Friday, August 31, 2007
A Candle
We have lost too many friends in the cat blogosphere recently.
This post is in memory of:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Feathered Friends
Had to go to the v-e-t twice again yesterday to have my blood stolen. Good news though, my blood sugar is down at "normal" levels for the first time since my diabetes was diagnosed. Everyone said I was a furry good boy at the v-e-t's surgery, even though the waiting room was full of d-o-gs. Hopefully I don't have to go again for a couple of weeks.
I don't want to get boring and talk about nothing except diabetes, so let's change the subject! I have been having fun watching birds in my garden. It said on the news yesterday that house sparrows have gone on a list of species in need of protection in the UK. But we have lots and lots! We have a large family of fluffy little sparrows tweeting all over our garden. There are about 25 we think, but they are hard to count because they don't keep still. Hard to photograph too! Here are some eating the food my mum puts out. Don't they look yummy cute? 
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday Sunshine
Here I am sitting in the sunshine. Yes, that's right, the sun is out today! We haven't seen it for about two weeks, despite this supposedly being summer, so it was really nice to go out today and bask for a bit.I am still getting over the traumas of Thursday. When the Evil Cat Carrier came out again early on Thursday morning, before I had even had my breakfast, I was horrified. I couldn't believe we were off to the v-e-t at 8.30 in the morning! Then it got worse, because when we got to the v-e-t my humans went away and left me there all day!!! I thought I had been abandoned. I had to spend the entire day in a jail cell at the v-e-t's (at least they let me out of the Evil Cat Carrier) having more blood stolen every two hours. I sat there with my paws hanging out of the front of the jail cell, trying to reach out and grab the v-e-t and his assistants every time they walked past!
I was stuck there until 6.30 in the evening, when the v-e-t's assistant came and rescued me - she was quite nice actually so I gave her a big cuddle and shed some hair all over her. She took me to another room, and there waiting for me were the v-e-t and both my humans! They had come back for me! I was so relieved I threw myself into my mum's arms and licked her all over (I tried to act hurt and offended, but I'm just so bad at doing the whole stand-offish thing).
Anyway, the results of this day of torture were as follows:
1. My blood glucose is still way above what it should be, so the amount of insulin I am getting twice a day is being increased.
2. My mum had another lesson from the v-e-t about how to stick needles in me, because she is not very good at it.
3. I have been disfigured! Just because my floofy fur was making it harder for my mum to stick needles in me, the v-e-t agreed to shave a patch on my back to make it easier for her while she is learning! Look at this picture! My handsome looks are ruined!
4. Although you can't see it in this picture, I have also got another bald patch on my neck where they were stealing my blood, and yet another shaved patch on my stomach where the v-e-t was checking on the little cut I have got. I look moth-eaten! I look mangy! Oh, the shame...
4. Although you can't see it in this picture, I have also got another bald patch on my neck where they were stealing my blood, and yet another shaved patch on my stomach where the v-e-t was checking on the little cut I have got. I look moth-eaten! I look mangy! Oh, the shame...5. I have to go back to the v-e-t's AGAIN next Tuesday! Can you believe that?
Still, I don't want to sound too negative. The sun is shining. I am getting lots and lots of stinky goodness. There is a Bank Holiday on Monday, and my mum still has another week of school holidays to spend quality time with me. I think I will get her to help me choose a picture of me for the Cat Blogosphere Calendar...a picture without bald patches!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wet and Woeful Wednesday
Guess what? It is raining. Again. My humans can't believe how rubbish the weather has been this August. My mum is still on holiday from school. She had to put on a thick sweatshirt and woolly socks today because the house felt so cold! Normally at this time of year she would be outside gardening in the sunshine in summer clothes while I bask in the sun - what is going on?
Anyway. I am not a happy cat. After being co-operative for the first three or four days, I have decided I do not like having injections and I am going to make them more difficult to do by moving around a lot when my mum is trying to stick a needle into me. I don't like it!
Also, we had a bit of an incident yesterday when my mum was grooming me and she found I had some mats in my floofy fur, so she snipped them out and she snipped a bit of MY SKIN too!!! There was actual blood! OK, I know it was an accident and she was very sorry afterwards, but really! I had to give her a very hard stare. The "wound" looks all right today but as I am going to the evil v-e-t again tomorrow we are going to get him to check it is healing up OK.
