Janet's Family Pets: Pet Talk

2010-08-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Cessation of Posts

I will no longer be posting in this blog but will keep it open for viewing of past blog entries. I don't have the time to continue posting here and haven't done so in a long time anyway.

2009-11-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

Looking For Janet's Family Pets?

Although you can still access my website through the Geocities URL, www.geocities.com/sweetbaboo_2, our domain is now active and hosted elsewhere. Janet's Family Pets is now at http://www.janetspets.com. I will soon be canceling the YahooGeocities-hosted account, so the Geocities URL will not work. (I think I'll wait until after Thanksgiving sometime.)

So, all of the photo slideshows are there. I haven't changed the site much...yet. The guestbook is disabled because I need to find a new service. Also, the form on the contact page, since it is a Yahoo service, may not work and I'll be creating a new page for that once I find a new service.

All-in-all the transition has been pretty smooth. Thank you for looking for Janet's Family Pets and finding us!

2009-11-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

Transition Delay

A couple of times I've forgotten to transition Janet's Family Pets from Geocities hosting to Yahoo Hosting. As a Geocities Plus account holder, this site didn't have scramble to find a new free host because I was already paying for this one. As such Yahoo is allowing GPlus and GPro account holders to stay with them. Now that the deadline has passed I'm supposed to transition over. But there's a delay due to the transition pages at Yahoo don't account for web masters owning their own domain name already.

That's the first step in the transition: searching for and buying a domain name. I already have one that I was using by forwarding it to the Geocities URL. I' m no novice when it comes to domain name ownership. (Just because Geocities was the first step in building sites on the web for most web masters doesn't mean they/ we were stuck in the novice state of mind.) I don't need a new domain name. But the page doesn't ask if you already own a domain name that you want to use. Even if you type in your domain name and it comes up as being unavailable. (Is it yours?) Of course it's unavailable because I own it and I want to use it, dammit.

So I'm stuck at that point in the transition. All because someone didn't think of all the possibilities, didn't think through the details, at Yahoo. I wrote to them and am awaiting their response. They may lose me as a customer if something doesn't change in the transition process. Hey, it won't bother me because I already have a paid webhost where I moved my free Geocities sites. One more will not be a problem and may be preferable. That way I will save some money. Hmm, not a bad idea. But I'll give Yahoo a chance to respond. To the end of this month.

2009-09-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Cruelty and Stupidity Go Hand-in-Hand...

In the case of a 19-year-old "man" who admitted wrapping duct tape around a cat he found in his backyard. Since when is it a good idea to harm other creatures??? Great parents, too, for teaching their son stewardship and responsibility for lesser creatures than themselves. Not! He faces up to two years in prison and $1000 fine, minimum. Read more details at this Yahoo! News page (may be a time-limited article).

2008-03-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Pets Left Behind

Tonight's Nightline show focuses on the pets that are left behind in their human caretakers' foreclosed homes. What a shame for all and a terrible act on the part of the humans who are supposed to take care of them. There's no mercy in leaving them behind and it certainly is not a responsible thing to do. At the least, take them to the nearest shelter, preferably one that is no-kill or low-kill, so that they can get into a loving home instead of being euthanized in a three-day temporary "shelter" or starve to death in the backyard. What about family and friends who can take them in temporarily also?

If you cannot watch the program tonight, check out the webcast online. Scroll down to the middle of the page to the "Nightline Webcast" section and click the "Homeless Pets" link.

2007-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News - Pit Bulls

Once again, pit bulls attacking people are spotlighted in the news. You may have already seen this on CNN or your local TV station or newspaper. Earlier this week in Fremont, CA, a mom saved her infant son from a pit bull attack by putting him in a garbage can in the garage while the dog attacked her, biting her repeatedly on her arms. She and the baby were saved when a couple of contractors working on a house across the street came to her aid and scared the dog away.

While this breed of dogs is much maligned and probably deservedly so, it's the owners who ultimately are accountable for the bad behavior of their pets. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as quoted by the article, "pit bulls lead the pack in terms of dog breeds that bite the most." Whether that is due to nature or nurture, that is, it's in the nature of the breed or the breed is trained that way, is not clear to me. Regardless, if you own such a breed, you need to be damned sure you muzzle your dog while it's outside (perhaps at all times except at mealtimes) and not in your direct control and keep the backyard gate locked securely. It's in your best interest, in the best interest of the public at large and in the best interest of the dog.

The pit bull involved in the attack will most likely be euthanized. A fund to help with the mother's hospital care was established at a Fremont bank. See linked articles for details.

San Jose Mercury News article - article may be time-limited or requires registration
CBS5 Pets & Animals section with raw video - note: dog's co-owner's name incorrectly identified as Charles Silva; should be Charles Shelby.

2007-02-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

When Faux Fur Is Not

According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are so-called faux fur jackets and coats being sold in the U.S. that are not made of synthetic fibers but of real fur from raccoon dogs. Raccoon dogs are from Asia and Northern Europe that look like raccoons and are members of the canine family. Most of the raccoon dog fur products are made in China.

Major retailers found to be selling these fake faux fur products include Macy's, JC Penney, and Burlington Coat Factory. Designers are not immune either. Loopholes, which at least two congressmen are hoping to plug, allow sales of these faux fur products which are mislabeled or not labeled properly at all.

Read the whole story at CNN.com or at the HSUS site which puts everything in more detail including all retailers, brands and famous people using dog fur.

Shame on them!

2007-01-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

Catching Up from 2006

Didn't realize how infrequently I was posting news to this blog until I decided to move it. Now that I've updated the web site, I need to update here as well.

First thing, I need to report is my brother got another kitty, this time a little girl called Bella. She's still young and is a brat to her brother, Simon. Both are cute and could be mistaken for biological siblings as they both have nearly the same coloring. See their pics on the Family page.

The next thing is I'm sad to report that my sister's dog, Razzle, is missing. She apparently got out of the backyard on new year's eve when my older niece's friend(s) left the gate open. Razzle is a 15-year-old Shar Pei with arthritis and age-related deafness. We are hoping that someone spotted Razzle and is keeping her safe, maybe waiting for someone to offer a reward.

Razzle was last seen in the vicinity of Woodcreek High School and the preserve nearby in Roseville, California. In the area, there are three shelters that handle incoming strays but only two hold animals for longer than 3 business days. If she was found and taken to a shelter, we hope it was not the one that euthanizes unclaimed animals too soon. The nearest shelter is actually at the Placer SPCA and we're hoping that Razzle was taken there. It is a no-kill/ low-kill shelter.

Razzle's disappearance reminds me of our Noel's disappearance in 1999. Recovering from losing a pet that way is so hard. It's the unknown that makes it hard. We hope and pray that Razzle comes home soon. Her photo is on the Family page, too.

Finally, there are odd animal news to report. But maybe I'll put that in another post. I'm a little too sad right now.

2006-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

1000 Silicon Valley Cats Euthanized Every Month

You'd think Silicon Valley residents are financially comfortable enough to be able to spay and neuter their cats, even when the cost is as ridiculously low as $5 for males and $10 for females but apparently not. According to the news story from the local CBS station, the San Jose animal "shelter" is forced to euthanize up to 1000 cats and kittens each month. That's outrageous!

The cause? Too many household cats that are not spayed or neutered creating too many kittens that are given up to the shelter and are not being adopted fast enough. There's a five-day waiting period until those kitties are then euthanized to make room for more. Terrible and shameful!

I know my veterinarian charges way more to spay and neuter, so those prices are very, very reasonable. Those prices are only for residents of the cities that the San Jose Shelter covers, but non-residents can get their cats spayed or neutered for low prices, too, so there's no excuse. Other organizations around the Bay Area have low-cost spay and neuter programs that area residents can look into also.

My take: If you don't want to spay or neuter your cat, then keep it inside. They live longer that way, fixed or not fixed, and don't create more unwanted kittens. What a waste of a precious animal that can give lots of unconditional love and happiness.

See more at CBS5.com - this is their main pets video newscast page; scroll through the pages and click orange kitten image titled, "San Jose Faces 'Cat Crisis," dated 10/24/06.
San Jose Animal Shelter
Their Spay and Neuter Program info

2006-08-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

New Addition to the Family!

Less than a month after saying good-bye to his beloved cat, Edward, my brother adopted another shelter cat whom he named Simon. Simon looks like Sarah's brother with the gray tabby stripes/ white patch combination. He looks like a real cutie pie. Simon's photo will be up soon at the Family page.

2006-08-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Another Addition to the Memorial Page

My brother's cat, Edward, had been battling diabetes for some time. Treatment with insulin did not produce positive results and Edward's health declined. Edward was put to sleep on Wednesday, August 2, 2006.

My brother got Edward from the Placer SPCA in Roseville, CA, before Edward was going to be put to sleep as an unadoptable pet. Edward proved to be a loving and lovable kitty companion who gave great joy to my brother for three wonderful years.

2006-07-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sorrowful Situation at Bay Area Pet Cemetery

Since early June a local pet cemetery was in the news because of its loss of the lease on part of the land where some of the pet remains are buried. A 15-day notice letter was sent out to the pet owners and caretakers in May. But by June workers were unearthing the pet remains to comply with landowner's lease agreement to vacate the land by a certain time period, regardless of whether or not pet owners were working to move their pets' remains.

From what I've read and seen on the news and on the pet cemetery web site, the pet cemetery owner was trying to purchase the leased property or thought he could. Apparently, the other party thought differently and would only communicate through their attorney. Whatever the case, it looks like the pet cemetery owner is on the short end and can't do anything but comply with the contract.

This whole situation is sad for all of the pet owners who thought their pets' remains would stay buried in the cemetery forever. It is bad enough to go through the grieving process when the pet died. To go through it all over again is terrible.

