Smudgie is Lost!

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
Tweed, do you guys have birds of prey over there? Hawks, falcons,
etc.?


Yes, we do, but nothing big enough to take a cat, except the golden
eagle
and I've never heard that they do, mainly because they are quite rare
and
frequent very remote areas perhaps. They will take small lambs though.

Mainly, all our wildlife is pretty innocuous.
Deer stags can be dangerous to humans in the rutting season
(October-ish)
as they have serious anger issues then ;-) but as they are not exactly
all over the place, they are fairly easy to avoid providing I don't go
to
Bradgate Park at that time of year:

http://www.leicesterclimbs.f9.co.uk/BradgateI.htm

Tweed

What a great place to live! Granted you don't have the huge wilds we
have
filled with predators and prey, but I'm not an outdoorsy type of person
(a
bumble bee sting would be fatal).

I am a very outdoorsy sort of person. Maybe your bumble bees are
different?
Ours are very mild-mannered and gentle.
They *can* sting but rarely do. They allow you to pick them up if you are
careful when they get trapped inside the house. Unlike a honey bee, they
can sting and not die, so you'd think they'd do it all the time because
they
can, but they don't.
The only time I ever got stung by a bumble bee was donkeys years ago when
I
felt a strange crawling sensation inside my blouse and grabbed it through
the cloth, not knowing what it was.
It was entitled to sting me then, I think!
I love bumble bees, there are plenty in my garden going about their
peaceful
business. The idea of stinging me would never occur to them.

Tweed



I had a friend who died of anaphalactic shock *in her own bed,* despite the
fact that she always kept an EpiPen on her bedside stand. She was probably
stung by a wasp that got into the house. However, that is rare. Most
people will only get a raised welt, at most. Bumble bees (in my experience)
seldom sting unless they are inadvertently provoked. They are huge, but
they are not aggressive.

MaryL

MaryL wrote:

I had a friend who died of anaphalactic shock *in her own bed,* despite the
fact that she always kept an EpiPen on her bedside stand. She was probably
stung by a wasp that got into the house. However, that is rare. Most
people will only get a raised welt, at most. Bumble bees (in my experience)
seldom sting unless they are inadvertently provoked. They are huge, but
they are not aggressive.

Yikes. Was she unable to get to the epi pen in time? I remember someone
who used to post here saying that her allergy to bee stings was so extreme
that she didn't even bother to carry an epi pen, because she'd be dead
before she'd be able to get it out of her purse. (This was Tonie, remember
her?) Was that how it was for your friend? I'm sorry to hear it - that
must have been a shock for you.

Joyce

--
The sun rose slowly, like a fiery furball coughed up uneasily onto a
sky-blue carpet by a giant unseen cat. -- Michael McGarel

wrote in message
...
MaryL wrote:

I had a friend who died of anaphalactic shock *in her own bed,* despite
the
fact that she always kept an EpiPen on her bedside stand. She was
probably
stung by a wasp that got into the house. However, that is rare. Most
people will only get a raised welt, at most. Bumble bees (in my
experience)
seldom sting unless they are inadvertently provoked. They are huge, but
they are not aggressive.

Yikes. Was she unable to get to the epi pen in time? I remember someone
who used to post here saying that her allergy to bee stings was so extreme
that she didn't even bother to carry an epi pen, because she'd be dead
before she'd be able to get it out of her purse. (This was Tonie, remember
her?) Was that how it was for your friend? I'm sorry to hear it - that
must have been a shock for you.

Joyce

--
The sun rose slowly, like a fiery furball coughed up uneasily onto a
sky-blue carpet by a giant unseen cat. -- Michael McGarel


We can only guess at what happened. Ironically, she was a nurse and an
EpiPen should have helped. Best guess is that she was stung when she was
asleep and may not have reacted in time to get the pen. Yes, it was a shock
for all of us. This was some years ago, and she was only in her mid-30s.

