Oops... Koko hasn't got much to report but.........

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Hello to my three followers ;-p

Sorry for the delay in posting but a lot of nothing has been going on in Koko’s medical life.   Thank goodness!! Her home life still entails being an instigator – always the one picking the fights.   One of the three anti-social cats, usually Shaggy Kitty, will be up on the ‘private’ cat counter eating and Koko will climb up on the top of the cat food storage container and stick her paw/hand over the edge of the counter to swipe at her.  Shaggy will, of course, take immediate offense, growl, hiss and swipe back.  This usually brings the dogs running and other cats like to sit around and spectate.  Sheeze.

Anyway, since her last surgery I can guarantee Koko’s right eye socket will NEVER seep again.  That thing was stitched so tight it truly pulls up the right side of her face so her teeth still show a little and her whiskers are up higher than the other side of her face and at an upward angle.  Doesn’t seem to bother her anymore tho.  She eats and drinks (and hassles everyone else,) just fine.  She doesn’t have to look at it.  I do and I am not thrilled with it but I guess she isn’t ever going to be in any kitty beauty contests so who am I to say she isn’t beautiful?

I volunteered at Dr. Dans Pet Health Day event in Adams County again a few weeks ago.  I fall in love with all the animals but this time I just couldn't resist one of the young cats.  Her name is Lacey.   The young ladies who are vet tech students and volunteer at the health day named her for me.  She is a semi-long hair calico with bird bones.  It feels like her bones are hollow - she weighs about as much as a fluff ball.  She has pretty feathers in her ears and is an awesome purring machine.   Unfortunately, the woman who initially rescued her had her vaccinated for everything but didn't have her tested for Feline Lukemia (FeLV) first.  I have been told that the FeLV vaccine is a modified live virus which means from now on she will test positive for it so don’t know if she really might have it or not.  She seems healthy and gets along surprisingly well with the other cats and all the dogs.

I also rescued another cat from a lady who was feeding ferals.  She lives in an apartment on a heavily traveled road with nothing but retail and multiple family dwellings.  Her neighbors were complaining she was inviting him inside now and then.  No animals allowed.  She had seen me when I was with the dog rescue and so called to see if I could help out.  I went and picked him up and brought him home.  Presley (she named one of the other ferals Henry Fonda !) stayed inside in a crate for several days until all the other animals got used to him.  Then he was in the house for several more days although constantly trying to sneak outside.  I finally gave up hauling him back in so let him stay out.  He stuck around for a while, came back in to eat a couple of times and then apparently found someplace he liked better.  I haven’t told his initial rescuer he hasn’t been around lately cause I feel kindof bad about it.  I had introduced him to the protected food and water available for my outside cats so hopefully he just prefers outside cause he is used to it.

Shaggy Kitty is loosing weight and vomiting fairly often.  She has been vet checked several times and all systems are go so I suspect it is just advancing age.  I can't remember when she was born or when I adopted her out and her initial adoptor doesn't remember either.  I got her back when he married and moved to Caman Islands (poor guy) and couldn't take her with him.  I suspect she is about 12 - 13 years old.  She also is longhaired so fur balls have been a problem in the past.  I guess nature will have to take its course.  She still insists on jumping up onto the bed as soon as I click off the light.  Then she sticks her face right into mine and paws at the covers until I let her underneath.  Once there she gets petted for a few minutes.  Then after making sure she sticks her furry whiskery face into my face a couple more times, she jumps off and goes to her ‘bed’ on top of one of the dressers.  That may stop soon as she is beginning to have trouble jumping up there as well as onto the cat countertop.

Lucky may have been hit by a car but seems OK.  He was gone for two days and that was unusual.  He is usually in and out several times a day.  I was afraid he had pulled a Presley and taken off on me but then he came limping up onto the back deck.  He was very lethargic, meowed in discomfort when I picked him up so – once again a pet to the vet.  Left him there while I had my own Dr. appointment.  Came back to find out no internal injuries, nothing broken, just apparent stiffness/soreness in one back leg in particular and his hind end in general.  I brought him home and will try to keep him inside for a few days.  He is moving VERY slowly but then, I always did call him my “Slow-Mo” kitty so I am not too worried about that.  We will see.

All other cats and dogs are doing OK altho the dogs aren’t getting walked much.  Almost two weeks ago while walking my three dogs I re-aggravated a rotator cuff tear I got a few years ago, pulled or tore a groin muscle and lost my tennins bracelet.  Other than that it was a nice walk.  A neighbors unrestrained free-roving dog started tearing into mine who were on leashes.  Then, when the neighbor dog, (Randi) realized it was a losing proposition, she took off with mine in hot pursuit - and me still clinging to the leashes.  At least for a while.  I finally just let the leashes go.  Either that or fall on my nose and get pulled along like a sled.  I lost my tennis bracelet and experienced a pulled groin muscle in trying to dig my feet into the ground to stop them.  If you have never had the joy of experiencing that let me tell you that you don’t want to.  If I could have walked and sat in the car I would have gone to the emergency room.  Been 12 days now and I am just starting to be able to sleep, walk and sit.  So if no rain, we will start short walks with the dogs again tomorrow.  I HAVE spoken to my neighbor.  Randi will be restrained.

Koko and Lacey are best buds by the way and sleep together after mutual grooming sessions.  Too cute.

-me

Koko, Lucky, Lacey, Shaggy Kitty, Newbie, Sid Vicious, Lil Red, Taz, Scruffy, Buddy      & maybe Presley

Slim, Polar Bear & Chica