  Yay!  This is the closest I have ever let Mom get to me with the camera.  The noms were too yummy to leave.  You can see the swirly stripes on my side.

Cissy:  I want to defend myself against the charge of being a Drama Queen.  One, Brody won't play with me any more.  Thank goodness he has stopped hissing and growling at me, but he still won't play.  He will cuddle and groom me, though, so I am a bit less of a screamer. Two, it's not my fault I scream so much.  Horus, Rocio and Oja all chase me and make me scream.  I jump in my big box in the kitchen to get away from them and Horus gets on the other box and looks down at me and makes me scream.

Karen Jo:  You also scream when any of those three come anywhere near you, even if they aren't doing anything to scare you.

Cissy: I'm scared of them all the time because of all the chases and cornering and vulture cat incidents.  I want my Brody back the way he used to be.

Karen Jo: Brody's vets and I are trying our best to make that happen.  All the nice kitties in the Cat Blogosphere are purring for it, too.  Thank you all so very much.

Spyro:  I fooled Mom.  I was looking right at her when she pushed the button on the camera.  I am just being myself, friends with all the cats.  I am being nice to Cissy and she never screams at me.

Oja:  Mom usually wouldn't use a picture this blurry, but the light was just right to bring out the silver in my fur.  I accepted Cissy pretty quickly and only hissed at her a couple of times.  I thought things were ok between us, then she starts growling at me whenever she sees me.  I decided to give her something to growl about. Chasing her is fun; so is cornering her and hearing her scream.  I always have my tail curled up when I do either.  If I were serious, my tail would be straight.

Rocio: I only chase Cissy once in a while.  It's so easy to get a scream out of her that it's hard to resist.  Julius has been hanging around Brody more, so I have to find something to do.

Bambino: Sheesh, can't a guy get in a nap without the camera coming out? I play with Spyro, Horus, Rocio and Julius.  I leave Brody, Cissy and Oja alone.

Horus:  I am watching a bird right outside the window.  Can you see it?  It's just above the hole in the platform.  Click on the photo to biggify. I have stopped spraying.  Mom gives me lots of petting and takes me outside.  I have lost interest in the new kitten.  She's so quiet we don't even know she's there.

Tabitha:  I'm here.  If you look really closely you can just see a smudge of white above the white cloth.  That's my chin.  Today is the first day that I have let the lady see me. Oh, she peeked in on me the second day I was here and she saw a flash of me the day I got caught up on the window sill, but this is the first time that it has been my idea.  I never told you what I look like.  I'm a calico tabby and I weigh 2 pounds.

Karen Jo:  If you would come out of the closet and let me take a picture of you, everyone could see what you look like.

Tabitha: I'm never coming out of this closet except to eat and use the litter box and do some exploring in the night.  Something is doing terrible things to kitties out there.  I can hear it.

Karen Jo:  That's just Cissy.  She screams a lot.  Hopefully you will get used to it and come out some day.

Tabitha:  Don't bet on it. Oh, I am three months old today.

More?

 Karen Jo:  I'm sorry I haven't blogged in so long.  Stuff just kept happening and now I'm having trouble with my camera.  Almost every picture I take is out of focus or over exposed.  I'm going to dig out the CD-rom with the manual on it and see what I can do.  Now I'll turn the blog back over to the kitties.

Brody: Hi there!  I'm Brody and I just moved in here with my sister, Cissy.

 Cissy:  Hi! I'm Cissy.  We are eight months old.  Mom looked it up and our birthday is just one day after Julius' so we are all the same age.  Mom hopes we are all going to be good buddies.

 Oja:  I can't freakin' believe it.  Friday morning Mom left with an empty PTU (a sight I hate to see) and came back with not one, but two little monsters.  When is she going to quit?

 Spyro:  When the house gets so full that we can't get along together.  I think the newcomers are cool.  I have nose touched and traded paw taps with Brody already.

 Rocio:  I don't like it.  I don't want any more cats here.

 Bambino:  You never like any new cats.  Remember when you used to hiss at me?  Now we are buddies.

 Horus:  I don't really care one way or the other.  Brody and I have exchanged paw taps, too and I'm fine with him.

Julius:  I' m kind of excited.  Now I'm not the smallest cat in the house any more.  Brody and I are the same size and Cissy is smaller.  I think it's cool that we are all three the same age.

Karen Jo:  I find myself pushed for time again.  I'll let Brody and Cissy tell you their gotcha story tomorrow.