Minnie helping with holiday card writing

Happy New Year!
Christmas came and went uneventfully - I had the flu and wasn't up for much. Hopefully the new year will bring many good changes for all of us. Today is a very cold and windy day - the kitties and I will celebrate the New Year with a movie and some warm comfort food!
Blessings to all!

Ivy is Sick - Please Send Purrs and Prayers

Little Ivy cat from "Dangerous Napping" photo is having lots of seizures. I am consulting with two vets to see what we can do to help her. She has had a rough life living outdoors with a feral group until I took her inside two years ago when the others had died or left. She adapted very well and likes to be loved.

Also both my hours and my husband's hours have been cut back to part time in our jobs which makes it hard to make ends meet financially! Please keep us and Ivy in your thoughts!


UPDATE ON IVY
Thanks for your purrs and prayers. I spoke with one vet and we are trying herbs and homeopathic remedies. She thinks it is Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome which is not easy to treat. Ivy's itchy skin causes her nervous system to overreact. I have gotten her down to one seizure a day - usually it happens first thing in the morning. I held her on my lap last night for a few hours to Reiki her. It seems to help calm her. She spends most of her day sleeping in the cubby hole of the TV stand, only coming out to use the litter box. I have another vet appointment on Friday with a new but holistic vet. We just moved here so I don't have anyone but my old vet who is doing phone consults with us. Will keep all posted.

Drooling

All dogs drool a little and some breeds drool a lot because the loose skin around their mouths traps saliva and overflows. Even cats will drool when they are feeling happy and affectionate.

Dogs that drool normally can wear a bandanna around their neck - it catches the moisture before it hits the floor and they look spiffy wearing one!

Any change in your pet's drooling indicates a possible health issue. Drooling increases when pets are nauseated or when they have something stuck in their teeth or gums or a loose tooth in their mouth. Serious conditions like liver disse can cause drooling.

Do a mouth check - pets with a piece of string or bone in their teeth will drool heavily. Make sure they don't have a foreign object stuck between their teeth. They will also drool if they have gum or tooth disease. My cat Sweetpea was drooling long ropes of bloody saliva when one of her teeth became loose but would not fall out. A trip to the vet is needed if this is the issue.

Nausea - traveling in a car will cause drooling. The motion upsets the pets stomach and causes them to drool. I use the homeopathic remedies Ipecacuanha or Cocculus for this. Look for 30C strength and give two or more drops up to two hours before traveling.

Mancat Monday - Only Keeping a Lookout

It is a cold windy day but sunny. Don't think it warrants doing anything but sitting inside and watching the leaves blow by! ...and dozing off too!

Dangerous Napping

Rainy days are great for napping - Ivy has a very precarious spot on the edge of the sofa! Every so often I have to yell her name to wake her before she slides off on the floor. Who would have thought napping could be risky!

Rainy Day Work

The day is rainy but warm so I am trying to catch up on my feral cat shelter work. The screen porch has been enclosed in plastic to protect them from the weather but they miss being able to see out. During warm days, I can lift the front door and one side and tack it up on Velcro strips to let in fresh air and sun. I need something for those colder days when I don't want to expose them to the weather. I have a few windows from an old trailer that I am embedding in the plastic to provide views to the outside and still be protected.

It took a few tries to get it right but cutting a hole in the plastic and sliding the window inside, then taping it up to keep it from moving and leaking worked the best. I put in two glass windows still in metal frames and one piece of Plexiglas for a higher view. The glass ones I rested on the ground. The Plexiglas being so light I could set it up higher for the cats to see out from a shelf inside.

They seem to enjoy watching the chipmunks and birds at the feeders in front of the windows. The shelter is still a work in progress for the cats and me. More work for another day!

At the Grave of a Fine Cat

This poem is dedicated to all the wonderful cats we have all known that have passed on to the Bridge.

May your whiskers be ruffled by only pleasant breezes,
May your bowls be filled with tuna and sweet cream,
May your dreams be blessed with legions of mice,
And most of all,
May you forever purr in peace.
Amen

--Barbara Younger