Two Vet Visits

TBT:  Well, I got behind on pictures, so we had 2 Vet visits a few weeks apart.   Lori had a 2nd visit for a followup shot for something,  I don't ask a lot of questions, I just let the Vets do whatever they think necessary.  I took a few pictures...  The place is nicely-designed and well decorated.  I liked the picture of cats all wearing headphones.

The place is nice.  It's also a busy place, well well-staffed and organized.  I mentioned before the Head Vet as won awards.  I don't mind that he posts those on the walls (not seen here).  But the several Vets and the technicians are also very friendly, knowledgable, and caring.

So Lori got great care and accepted it well.

Though, of course, she would rather have not been there.

Marley and Ayla had their turn at the new Vet Friday.  Naturally, I forgot to bring my camera.  I am sorry to say that did not go as well.  Marley hissed and struggled some and that was unlike him.  Not that the Vets were not equally kind and caring, but we got some bad (but not horrible) news.

First (and least), Ayla (15) and Marley (12) both have some dental issues.  Both have some gingivitis problems and both have 2 teeth that will (probably) need to be extracted.  When they return for tooth-cleaning in a week or so, the Vet will know more, but she said the extractions are "likely".

I can handle that (about $1500 for the worst possibilties), but I regret them undergoing surgery and losing some teeth.  Still, it's not like canned cat food requires much chewing...

The sadder news is that Marley tested positive for FIV.  The Vet gave me a summary of FIV and I've looked it up on a few trustable sites.  I know some of you have FIV+ cats.  Any experience about that is welcome.

So far as I can tell, Marley (at 12+) has a good chance of living a normal life for a normal length of years.  "BUT" maybe not.   He is otherwise very healthy, so unless he catches some other disease, he is OK to 16 and that is about normal for a DSH cat.  

He shouldn't go outside, the Vet says, to protect other cats.  Well, he doesn't really go out much these days anyway and hasn't had the fight off an intruder cat in years.  He mainly stays on the deck, so he isn't going to spread it to intruder cats.  

If Ayla gets it from him, it won't really matter much.  She turns 16 in April and FIV does take some time to affect a cat.  It's the younger  Mews I worry about.  Lori tested negative as did Ayla.  Laz tested negative in June last year.  He will have a regular Vet visit for annual shots in June.  I will bring him in soon just for an FIV test.

I didn't post Saturday or Sunday because I was trying to understand this FIV diagnosis.  I think we are ready to go go on posting regularly.  I've never had a cat with a known disease, so this is new to me.

But oddly, I can't stop thinking of Iza and (back in the 80s - Mischief) now.  Mischief (12) was simply dead one day when I returned home from work.  Iza (12) was two days not seeming hungry and wanting to lay on the heated cat mat.  Then suddenly one morning, her backside was covered with blood and the Vet couldn't save her.  I had a "wellness" check scheduled for her that morning about the lack of appetite.

I don't want another surprise at 12 quite yet...

Later today, I will schedule Marley and Ayla for the dental work, and add Laz for an FIV exam.  I think I should find out if Laz is FIV+ ASAP!

Updates

Written piecemeal over 2 days using my laptop.  No pictures or anything (it isn't actually networked to my desktop).  

I successfully migrated my files from my external backup drive ("My Passport") using "Time Machine", but all I got was the current version.  I thought I was migrating my Oct 2019 files.    Happened a 2nd time too.  It was weird too.  The Migration Assistant app said it would take 192 hours at one point.  Fortunately, it only took 24 hours.  But that wasn't what I needed. 

So, I'm erasing my desktop HD.  That's scary.  But it won't LET me erase the HD.  The Mac Help instructions fail at one step.  So I searched for other ways.  I found one and it seems to be processing now.  Think it worked.

Now I will try the Migration Assistant again and see if I erred in identifying the backed up OCT 2019 source.

If THAT doesn't work, I will have to conclude that the renewed Mac Mini (a 2011 model, I've realized) just isn't going to work.  And if so, I will give up wasting money trying to be cheap and buy an up-to-date model.  Which I fear will force me to accept new programs and learn new stuff, which I was trying to avoid.