Links

Pet's Rest Cemetery
Save Pet's Rest
ABC7 News Video
ABC7 News Story
NBC11 June 13 News Story
CBS5 News Story
KRON4's Pets Page - includes section on pet loss

2006-01-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Diamond Pet Foods Recall

Diamond Pets Foods recalled several labels of dog and cat food products due to toxins. Over 75 dogs died from liver failure in the U.S. alone. The affected food products were also shipped to 29 other countries including in Europe. See links below for more.

Links

News from MSNBC
Diamond Pet Foods Recall News Page - includes states affected by recall, symptoms, product lines affected by recall, and contact information

2006-01-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

Animals in the News

Kitten with One Eye - poor little kitty with a rare medical condition was born with one eye and no nose. It didn't live long. Read full story at Yahoo!News (time-limited link) Alternate link at CBS5.com
Pack of Chihuahuas Attack Cop - an arresting officer was chased and bitten by Chihuahuas owned by suspect. Read full story at CBS5.com./ San Francisco
DNA Does Not Lie: The Dog Did It - a dog's DNA proved he killed the neighbor cat but... Read full story at CBS5.com/ San Francisco
Rat Soup? - some soup vendors in Indonesia accused of using rat meat for meatballs. Yuck. Read full story at CBS5.com/ San Francisco

2005-12-31T23:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing that you and your loving furry, feathered, scaly, or otherwise-covered pets enjoy a happy and healthy 2006!

Hugs to all of you!

2005-10-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

More Room to Grow

Geocities recently increased our web site space to 500MB and increased our bandwidth to 25000MB per month. That made me laugh because our site uses a mere 4.5MB of space. I don't know what we'll do with the remaining 495.5MB of space!

I guess we'll need more photos.

2005-10-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News

Video (opens new window):

New Orleans Police Suspected of Shooting Pets Left Behind from CNN/ YahooVideo
Cat with Two Tongues and Five Toes from CNN.com Video

Articles:

All of the above articles from KPIX, San Francisco

2005-10-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Is There No End to Animal Cruelty?

When I visited the National Geographic web site, there was an article that caught my eye which relates to pets: dogs and cats. Apparently, a few fishermen on Réunion, a French-controlled island off the coast of Africa, are using stray and sometimes pet dogs and cats as shark bait.

The accompanying photo of a dog with a large hook in its snout is enough to wrench your stomach and heart apart. Efforts are being made to begin a program to control the pet population with sterilization, but in the meantime the strays are considered the same as rats and other vermin. A few of the animals have been adopted in France, but more needs to be done like educating the populace about humanity to animals. Humanity begins with treating all living things with respect and compassion.

Where are the veterinarians there???

You would think in this day and age this kind of crap wouldn't happen anywhere in the world. I am so sick to my stomach about this.

The entire article and links to organizations that are combating this practice and trying to solve the problem is here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1019_051019_dogs_sharks.html

If you can help, contact one of the organizations listed. Please!

Petition links:

Fondation 30 Millions D'Amis (30 Million Friends Foundation) - in French but petition available in English; best with I.E. 5.5+
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (UK)

2005-09-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

Bay Area Helps Furry Katrina Victims

Yesterday, some of the four-legged critters found in the flood waters or elsewhere on the Gulf Coast found their way to the Bay Area where they will be taken in foster homes until their owners are located. Read more in this story at KRON4.com.

2005-09-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Quick Links - Pets & Disaster

For registering your need for help with your pets, to find pets already rescued, to volunteer, or for rescue workers needing to access the database, go to the Petfinder page at http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/.

Learn how to prepare your animal companions for disaster in the Petfinder Library, links to articles with helpful tips.

2005-09-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

More News of Animals After the Hurricane

Washington Post - "Plight of Stranded Animals Worsening Daily" (may require registration to read story)

See my previous post for organizations handling relief efforts for the pets and farm animals stranded or left behind.

2005-09-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Animals in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

All of the attention in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been focused on the human tragedy. The animals, both pets and livestock, had been largely ignored by the media except when it had to do with people directly. Now we're hearing and seeing about all the dogs, cats, and other animals left behind to fend for themselves during and after the hurricane. Here are some of the stories and pictures, many of them heartbreaking:

"Katrina Evacuees Distraught..."
Photo Slideshow: "Animals and Hurricane Katrina"
Zoo Animals "Shocked but Alive..."

Above from Yahoo! News

Where to Send Your Monetary Donations

A lot of the SPCAs and Humane Societies across the U.S. are helping the shelters in the affected areas with personnel for rescue operations and offering shelter space. These organizations need donations for the effort.

The Capital Area Animal Welfare Society - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Louisiana SPCA
North Shore Animal League America
Humane Society of the Palm Beaches
United Animal Nations

Above links from the East Bay SPCA

Houston SPCA - the city of Houston received thousands of human and animal evacuees and needs donations for the evacuated pets
ASPCA Disaster Relief
The Humane Society of the United States
SPCA of Texas - helping the Houston and Louisiana SPCAs
American Humane Society

2005-07-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Life Goes On...

Isn't that how the Beatles' song goes? Well, the truth is it does.

I got through the weekend without much problems, but still thinking a lot about Willie. Our other pets need as much attention as ever, so that's where the energy and focus is.

Fraidy Freddy is showing more boldness than ever by climbing into the hubby's lap as he sits reading the newspaper. Fraidy nudges the hubby for lots of head rubbing and the hubby happily obliges. The hubby thinks the animals are more attached to me than to him. I am home more than he is, so it goes to reason.

But the cats are usually snoozing most of the day, especially now since the weather's been so hot the past two weeks, so I don't get their attention as much until dinnertime. Bo is the only one who really sticks by me most of the day. Typical dog.

I love them all the same. They make me happy and content.

2005-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Observance

This Friday, July 22nd, is the one-year observance of Willie's passing. Although in past posts and on his page I've indicated I have some photos of him as a kitten, I have not gotten them digitized yet. So they won't be in his slideshow any time soon.

We still miss him very much and can't believe it's already been one year. It really seems like a few weeks or months ago. I still have one towel on the bed between our pillows. It's the beach towel he was wrapped in on his last day. I still think I smell his scent, but I just may be dreaming. After all this time and with Sarah laying on it, it could be Sarah I smell. But I like to think that he's still hanging around the house, walking normally just like he used to, and laying around on the rug in front of the fireplace or in the kitty cup on the sofa in the living room.

I am still so sad.

2005-06-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News - A Follow-up

Gemini, the kitten with two faces, died.

Link courtesy of KTVU.com

2005-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News

All items from KRON.com, a San Francisco/ Bay Area news station

2005-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News

Pit Bulls To Be Destroyed - two pit bulls that got out their owner's yard and attacked people and dogs at McLaren Park in San Francisco will be destroyed (KGO-TV/ San Francisco)
Woman Attacked by Own Pit Bull Recovering (NBC11/ San Jose)
Smokey the Cat Rescued from Drainpipe (KRON/ San Francisco)
PETA Workers Arrested for Alleged Pet Dumping Cruelty - ironic (Yahoo!News - may be time-limited)
Dog Survives Euthanasia - video (KTVU/ Oakland-San Francisco)
Oregon Kitten With Two Faces (KTVU/ Oakland-San Francisco) - warning: story contains link to image that small children may find frightening

2005-06-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News

San Francisco Boy Mauled by Family Dogs and related link (courtesy kron.com)
Horse Goes for Unexpected Swim in Pool (courtesy kron.com)
Tool-using Dolphins (courtesy Associated Press & Yahoo!News - may be time-limited)
Lynx Rebound in Minnesota (courtesy Associated Press & Yahoo!News - may be time-limited)
Protection for Migratory Shorebird Sought in U.S. (courtesy Associated Press & Yahoo!News - may be time-limited)

2005-05-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News

Gulls Threaten Motorists in Virginia
Moose Studied in Alaska
Mountain Lion Research and Hunt in South Dakota
Guide to Pet-Friendly Establishments in Italy - according to this article, Italians abandon their pets on roadsides when they go on holiday each year. Don't they have boarding kennels at least? Now there's an idea for a needed business.

from Yahoo! News
note: may be time-limited

2005-05-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Bo Got Buzzed-Cut

If you've been following this blog and have been to our web site, you know about Bo.

For those uninitiated visitors, Bo is our one and only dog, a Lhasa Apso. For some reason, he hates getting groomed. We've tried brushing his beautiful fur but he doesn't sit still and growls when we try to restrain him. He's even bitten us over the grooming issue. Forget about muzzles. He hates them so much. Besides, muzzles cover up one of the places that need brushing -- near his nasty teeth. So we've let him go without weeks of brushing.

Of course, him being the dog he is, he rubs his head against our bed or turns over on his back on the bed and wriggles around, messing his fur into mats which we try to brush out with snarling consequences. Every year we take him to the veterinarian to be knocked out while they shave his fur. He needs to be knocked out. There's no other way.

Thus, we have a dog who gets a very expensive buzz cut. We used to do that when he got his teeth cleaned. We're talking about a $400 fur cut and teeth-cleaning. The last buzz cut was last week. It was $145. (I need to go to a beautician for a cut and color. I wouldn't think of spending that much on myself.)

Our cats are so much easier to care for. Needless to say, Bo is our last dog ever. (Unless we get a short-haired dog. Shhh! Don't tell the hubby.)

2005-04-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Dog on the Loose!

Last night some women walking in the neighborhood found a dog wandering around. From the collar tags they knew where the dog lived, but the residents weren't home. Those residents are our neighbors and we know them.

The women didn't know what to do with the dog. They didn't want to take him home, because they lived a few streets away. So I volunteered to have them put the dog in our back yard. Little did I know how big the dog was. I'm used to small dogs like our Bo. This dog, who I always heard but never saw, is big. I'm not sure what breed he is, but most likely a hound of some sort. He's the same size as a golden retriever or Labrador.

Anyway, when one of the women talked to me about the dog, I thought she mentioned a female name. So on the note I wrote to the neighbors, I said "Abby" had escaped their yard and was in our back yard. My husband came home then and I made him put the note on their door.

