Where Did the Time Go?

 See how high up I am?  Isn't it awesome?  Mom is keeping some storage boxes for her friend and they are stacked up on an end table.  I am taller than Mom now.  Mom was really surprised to find me up here, because I have never gotten up this high before, though there are places in the house where I could do it, like the bookcase in Oja's room and the top of the file cabinet.  Now maybe Mom will get me a cat tree to climb.    Mom really let the time go by between posts this time.  Wow!  It's been almost a month.  She has been busy, so I guess we will forgive her this time, as long as she promises never to to it again.  Lots of things have happened around here since our last post.

 Spyro:  I wanna put a nose print on the camera lens.  Just get a little closer.  I wanna cat tree, too.  Know what?  The forbidden room isn't forbidden any more.  Mom cleaned it all up and now we can go in there all the time.  The bed in there got made up with pillows and everything and I like to lie on it.  I tried to get on the   window sill, but all I managed to do was bring down the sheer curtains.  Mom heard the noise and came in and saw me pawing the material.  I should have run away, then she wouldn't have known which cat did it.

Karen Jo:  I would have known anyway.  You are my teenager cat, always getting into mischief and trouble.

Oja:  See me chillaxing in the living room?  I spend most of my time in here with the other kitties now.  I love to play with all the toys.  I found out what the big Turbo Track does and I like it.  Spyro and I both play with it, sometimes at the same time.  I love the balls that look like cages with a jingle bell inside.  I chase them all over the house.  I even started napping in the ham-micks.  They are great!  Spyro and I rassle all the time and sometimes Spyro rassles with Herman.  I don't rassle with Herman, though.  He's too big for me.

Karen Jo:  We can see your ample tummy, too.

Oja:  It's good to have a little extra weight.  The food has gotten a bit boring, though.

Karen Jo:  Some kitty has a bit of diarrhea and I think it's probably you.  Everykitty is on Classic Fancy Feast now.  If it doesn't clear up in a week or so, I will have to make a vet appointment or two.  I did take Herman in to weigh him and he has gained two-tenths of a pound.  It's time to put everykitty on the diet kibble, as soon as the new bag of the regular runs out.

Karen Jo:  I have so much stuff in my top two drawers that I can't close them.  Spyro loves to get up in them and dig in my socks.  Now I am finding socks in odd places, like the entrance hall and behind the TV.  I wonder who is doing that?

Spyro:  I don't have the slightest idea.  You closed all the windows and we can't get whiffies any more.

Karen Jo:  It got cold Friday night and it hasn't warmed up enough to open the windows again.  If you are lucky, you will get a few more days of open windows before the cold weather sets in for the duration.

Spyro:  You haven't been taking me outside in my harness and leash much lately.

Karen Jo:  No, I haven't.  I have been really busy with stuff and the weather hasn't been cooperating.  I will try to take you our more before it gets too cold.  I guess I can look forward to the kitties getting the fall friskies.  What that will do to Spyro is beyond my imagination.  He is all over the place, getting into everything now.  I love it, even though I complain about it sometimes.  I am way behind in my newspaper reading, because Spyro always jumps up on the paper almost as soon as I start to read.  I must say that petting Spyro is more interesting than reading the paper.

To Play or Not?

 I am watching Spyro play with the Neko Kragonfly.  I chose not to play.

 Spyro:  I love playing with the Kragonfly.  I caught it and now I am chewing on it.  I found a new way to start a rasslin' match with Herman.  Mom was lying down on her bed watching TV and Herman was lying at her feet.  I jumped up on the bed and started licking Herman's head.  Before long we were rasslin', right on top of Mom's legs.  It was fun.

Karen Jo:  You always have lots of fun, Spyro.  I tossed a soft rubber ball in the bathtub with you so you could play tub hockey.  You played for a little, then picked up the ball and took it into the kitchen, where there is more room to knock it around.  I didn't really like the fun you had attacking my ankles today, though.

Spyro:  You wouldn't let me lie on the newspaper on the table, so I had to find something to do.

Karen Jo:  I only moved you down to the floor so I could turn the page.  I didn't so much mind your attacking my ankles as the fact that you drew blood.

Spyro:  I didn't mean to hurt you, honest.  I was just playing.

Karen Jo:  I know you were, Spyro, just take it a little easier on the claws next time, OK?

Oja:  I am munching my kibble.  See the curl in my tail?  Sometimes I curl it up like a chow dog.  I had a little more diarrhea, but it has stopped again.

Karen Jo:  I was feeding you Fancy Feast with Gravy.  It seems that is a bit too rich for you, as well.  I put you back on the plain pate style and the diarrhea stopped almost immediately.  I took you on a tour of the house yesterday.  What do you think of it?

Oja:  I like the house, but I just had to hiss at the giant gray kitty.

Karen Jo:  That was Herman.  I feel pretty sure that he won't hurt you, Oja.  I accidentally left your door open the other night and nothing happened.  When I discovered it, you were up on the windowsill and both the other kitties were in the living room.

