Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for Feliway.   With most cats in the past, I never needed it.  Mischief and Jeremy, Skeeter and LC, LC and Ayla were fine without it.  

But Ayla and Iza sometimes didn't get along well, so I tried it.  I've been using it ever since.  It seems to help.  I write the 30-day expiration date on the bottle, but I don't always remember to check it.

I can tell when the bottle is empty though.  Things get a bit hissier/whappier.  Laz had problems Feliway couldn't solve, But Lori seems to benefit from it.  She and Taz had "introduction issues" for a year, and while they have become more acceptant to each other, I think the Feliway helped/helps that.  

From daily brief fights, they have gone to at least tolerating each other.  Lori no longer whaps Taz and Binq everytime they walk past her, for example.  Sure, it may have just been a matter of time and constant presence, but when the bottle is empty, she starts tapping flanks and heads again.

So hurray for pheromones!

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:   I was head-resting on The Lap.  

I like ta just put my forehead against the chair arm.

It kinna settles me in place, ya know?

An even when TBT has ta move those long legs he has, it doesnt disturb me much.  

Ya learn all the really good ways ta sit after some years!

Twofur Tuesday

HAPPY NATIONAL CAT DAY!  WE DESERVE IT.

MARLEY AND TAZ:   We get along very well.  Mostly just by sharing space closely...

MARLEY:  I don't fuss with annycat.

TAZ:  And I like Marley a lot.

But there are brief (like 5 second) wrasslin sessions (and we keep our claws in).  And a brief chase sometimes (barely even energetic for me).  I can't win at wrasslin, but he can't catch me iffen I don't want him to.  Well, I stay just ahead of him ta encourage him to run around some...

Its all too quick for TBT ta get a picture...

Thankful Thursday

TBT:   Moving the calming collar from Taz to Lori seems to be helping.  I was surprised to see Lori sniff Taz from the floor and then jump up onto my lap.  She sat there peacefully for a while...

And then there was actual bodily contact!

It isn't 100% calm between them.  In the past week, there was 1 fussy between them, and I've heard some low-growling from Lori a couple times at night (and a bit of running sounds), but that is sure a lot different from before!  

I am still a bit suspicious of how much herbs calm cats.  It could just be that after 11 months, they are adjusting to each other finally.  But the coincidence of timing makes me think there might be something in the collar that is helping.

I've been using Feliway for years, and I understand how it works (and it does help), but maybe the calming collar gets Lori just over the top for calmness.  And I have 5 more 30-day collars sealed in plastic bags, so maybe we are good until March.  And maybe by that time, Lori will be used to Taz and Binq and won't need to wear them.

So, for whatever reason the calmness has improved, I am Thankful today!

Thankful Thursday

 TBT:  Lori has not gotten along well with Taz and Binq (from the Shelter last November).  I blamed Taz for most of it, since Lori did most of the yelling and running and he was not far behind her.  It was always hard to see who started the fussings.

I even bought an herbal calming collar and put it on Taz.  It didn't seem to make much of a difference.

But I finally realized that it was Lori initiating all the fusses.  She ambushes Taz.  She abushes Binq.   She whaps both of them just walking past her.  She growls at them.

So I took the calming collar off Taz and put it on Lori.  There have been several days of peace!  I don't really know yet if it is just a random peace or if the calming collar is helping, but I am thankful for the peace so far.  

They actually sat together since then...

Thankful Thursday

TBT:  Loki is a problem sometimes .  Pees high, fusses with Lori, and tries to steal food.  But he adores me.  Sometimes he is a very good lapcat, and he is good sleeping in bed keeping his claws to himself.

On or near me, he is calm and happy.  I appreciate that.  And maybe some day, he will grow to be a calm cat like Marley.  He isn't there yet, but I have hopes.  He is, after all, an orange/white male cat and I have never had one that was mean...

Flashback Friday

 Well, why not get a bit more current?  This week in 2015...

