Sushi (GA 5/05-3/14)
Member Since 2011
Here's our last condo on 10/14 (wow! time flies!)
Happy New Year everyone! I’ve missed FDMB and hope you and your furry friends are doing well!
Life in Baton Rouge has been unexpectedly busy and hectic, and I’m still struggling to find balance and the time to keep everything moving. Ironically, I find life taking a pause right in sync with the New Year, giving me time to finally post!
Sushi has been extremely ornery* since we moved, which not only has been a huge struggle but also just breaks my heart. He was so well trained and amazingly cooperative at our previous home. I’d say “let’s go take a test!” or “let’s get your medicine!” and he’d run and hop up on the table, lay down and look at me purring. The contrast between his behavior there and his behavior here tries my patience, because I know how well behaved he can be, and I know he knows what to do. Now, testing and dosing him involves 5-10+ minutes of coercing him to come to me, jump up on the table, lay down, sit still, and always results in my interference, whether it’s picking him up and putting him on the table, having to push him into a laying position, or all of the above. It’s not unusual for him to have a fit like a bucking bronco at some point during a test, or stand up and try to walk away right as I’m about to inject the needle. I hate forcing him to do any of these things; it frustrates the ever living crap out of me, and wastes so much time! Plus it was really straining our relationship. A few weeks ago, after a terrible 30 minute bout of trying to get him to cooperate, I decided to try testing him as he eats. This has been a LIFESAVING technique, but I can’t remember if it’s okay or not. I test him within his first few bites, but does the fact that he’s eating skew his results?
Due to this and things being unusually hectic, Sushi and I have been on cruise control. We’re still at his “safe” dose of 3 units, and I typically only test at pre-shot with maybe one additional test because of how difficult he’s been. The one thing I am doing right is not skipping injections. We’ve gone 130 doses without skipping! Wahoo!
He’s doing well: eating like a Hoover vacuum, grooming (this still excites me!), he’s definitely gained some weight, and our relationship has tremendously improved since I began testing him while he eats.
But his numbers are high; even higher than I feel they should be at our “safe” dose of 3 units. (I suppose they could be inaccurate because I’m testing him while he eats…)
There’s a lot more to update on, but this is a good place to start. Hope you’re all doing well!
*Other ornery behavior includes:
Happy New Year everyone! I’ve missed FDMB and hope you and your furry friends are doing well!
Life in Baton Rouge has been unexpectedly busy and hectic, and I’m still struggling to find balance and the time to keep everything moving. Ironically, I find life taking a pause right in sync with the New Year, giving me time to finally post!
Sushi has been extremely ornery* since we moved, which not only has been a huge struggle but also just breaks my heart. He was so well trained and amazingly cooperative at our previous home. I’d say “let’s go take a test!” or “let’s get your medicine!” and he’d run and hop up on the table, lay down and look at me purring. The contrast between his behavior there and his behavior here tries my patience, because I know how well behaved he can be, and I know he knows what to do. Now, testing and dosing him involves 5-10+ minutes of coercing him to come to me, jump up on the table, lay down, sit still, and always results in my interference, whether it’s picking him up and putting him on the table, having to push him into a laying position, or all of the above. It’s not unusual for him to have a fit like a bucking bronco at some point during a test, or stand up and try to walk away right as I’m about to inject the needle. I hate forcing him to do any of these things; it frustrates the ever living crap out of me, and wastes so much time! Plus it was really straining our relationship. A few weeks ago, after a terrible 30 minute bout of trying to get him to cooperate, I decided to try testing him as he eats. This has been a LIFESAVING technique, but I can’t remember if it’s okay or not. I test him within his first few bites, but does the fact that he’s eating skew his results?
Due to this and things being unusually hectic, Sushi and I have been on cruise control. We’re still at his “safe” dose of 3 units, and I typically only test at pre-shot with maybe one additional test because of how difficult he’s been. The one thing I am doing right is not skipping injections. We’ve gone 130 doses without skipping! Wahoo!
He’s doing well: eating like a Hoover vacuum, grooming (this still excites me!), he’s definitely gained some weight, and our relationship has tremendously improved since I began testing him while he eats.
But his numbers are high; even higher than I feel they should be at our “safe” dose of 3 units. (I suppose they could be inaccurate because I’m testing him while he eats…)
There’s a lot more to update on, but this is a good place to start. Hope you’re all doing well!
*Other ornery behavior includes:
- Ripping up the carpet left and right.
- If I go to bed within 30 minutes to an hour of getting home, he has a fit, running around meowing loudly, even if I spend some time on the floor petting him or playing with him beforehand.