Oja:  You don't visit me enough.

Karen Jo:  I know, Oja, and I feel really guilty about it.  I never knew a kitty who wanted as much loving as you do.  It is just that you hurt me almost every time I visit you.  I got so many pinpricks in my upper chest that I had an allergic reaction to them.  Now I wear a towel around my neck and chest when I come to visit.  This afternoon you stuck your claw in my upper lip.  That really hurt.

Oja:  I don't mean to hurt you.

Karen Jo:  I know you don't.  I just wish you would keep your claws in when you pat my face.

Oja:  I never play.

Karen Jo:  I noticed.  I put toys in your room and they are all right where I left them.  I got a new scratch pad for the Turbo Star Chaser and tried to get you interested in it, but all you did was watch the ball go around.  I waggled a nip nanner under your nose and you didn't care.  I don't know why you don't play.  You are only two years old.

Caturday

 Mom couldn't resist taking this photo of the two of us relaxing more or less together.  You can just see my nose poking up out of the laundry basket.  I am really glad that Spyro showed me how to get up here.  The laundry basket is amazingly comfy.

Spyro:  I like hanging out on top of the fridge.  I can see everything from up here and it's a little cooler.

Oja:  My pictures are always a bit dark.  You can just see me by the sunshine on my fur.  I got over my diarrhea.  It must have been the Tiki Cat.  It was probably just too rich for me.  I am even burying my poop sometimes now.  I feel much better.

Karen Jo:  Your pictures are a bit dark because you are in the darkest room in the house.  When you are ready, I will let you out to explore the rest of the house.

Oja:  I don't want out there yet.  There are scary giant kitties out there!

I finally got a peek at Oja.  Mom left the door open and Oja came halfway out.  I started walking slowly toward her and she growled and hissed at me.  I meowed softly to let her know that I meant no harm, but she didn't believe me.

Karen Jo:  You are over twice her size, Herman, and your long fur makes you look even bigger.  Oja isn't any bigger than Emma was; in fact she weighs a little bit less.  Maybe you'll look less scary after your shaving.

What shaving?  You aren't taking me to the groomer again are you?

Karen Jo:  Yes I am.  Your mats have gotten much worse in the last few days.  It got up to 90 yesterday and I am thinking that you will be more comfortable with a full lion cut.

Oh, man!  You may be right about it being cooler without all this fur, though.

Spyro:  I have decided on which toy is the coolest ever.  There is this white ball that had three feathers sticking up out of it and is makes a soft rattle sound when I bat it around.  I have chewed off the feathers until there is just a stump big enough for me to pick it up by and carry it around in my mouth.  Mom had the nerve to pick it up and put it away the other day.  I dumped out the toy basket and rooted around until I found it again.  Now Mom leaves it out all the time.

Vet Visit

 Mom snapped the pictures of me and Spyro at mid-afternoon and everyone knows that's nap time.  I keep trying to get a peek at that girl kitty in the safe room, but Mom keeps closing the door before I can get a good look.

Spyro:   I think the laundry basket is the best cat bed I have ever had.  I did get a look at the girl kitty this morning.  Mom left the door open and she poked her head out.  I saw her and she saw me, then she hissed at me.  Three times!

Karen Jo:  Sorry about the three times, Spyro.  She was in the doorway and I kept waiting for her to retreat back into the room, as Emma did, but she stood her ground.  I think that's a good sign for your future relationship with her.  I finally had to shoo her back into the room so I could close the door.

Oja: I'm not going to let any big mancat scare me into running away.  Mom was mean to me today.  She put me in a PTU, then in a metal monster and took me to the vet.  They poked me and prodded me and put something up where it didn't belong.  Then a vet lady squirted something in my mouth.  The only good thing about it was that Mom had another lady with her and they both gave me pets.  The vet lady and the vet tech both gave me pets, too. I was glad to come home.  My picture is all blurry because I won't hold still.

Karen Jo:  The picture is dark because it was taken late afternoon.  I tried to take Oja's picture in the full mid-afternoon light, but she wouldn't hold still enough for even a bad blurry picture.  The vet report is that her nose-drips have cleared up on their own.  I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to worry everyone unduly, but Oja also has diarrhea.  I think it is just that I am giving Oja higher quality food than she is used to.  Since Oja didn't have a temperature or any other obvious abnormalities, the vet cautiously agreed with me.  She is getting liquid metronitazale twice a day to help clear it up. She has to go back in 15 days for her boosters.  If the diarrhea doesn't clear up soon, she is going back sooner.

Wordy Wednesday

This was supposed to be my picture for Tuxie Tuesday, but Mom let me down.  I am watching her get dressed.  I didn't want to leave the nice warm bed.  I love making her get up around me.  I didn't get up until it was time for my Interferon.