Then he came back and went outside. I went out, too, then noticed the dog was not a female. The hubby looked at the collar tags and it was for "Bruce." Ah, now who is Abby? Back went the hubby to change the name on the note, so they wouldn't think we had the wrong dog.

While Bruce was outside exploring our back yard, our dog was inside. Eventually he noticed the new dog and wanted to go out to investigate. But I don't know how Bruce and Bo would react to each other, although Bruce is quite friendly, so no meet-and-greet for them.

We ate dinner and Bruce barked. I gave Bruce a Dentabone (and Bo a dog biscuit so he wouldn't feel left out) which he ate in five minutes. Bo normally takes about 20 minutes or so eating the same thing. That treat apparently wasn't enough and maybe he wanted in the house, so he stood at the patio door barking.

Then he found a ball somewhere in the yard and began chewing on it at the patio door. That kept him quiet for awhile until he got tired of it. Then he began another round of barking. And more barking.

Finally around 9:30 the neighbors came home and knocked on the door. They got their Bruce back. Now, I hope they fix whatever allowed Bruce to escape from their back yard.

Back story: Bruce is their second dog. Their home's back yard is against the greenbelt and someone poisoned their first dog who was also a barker. Hopefully, that perpetrator doesn't do the same to Bruce. Bruce is such a sweetie.

2005-04-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

Animals in the News - April 22

Turin, Italy, has a new law on the books that require dog owners to walk their dog three times a day or face a tidy fine. And there's more.
Who's the idiot who gave a South African zoo chimp a cigarette? (video: click on the appropriate link) Now the chimp is addicted to nicotine. Shame, shame, shame!
Elderly lady in Washington state is arrested after agents find hundreds of wild birds dead or in a neglected state inside and outside her home. (Criminy, I may become one of those old ladies. Meaning well but overwhelmed with the number of animals to care for.)

All links from Yahoo! News.

2005-03-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Animals in the News

Chimps Maul Man - BTW, chimpanzees are not monkeys; they're apes.
Navy to Blame for Beached Dolphins?
Ice-Trapped Killer Whales Die
Heather Mills and Rick Wakeman Want Ban on Dog and Cat Fur - hearty agreement here

2005-02-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Oakland, CA Animal Shelter Accused of Alleged Cruelty

Terrible...The Oakland police department runs the "shelter" (I always marvel at how twisted that term is -- a shelter is supposed to be a safe place -- when used it that context) and some of the personnel are accused by former workers of the abuse and neglect that allegedly occurred there.

Read the details at these local TV news sites:

1) CBS affiliate - KPIX

2) ABC affiliate - KGO/ ABC7 News

1st airing, a little more detailed

2nd airing with follow-up

2005-02-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Fraidy Freddy Update

He's finally out of the bedroom and roaming the house!

He's still skittish and very wary of Bo, the dog, but he's warming up to us. More to me than to the hubby, which makes the hubby a little jealous. Fraidy is more a woman's cat than a man's cat. He did have only foster moms, not foster dads, so it stands to reason he'd be more comfortable with me.

So Wednesday morning he got stuck in the bedroom with Sarah because I apparently didn't shut the door tight and Smokey opened it -- Fraidy followed. I got Smokey out before I had to head to work, but Fraidy kept running under the bed and I couldn't get him out. So with trepidation, I left him there with Sarah. I thought about them all day, hoping that the two of them would get along -- even though Sarah, being a cat, hates other cats.

When I got home, I noticed the bedroom door was slightly ajar. I know I shut it tight before I left. I could have sworn I did! When I opened it, I saw Smokey on the floor. How did he do it??? Sarah was nowhere in sight. Fraidy was in a laundry basket. Oh boy...

Fraidy hissed whenever the hubby tried to carry him and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage getting him out of the bedroom. But he surprised me by not running out of the laundry basket and let me pick him up. I carried him out and placed him down in the hallway. Finally, I gave Sarah back the bedroom to herself. She was much happier without those horrid interlopers of her solitude.

Now that the question of being able to pick him up and carry him is solved, I'll have to arrange for his vet visit for his rabies vaccination. That may be another adventure with Fraidy.

2005-01-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

Changes Done

All graphics and pages on the web site are done. This blog is moved to a new host with new graphics and colors to boot. With these changes to the site for 2005, this blog is renamed to Pet Talk because that's what it's always been about.

Other changes include removing the PetSmart affiliate link. I decided that with their change to a new affiliate organization whose terms of use is too complicated, I wanted out. So no more commercial links on the web site...at least for now. Speaking of terms of use, this site now has one of its own. It's primarily concerned with the photos and graphics on the site -- I wanted to make clear that nothing is in the public domain. Someone created and owns those materials: me and the family members and friends who contributed the photos and graphics.

Well, I didn't think I'd get all the work done by this weekend, but I have! I'm glad. Hope you like the new web site.

2005-01-16T01:28:00.000-08:00

Going Mobile...

It looks like what I did for my own personal blog I will have to do for this one...move it. I viewed the last blog post in Firefox and all I saw was a full web page of Tripod's ad insert. It's supposed to be a banner.

I have space at my paid web host where I moved my personal blog. This one will be going there, too. Soon.

Back on the pet scene, Fraidy is still in seclusion. It just may take two months before he'll be fully accustomed to his new home and ready to meet the other cats and our dog. I can't wait. It's getting a little tiring not to be able to sleep with my own hubby in our own bed.

2005-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Fraidy's Not So Fraidy Anymore

Our newest cat is finally coming out of hiding to get petted.

Since we've been taking turns sleeping in his bedroom with him, he's gotten accustomed to our presence. He first came out of hiding when it was my turn one night last week. He'd jumped up on the bed and I turned over expecting him to flee. But, instead, he stood there and accepted my petting his head and stroking his back. When I stopped he pushed my hand to make me pet him again, and he kept doing that. He just loved being petted!

My hubby was surprised when I told him the next day. Then Fraidy did it for him when my hubby slept in the bedroom the next night. The only thing is he still gets skittish and hides when we get up and walk around.

He hides most of the time. We hope in time he'll stay out of hiding for longer periods. Then we'll be able to introduce him to Smokey, who we hope will make Fraidy a buddy, Tasha and Bo. I don't think Sarah will like Fraidy any more than she likes our other cats, so he won't be getting to know her.

His foster mom told us that it took him two months to get used to her. We hope it doesn't take that long with us.

2005-01-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

Dog Saves Boy in Tsunami

(This story made me cry and I had to post a link to it if you haven't seen or heard of it yet.)

A mother had a choice to make in carrying two of her three sons to safety when the tsunami hit in southern India. Her oldest son, the one she didn't carry, fled into their house. Their dog, however, prodded the boy to higher ground. Read the full story of that heroic dog here at Yahoo!News/AP. (time-limited link)

2004-12-31T23:52:00.000-08:00

Looking Ahead

I think 2005 will be a great year.

We got a new cat, only 8 months old, who we've re-named Fraidy (from Freddy), because we haven't seen him since we've gotten him. He's been hiding under the bed since we brought him home and put him alone in a spare bedroom. My husband and I have taken turns sleeping in the bedroom at night to get him acclimated to our presence. He has graced us with his presence at night by jumping on the bed to get to the table next to the bed, but he doesn't let us touch him yet.

He hears the other cats and our dog, but he hasn't had the chance to be in the same room as them. He and Smokey have exchanged sniffs and meows under the door. When he feels like venturing out to other parts of the house, he'll be introduced to the other members of our "family." Until then, there will be no photos of him on the web site.

We still miss our Willie very much and Fraidy is not his substitute. Fraidy will be treated as the individual cat that he is. I'm sure he will become a loving part of our feline and canine "family."

2004-12-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

To Clone or Not To Clone

Genetic Savings & Clone, a California company, sold its first cloned cat to a Texas woman for $50K. The male kitten, Little Nicky, is a genetic copy of her cat who died in September. Read the full details at Yahoo!News (time sensitive).

Should pets be cloned?

I can understand and empathize with the feelings of owners of cats and dogs who want their beloved pet cloned to live another life again with them. But the big questions are how ethical is this and will this lead to human cloning? There are people who are uncomfortable with humans "playing God" like this. On the flip side, isn't terminating someone else's life also playing God?

I wish I could clone my beloved Willie, but it's too late for that and I don't have the money anyway. Besides, there are many, many cats and kittens in shelters and in foster homes that could use a loving, permanent home. And that is exactly what my husband and I did -- adopt a rescued cat.

More on this story in a later post.

2004-11-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

Good Intentions Gone Awry

Once again in the news is a woman who's been keeping more cats than she could handle in her San Carlos, CA, home. Over 80 cats were found by a carpet-cleaning crew amid a stench that even local humane society workers couldn't stand. After examination by veterinarians, the healthier cats were released for adoption on Monday, November 8th.

Read the story here.

2004-10-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

Reminiscing About Willie, Part 3

I've probably mentioned this before with regards to Bo, but one of the funny interactions between the two of them occurred whenever we had thunderstorms or the Fourth of July fireworks. The commonality between thunderstorms and the Fourth is the loud booms. Bo hated the booms and would bark and shiver with fright. The cats aren't fazed by the noises of either occurrences.

But Willie was definitely annoyed with Bo's barking. Whenever Bo barked incessantly after each booming sound, Willie would calmly walk up to Bo and slap him with his clawed paw. It was as if Wille was trying to slap some sense into that noisy dog and shut him up. Of course, despite his long fur, Bo would feel something of the claws and cry out in pain, scurrying away from the annoyed cat.

I've mentioned that Smokey learned some things from his big brother and disciplining Bo is no exception. Sometimes Smokey would slap Bo whenever he barked as added emphasis. I suspect now that Willie is gone, Smokey would take over full duties.

Willie's most endearing qualities were his calm acceptance of allowing his soft, white, furry belly to be rubbed and his loud purring. He was, no doubt, one of the most loving cats I've ever had. Three months after his death I still miss him so very much.