Injections - being wounded - getting rained on - I am NOT HAPPY!!! All right, I may have been cuddling and purring on my mum's lap this morning but that doesn't mean I have forgiven her for all this!
I bet the rain is her fault too.
Huh. I'm off to attack the laundry basket again. That'll teach her.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Sleepy Sunday
It is Sunday. It is raining outside again. My dad has gone down to see Devon Grandma for the weekend. My mum is cleaning the kitchen (amazing how a bit of grease helps cat hair stick to things!) I am napping. Since I came back from the kitty jail I have been varying my napping location between on Scratchy Mouse in the living-room and under the yellow chair in the spare room.
Well. Having come back from the kitty jail on Wednesday and started to settle back in with my home comforts, imagine my horror early on Thursday morning when the Evil Cat Carrier came out again. My mum put it down in the living-room and then went to put on her shoes. When she came back...I was gone! She searched for ages before she found me hiding behind the living-room door.
I was almost relieved when I found out we were only going up the road to the v-e-t, not straight back to the kitty jail, but I meowed very loudly all the way there anyway. The v-e-t had to teach my mum and dad how to give me an insulin injection. They practised with sterile water. I got bored. My mum found it much harder than she thought to get the needle in the right place because of all my floofy fur hiding where the needle is! I might have to have some floofy fur shaved off to make it easier.
My mum is really nervous about doing my injections properly. She does it when I am eating and I don't actually notice the injection but I do notice when she grabs up some of my skin before she injects me - I turn round and give her a hard stare. She is scared of sticking the needle in the wrong place but I am OK so far. (She stuck the needle in her finger the first time, heh heh).
Because of the injections twice a day, I have to have my meals at very exact times now and I don't like this very much. I stand in the kitchen yelling "I'm hungry!" and she says "You can't eat for another half an hour", it's completely unfair! At least now that I have been taken off dry food I get a lot more stinky goodness and I do like that, even if she makes me wait till the right time.
On Thursday I have to go and spend the whole day at the v-e-t's, can you believe it? I have to go there early in the morning before having any food or insulin, because the vet wants to do this glucose curve thingy and measure my blood sugar all day to see how it goes up and down. Then we will know how I am doing with the injections so far.
My mum has found some really helpful websites. I feel OK but I wish it would stop raining, I want to go outside and watch the birds. Meanwhile I will carry on napping...zzzzzzz....
P.S. Oh yes. I forgot to mention. The v-e-t weighed me again and in the last fortnight my weight has gone down again from 20 lb to 19.4 lb. If this carries on I will be Skinny Eric instead of Fat Eric...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
I'm Back!!!
Hooray, I have been liberated from kitty jail. Yesterday there was a big storm with lots of rain and wind, it was quite scary. This morning it was still very windy but of course this did not deter my humans from driving to the kitty jail to set me free. One of the staff at the kitty jail gave my mum my bag with all my stuff in (like my Scratchy Mouse, my toys and my comb) - luckily my mum checked in the bag because they had forgotten to pack my Gizzy Quilt! We found the Gizzy Quilt still in my jail cell and we were just getting into the car when another ginger cat (who lives at the kitty jail and roams free around their office area) took a fancy to my humans and tried to get in the car and come home with us, but don't worry, I soon saw him off.
When I got home I had a good meal and then snuggled for a bit with my mum, then I went upstairs and checked out the whole house just to make sure no Evil Intruder Cats had arrived in my absence. Everything seems fine. My humans saw a mouse in the kitchen when they got home last night - they have never seen a mouse in our house before so they think it only dared to come in because it knew I had gone to the kitty jail. I don't think it will dare show its face again here now I am back!
My humans had a nice time in Derbyshire and had good weather (except when they were driving back through the rain storm), although my mum says she spent quite a bit of time worrying about me and my diabetes (as she should, having dumped me in kitty jail!) They did lots of walking and saw lots of sheep and cattle and wildflowers - my mum even saw a kingfisher on the river there. They also went on some steam trains and some vintage trams and saw some classic cars so my dad was happy. I might let them post some pictures if they ask nicely.