Karen Jo:  Sorry about Tuxie Tuesday.  I was really tired when I got home, so after I fed you I sat in my rocking chair to rest a little by listening to the radio.  I fell asleep.  When I fall asleep sitting up, with a light on right over my head and the radio on, I know that it's time to go to bed.

At least you are blogging for me tonight.  Not much has been going on.  I only got pilled once yesterday and today.  I usually get pilled twice.

Karen Jo: Yesterday I only found a little bit of pudding poop, so I decided to see if one dose of your poop medicine will do the trick.  I'll be giving you one dose for the rest of the week and if the pudding poop goes away, we'll stick to one dose.  I only want to give you as much medicine as you need.

I am all for less medicine.  I really don't mind the poop medicine much, but I would rather have less of it than more.  I have been joining Mom in bed almost as soon as she gets in herself and I snuggle up really close.

Karen Jo:  The cold weather has really arrived.  The bird bath was frozen this morning.  Snow flakes drifted down just a little bit today.

I played with Mom a little bit today.  My nip ball has gone missing again.

Karen Jo:  I will look for it in the morning.  I know how much you like it.

Mancat Monday

It's supposed to be Mancat  Monday and Mom kept pestering me to pose with a pink hat.  I don't think that's very mancatly.

Karen Jo:  That's the hat I wear to work every day to show my support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

What do I care?  It doesn't affect me.

Karen Jo:  Oh, yes, it does.  You know those soft warm things you like to cuddle up against and rest your head on while we are in bed?  This month is to help protect those.

Oh, I am all in favor of that.  I didn't eat any of the canned food you  left me when you went to work, but I ate up all that you gave me when you got home.  I didn't like having you gone away all that time.

Karen Jo:  I'm sorry, Herman, but it you want to keep having more food than you will eat, I have to keep on going to work. Do you know what I found in the litter box today?

I'm afraid to ask.

Karen Jo:  Half normal poop and half pudding poop.

Does that mean what I think it means?

Karen Jo: Yup, you get to go back on your poop pills.

Darn it.  Does this mean I get more treats?

Karen Jo:  You will get treats for taking your pills, yes.

I wish I could just get treats for nothing.  I have to scratch on my platform or post to get a Temptation or Greenie.  I have to take a pill to get Party Mix.  I have to take my Interferon to get my cheese.

Karen Jo:  I give you treats sometimes just for being you.

Not nearly often enough.  I got kind of grouchy today and wouldn't play with Mom before she went to work at all.  I saw her in her uniform and knew what it meant.  I did play with her just a little bit after she got home again.  Mom is eating pot roast again.  I smelled meat and begged for some, but when she gave me a piece, I could smell that it was pot roast and didn't even taste it.  I hope she cooks something good soon.

Mo' Cats Day

Here I am looking out the window.  Mom was chasing me around with the camera, trying to get a good picture of me and experimenting with different settings on the camera.  The Friends of the Shelter are putting out a calendar with pictures of cats who were adopted from the shelter or from foster care and my foster mom told Mom to make sure that she sent in an entry for me.  Mom didn't blog for me last night because she got really upset about something.  I don't know what.

Karen Jo:  The computer repairman had my computer for a month and it was supposed to be all fixed.  I found out last night that neither the DVD drive nor the CD-ROM drive are working.  I really don't want to take it in again, but I need those drives, or at least one of them, working.  Grrrr!

Let's get back to me.  I didn't tell you about the great poop medicine experiment.  Mom put me on three doses a day to firm up my poop all the way and it worked.  Then she cut me back to two doses, then one and everything was fine, so she took me off it completely.  Everything was great for about a week, then the pudding poop showed up again.  Now I am back on two doses per day, which keeps me making good poop.

Karen Jo:  It was worth a try.  I decided that three doses was probably too much as I started finding really hard, dry lumps.  Now you make normal poop, with just a tiny bit of pudding poop at the end.  I don't think I will try any more experiments with your medicine.  You are feeling so good now that  I don't want to mess with it.

I feel great and very frisky, but you don't play with me.

Karen Jo:  Don't give me that.  You ask me to play.  When I get down on the floor to play with you, you walk away from me and ignore all the toys I throw to you. Then when I get up, you paw at my leg to get me to stay.  When I stay, you ignore me.  You are just messing with my mind.

Herman:  Isn't this great?  I am having so much fun.

More Tummy

Here's another tummy shot. You can see where I was spot shaved on my leg and side for my last big mat. Mom is falling asleep at the keyboard, so we will keep this kind of short. The solid poops are back. I didn't barf yesterday, but I did barf again tonight while Mom was at work. This one didn't upset Mom much, as she said it looked like I ate a lot of dry food, then took a big drink of water some time later. Lots of dry food plus lots of water means barf every time. I am not acting at all sick, so she's not really worried. Mom went to the vet to get me some more medicine and asked some questions. The bald spot is probably due to overgrooming or possibly a mat that I pulled out myself, though Mom didn't notice any mats in that area. The vet also said that the little bit of grated cheddar that I get every morning after I take my Interferon won't hurt my digestion at all.

