Patty & Champ
Member Since 2011
It's been forever since I've posted, but came on to shop at ADW through FDMB so thought I might as well post. Champ's health has been excellent. His insulin requirement has gone up a bit and I now have him at 2u. Unfortunately, it's been months since I've updated his spreadsheet so I know I've lost a lot of data since the meter only holds about a month's worth of numbers. As long as no work comes in for me, I'll be a good girl and update his SS after I post this. Champ turned 14 either this month or last (I usually put his birthdate as 3/15/01). Being a rescued kitty, it's hard to know how old he actually is. The rescue group said he was approximately 12 weeks old when I got him on 9/10/01. He was very sick the next day so I took him to the vet where he was given medication for thrush of the mouth and drops for his ears because they were completely filled with mite debris, to the point he was completely deaf for about a month, until I got all that crap out of his ears (and it was gross!). I took him back in for a follow-up a month later, which would be October, and the vet noticed he already had his permanent teeth which would put him at least six months old. So, March 15 became his birthdate. He is also "celebrating" his four-year anniversary of starting insulin. I can't believe it's been that long. I remember well how scared I was because he was just so sick at the beginning. I cried for two weeks straight because I was so worried. And now, here he is, healthier than he's ever been. He's at a good weight (16 pounds from a whopping 21 pounds prediabetes) and he has his wonderful moments still where he thinks he's a kitten.
In other news, I noticed a couple stray cats around my neighborhood which is very unusual. We live with desert right behind our houses and there are coyotes out there so you just never see cats out and about. I borrowed some traps from a rescue group and caught a beautiful full-blooded siamese tomcat who I named Frank (ol' blue eyes), took him into Heaven Can Wait, and had him neutered. I found out he was at least 10 years old, but that he was a true feral cat so I had to let him go. I kept him in my garage for a few days because they found his front legs were covered in abscesses which they scrubbed out and I wanted the wounds to scab over before I let him out. They told me to let him out after 24 hours, but I kept him for three days. I tried to get him to let me be his friend, but he just stayed under my car whenever I was around. I know he came out because he used the litterbox I put out for him and he ate his food. I then captured the kitty I was desperate to catch. She was a pathetically thin long-haired cat that I would tell was just a stray. I think I know who she used to below to, but their house was foreclosed on at least two years ago and I think they just abandoned her on the streets. She wanted so badly to be friendly, pushing her head into my hand to be petted, but then she would strike and I now am the proud owner of a really gnarly scarred up right hand. I never learned my lesson and kept petting her/getting scratched by her. She was scared of the trap so it took me forever to catch her. Finally, got her trapped, took her in, found out she was about five years old and already spayed (yay!), and then noticed they only shaved parts of her. She looks awful! I talked to the rescue people and they are going to direct me to a place that will give her a cute lion cut so she can regrow all of her hair at once so she doesn't look like she has mange or something. They will also test her for communicable diseases so I know if it's okay for Champ to try to connect with her (Champ doesn't like other cats, but I can give it a try). I have her in my spare bedroom that has a bathroom attached. She's made herself quite comfortable on the fleece blanket I put on the bed for her. She's already gaining some weight and is filling out just fine. Unfortunately, while she will let me touch the top of her head (when she asks for it), she WILL NOT let me touch any other part of her without striking out and growling. I had named her Tootsie (so I could say "Hey, Toots"), but I keep saying to her "How come you're such as growly girl) so I've decided to name her Gigi (GG - growly girl). I'm not in the market for another cat because I'm probably going to put my house up for sale soon so I can be closer to all my family. My daughter got her first post-college job in Texas and moved there about a month ago and my parents and sister live there, too. I'm going to foster her as long as I can and hope she becomes friendly so she can be adopted out. I want to attach before and after pictures of her, but I can't figure out how to do it on this new website. I want to see if anyone can tell me what breed she looks like and if her coloring is a dilute tortie. Her face looks kind of Maine coon to me, but what do I know!
Now that I've written a novel, I'll wrap it up by saying I hope everyone is doing well and all your kitties are in good health. I've missed visiting. I've made so many great friends through FDMB and I seriously don't know what I would have done without all of you at the beginning when everything seemed so scary. I'll probably connect with most of you through FB since I'm there more often. Bye for now!!!
In other news, I noticed a couple stray cats around my neighborhood which is very unusual. We live with desert right behind our houses and there are coyotes out there so you just never see cats out and about. I borrowed some traps from a rescue group and caught a beautiful full-blooded siamese tomcat who I named Frank (ol' blue eyes), took him into Heaven Can Wait, and had him neutered. I found out he was at least 10 years old, but that he was a true feral cat so I had to let him go. I kept him in my garage for a few days because they found his front legs were covered in abscesses which they scrubbed out and I wanted the wounds to scab over before I let him out. They told me to let him out after 24 hours, but I kept him for three days. I tried to get him to let me be his friend, but he just stayed under my car whenever I was around. I know he came out because he used the litterbox I put out for him and he ate his food. I then captured the kitty I was desperate to catch. She was a pathetically thin long-haired cat that I would tell was just a stray. I think I know who she used to below to, but their house was foreclosed on at least two years ago and I think they just abandoned her on the streets. She wanted so badly to be friendly, pushing her head into my hand to be petted, but then she would strike and I now am the proud owner of a really gnarly scarred up right hand. I never learned my lesson and kept petting her/getting scratched by her. She was scared of the trap so it took me forever to catch her. Finally, got her trapped, took her in, found out she was about five years old and already spayed (yay!), and then noticed they only shaved parts of her. She looks awful! I talked to the rescue people and they are going to direct me to a place that will give her a cute lion cut so she can regrow all of her hair at once so she doesn't look like she has mange or something. They will also test her for communicable diseases so I know if it's okay for Champ to try to connect with her (Champ doesn't like other cats, but I can give it a try). I have her in my spare bedroom that has a bathroom attached. She's made herself quite comfortable on the fleece blanket I put on the bed for her. She's already gaining some weight and is filling out just fine. Unfortunately, while she will let me touch the top of her head (when she asks for it), she WILL NOT let me touch any other part of her without striking out and growling. I had named her Tootsie (so I could say "Hey, Toots"), but I keep saying to her "How come you're such as growly girl) so I've decided to name her Gigi (GG - growly girl). I'm not in the market for another cat because I'm probably going to put my house up for sale soon so I can be closer to all my family. My daughter got her first post-college job in Texas and moved there about a month ago and my parents and sister live there, too. I'm going to foster her as long as I can and hope she becomes friendly so she can be adopted out. I want to attach before and after pictures of her, but I can't figure out how to do it on this new website. I want to see if anyone can tell me what breed she looks like and if her coloring is a dilute tortie. Her face looks kind of Maine coon to me, but what do I know!
Now that I've written a novel, I'll wrap it up by saying I hope everyone is doing well and all your kitties are in good health. I've missed visiting. I've made so many great friends through FDMB and I seriously don't know what I would have done without all of you at the beginning when everything seemed so scary. I'll probably connect with most of you through FB since I'm there more often. Bye for now!!!