AHAH!  I just realized why I keep getting the current computer files (which I don't want) on the new Mac.  I'm not specifying the older version from the Time Machine.  It seems to automatically choose the newest one.  I need to find a way to choose Oct 2019 backup!  I don't know if I can.

OK, I can't seem to.  But I have another idea.  Apparently, doing a direct migration using Time Machine, it can only recognize the newest backup.  But if I do a Restore to an older computer it was backed up from, it allows me to choose the specific backup to Restore.   And I have an old one that works  (fan is dying and makes noise).  So I'm going to set it up, see if I can Restore it with the Time Machine backup from Oct 2019, and then migrate THAT to the new Mac.

But not tonight.  It is late.

BTW, don't blame Macs for all this.  I really messed things up myself (or it wouldn't be so dreadfully complicated to fix).  I've migrated old macs to new before and it worked great!  Time Machine is a really great backup system.  And Apple really makes it easy.  Unless someone like me really screws things up royally!

THe other thig is that I am too impatient.  When some app isn't working fast enough, I decide it isn't working at ALL and move ahead when I shouldn't.  I am learning "patience",  and it is helping.  Some apps go slow, so I just have to let them do their thing and walk away for hours sometimes.  A tip on a website helped with that.  It gave some instructions and said "BE PATIENT some serious changes can take hours".

OK, set the migration apps to start and walk away.  Even better, go to bed...  I will be doing that shortly!

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Ayla had her teeth cleaned yesterday.  And that wasn't all.  She needed 3 teeth extracted because of serious decay.  She wasn't happy eating recently and that may be why.  The vet said she might not want to eat much for a day.  But she did!  She was pretty upset at a new visit, but she seemed a lot happier when she returned.  Marley goes in for the same tomorrow, but the vet said she didn't see any decay, so it should be just cleaning. 

Freaked Out Vet Visit

MARLEY:  Yes, I had to visit the vet AGAIN, a couple days go, and it took me a while ta get over it.  TBT brought me back to have my teeth cleaned.  I was just sitting on the bed and he picked me up (which I don't like unless it means lap time) but it was too early for that.  And before I could think, I was face in to the PTU!  And off we went.

I didn't even have a chance to start yelling!

So we got to the VET again and he LEFT me there!!!  They stabbed me and I went to sleep.

I woke up in a larger cage about 3'x3'x3' and they told TBT to come get me.  I Heard them.  When he got there, they all acted strange.  First they said TBT had ta talk to the DR VET,  And when he showed up, he had nothing important to say.

Then I heard TBT say, "WHAT'S wrong?.  Yeah, Me, Marley, the laid back one...", I was going crazy.  And that scared me too.  But they finally admitted they were afraid to get me out of the cage!

You would have been proud of me.  Every time they got near I THREW myself at the cage door all clipped claws flailing, I hissed, growled and threatened bodily harm to them all.  I was angry!  Twice in two weeks there !!!

Then TBT arrived.  They offerred him heavy leather gloves, but he declined.  He said my name the right way.  He  talked to me a minute and said we were going home again.  Then he calmly reached in and let me sniff his hand.  I was still hissing and growling like he had never seen.   He told me later he expected a few bites but was prepared to accept them.  But I knew him.

So I slowly relaxed and he picked me right up and I shook on his shoulder as I knew I was safe again.  He told me we were going home but I had to get into the PTU again, and I went right in.

The vet people were amazed at how suddenly I changed, but I was with TBT again and all was OK.  We got home and I got out of the PTU and ran unner the bed, but he laid down there and I came right out and pushed against him tightly until I relaxed.   And we both just stayed there a while. 

And he just held me there until I finally fell asleep. in his arms.  Well, it was a really hard day...  I thought I was back in the shelter place all alone again.  Doggies barking all around, stuff I remembered badly...  Some of you know...

TBT says we aren't gonna do that again.  Not that way, at least...