Did you know that Bed Monsters can appear at both ends of the bed? I beat up some near my Mom's head this morning. They wiggled around and tried to get away, but I got them good.

Tuesday, Toesday

My nip syringe has made me so mellow that I finally let Mom take a picture of my one pink toe pad. You can biggify the picture to see it better. I love using my syringe for a pillow when I nap. Sigh. I was doing so well with my solid poops that Mom cut back on my medicine to see how I would do. I went back to pudding poop, so I am getting all three doses per day again. We were both so hoping that I could get off the medicine and make solid poop all by myself. Mom ran out of baby food and tried the pill shooter on me again. I let her do it, once. When she got home from work, with baby food, she tried the shooter on me again and I really fought it, so it's back to the powdered pill in diluted baby food syringed into my mouth again. I am so used to it by now that I hardly resist it at all any more.

Mom went out this morning and came home with a roast beef sandwich for her lunch. I have always turned up my nose at roast beef before, so she was surprised when I told her that I wanted some of her sandwich. She was even more surprised when I ate the roast beef that she offered me. Then Mom went out again and came back a couple of hours later, saying that she wasn't leaving me any more today. I'm glad.

Karen Jo: I had to take care of some bank business and send off some stuff from the safety deposit box to the people winding up my Mother's estate. After lunch I went to the dentist. Now I'm going to goof off, spend lots of time with Herman and blog a lot.

I am finding things interesting that I never showed any interest in before. Mom put her shopping bag on the floor last night to take stuff out of it. When it was empty, I stuck my head in it and pushed it around the kitchen floor. Then I ran into the living room, watched the bag closely while doing wiggle-butt, then pounced it and slid across the floor. That was fun. I'll have to try it again.

Karen Jo: I am so glad to see this kind of behavior in you. Bags never held any attraction for you before. I think you are feeling even better than you were before you got sick. Maybe it's because you are very sure that this is your home now and you feel comfortable trying new things. Speaking of which, thank you all for your advice on my becoming a foster to FIV+ kitties. I do think it is probably too soon to subject Herman to any stress. The shelter hasn't called yet, so maybe they are really thinking it over, too. Since Herman has both FIV and FeLV, any kitty with just FIV would be in some danger of catching FeLV from Herman. I wouldn't be comfortable taking in a foster who didn't have both, because Herman has been all over the house. Herman seems very happy as an only cat, except he hates to see me leave for work. I know that he plays while I am gone, because his toys are all moved around when I get home. I don't know that he is actually lonely for company. I suspect that he just likes having me around.

I like having you around to feed me, for sure. You gave me that canned green pea and duck again. I have already told you that I don't like it.

Karen Jo: I will keep trying it on you every once in a while. I tried giving you grated cheddar for weeks before you decided that you liked it. Now you gobble down your cheese like it's the best stuff in the world.

Sigh. Moms! They are so hard to train.

New Toy

Just a short poop report today. I have been making at least one solid poop per day since Wednesday. I hope I can keep it up. A package arrived for me today. As you can see, I found it very interesting. OK, Mom, open it up already!

Yay! It's the nip syringe from Oh Boy! Cat Toy that I won in a drawing that Tamar from I Have Cat held back when I was so sick. There was a slight mix up and it just arrived today. I am glad that it was delayed because now I am well enough to really enjoy it. I grabbed it as soon as Mom got it unwrapped. I even tore off some of the tissue paper myself. I sniffed it and bit it and rolled around with it. That is why the picture is blurry.

As you can see it is big enough to give it a good bunny kicking. I played with it for a long time, which is unusual for me. I even took my first afternoon nap with my head resting on it. It is sturdy and packed full of really good nip. I even got a little nipped out, which is also unusual for me. On the basis of this toy, I highly recommend Oh Boy! Cat Toy for really fun toys.

Aftermath

Here I am in profile. Mom us using up some of the pictures she has already taken of me. It's gotten hot here and most of the time I am stretched out resting. I am still good for a short game of soccer in the morning, though. Ooooh, I think I had too much fun at my birthday party. I barfed the morning after.

Karen Jo: That wasn't a too-much-party barf, Herman. That was a hairball.

What's that?

Karen Jo: You haven't ever had one before because you never used to groom yourself much. Now that you are grooming yourself, you get loose fur in your tummy and it comes back up.

Gross! At least I was a good kitty about it and did it on the plastic mat in the kitchen. I did put me off my Medley for a while.

Karen Jo: Not for long. When I got home on Friday, you had eaten up all your Stinky Goodness and your Medley and the bottom of you pea and duck bowl was clearly visible. You are one hungry kitty!

I need to gain back the weight I lost. Besides, it's too hot to do much but eat and sleep. Saturday I made some good poops, too.

Karen Jo: You sure did. One all solid poop and one half solid poop. That's the most solid poop in one day so far.