I do not want to get another cat at this time, because that cat would only be a replacement cat. And that would be unfair to it. Perhaps in another two months or so, we'll be ready to accept another cat into this family and give Smokey a new buddy.

2004-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

A "Faith"-ful Companion

Service animals are often out of the limelight until disasters strike. Then they get the attention, admiration, and thanks they deserve. Take the case of a Washington state dog whose owner fell out of a wheelchair. Read the rest of the story here at Yahoo News.

2004-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

More Animals in the News

Her owner says she just a dog, but most animal owners know that their pets are more than just a (fill in the blank). Esther is one lucky dog to have been rescued from the Montana wilderness.

South Dakota began their prairie dog poisoning program. The problem with this program is the prairie dogs are the primary prey (90% of the diet) of the endangered black-footed ferret. To solve one problem -- prairie dogs competing with cattle for grass -- they create another, more serious one. So very short-sighted of those involved.

Coyotes in San Jose are safe for now. Hungry coyotes prowling a San Jose, CA, neighborhood have killed family pets and stalked little children. But the city council again voted against setting traps for the coyotes until other options are exhausted. Read the details here (free registration required).

2004-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another Passing

My sister-in-law's pound-rescue dog, Patches, had to be put to sleep on October 7. Patches, a female terrier mix, was in declining health due to age.

Good-bye Patches...enjoy all the bones you want at the Rainbow Bridge.

Her photo has been moved to the Memorial page at my pets site.

2004-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

More About Wille, Part 2

When Willie first came to my home in 1993, he was about two months old. He was as long as my upper leg. When I sat on the sofa with my legs up and feet on the seat cushions, I could cradle him in the notch created by my legs. He'd be sitting with his butt on my belly and his head just even with my knees. I don't know if you can picture that.

He was our first cat who didn't mind having his belly rubbed. Our two female cats didn't let us do that. Apparently, Dude, my brother's cat, and Mimi, my mom's cat, both siblings of Willie, also didn't mind having their bellies rubbed. Must be a genetic disposition for it to run in the family. (The other male kitty -- also an orange tabby -- got loose when we tried to put him in a carrier when my folks were moving. We couldn't catch him and we don't know what happened to him. Still saddens us to this day.)

Early on, Bo, our dog, adopted Willie as a playmate, though later Wilie took an annoyance to Bo's barking. Bo wrestled with Willie and chased him around the house. Willie played back and occasionally slapped Bo's head with his paws. Sometimes Willie's claw got stuck in Bo's fur and Bo would yelp in pain but he'd be back chasing Willie again soon after.

When Sumi died in 1999 and Noel disappeared, we got Smokey from the animal shelter. Smokey and Willie took to each other like buddies, snuggling together, playing together, and fighting with each other. Sadly, Bo was dropped as best buddy.

Willie learned to drink water from the bathroom faucet from Noel who learned it from Kitty. Kitty had passed away years earlier in November 1991. If he saw either my husband or I head for or towards the bathroom, he'd be right behind and he'd jump up on the sink waiting for a drink. That was such a neat thing to see. Smokey learned to drink from the bathroom faucet from Willie and occasionally he still does that. Who said cats don't learn anything?

More in the next installment.

2004-10-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thinking About Willie

I have a friend who thinks I should create a web site about Willie. Nice thought, but I think the pets' web site is enough. I could add more photos of him, though.

On Willie's page I talk about how he came to our home. He was one of four kittens born to a cat that my mom fed and allowed her to give birth in the garage. My mom says he was the oldest. The four kittens always stuck together. They ran along the fencetops in line and wriggled through the gaps in the fence boards in line. They even hissed together. lol

When they got old enough, my mom made my brother take one cat, a male he named Dude, and made me take another cat, the orange tabby I named Willie. She kept the other male cat and a female cat who looked like their mother. Somehow my sister got out of getting a cat.

So I took Willie home to meet my other two cats, both females, and our dog, Bo.

Willie more or less got along with the females, though at times he'd try to assert his authority -- however small it was. I decided that he would be the first of our cats to be indoors exclusively, a rule that stands for all of our cats to this day. And I got him neutered as soon as possible, too. That would curb his desire to roam outdoors. In fact, he became such a scaredy cat about being outdoors. Early on, he'd run outside when he got the chance but would stop and crouch in the grass on the front lawn. He didn't know where to go. I think it was the green grass that lured him.

One time we came home from an extended weekend and found Willie outside. Somehow he got out through an open pet door in the garage and was wandering around the house. As soon as he saw us, he bolted to the front door and tried to get in by jumping on the door. Of course it wasn't open nor could he open it anyway. He was so frightened and so were we. We had no idea how long he'd been out.

Nowadays that pet door, which the previous owner of our house crudely cut into the door, stays shut all the time. We also have a good pet door on the door that goes out to the garage from the kitchen. That one is kept open because there's a litter box out there. The only times when the outer pet door is opened is when we have to go somewhere for the day and Bo is outside in the rain. Then the inner pet door is closed off and the litter box comes inside.

More stories about Willie in another installment....

2004-10-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

What's Wrong With These Two Men?!

Unconscionable acts of cruelty to animals in the news (from my local CBS news station):

Jayson Williams kills his Rottweiler over a lost bet

Southern California man sentenced for beheading his dog after fight with his girlfriend

Other recent animal/ insect related news, from same source:

Two sister grizzly bear cubs arrive at San Francisco Zoo

Shark attack closes California beach

Young boy killed by brown recluse spider

Boy killed by two pit bulls

Hurricanes fill up Florida swamp and force creatures to higher ground

South Dakota prairie dogs in danger

Endangered wildlife refuges (in U.S.)

Hunter attacked by grizzly bear

Montana to resume bison hunt

New York city man who kept wild animals sentenced

Nebraska dog's life on the line

2004-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

What Three Photos?

Here's an idea floated by the folks at Blogger:

What three photos would you like me to post in my blog?

It would have to be pet-related as my site is about my pets and those of my family and friends. So please use the comment link below this post to give me some suggestions.

2004-09-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Immortalize Your Pet on a Stamp

Until September 30 (I read in the news recently), you can put any non-copyrighted photo or artwork on a U.S. stamp for a fee at Stamps.com. For a first class 37 cent stamp, for example, a sheet of 20 stamps costs $16.99.

The simple-to-use interface allows you to import the photo or artwork, rotate it, resize it, add a border, and add the stamp face value to it from 23 cent postcard stamp to $3.85. (I have no idea what piece of mail would need a $3.85 stamp, but think it's probably for large packages.)

So, give yourself, a friend, or a relative a gift of a favorite pet on a stamp. Give a lot, because you'd probably want to save a sheet of stamps for posterity instead of using them. I'm thinking of putting Willie's funny mug on a stamp. Maybe even all of our pets!

Gotta get that camera out and take the closeups!

2004-09-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Don't Give Your Old Dog Spicy Bones...

Unless you want a messy butt dog.

Days before we went on vacation we had some slow-cooked barbeque short ribs for dinner. I usually give Bo the larger short rib bones to chew on after I've washed the bones thoroughly of barbeque sauce. That time I didn't do too good a job of washing them. A day or so later, when I was taking him over to my parents' house and he needed a pit stop, he had diarrhea. Not in the car, thank goodness, but on the grassy parking strip at a fast food restaurant.

I cleaned up the mess as best as I could with a disposable pooper scooper, napkins, and water. Again, thank goodness he didn't have a mess on his butt...this time. I warned my parents about his problem, but apparently it cleared up a day later.

So when I picked up Bo after we returned home from vacation, my mom gave me, guess what? Barbeque short ribs. And what did I do? Gave one bone to Bo after we got home. And what happened next? You guessed it.

He started having messy poop again two days ago. Not diarrhea exactly but soft poop. He was fine, butt wise, until this afternoon. Clump hanging from his butt. Ughh. I didn't want to let him back in the house. I grabbed a roll of toilet paper and a plastic bag and went outside. I wet his butt with water from the garden hose, which he didn't like because it was cold. Then using the toilet paper, grabbed as much of the poop as I could. I still didn't want him inside so he stayed outside whining at the patio door. Later, I gave him about 2-1/2 mg (1/2 tsp) of bismuth with a syringe -- he didn't like it -- after reading about at-home treatment for "the runs" in dogs. Still didn't let him inside. He whined some more.

I prepared myself mentally and physically to clean him. I got out some surgical gloves, doggie shampoo, bathroom cleaner to clean the bathtub afterwards, a towel, and set the pet shower head in the "on" position. Then I let him stay outside until I couldn't stand to hear him whining any more and got the resolve to wash his butt.

Finally around 6 p.m. after his whining got really pathetic, I let him in and walked to the bathroom. He followed. For some reason, he has a fascination with getting bathed, so telling him he needs a bath doesn't faze him. He took to the warm water better and I washed him twice, with the surgical gloves on.

Now we've got a clean butt dog and I'm never, ever going to give him barbeque short rib bones again. Lesson learned the hard way.

2004-08-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last Act

I'd put off doing this for weeks now. Had to do it today or never.

I have an Animal Fancier's Permit which allows us to have four cats and one dog in our household. Yes, a lot of you don't have this restriction in your community but we do.

I called Animal Services in the city today to have Willie removed so they won't bug me to have his rabies shot and license up to date. I'd just renewed it in March for three years. Little did I know that Willie wouldn't be around. But I remember agonizing then over whether or not I should renew for one year or more, not knowing how Willie's situation would turn out.

I asked what would happen now. The clerk replied that Willie's name would be removed but the license will still remain with four cats and one dog. Just in case we get another cat. I guess they don't want to refund any money.

So it doesn't matter if we get another cat or don't. If we don't get another cat by 2007, then I won't renew the license. Won't need it.

We'll see what the future will bring.

(Yes, I cried after I hung up the phone.)

2004-08-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Back Again

My hubby and I took a long-planned vacation last week. We also celebrated our wedding anniversary on Thursday, a month since Willie passed. Officially, I guess, Sunday would have been a month, since it was the 22nd.