We are all quite worn out now so we are chilling at home today. I have to go to the v-e-t again tomorrow to start having my insulin injections so we are hoping that goes well. Meanwhile I am going to check out my friends' blogs and find out what I have missed while I have been away!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Floofy Friday: Thanks
Hi, friends. My mum is furry touched that all my friends are being so supportive about my health problems.
I am not looking forward to the kitty jail or the injections but I am very much enjoying the extra stinky goodness I am already getting, and I seem also to be getting a lot of extra cuddles from my humans during the last few days. They are being very nice to me. This is lucky because it means that when I jumped on the bed this morning to ask for breakfast and patted my mum on the nose and accidentally drew blood with my claw, I did not get into too much trouble! (Oops).
But...but...she gave away my Temptations to our neighbour's cats!!! Sob! I can't believe that she would do that.
We just found out that my Uncle Sim (who lives in Mericky with his cats Fred and Barney) had an unfortunate accident. He suffers from epilepsy but had not had a seizure for a long time. But he had a seizure in his kitchen, fell over, hit his head on Fred and Barney's water dish, broke the water dish, and ended up having to have 12 stitches in his head where he hit the kitty water dish. This is not good. Poor Uncle Sim. (We do not think Fred and Barney were very happy either).
I am watching my mum pack my luggage to take to the kitty jail. I am taking my Gizzy Quilt and my Scratchy Mouse with me, obviously, and my brush and comb so that I can be groomed by the kitty jail warders. Sigh. This will be my third time in the Evil Cat Carrier in a week. Life just isn't fair.
I will see all my friends when I get home (on the 15th August). Feel free to teleport to the kitty jail to visit me, it is here. In the meantime, here is a gratituous Floofy Friday picture of me - an old one, but one of my mum's favourites.
Purrs to all.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Update From Eric's Mum
I spoke to the v-e-t at length about Eric's test results. He has now been diagnosed with feline diabetes - his blood glucose level should have been between 4 and 9 and instead it was 28. The good news is that none of his other test results were abnormal and he did not have any ketones in his urine, which the v-e-t says indicates that the diabetes had not gone long untreated.
Eric is going to need us to inject him with insulin twice a day and his diet will be changed somewhat - no more dry food because it is too high in carbohydrates, just a protein-high diet of stinky goodness (he will enjoy that) and no Temptations or cat treats whatsoever (he will be upset about that!).
We had been planning to go on holiday on Saturday (to Derbyshire) and Eric is booked into the kitty jail for 10 days. I felt really bad about this and had a long chat with the v-e-t. He does not want to start the insulin immediately in these circumstances because he wants to observe Eric very closely during the first week of taking insulin so that he can adjust the dosage as necessary to stabilise his blood glucose. He thinks it would be better and less stressful to delay starting the insulin and have the staff at the kitty jail just watch Eric's diet for 10 days (they are very caring and have a vet who comes in every day), and we have made an appointment for the day after we come back for Eric to start his insulin treatment. The vet has given us a lot of information about feline diabetes to read and a DVD to watch - they are being very helpful. I have also looked at some websites about feline diabetes but would appreciate further recommendations.
Eric had to visit the v-e-t again tonight for another glucose test - he was very stressed out about the whole experience on Tuesday but tonight he was much more resigned to it, and even dozed off with his head on the v-e-t's hand!
We still feel guilty about putting him in the kitty jail at this point, but we are glad he will not be away from us during his first week on insulin (the staff at the kitty jail were willing to give the injections but we agree with our vet that it would be better to have him at home under close observation when he starts treatment, just to see how it goes).
Thanks for all your kind thoughts. Eric is upside down snoring in the middle of the kitchen floor but I am sure he appreciates them too!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Small Update
Thank you for all your purrs of support, my friends.
My mum took the pee sample round to the V-E-T this morning. They didn't have the blood test results yet but they said they would call her tomorrow about them. But then they called this afternoon instead and asked if she could come straight in tomorrow morning to talk about the blood test results. Now she is even more worried. We are doing lots of snuggling here to make us feel less nervous. My floofiness has been disfigured where the V-E-T shaved a big strip on my neck to help him steal my blood.
Please keep purring for me.