Thank all of you for coming to my birthday party. It was a blast! Now Mom is going to get to work on my latest batch of awards, so she can post about them.

More Progress

Mom hasn't taken any more pictures of me lately, so here I am relaxing with my mousie from a while back. I am making more progress toward having normal poop. Mom has found two more solid poops in my litter box since I last blogged.

Karen Jo: It is a little frustrating. The solid poops appear about every other day with very thick pudding poop in between. Tuesday I started Herman's pulse with the antibiotic, so maybe that will help get him to solid poop all the time. I am very hopeful that he will get completely back to normal very soon.

I am really enjoying life and having lots of fun. Mom put my wand toys in a big vase and I played with my mousie all by myself for quite a while. I whap my nip ball around and play soccer with Mom. I watch the birdies on my platform and I really got into waking Mom up for food again.

Karen Jo: You were one hungry kitty last night. You woke me up three times before 8:00 am for more Stinky Goodness.

You did say that you missed my pre-dawn wake up calls. Well, you don't have to miss them any more. You had some interesting food for lunch.

Karen Jo: I had a catfish dinner from the nearby take-out place. I didn't give you any catfish because the cornmeal breading has hot spices in it.

I was more interested in something else you had.

Karen Jo: That surprised me. I never knew that cats liked coleslaw. You were so interested in it that I gave you a little, thinking that you would just lick the dressing, but you ate the cabbage, too.

It was yummy. Do I really have to go to the v-e-t in the morning?

Karen Jo: Yes, you do. We need to get that nasty mat off your side. You will feel better when it's over.

I suppose I will. I just don't like to go there.

Karen Jo: We will go with your foster Mom and Miss Kitty. You can meet her through your PTUs.

I just want it to be over with. You say I won't have to go back again for a long time, right?

Karen Jo: That's right. You won't have to go back unless you get sick again, because I think the Furminator will keep you from getting any more mats. At least I hope so. If everything goes well, you won't have to go again until next spring, when it's time for your wellness exam.

That sounds great to me. Maybe taking the nasty medicine is worth it after all.

Guess what? Thursday is my birthday. I will be three. I am trying to talk Mom into having a party for me.

Lots of News

Here I am chillaxing on the floor because it is too hot to do anything else. See that big ball behind my head? I knocked it partway down the hall last night.

Karen Jo: It's not all that hot, Herman. It was 79 F when I took that picture.

Try putting on a double-layered fur coat and get back to me on that one.

Looky! I'm a member of the Good Kitty Club. What makes me a good kitty? Thursday night I had to barf, so I barfed on my towel in my PTU.

Karen Jo: I'm really sorry about that, Herman. It's really all my fault. I have been giving you four or five pieces of Party Mix treats in your PTU after your medicine, but I finished the package and rather than open a new one, I started giving you three or four of your new treats, not even thinking about how much richer they are than the Party Mix. I even noticed that you hadn't been eating all your treats and were building up quite a stash in your PTU. Thursday night, you decided to pig out and it made you sick.

Thursday night is also the night that I decided to finally try out my new litter. My old litter was getting pretty gross, so I figured that I had nothing to lose. Friday morning, Mom took away my old litter, but I am happy with the new litter now. I left Mom a really good present in it Friday afternoon. I MADE A SOLID POOP! Mom didn't give me my medicine all Friday as a reward.

Karen Jo: Alas, I stopped your medicine too soon and you made really thick pudding poop today, so you are getting your medicine again. I am overjoyed to find out that it is possible that your poop will get back to normal again, though. The vet had told me that maybe the feline leukemia had messed up your insides so badly that you might never make solid poop again.

I am so happy that I am running down the hall at full speed again, just for the pure joy of it. I am getting Mom up for breakfast again, too, but not quite as early as I used to. You should see me clean my dish of Medley now. I even came out and met the strangers that invaded my house yesterday.

Karen Jo: My brother, nephew, nephew's girlfriend and my new grandniece came to visit and my brother and I cleared up a lot of the business around my mother's estate yesterday. It was quite a load off my mind. I think a lot of my need for so much rest lately came from unfinished business on my mind (and worry over Herman), but it is almost all done now. I feel much more energy already. I go back to work tomorrow and I feel ready for it.

Mom says I do have to go back to the vet for some spot shaving on Wednesday, but it shouldn't be too bad.

Karen Jo: We have to get those mats off you, Herman. I found another one forming in your armpit. I think they must hurt you a bit, as you get really ticked off with me if I even touch them. I will continue with the daily furminating and try to stop any more from forming, but you seem to be really prone to them.

Best News Yet

You can't really see it, but I just caught my nip ball with my paw. I love playing with Mom again. Sometimes I even play by myself, just like I used to. I tossed my rattle weasel halfway across the living room just last night. We haven't been blogging because Mom has been sleeping a lot again. I honestly don't know what has gotten into her. Are you ready for some great news? I made an almost normal poop last night. Mom could hardly believe her eyes. I have gone back to lumpy poop since, but I think I just might get back to normal soon. That would be great. I am so tired of taking medicine.