I don't cry as often as I used to. I still hurt inside and think about him every day. I keep two towels that he laid on next to my pillow and grab one of them before I go to sleep. The towel is my security blanket, of sorts. It reminds me of him, even as his urn is sitting on my dresser near me, because I smell his cat scent on it.

One of these days I'll be able to let him go fully and I'll wash those towels. For now, though, the towels are near my pillow for me to hug as I would hug him if he was still alive.

2004-08-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

Something Forgotten

I think I had these thoughts in my mind and was composing them for this blog, but I forgot to post them last week.

Last Monday we received a surprise of a condolence card from the doctor and the staff of the veterinary neurosurgery clinic that I took Willie to. Then on the following day, a bouquet of flowers arrived from the same. That was such a touching gesture to be remembered in our loss.

The bouquet came with a card and a copy of the story of the Rainbow Bridge. Five years ago when I was mourning Sumi's death, I'd come across a Usenet group for people who'd lost a pet and a couple of web sites dealing with pet loss. The one where I first saw the Rainbow Bridge story was the Pet Loss Grief Support Website. As then, reading the poignant story made me cry.

In the interest of advancing veterinary medicine, we gave the doctor permission to biopsy Willie's brain tissue. Willie's case was rare. Hopefully, Willie will help another cat or dog who gets the same unusual case of a cyst on the brain. It makes me feel better that Willie's life has more meaning.

About Dr. Gregg Kortz:
Animal Specialty Group, Inc.
UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Kortz's Northern California clinic (no web site):
California Veterinary Neurology & Neurosurgery Specialists
1100 Atlantic St., Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 797-6387

2004-08-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Willie's Back Home

He's not home in the way I'd rather see him, but his urn is very nice and I'm glad for this part of the closure. For me, this is the finality. Concrete proof that he's gone.

I hadn't slept well, again, and was anxious to hear from them [the veterinarian]. So I called sometime after 11 this morning. I wanted Willie back home. They said they expect delivery between then and 2 p.m. 2 p.m. came and went and no call. Feeling tired, I laid down on the sofa to catch up on sleep. They finally called not long after I got up after 3. I picked up his urn after doing a little grocery shopping. How bittersweet.

So now I have his urn on the computer desk next to me right now as we listen to a David Gray CD. Bo, our dog, is laying on the floor behind me, as usual. Smokey's been in and out of this room. Tasha is no doubt either laying on the sofa or in my husband's La-Z-Boy. Sarah is sequestered in the master bedroom as usual. I've got all of my "babies" together in the house again.

The sky is so clear and blue, even as the sun begins to lower toward sunset. Willie would have loved this day.

2004-08-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Time Doesn't Wait

As much as I try to hold onto the past, time doesn't allow me to cling to it. I want to wind back time to last year before Willie started having problems walking. That's how I want to remember him; not as an invalid.

I still shed tears for him. After all, it's only been two weeks this Thursday. Tomorrow, I should get a call to pick up Willie's ashes. I've cleared space on my dresser for his lacquered box with a brass nameplate. (Boy, was that hard to do -- the clerk asking me about these arrangements on the day he gets put down. I could barely answer her.) His urn will take its place next to the ones I have for Kitty and Sumi. They got plain pine boxes with no nameplates. I'll have to do something about that. (I wonder if we should memorialize Noel in some way, too, even if we do not have anything concrete to put in a box for her. We still wish we knew what happened to her; whether or not she's still alive.)

So, all I have to remember Willie by are snapshots, his purring recorded digitally, and bits of fur I snipped from him at the last moment. I am so afraid I'll forget him.

I'd rather hold him again for real: smell his fur, stroke his paws, rub his belly, and kiss that sweet head of his as he purrs. God, how I miss him!

2004-07-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

How? When?

How do you decide when to terminate a beloved pet's life?

Sometimes it's an easy answer if you think logically. But if you think emotionally, it's not quite so easy. You have so much time and love invested in your pet that to end its life on your command rather than its life being ended by natural means seems so arbitrary and harsh. Even with assurances from the vet that it's for the animal's good, how can one so blithely accept the final verdict?

I can't. I haven't. Neither of the two times so far that I've had to make that decision did I make it so lightly. I fought it emotionally.

I'm trying to convince myself now that I followed the right course. That Willie was suffering and was ready to go. I'm trying to convince myself that by his refusal to eat or drink water anymore, he was telling me that he had given up. I'm trying to convince myself that his difficulty in defecating that final time on Tuesday meant that his body was shutting down. I'm trying to convince myself that the doctors were right and it was the most humane thing to do. But I loved him so much it was too hard to let him go. I still tried to hang onto some little thread of hope that things would turn around at the last moment. But that was not to be.

Goodbye Willie. You'll always be my baby.

2004-07-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Willie
December 1992-July 22, 2004

We loved you so much, Purr-Butt!
My baby...it was so hard to let you go.

J~

2004-07-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

Time for a Doctor's Visit

I made an appointment for Willie Saturday but called again Sunday to make another one.Saturday, I wanted him to see the director of the veterinary hospital who's been "his" doctor, but the earliest he could be seen was Wednesday. When I called yesterday, I didn't care who Willie saw because I believe Willie needs to get another enema.

I've been feeding Willie, now by a syringe, watered-down minced canned cat food, because he just makes a mess when he tries to eat from the bowl. He's laying down on his side, stabbing at the food with his mouth and picking up little bits of food that he seems to be chewing. He can't drink water from a bowl now either because he places his face in the water, doesn't lick or lap the water, nearly drowning himself. I give him water by syringe also.

So all the food he's been eating hasn't come out as waste, as much as I put him in the litter box hoping he'd use it. He's been peeing outside of the box as I mentioned in a couple of earlier posts. At least he can still do that. Pee, that is.

I was so tired Sunday -- mentally mostly -- about his condition that I didn't have the energy to think about what to make for dinner for us. For the second night in a row we had take-out. I'll have to do better today. I took some meat out of the freezer Saturday, only to put it in the frig.

I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision for him to have that surgery. I wanted so much to have my old Willie back to normal. He's nowhere near that right now. Nowhere near.

2004-07-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Willie

We went shopping today and got Willie a diaper.

He's been having accidents for the past week. He can't walk very well so he's not going to the litter box by himself. I placed him near the litter box or removed the lid, but he gets spooked and doesn't do anything. Then I leave him near the litter box and he relieves himself on the floor, or on the sofa if that's where he is. *sigh* I'm near wit's end.

So we got a diaper for him. It's really made for dogs, both female and male, but I figure it should be okay for cats, too. I purchased two different sizes because I wasn't sure which size would fit him. I need to return the extra small. Too small.

Next week he sees the doctor. I need to question the prolonged use of the meds, especially of the dexamethasone. I've been reading that prolonged use is not good -- muscle wasting can occur. I wish I'd questioned and researched this earlier rather than renewing the prescription and giving it to him. This may be why he's not walking well.

Damn it all! I wish he was walking and back to his old self. I can sense he feels helpless, just as I do with him. I want him to be better....and happier. It's huggie time.

2004-07-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

Bad Janet

The veterinary surgeon's office called over a week ago Thursday and I haven't returned their call. They want an update on Willie. What can I say that hasn't been said before?

He's no better than he was before the surgery. He seems even worse. He doesn't seem to want to walk around. I know it's hard for him because we have mostly hardword flooring where he is allowed to go, so it's very slippery. We only have carpeting in the living room and the bedrooms. Old carpeting to be sure, so we really don't mind if it gets soiled.

Last night he used the litter box and missed the box. He pooped outside of it. Fortunately, we have one of those plastic mats that's supposed to loosen litter from the cat's paws as they exit. It caught the poop as well as the bits of litter.

Then as I was at my computer, I smelled the very strong odor of cat urine. Earlier, I'd put Willie on the bed in the guest room for the night. Apparently before he used the litter box, he peed on the bed. Oh, man! It's nearly 2 AM and I'm washing all the linens from the bed. I'm glad I was still up and I'm very glad the urine didn't soak through to the mattress. Otherwise, I would have been dealing with dried-up urine the next day which I think would be harder to remove.

I don't fault him. I should have placed him next to the litter box to see if he wanted to go before putting him on the bed. He may have been trying to tell me that, but not understanding cat speak...

I've been thinking about buying one of those square toddler play pens, maybe second-hand at a thrift store. They're big, but it'll be just right for holding his litter box, his water and food dishes, some old towels, and him -- if he doesn't attempt to jump out. I can see Smokey jumping in to check it out; maybe even napping next to Willie.

Changing subjects, Bo was barking at a skunk again in the back yard last night. I know the skunk sprayed but apparently Bo was far enough away he wasn't hit with that nasty, smelly spray. I have a huge bottle of skunk junk I got after the last time he was sprayed. Never used it since.

Our neighbor's kid was sprayed by the skunk last week. Fortunate for him, the skunk only got the bottom of his jeans and his socks and shoes.

Oh, the joys of living with nature in the suburbs!

2004-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

From the News: Saving a Dog; Losing a Son

Over the 4th of July weekend, a family trying to save a stray dog on the freeway ended up losing a son when a pickup truck traveling a reported 60 mph slammed into their mini-van stopped on the side of the road.

Read the whole story here (time-limited link at http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/9104878.htm?1c )

It's a tragic story and made all the more so because the father, a painter, is out of work and the mother just finished a temporary job assignment. They have no medical insurance to cover the hospitalization costs of everyone who was injured (mother and two other children, one who needs more surgery) and no money to cover the funeral costs of their son who died.

I'm not going to moralize on whether or not the family's actions were right or wrong. Under the same circumstances, I don't know if I wouldn't have done the same thing. It's in a lot of people's nature to want to help those who can't help themselves. The fact that it ended up so tragically for the family is so very sad.

According to the news story, a relative set up an account to help the Silveira family with the financial costs. It's at Wells Fargo Bank, account number 201-635-8174, under the Silveira Family Fund.