Marley was up on Ayla's "special place" (note the sign).  He got down quickly when she came in.

She had been out sitting on a fence post.  She loved that.

Marley discovered he could no longer fit in "the hidey hole".

Ayla was enjoying The Fancy Box.

But Iza got a turn in it too, later.

Meanwhile, Marley and Ayla were mutually grooming while Iza enjoyed the box....  I need to make a new one.

Those were seriously "non-fuss days".  And we had another 5 years of that...

Easy Like Sunday

 TBT:  This IS actually Easy Like Sunday, but some background first.  

As much as there are fusses and yells, there are times of peace.  Peace usually involves food or being around me, but sometimes everycat seems calm.

Lori and Loki especially have problems with each other.  It's difficult.  Lori and Marley get along wonderfully; Lori loves Marley and seeks his attention often.  Loki and Binq get along wonderfully.  They play and sit around together.  Loki and Binq love Marley too and seek his attention.

But Lori and Loki just can't seem to get along.  It's not like it was at first with them going at each other  every day, but they will probably never be really friendly.  There is a fuss at least once a day.

But it comes and goes.  Most times, Loki and Lori will sniff noses and butts, walk past each other, eat near each other...  And then a shreech!  And it is always starting somewhere I am not!  Maddening.

So when they are near each other peacefully, I am happy.  The 1st 2 pics show them peacefully close.  

Later, they were close again, but it was actually a good sunpuddle day.

Binq was napping in her new favorite place, but more about that later.

So today was a nice calm Easy day.  I value those...

Easy Like Sunday

We are all just sort of relaxifying today.  Takin the day Easy, ya know?

 

Easy Like Sunday

LOKI:  My furst post.  Marley hepped me wit this som.  Teachin me werds.  Happy here.  Love big house.  Fewer kitties and is free of loaud barki dogs.  I was deafend at tye shelter.

Glad Binq came wif me.  We were frens at shelter.  TBT saw that and took us both away here.  Better food, caln, not-noisey.  

Sleep wif BT every nite.  Hes warm.  Get lots scritchies.  All peace.  Binq an me spent time of the lap.

We think we will like it here.

Monday Newbies

 TBT:  Loki and Binq have been in The Mews Room for 2 days now.  They seem to be calm about it.  I guess it is a lot like the community cat room at the shelter, but fewer cats and a bit smaller.  And a LOT quieter.  I'm guessing that they don't miss the barking dogs (the sound was deafening to me).

I hope neither has a special cat-shelter friend they miss.  Probably not.  But there are 2 cats (and me) who may become new ones.  Marley is always friendly.  I don't know how Lori will react.  She as never experienced a new cat entering her home, never mind 2.

Marley and Lori are aware there are new cats in the house.  Well, I assume they can tell there are 2 by scent.  Lori got in the room between my feet when I brought food in earlier today.  She was sniffing around.  

She didn't even notice Binq resting in the cat-cave on the floor a foot away.  But she did see Loki.  And stared intently!   The good news is that she didn't hiss.  But she didn't want to get closer either.  And she left with me quickly enough.

Loki already likes my attention.  He hasn't shown me his tummy yet, but he has lifted his head for chin-scritchies and down for back-of-the-head scritchies.  He has found a high spot for resting (folded towels always attract cats).  But he has also hopped down to walk around me a few times, sniffing my ankles.

Binq is staying more reserved.  She has adopted the cat-cave on the floor and she is staying there.  I'll give her whatever time she needs.  I'm not exactly in a "rush to judgement".  I asked the shelter staff about return policies in case things don't work out.  They said it happens and they consider 30 days a sort of "try-out" time.  

So apparently they get returns.  And there is not actually an expiration date.  They are a shelter after all and take any surrendered pet at any time.  I'll hope another drive to the place will not be required though.  

Well, I might make one.  While I was there, someone brought in a couple bags of old blankets.  So I asked them what they needed.  The answer was "nearly anything".  OK, right...  Blankets, newspapers, toys, food, money.  I have old blankets and sheets, newspapers, unappreciated toys.  