Karen Jo: I know you are, Herman. You are being so good about it now. You hardly fight me at all. Unfortunately, it's almost time for your antibiotic again. I know that you really hate the taste of it, but it's only for a week. If your poop gets normal, you won't have to take the Centrine any more.

That would be wonderful. Mom weighed me again today on the bathroom scale and it said that I weigh 11 pounds now. Mom is furminating me every day and gets out handfuls of fur. The comb doesn't get stuck on my bones now that I weigh more. I am even letting Mom snip out the little tangles with her scissors.

Karen Jo: I am glad for that. I am afraid that you have a big mat on your side again, though. I think I will have to take you to the vet to get that one shaved off.

Just so long that is all they do. I don't want another lion cut. Or any more shots. Or to have my temperature taken.

Karen Jo: I don't think you have to worry about any of that. Now that you are letting me take care of the little mats and furminate you every day, you shouldn't get any more big mats.

Good. I am getting a new treat for my elevenses now. Mom gives me a pinch of grated cheddar cheese after I take my Interferon. I eat it all up.

Karen Jo: I am hoping that cheese has the same effect on cats as it does on humans. I love to see you eating so well. You eat up most of your Medley almost every time and you even polished off your Stinky Goodness the other day. I have to top up your duck and pea and kitten chow almost every day.

Mom took my water fountain away. I don't know why, but I like my new water bowl. It's nice and big and Mom puts fresh water in it every day and sometimes twice a day.

Karen Jo: I was having to change the water in your fountain almost every day because you were dropping so much food in it. It just didn't seem worth the trouble. I did put down your new water bowl next to the fountain to see which you drank out of more and you went for the bowl. It's funny, but you don't drop nearly as much food in the bowl as you did in the fountain. Were you trying to tell me something?

Maybe. Have you gotten the message about the new litter yet?

Karen Jo: I am still hopeful that you will try it. You jump in it and walk around in it and even dig holes in it. You just don't pee or poop in it. Your old litter is getting pretty low and a bit nasty. I am hoping that will encourage you to use the new litter.

Maybe. Don't hold your breath.

Weird Mom

This is how our soccer games usually end. Mom hits the ball back to me and I keep it. I think I might have been getting a bit drowsy. Mom has been acting really weird lately. She just stays home and lies around the house most of the day. She's not forgetful though. She feeds me and gives me my treats and my medicine. I don't know what's going on, but I like having her around all the time.

Karen Jo: I am on staycation. I have been so tired that I have just been resting up instead of doing all the work that I had planned to do. At least today the weather finally warmed up nicely and it really felt like Spring for the first time. That seemed to energize me a bit and I got a bit of work done.

We got open windows for most of the day. Yay! I complained when Mom shut the window I was lying in front of when it got dark.

Karen Jo: The temperature was dropping and it was getting cold, for me, anyway. You seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.

I have a nice thick fur coat. It felt great to me. I hope we get lots more open windows. I really like the fresh air and I can hear the birdies better.

Karen Jo: It's supposed to stay nice for the next few days at least.

Great. I am doing very well. My poop is staying thick, but not getting any more toward normal, so I keep getting my medicine. I have stopped fighting it so much, as it isn't as nasty as the antibiotic. Mom thinks I am gaining weight. I am eating up most of my Medley and some of my Stinky Goodness and nibbling on my crunchies. I have decided that the green pea and duck stuff is pretty good. I feel like playing more and more. I knocked my squeaky mouse around today. Mom brought me home a scratching post with a furry thing on a spring on top. I like attacking it. I got so energetic that I nearly knocked the whole thing over. I like sleeping on the base of it, too.

Karen Jo: I think you have started smacking the furry thing on a string attached to the kitchen door, too. I keep finding it flung up over the doorknob and I don't really think it is the breeze doing that. I tried weighing you again today, but you got so squirmy in my arms that it was really hard to read the dial on the scale. It does look like you have gained back two pounds, though. That would put you back to where you were when I adopted you. I know that I can't feel your bones so easily through your fur now. Your shoulders still feel a bit bony, but your breast bone isn't sticking out any more and I can't feel your spine when I pet you. I am tempted to call the vet and see if I can just take you down and weigh you. We could try out your new PTU.

I don't want to go to the vet, even just to get weighed. I've seen that new PTU and I don't want to try it out.

Karen Jo: If the weather's nice, I could walk you down to the vet. You could sniff lots of fresh air and see the sights from inside your PTU. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? I really would like to know how much you weigh now.

More Good News

See that mousie? I am getting ready to whap it up into the air! It fell in the track of my Turbo Scratcher, which made Mom laugh. She scooted it around the track a little ways, but I just fished it out again with my mighty claws and threw it around some more. I still feel great and am still making lumpy poop. Mom went out this morning and she smelled like the v-e-t when she came back.