Authorities are still investigating the accident.

And for the dog: it's safely back with its owners.

2004-07-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Stupid Women Drown Dachshund Over a Boyfriend

I came across this archived article at The Smoking Gun from back in May.

Sheesh! How dumb can some women be?

I have stronger words but I won't put them in print.

Dewey's now frolicking over on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge where there are lots of chew toys, yummy steaks, and friends to play with, with no worries about anything.

2004-06-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

Wild Birds

Whether I'm looking out the window in this room or am out in the back yard, I can enjoy seeing many of the wild birds in this area. A lot of that is seasonal, of course, but it's so nice to see anyway.

This morning as I was surfing on the computer, I saw a red headed woodpecker picking at the bark of our neighbor's cypress tree. A little later I saw a brown bird that I assumed to be its mate hopping around on the fence where the male was.

Every now and then, a sparrow or wren (I don't know the difference between the two other than both are small and brownish) comes up to the sunflower seed feeder that we have hanging on the rafters outside the window. They're frequent visitors to our back yard as are chickadees and hummingbirds.

We also see robins, geese, pigeons, Stellar's blue jays, crows, hawks, and mockingbirds (these I hear more often than see.)

I see big birds, too. Mostly Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of Federal Express. Oops, wrong kinds of "birds."

Anyway, this area is wonderfully filled with the sounds and songs of birds. I'm glad we keep our cats indoors at all times.

2004-06-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Unchanged Melody

Things haven't changed with regard to Willie. He still doesn't walk normally. Maybe it'll take a miracle. But I don't have high hopes for that.

Over the Father's Day weekend I had a chance to get better photos of my parents' dog and cat, Mac and Mimi, respectively. When I get around to loading the driver for the media card reader to my XP, then I can download all of the photos on the card and post updated photos for them. But I'm so busy with other things right now...

Thanks for visiting our site!

2004-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wild Animals vs. Humans & Civilation

On Monday, May 17th, Palo Alto police shot and killed a young male mountain lion who apparently came down from the hills to a residential area in suburban Palo Alto searching for food. In fear of the young mountain mistaking pets and children for prey, an officer shot him while he was treed in a front yard. Reportedly, the state fish and game department said using tranquilizer darts would be of little use as the dazed animal might be more dangereous while trying to escape. So the decision was made to shoot to kill.

That decision resulted in an outcry from people across the country and the world. But some residents there are glad the police did what they did. Here's the story from a local TV station that was there to record the news as it happened on Monday.

Then on Tuesday, a deer made its way onto the Golden Gate Bridge. Traffic was stopped in both directions while officers shooed the deer off the bridge.

I wondered why they didn't shoot the deer. After all, it was a menace to drivers' lives if it got hit. I guess that's the difference between predators and non-predators. One you shoot to kill; the other you shoo to allow it to live.

(Originally started in May, saved as a draft, and forgotten about until today, June 11th.)

2004-05-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

New Month; New Features

Blogger added some new things to our accounts including "Comments" for visitors to post. So rather than signing in to our guestbook, which you can still do, you can leave comments on individual blog posts from now on. Unfortunately, the commenting feature does not apply to past posts.

On the pet front, this past weekend my mom and dad got to see Bo with his new "do" and Willie in the same shape as they last saw him a month ago. We had a good though short Mother's Day visit. Our other cats were left behind, but they were all right overnight. I don't think they partied like in that pet litter commercial, although one can never be sure. *s*

Something I noticed today -- Smokey is gaining weight! It can't be all that fur. Before Willie got his condition, Smokey was so skinny. Willie ate everything and more. Now Willie's the skinny one and Smokey is taking over as big dude of the house.

The "girls" are quiet as usual.

Now that it's getting warmer, I need to brush and comb the cats more often. They are shedding their winter coats and it's getting on things. I read on WebMD that pets only need to be brushed once a week. Um, maybe more often for some pets, I think.

My allergies have kicked up these past few days, mostly from the blowing pollen, but maybe even from the dander. Would I give up the cats and the dog because of this? Never! Some things are more important than myself. They are just four of those things.

Take care of the ones you love...

2004-04-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Willie's Getting Better; Bo Gets Fur Cut

Willie seems to be walking more often and better, with less wobbling and stumbling. Yea!

We're not sure if it's because we ran out of Valium or if he's getting better on his own. I guess the best way to tell is by giving him Valium again. If he regresses, then it's the Valium.

For now, though, I think we'll keep him off of Valium which was to increase his appetite not to keep him mellow anyway.

Bo got his fur trimmed yesterday.

As those of you who've been to his page know, he's a terror when it comes to grooming. We can barely brush him without him staring at us (can't tell what he's thinking) or making a move to the offending brush or comb (and our hand!). Quite frankly, we're afraid of grooming him because we don't want to be bitten. Forget about muzzling him. He's gets soooo angry with it and fights having the muzzle that it's a two-person job to groom him anyway. Also, the muzzle hinders trimming his snout. So he goes without a good, thorough brushing much less a trim.

Once a year and with great expense, we have the vet's technicians buzz-cut his fur under anesthesia so that he's completely out. Acepromazine, which is a calming medication, does not work well and causes him respiratory distress. I don't want him having a coronary while I'm trying to cut out all of his goobs (mats).

So yesterday the vet trimmed a bit of his fur while Bo was there for his rabies vaccine. Then he decided that Bo really needed a full-body trim. They have a new medication which is cheaper than and works the same way as anesthesia. So he got a fur cut. A $200 fur cut. Well, that included the doctor visit and his vaccinations, to be fair. Still...

I wonder how much money celebrities spend pampering their pets?

2004-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Host Change

This blog is now hosted at Tripod, because it's not working properly with GeoCities for some reason unknown to me, especially with archiving previous month's posts.

Unfortunately, this means that the blog page will have ads galore. The GeoCities site is ad-free because I'm paying for it :-)

2004-04-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Prison Time for Puppy Killer

Another grown man is convicted of killing a dog and sentenced to some prison time. This so upset me all I can do is provide a link to the story from one of our local TV stations.

But I will say this: People are not given adequate prison time for animal cruelty. The harsher the punishment, the better. I personally don't think punishments are deterrents; otherwise prisons and jails would be empty. But some decent measure of justice is needed and severe punishment after the fact is just. Killing senselessly, maiming, or torturing animals is just plain indecent.

2004-04-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is a test

Just testing the publishing and archiving of this blog with GeoCities.

Getting the following error message and cannot fix yet:

550 Permission denied on server. You are restricted to your account.

I don't know what that means. Re-checking settings.

Support says: Inquire from your host how to fix the problem.

Great! The host is GeoCities -- no support from them either. I've done all I can to find from GeoCities' Online Help how to fix the problem. That's why I was trying Blogger's Support. I guess I need to move this blog page to Tripod as I've done with my other personal site. What a joke.

2004-04-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Bunnies a Hoppin'

About this time of the year, animal shelters are coping with the influx of kittens born in the spring. Added to that, the shelters have to deal with lots of unwanted bunnies, because thoughtless people buy them for their children for Easter only to find bunnies aren't good with the tots or are just too much to handle. They're not as cuddly as they thought.

Until I read an article in the newspaper last week, I had no idea what the care of bunnies required. It's almost as much as what we do for our cats. What's essential, though, is to have the bunny spayed or neutered as with cats and dogs.

So, if you know you can handle the responsibilities of caring for a bunny companion, head on over to your nearest shelter and check out the bunnies. But first, read this article from the Humane Society to start and then find out more online or at your library before you even step foot in the nearest shelter.

2004-04-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Seal Hunting in the News

The other day I read in the paper about the renewed seal hunt in eastern Canada. This was the first time I'd heard about it since the big protests in the 70s through the 90s. Apparently, the seal hunt has been quietly going on in full force for the past six years after being curtailed! Now, the Canadian government is allowing almost 1 million baby seals to be killed over three years.

According to the Humane Society, "One way the Canadian government justifies its support of the seal hunt is to claim that seals in the North Atlantic eat too many cod. But there's no good scientific support for this claim. In fact, two of the government's own scientists reported in 1994 that the true cause of cod depletion in the North Atlantic was over-fishing."

Over-fishing is a more likely reason than the Canadian government's explanation of the seals being to blame for the decline in cod population. Humans historically have upset the balance in nature by taking and using more than necessary and wantonly destroying things that get in the way. Then we blame other things than ourselves when other species, plant or animal, decline or become extinct. That, in no way, excuses us. We are the most sentient beings on this planet and must take care of everything organic and non-organic here to sustain all life for generations to come.

To read more about this topic, try these links from some news organizations and animal activist groups. In balance I've included links from a couple of Canadian sources.

Arizona Daily Star
Honolulu Star Bulletin
BBC1 Newsround
The New Zealand Herald
Bloomberg.com
Capital News Online
The Globe and Mail

International Fund for Animal Welfare
Humane Society
Greenpeace
Friends of Animals

2004-03-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

Big Sigh of Relief

Willie's doctor's visit on Friday turned out to be a happy one.

Although Willie shows signs of some of the abnormality exhibited pre-surgery, overall the doctor was pleased with Willie's progress at this point. Basically he told me that I shouldn't jump to conclusions and figure Willie's days are numbered. He still has lots of time left to recover.

As to why Willie is still off-balance motor skill-wise, Dr. K. could only speculate. It could be internal bleeding in the skull. But without doing another MRI, which he doesn't want to do so soon after surgery because it would involve anesthesizing Willie again, he really cannot tell what's going on inside the skull. Another MRI would be months down the line if warranted.

I was relieved. Actually, Willie seems better sometimes and worse other times. He eats well enough, although he could stand to gain a little more weight. Like a couple of pounds more.

He continues on the meds he's taking now, especially the Dexamethasone, a steroid.

The doc's favorable prognosis is great news for both my husband and I. We've both been so worried and sad.