And I have a trailerload of tree debris too large to compost but too small to bother cutting up for the fireplace.  And since the recycling center is 1/2 way to the shelter, after I dump off the tree debris, I might as well bring everything I can to the shelter too.  And I have some medications left over from Laz.  They say they can use them too.  

Neither of them are eating much.  Of course, they are a bit stressed by new circumstances, but I have seen a few empty bowls and the litterbox has been used.  It may take some time to learn what their food preferences are.  I should have looked at the food bowls in the cat community room, but I didn't think of that at the time.  But they will adapt to the usual Fancy Feast, Wellness, and Natural Balance I feed Marley and Lori.

I will call my Vet later today to arrange for wellness exams, to establish them as "clients", and hand over the few medical records the shelter had for each.  Binq seems to a slight eye discharge and that might mean ear mites.  And I'll want the Vet to examine their teeth etc.  

Sorry there are no pictures today.  It is actually late Sunday right now and I don't feel like messing around with the camera.

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:   Today was another stabby day.  At least it happens at home...  I'll spare you pics of it lest it frighten kittens and depress adults.  

But I will show you again where it happens.  Its the least-bad place for it to happen I suppose.

The top-opening PTU is easy for me ta settle into.  Its at a height where TBT can hold and comfort me with skritchies and talking.  There is a small towel for him to hold me with and sometimes I forget there is a needle in my scruff.  

He has added a used pill bottle for the old needles so none of us pokes themselves playing with them (himself included).  He says he is thinking of adding a small metal brace to pull the old needle off the drip tube more safely (he stabbed himself a 2nd time last time).

And he says he is going to get some spray for the carrier to help me stay calm (it won't mess up my fur sprayed in the carrier).  He hopes that helps, as I am getting a bit squirmier about this whole stabby-thing...

Well, better than going to the Vet...  😐

Oh, might as well show a pic of me.  

Its not new, but it does show me feeling calm and relaxed...

Thankful Thursday

 LAZ:   I am thankful for a new treat that only I get!

TBT has been giving me this really great treat lately.  It is called "pillpocket".  I get one each evening!  I just LOVE it.  And TBT says it is good fer me.

TBT:  Laz is getting kitty prozac.  It's called something like "fluroxetine".  But he wouldn't take it orally whole.  He wouldn't take it in his food.  He wouldn't take it crushed in his food.  I bought a pill shooter, but that didn't work.  I tried wrapping it in cheese, but he doesn't like cheese much.

So I thought of pill pockets.  I've mentioned before that he like those chicken-flavored ones plain, and accepted a pill in one.  Well, it's been a week now and he still does.

He really loves them.  He actually looks forward to getting "his special evening treat" lately.  He just snarfs it right up!

 I sure hope this lasts.  Because it seems like pill pockets are the best way to pill a cat ever.  He loves them, it is so easy to do, and he has swallowed his chill pill every night for a week!  And they aren't expensive.  I got a bag of 85 pill pockets for $13 at Petsmart, so cost isn't a problem.

So far, he doesn't notice the pill in the pill pocket.  I have my fingers crossed.  And Lori has her paws crossed, too.  She wants a nice calm Laz near her again!  With the pillpockets seeming to work, Laz will get his every night.  And apparently, it takes a steady daily dose to work best.

Lori misses the closeness of "the old days".

And hopefully, that will return...

Edited to add:  Paws crossed for our dear friend Brian.  We have just learned that he is having a Bad Tooth Problem and that extraction is Not A Good Choice for him because it makes him too sleepy.  So he is being visited by 2 powerful Auntie Biotics who may be able to help him with the Tooth Infection.  

Keep Brian in your thoughts during this difficult time...

Easy Like Sunday

 We Mews wrassle sometimes.  

Even Lori and Marley...

We know when to stop.

Marley and Laz too...

Laz has been calmer around Lori lately.  The "kitty prozac" pills may be working...