Karen Jo: I went to get you some more medicine, Herman.

Yuck!

Karen Jo: Aww, Herman, you know that the medicine is making you feel better. I have some good news for you, too. Once you finish up your antibiotic that you hate so much, you don't have to take it any more until next month. You only have to take the Centrine until your poop gets back to normal. If everything goes well, you will have some time when you only have to get your Prednisol and your Interferon, neither of which you mind taking at all. Best of all, you don't have to go back to the vet again, unless something happens.

That sounds good. I am so glad that I feel better. Mom and I played soccer when she got home tonight. I really missed that. I am glad that the weather is warming up a bit, too. Now Mom will stick her arms out from under the covers and cuddle me more. I love it when she stretches her arm out to make a pillow for me. She doesn't even mind petting me in the middle of the night, at least for a little while.

Karen Jo: I love it when you pat my cheek with your paw to let me know that you want petting. I really do believe that you have gained a pound. I've checked three times now and each time I come up with a ten pound difference in our weights.

I finally let Mom see me eating my green pea and duck food. It was driving her nuts that she thought I was eating some of it, but just a tiny bit at a time. I am nibbling at all my dry foods and eating more of my pea and duck and kitten chow. I am eating most of my Medley and some of my Stinky Goodness, too. I just wish that the weather would settle down, so we could have open windows.

Karen Jo: So do I. I wanted to open the windows yesterday and today, because it was warm enough, but the wind was blowing something fierce.

Mancat Monday

Who's da Mancat?! ME! I gave Mom a great Mother's Day present. When she got up and went to the litter box room, there was a lumpy poop in the box. I didn't bury it because I wanted her to see it. Not just little raisins, but good sized lumps! I did another one before she went to work. She is so happy! After she got dressed and came into to living room, she noticed that my nip ball was missing. She looked under the couch and found my flashy ball. She rolled it in my direction and I crouched down, switched my tail and did a wiggle butt, but then it stopped flashing and I lost interest. She looked under the couch again, and there was my nip ball. She rolled to me and I whapped it. We played soccer with it for a while. Then she went to my toy basket and started throwing toys out for me. I watched them without much interest, then I walked over to my canvas mouse and clawed it and rolled it around. Mom went for the camera. When she got back, I went for one of my Wooly Bully toys. Can you see my paw on it? Just after Mom took this picture, I whapped it a good two feet. I didn't chase it, but I whapped it a good one. A little bit later I smacked my nip ball around and chased it for a little. I haven't played since my poop got all watery months ago. This is great. It's like all my toys are new again. Mom and I played soccer some more with the white ball you can see behind me when she got home from work. While she was brushing me, I took the brush away from her and played with that. My medicine is doing me a lot of good. I didn't fight it too hard today, just clenched my teeth together for a while. I am even eating a little bit of my green pea and duck food, but mostly my Stinky Goodness and kitten chow. Right now I am napping on my platform, which I hadn't been doing lately, either.

Karen Jo: Thank you so much, Herman. This is the best Mother's Day present you could have given me. I am so glad to be able to play with you again.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! I know I'm late, but I just wanted to get it in anyway. Thank goodness Mom decided to dress up a stuffie and not me. I'll try to get around to the parties.

Many thanks to Zoolatry for this beautiful watercolor rendition of me. I absolutely love it. Now on to the updates. Mom has developed an unhealthy interest in my poop. I was sitting in my litter box, taking care of business when Mom came into the litter box room to take care of her business. Instead of politely turning away and giving a fellow a little privacy, she sat there and watched very carefully. She even told me that I was a good boy after I finished burying.

Karen Jo: It was a very good poop, Herman.

Sheesh! Could you possibly be any more patronizing?

Karen Jo: I mean it. You not only made pudding poop, you made pudding poop with raisins.

Do you have to be so cutesy about it? Can't you just say that I had a little solid matter in my poop?

Karen Jo: I like being cutesy about it. Poop isn't the most pleasant thing to discuss.

Mom was following me around with the camera again today.

Karen Jo: I wanted to show all your friends how you are holding your tail up now, instead of at half-mast, but you wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a picture. You are getting playful again, too.

What makes you think that? I haven't touched any of my toys.

Karen Jo: You like to lead the way down the hall for breakfast. This morning I got in front of you and you snagged at my socks to make me stop so you could get in front. You haven't done that in such a long time. You batted and kicked and bit your brush while I was brushing your tummy this morning, purring the whole time. You were playing with your brush, which you also haven't done in a long time.

The better I feel, the more I dislike taking my medicine. I fought you a bit tonight.

Karen Jo: But you took your medicine in the end. It's over in just a few seconds.

But the taste lingers on. Boy, I hate how that stuff tastes.

Karen Jo: I gave you a whole bunch of Party Time treats to help with that. Here's the deal, Herman. When your poops get solid, you don't have to take that nasty medicine any more.

Really? Not ever again?