Time to kiss Willie's bald head now. :-)

2004-03-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Going Back

Willie got the last of his sutures removed yesterday.

His condition seems worse than before. He barely walks. I've had to take him to the litter box so he'd go, because I'm not sure if he's using it during the night. When he wants to move on the sofa, he practically drags himself with his forepaws because one of his back legs isn't working properly.

He seems depressed to me, too. What a big difference from when I brought him home two weeks ago. Yesterday afternoon while the hubby was at the gym, I talked to Willie as he was cradled in my arms. I started talking about our other deceased cats, asking him if he remembered them (of course he couldn't answer me) and then I cried.

Five years ago on April 1, I had to decide on putting Sumi to sleep when her cancer made living too miserable for her. It seems like deja vu. I don't want to have to make this final decision for Willie now. I really want him to live a happy life for at least another five years. He'd be around 17 years old then -- an average lifespan, I think, for cats.

So now we have an appointment on Friday morning for a re-check with Dr. K. I hope he gives us positive news.

2004-03-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Setback

I am so totally bummed :-(

After all the excitement of Willie getting better, he now seems to be on the downslide to where he was before the surgery. I blame myself for letting him run around the house instead of "confining him to quarters" in one of the bedrooms. He was supposed to be in a small area so that he could recuperate. Being excited that we all were, I let him do as he pleased.

Now he's walking wobbly again. I hope it's just a minor setback and not a permanent one. We cannot go through surgery again, both physically and financially.

Last night I slept fitfully in my own bed and woke up around 3 a.m. worried and depressed about his condition. I got up and laid on the sofa in the family room with him, partly to make sure he stayed there instead of wandering around. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well. Neither did he. We both finally fell asleep for about three hours after 5 a.m.

He's been resting all day long. That's good.

I need to tackle making a bedroom ready for him. It's something I told the hubby I'd do yesterday, then I'd do today. The problem is we have a ton of junk in both spare bedrooms. Ugh! Spring cleaning is definitely needed in this house.

So, I guess I better get to it.

Gotta stop by the sofa and give Willie a big smooch on his head first.

2004-03-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Interesting Aside

I was going through my site stat's earlier today and noticed a visitor had come to my web site via a search at the Internet Movie Database site. Huh? Just what does this pet site have to do with the movies? Surely it's not mentioned in any movie?!

The short answer is no.

But the visitor was looking for "Janet family" in the site's search box, checking off the box for looking throughout the Web rather than just the site itself.

This site listed first (1st!) out of 1,060,000 possible matches for those keywords. Wow! Check it out for yourself. ;-)

2004-03-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Post Surgery Update

Willie's been home since Saturday afternoon but let me begin from last Friday.

After spending Wednesday afternoon through Thursday back at my own home, I drove to my parents' house on Friday morning to get Willie's carrier which I had left behind. I had promised the vet that I'd be there around 2 p.m. and thought I'd left in plenty of time. I hit some traffic snags along the way, though, and had to stop for a bite to eat and use the restroom.

I got to the vet's just after 2. Not too late. One of the technicians took the carrier and returned with Willie while I paid the balance of the bill.

When she returned with him I was a little taken aback by how Willie looked. They had shaved most of his head -- from the top of his "eyebrows" to the back of his neck down to his "shoulders." He looks like a fur-hooded monk with a bald head. I don't know how else to describe how odd he looks. LOL

We spent the night at my parents' house again. Willie wanted to walk around every where, but he was still a little unsteady on his feet. I'd brought a small litter box with me this time and he used it right away. The technician told me it was around time for him to do that so I needed to be prepared once he was home. He was on time. He was also hungry so I fed him a little bit of canned food, less than normal as instructed. The at-home care instructions also said to give him his meds as usual. That I did before giving him his food.

That night, as previously, Willie slept on the bed with me. I kept him on the inside so that he wouldn't fall off or walk off without me knowing. He did give me some scratches from flailing around as he fell asleep. Muscle spasms while falling asleep or asleep were something he had before he had the cyst, but now it seemed more pronounced. Not only was he having tics on his face, his paws jerked violently. That's how I got scratched. That concerned me a little. In the back of my mind, though, considering that he had neurosurgery the spasms may not be unusual. I made a mental note to mention this to Dr. K. the next time I talked to him.

The next day we left my parents' house early for home. The ride was pretty uneventful. It was a beautiful, sunny, and warm winter day, warm enough to warrant using the air conditioning. Willie was in the carrier in the front seat with a beach towel draped on top of the carrier so that he wouldn't feel any draft. He slept the whole time and meowed only when I told him we were almost home. Man, it was a wonderful day! The anxiety I was feeling and kept internalized from the time he went to his vet's in November was lifted. He was going to be better!

Since returning home he's improved so much. His spasms are still there but less pronounced. His appetite and thirst are increased, so much so I may have to watch his diet. We can't have him at 18 lbs. again. He's walking around all over the house and jumping where he shouldn't be jumping yet. This is only a week after having the surgery.

This morning we went to his vet's here for suture removal rather than driving all the way up to the neurologist's. Our vet has a very busy practice and today was no exception. His appointment was supposed to be at 10:30 but with an emergency taking up the doctors' time, all of his appointments were backed up. So we didn't see him, Dr. B., until nearly a quarter of 12 noon. Normally, suture removal can be done by a technician, but Dr. B. wanted to see Willie personally. I wanted him to see Willie, too, to see the improvement.

Well, Willie didn't get all of the sutures removed as he had been scratching his head when I couldn't catch him and stop him from doing that. That left some bleeding. Until he was fully healed could the rest of the sutures be removed. We'll have to go again next week. Hopefully, Willie will stop scratching his head. I'm sure it itched. I'd already shortened a couple of suture ends that were poking his ear. Those were removed today so those won't be bothering him.

I did talk to Dr. K. this morning as we were leaving for the vet's. I asked him about the spasms and I was told to monitor and log them. In a week if the spasms continue without improvement, then he'll prescribe some meds for it. Maybe Willie won't need new meds. I hope. Everything is going well every day.

I took some post-surgery photos of him as I did of him pre-surgery. When I get around to plugging in the media card reader to the computer, I can download the photos to my computer. Then I'll fix them up for online presentation and post a them on his page or here. Sound cool?

Till next time.

2004-03-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

Willie's Surgery, March 9, 2004

On Tuesday morning, Willie went back to the veterinary neurosurgeon for a pre-surgical check and surgery itself. (We'd driven up the previous day and stayed at my parents' house again.)

I chatted with the doctor who'd be performing the surgery beforehand, Dr. K. He showed me the MRIs from the previous visit so that I could see the cyst at the base of Willie's brain (cerebellum) which appeared to be the source of his wobbly gait. The MRIs were pretty interesting to see since I've never seen any for an animal or a human.

I asked the doctor if he'd come across a similar problem in other animals. He said that he and other doctors he showed the MRIs to had encountered or seen cysts, but nothing like Willie's. I joked that Willie would be his case study, then. The cyst, though, was no joking matter. From what I saw in the MRIs, it was huge. A cat's skull isn't large and the brain certainly didn't look all that big either. It appeared that the cyst comprised about a fourth or fifth of the matter in the braincase. Maybe I'm wrong, but it sure looked that way to me.

I asked about the procedure. Skipping the technical jargon which I can't repeat anyway, he would be cutting open the skull near the cyst site which was on the right back side of Willie's skull. He'd have to be careful of the large blood vessels in the area lest he cause a life-threatening bleeding situation. With a fine needle, he'd drain the cyst and attempt to remove the cyst covering as well. With that done, the opening in the skull would be covered with a bone concrete material. Willie will then be in recovery and observed for any post-operative problems.

Willie was scheduled to go into surgery around 11:30 and it would take around 2-1/2 hours.

An assistant came in after the doctor left to take Willie away and told me to say my good-byes. I couldn't do that. I just looked at him sadly as she picked him out of the carrier and walked out the door. I hoped that wouldn't be the last time I'd see him. Another assistant came in with the estimate and a release form. We walked out to the lobby so that I could make a partial payment. Again, I'm not saying how much it cost because it's a lot. (Future subject of an editorial.)

I drove back to my parents' house not wanting to think too deeply. So I tried to think of other things. I called the hubby to tell him everything I was told.

Sometime after 3 PM, Dr. K. called me with an update. All afternoon I'd been looking at the wall clock or my watch wondering what had been going on, whether the surgery was going well, how Willie was doing. I was relieved to hear that the surgery went as expected for the most part and Willie was recovering well. The doctor said it went as he explained to me. The only thing was he was unable to recover any piece of the cyst lining for a biopsy as it disintegrated upon touch with the forceps. But he was pleased overall with how the operation went. So was I. And relieved. I called my hubby to let him know, too.

I was expecting a call in the evening from him, but he either forgot to call or decided not to call as he said he would. I didn't bother trying to call either. They had my cell phone number and my parents' number and my home number, so if there were any problems, I was sure someone would be called right away.

I was feeling more upbeat that evening but tired.

The next morning (this morning) Dr. K. called me with an update of Wilie's condition. He was still doing well. They fed him liquids. He went potty. Dr. K. said that Willie was still walking wobbly and more pronounced (not his words) but that was due to the surgery. He said Willie's condition should improve in six weeks or so. He may still walk funny but it shouldn't be as bad as before the surgery. Dr. K. reiterated how pleased he was with Willie's surgery and recovery. There was no brain-swelling as could happen after this type of operation.

When can I bring him home? Well it depends on how fast Willie's recovery goes. As soon as he can eat solid food and pass stool (kind of like hospitals do whenever we humans undergo surgery -- in our case as soon as we pass gas!), he'll be ready to come home. It may be tomorrow or it may be Friday. I'll know tomorrow when Dr. K. calls.

That will be the next update -- when Willie comes home.

2004-03-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

Posts copied from my other personal site. This will get you up-to-date.

