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.

Late 'Tocktober

 We are a day late, darn it, but Happy Birthday, Derby, and here are my 'tocks.  They are a bit blurry, but I never stay still when Mom is looking at my 'tocks.  I am afraid that she is going to wipe them, which I hate.

 Emma:  Happy Birthday, Derby, and here are my 'tocks.  I am too lady-like to leave my 'tocks uncovered by my tail, so this is the best we can do.

Karen Jo:  I guess this could count as a 'tocks shot, too.  Happy Birthday, Derby!  I am sorry it's a day late.  I chased the kitties around yesterday morning, getting 'tocks shots and got all ready to post, then I had a really bad allergy attack.  I didn't even get to the meeting I was supposed to attend.  After getting very little sleep for the previous two nights, then having another bad attack, I was just wiped out.  I was either coughing or couldn't hold my eyes open.  I fell asleep a little after seven and didn't wake up again until after midnight, so I called it a day and went to bed.

She was so noisy in bed the previous two nights that not even I could stand to be in the same bed with her.

Karen Jo:  As you can see from the bottom picture, Emma is not afraid of Herman.  Wednesday, she spent the whole day asleep on her snuggle on her high shelf. She got down to eat dinner and retreated to her original hidey-hole, under the corner table in her room and spent the night there.  Herman slept in her bed.  I think he wanted to keep her company.  Thursday, Emma spent most of the day on the kitchen chair with a cushion.  After I got back from running some errands, she came into my room and plopped down on the floor. This is quite unusual for her.  I picked her up and put her in my lap and she just settled down and let me pet her.  This is also unusual. When she does stay in my lap, she usually turns round and round and pats everything and kneads a little bit before settling down.  She stayed in my lap for over an hour and I only moved her because I had to use the human litter box.  Last night she slept in my underwear drawer, which I keep open for her and Herman slept in bed with me.  In the wee hours, Herman and I both woke up to Emma either having very lady-like dry heaves or coughing.  That's when I figured out that, although Emma probably stayed in her hidey-hole the first day because of Herman, Emma was really hiding out and being a sleepyhead because she wasn't feeling all that good.  That also explains why Emma hissed at Herman last night when he came up to her to give her a nose kiss.  I was about to call the vet to make her an appointment this morning, when Emma came bounding down the hall for breakfast, just the same as ever.  Now I think I will keep an eye on her for the week-end and see if she really is back to normal.  If not, I can call the vet Monday.

There were some questions about the jealousy between Herman and Emma.  Herman always gets jealous and wants attention when I have visitors or am talking on the phone.  He usually comes up to me and tugs on my pants leg, or puts his paws on my lap or meows at me to get my attention.  This was the first time that he took it out on Emma. There is very little fighting over food.  The only time it happens is when they both want to eat out of the same dish. They usually trade whaps on the head, then the interloper backs off.  If I switch attention from one of them to the other the first one always gets jealous.  I had thought that Herman had gotten over this, but he hasn't.  Petting both of them at the same time isn't easy, as they are seldom that close together.  If I am petting Emma and Herman comes up for some petting too, petting them both doesn't stop Emma from swatting at Herman.  Herman will sometimes tolerate my petting Emma, too, while I am petting him, but not often.