Karen Jo: Well, if your poops get runny again, then you will have to take it again, but the medicine stops when you poops get normal.

Come on, normal poops! I can hardly wait.

Karen Jo: Neither can I. I do have a bit of bad news for you.

What's that?

Karen Jo: Simba told me that those treats that Daisy told you about are made from raw chicken liver and you can't have raw food because of your compromised immune system.

Drat! They sounded so good, too. I am pretty much off human-type food, anyway.

Karen Jo: I noticed. You never did eat your steak and you didn't want the piece of chicken alfredo I gave you at lunch today, either.

Ha! Did you notice that chicken in my dish when you got home tonight?

Karen Jo: Oh, so you did eat it after I went to work. It beats me why you won't eat the tastes I give you of my food while it is still warm and fresh, but wait a few hours, then eat it, sometimes. I think you nibbled at your duck and pea, too.

I'm not telling. If it isn't obvious, then I didn't eat much of it.

Karen Jo: Even if you just ate a little, that's good. It's very good for you. You really are enjoying your kitten chow these days.

It's yummy. I love how you keep filling up my dish, so I have plenty to eat while you are gone, even if I don't usually eat much until you get home.

Karen Jo: I love how you head straight for your food and start eating almost as soon as I get home. Eat up as much as you can hold, Herman; you need to gain your weight back.

Just Getting Along

Here's a picture of me from last week getting a drink of water. I haven't been cooperating for the camera lately. Every time Mom points it at me, I walk right up to it and sniff it. Not much has changed since we blogged last. Sorry it's been so long.

Karen Jo: I have been coming home from work really tired and just go to bed.

I have been sleeping up on the couch or on a chair lately, rather than in my bed. It's warmer and we get an open window almost every day now. I am mostly eating my food with my medicine in it, though I didn't eat my pro-biotic today. Mom is threatening to syringe it into me before she goes to bed. Ha! The last time she tried to syringe my fiber into me it didn't work well at all. I am still making pudding poop and getting it all over my litter box and over the edge.

Karen Jo: I got the idea of putting puppy pads all around your box and that is working out quite well.

Sometimes I pee on the puppy pad instead of in the box, but Mom doesn't seem to mind.

Karen Jo: That's OK, Herman. It's what they are for, actually. I think you need all new litter. I'll get you some tomorrow.

I haven't gotten furminated yet. Things keep happening to keep Mom busy when she is supposed to be taking care of me.

Karen Jo: I am still taking good care of you, Herman. You get fed, medicated, petted and brushed. I just haven't had the time to furminate you yet. Maybe tomorrow.

I am a bit more interested in food sometimes. I got Mom up at four in the morning to feed me again. I haven't done that in a long time.

Karen Jo: I was glad to do it. You had eaten up all your fiber food and part of your Stinky Goodness. That made me very happy. I just wish I could get enough food into you for you to gain some weight. I can still feel your backbone when I pet you.

Doing Better

Here I am on the kitchen floor. Mom was following me around the other day, taking a bunch of pictures. Mom needs to wash the kitchen floor something awful.

Karen Jo: Yes, I do. I am afraid that housecleaning has been the last thing on my mind lately. I was following you around taking pictures because you had gotten out of your bed at last and were taking more interest in things around you. I think you are feeling better.

I am. I think it's a good thing that you are making sure that I take all my medicines, no matter what I think about it. Mom forgot to close the window today before she went to work, so I got fresh air all the time she was gone. I really liked that.

Karen Jo: It's a good thing that it didn't get too cold tonight. We were both in a really good mood today. You even played with my pajama string for a few seconds tonight. You ate up all your pro-biotic while I was gone, too. You even made a good start on your fiber tonight. I expect to find it all gone by morning.

Maybe, maybe not. I do know that I will get it one way or the other, though. You brought home something that smelled really good.

Karen Jo: I bought a package of chicken livers. I am going to boil you up a couple with celery like Victor Tabbycat suggested to see if you will eat them. I get the rest of them. I don't understand why you get all excited when I get the chicken out of the refrigerator and meow all the time that I am warming it up, then don't want it when it is ready.

I just like to keep you guessing. At least you know that there is nothing wrong with my sense of smell. I came trotting in from the living room as soon as you got the chicken out and there is no way that I could have seen you getting it out. Are you going to stay home with me all day tomorrow? I want more attention than you have been giving me lately.

Karen Jo: I have some errands to run, but I will be home with you most of the day. I haven't been giving you as much attention lately because you have been walking away from me when I try to pet you or you have been sound asleep in your bed and I didn't want to disturb you. I am glad to see you more active now.

I am enjoying the warmer weather and open window. Seeing you feel happy makes me happier, too.

Karen Jo: I will try to remember that and not let things get me down any more. I saw one of the ladies from the vet office today and she told me that you are probably getting mats so quickly now because you are shedding part of your undercoat. I am thinking about Furminating you tomorrow.

I hope it feels as good as brushing.