Originally posted on 12-1-2003 and titled Dealing with Illness in an Animal Companion

For the past four weeks my husband and I have been faced with an illness with one of our four cats, our oldest male. It came on quite suddenly it seemed. Other than being overweight at 18 pounds, our orange tabby, Willie, was a happy cat with a healthy appetite. Then we noticed him walking with a wobbly gait, like how a moderately drunk person wobbles. I scheduled an appointment with the vet the week after we noticed the strange walk.

On November 5th, I took in both of our male cats, our other male needing his yearly checkup and a booster shot. The doctor examined Willie's pupil reaction, examined his ears, and listened to his heartbeat. Although his temperature was a little high, nothing in the examinations indicating any problems -- all were normal.

The doctor cautioned me that this would be a process of elimination, since there are several causes for Willie's condition. An inner ear inflammation would be the most obvious answer. Nevertheless, the doctor prescribed some prednisone in case Willie did have a deep inner ear inflammation causing his imbalance. This was to be taken for two weeks. Two weeks later, I called the doctor to tell him that Willie's condition was no better nor any worse. If he did have an infection or inflammation, the prednisone would have done something positive.

I took Willie in to see the doctor again on the 24th. This time the doctor wanted to do a blood workup and urinalysis after fasting. The initial blood workup showed a slightly elevated glucose level which meant a sign of an onset of diabetes. That would be an expected finding since Willie had been overweight for such a long time. However, he had lost a lot of weight since his yearly exam earlier this year. So they kept Willie overnight so that they could draw blood again and urine in the morning.

The next day I called to find out the results. The doctor had a busy appointment schedule and would return my call. I waited and waited. In the meantime, I went to the gym for my regular appointment with my personal trainer. I was worried already. The doctor called in the early evening and had me come in to pick up Willie and discuss the test results.

Although the results showed he had some elevated glucose and white blood counts, they weren't so severe enough to be a concern nor showed cause for his balance problems. This time the doctor prescribed Valium and some liquid vitamins. The Valium, in a very tiny dose, was to help increase Willie's appetite. Since we were going out of town for Thanksgiving, I couldn't start dosing him until we returned on Friday the 28th.

So over the weekend, he got his new meds. He wasn't getting any better. In fact, he seemed worse than before. Last night in bed I cried after I turned off the bedside lamp.

As instructed, I called the vet's today to update the doctor on Willie's condition. I ended up getting an appointment.

Today, the doctor more thoroughly checked Willie's spine by gently pressing along his back and rib cage. He then ordered lateral x-rays of his spinal column. The x-rays showed an anomaly in two places: near the base of the spine and at the lower rib cage. The most obvious is at the base where there is calcification -- an old injury to the disc where the body formed a bridge to heal that part of the spine. The other spot at the rib cage showed up cloudy. The doctor said it may be the beginnings of the body healing an injury there.

I only recall one incident where Willie had taken a fall. He was trying to jump from a file cabinet to a cushioned surface when he missed the surface and ended on the floor. He may have hit his back then. I can't remember how long ago that happened. If it was many months or a year ago, that could have been when his spinal injury occurred. That would explain the calcification since it takes awhile for that to happen. But if it happened only a couple of months ago, the calcification would have been an existing condition and the fall only aggravated the injury. Why it presented itself only now is a mystery, because my husband and I never noticed any problems before.

Now, the doctor will be sending the x-rays to a surgeon to get a second opinion. We may be facing spinal surgery. Or we may be facing an appointment with a neurologist. Willie may end up being paralyzed for good if no solutions are found.

So in the meantime, a new prescription, this time for reducing inflammation, is added to the other meds Willie is getting. The new med also increases his appetite and will increase his thirst. Fortunately the pill can be added to his food also.

I am afraid for Willie's future. He's my first male cat and still my "baby." I wanted him to live a long, long time. This was not something I expected nor was prepared to face.

Originally posted on 1-19-2004 and titled Willie Update

Dang! I was going to start off the year good by posting more often, but it looks like it won't turn out that way. *sigh* I've started the year off being busy as heck because I put myself there. I decided to re-do the graphics on most of my sites and/ or re-do some page layouts. So besides worrying about Willie, I'm doing the web site thing.

Last Monday Willie and I went to a veterinary specialist in internal medicine up the road from us. I had to leave him there all afternoon while they ran a couple of tests -- they did another x-ray and an ultrasound. The tests were to try to find any tumor. Nothing. So the next step for us is to see a neurologist for an MRI and spinal tap.

The neurologist they recommended is in the Sacramento area -- a two-plus hours drive from home. My parents live in the area, so I asked them over the weekend if I could stay overnight. Willie's appointment is in the early afternoon on Wednesday. I couldn't take a morning appointment, because I don't relish getting up so darned early to get there. Besides, at this time of the year the morning tule fog is a hazard to driving.

So tomorrow I need to get everything ready for taking him there. I'm wondering what things I need to bring besides his carrier, food, and meds. I'll probably have to do some shopping. I think I need a harness for cats. I couldn't find a wetness-absorbing liner for his carrier when I visited the pet store last week. I may have to try another pet supply store. I'll probably tote along his snuggly bed which he isn't using right now. He prefers sleeping on the sofa nowadays. I'm not sure what to do about a litter box. Should I bring one? So much to think about!

Willie hasn't been outside the house except for vet visits since he was a kitten. This trip is going to be very interesting and maybe melodic on his part. I hope the vets find something that explains why he's not walking right. I just want to know what's wrong with him. But surgical intervention is the last resort. He seems to be functioning fine despite his "funny" walk.

I need to give him a hug now, so till the next time I decide to post...

Originally posted 1-26-2004 and titled Willie Update Part 2

Last Wednesday I drove Willie up to see the veterinary neurologist. As I expected Willie and I had numerous "conversations" over the course of the two-and-one-half hour drive there. He really didn't like being stuck in a carrier, but I didn't want him wandering around the car either. We hit heavy fog for about five miles of the route. Although I printed out a map and directions to the clinic, I ended up missing my turn and had to do two (!) u-turns. Talk about frustrating. We got there 10 minutes before his appointment time.

In the lobby of the building was an orange tabby making itself at home. I had to fill out a form and wait until we were called into an exam room. I let Willie watch the other cat from the safety of his carrier. He wasn't talking too much then. A technician, a very friendly young woman, finally called us in to a room. She took his temperature and tried to listen to his heartbeat. She laughed because it was hard to hear above his constant purring. After she left I sat down on the bench in the room, cuddled Willie in my arms -- him with his belly up -- and talked to him.

The doctor came in a short while later. We chatted as he examined Willie further. In particular, he was testing his eye pupil response and his leg/ paw response to touch. Apparently those are little tests of his neurological condition. Then he watched as Willie walked around. There were some things he saw that I missed -- the tilt of Willie's head and the size and tilt of his pupils. He went out and brought back in the estimates of the charges for the MRI and spinal tap. I hate to tell you what the costs were. But having talked to the doctor at the previous clinic near home, I knew the range to expect.

I tried to call my husband to confer with him, but I ended up making a unilateral decision to go ahead with the tests when he didn't answer the phone. So the doctor took away my baby and I paid for part of the cost of the tests. The actual tests wouldn't be until around 6 p.m., so I went over to my parents' house to unpack and maybe take a nap. I had only four hours of sleep the night before and I was so tired.

After chatting with my folks for a little bit and giving them a cute calendar of Shih Tzu dogs and puppies, I took a short nap. I was too anxious to get in a really good nap though. Around 8:30 in the evening the doctor called with preliminary results of the MRI. He saw a large cyst near Willie's brain stem and the lower cerebellum. Apparently the cyst pressing against the brain and stem was causing Willie's walking problem. They also went ahead and did the spinal tap to assure that there were no bacterial or viral infections contributing to Willie's problem. There weren't. He told me I could pick Willie up around 9.

My dad drove us to the clinic which was crowded, surprisingly. The building houses another veterinary business which is open 24 hours for emergency cases, so there were clients of that business there as well. We waited what seemed like for 20 minutes. The same technician who helped us earlier in the day came out and took the balance of the costs. It was smaller than I expected so that was good. They brought Willie out in his carrier and he was meowing about something. No doubt he was complaining about how dizzy he felt. The anesthesia was still affecting him. I was so glad to see him!

After we got back to my parents' house, I let Willie out in the bedroom. He really didn't want to be stuck in a room again. But he was foundering around. I decided to call it a night and went to bed early. I tucked Willie into a blanket on the bed and lay on the edge so that he wouldn't fall off during the night. I slept well for the most part, although he woke me up when he moved around. I can't do catnaps as well as he does.

The next day I gave him his meds and some food. He went potty in the disposable litter pan I bought. Then we went out to the family room. My parents' dog was delighted to see a new playmate, albeit one that walked funny. Willie explored the living room, family room, and kitchen. But before long it was time for us to go home. After I took a shower I got everything ready to go. I re-packed the car with all the stuff I brought and put Willie back in the carrier. My mom softened the floor of his carrier with an old blue towel. (I had old raggedy dish towels in there.) Willie got in the car last. I called up the hubby to let him know we were leaving.

The drive home was uneventful. Willie even slept the whole time. No conversations until we neared home. Then we started talking again. He was glad to be back home and so was I.

Today I called up the doctor for the final results of the tests since no one had called me as I expected last week. The doctor reiterated what he said from the preliminary and gave me treatment options. We're going to go the medication route. If that doesn't improve Willie's condition, then I think we'll do surgery. In two weeks we'll know what to do next.

Originally part of a posting on 2-13-2004

Took Willie to the vet's yesterday because he seemed to be straining and crying when he used the litter box. Turns out what I thought may be a urinary tract problem was impacted stool. So the poor cat got an enema and more meds. My poor sweetie! I need to schedule his surgery with the neurologist soon. The med course is helping a little with his walking. I guess I need to discuss this with the neurologist. Maybe keeping him on meds a little longer will show more improvement. I don't know. *sigh* I just want him to be able to walk normally and be off all of the medication.

Time to give him a hug and a kiss.