MaryL

"CatNipped" wrote in
:


"Honey bees" are usually inoffensive little guys who cross-pollinate
plants for us and help keep us alive. However, people like me must
stay as far away as possible. Years ago, I walked out in flip-flops
to take out the garbage. A Bumble bee stung me on the very tip of the
smallest toe on my right foot (the first time I'd ever been stung by a
bee - and those type of allergies, if not treated, can escalate over
the years). I turned away to walk into my house, got half-way to the
front door and collapsed. I was *very* lucky that the guy who lived
across the street was outside cutting his grass and saw what happened.
He just swooped my up, threw me into his car, and broke all speed
records to get me to the hospital. As soon as the admitting nurse
found out if was an allergic reaction to bee sting, she dropped all
the paper work and brought me to the back. [In most cases of allergic
reactions, especially to venoms, take president even over heart
attacks.

By the time we made it to the hospital my leg was blown up to three
times its normal size and my throat was closing up, they had to
perform a tracheotomy. I was having a systemic reaction and they were
afraid my heart would shut down at any moment. After they had me
stabilized they agreed to release me with the promise that I'd see an
allergist as soon as possible.

The first test was bee venom. The doctor put a little scratch on the
inside of my elbow and said, "We do this test as carefully as
possible, upping the dose of venom to saline solution for every
scratch, so this will probably be a long boring procedure for you,
most people don't react at all until the 6th or 7th scratch, and then
with only a small redness around the scratch. The first scratch is
only 1 part venom to 50,000 parts saline solution." Then he walked out
to go see another patient while I waited out the 15 minutes before my
next scratch. However after about 3 minutes after he left, I flagged
down a nurse to ask her if it was OK for my arm to be swollen to twice
its sized from finger tip to shoulder, bright red, and hot to the
touch. The nurse took one look and, without saying anything to me ran
our of the exam room. My doctor and his PA came running into the room
to see for themselves (the first time I'd heard a doctor say, "God
*DAMN*, would you look at that). He sent his nurse out to get almost
every other doctor, no matter what their specialty - pretty soon there
were so many people in my room to look at my arm I though that they
might be calling in other patients from the waiting room!!

To cut a long, boring story short - they kept giving me a dosage into
my arm of 1 / 100,000 solution every week to get me inured to the
venom. That didn't work, again just caused extreme swelling, so they
cut that solution in half, putting half in one arm and half in the
other - no deal. They just simply couldn't find a solution dilute
enough, so I just quit going - why make myself miserable, feverish,
and sick every 5 days out of 7?

I was not at all thrilled to learn that Africanized Honey Bees were
making their way up to Texas from Mexico. ;


Funny story, well it is now. The other day DH came to me and said: "Do
you hear buzzing or is it my ears?" (He has tinnitus.) I said I could
hear it too, like a big mosquito. We went from room to room, he
followed me, but so did the sound. Hmmm. I said: "It's coming from
you!" and I lifted his shirt. Nothing. Buzzing continued. He then
remembered a few minutes ago he had put on his clean-from-the-
clothesline pants, so down they went. Out came a very angry wasp! Boy,
was he luckly he didn't get stung. He's not alergic (I am), but the
outcome could have been awful...

Bobble

Bobble wrote:


Funny story, well it is now. The other day DH came to me and said: "Do
you hear buzzing or is it my ears?" (He has tinnitus.) I said I could
hear it too, like a big mosquito. We went from room to room, he
followed me, but so did the sound. Hmmm. I said: "It's coming from
you!" and I lifted his shirt. Nothing. Buzzing continued. He then
remembered a few minutes ago he had put on his clean-from-the-
clothesline pants, so down they went. Out came a very angry wasp! Boy,
was he luckly he didn't get stung. He's not alergic (I am), but the
outcome could have been awful...

Bobble

A very lucky escape.
--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

On Thu, 1 Jul 2010 14:40:17 +0100, "Sharon & Smudgie"
wrote:

I would really appreciate some GYFBH purrs please. Yesterday evening Smudgie
chased a cat over our fence and kept on running. She has never been out of
the garden before so I am super worried. I have been walking the streets
calling her name and shaking her food box but no luck. She is scared of
strangers so will not approach anyone for help. I have put leaflets thru
doors and on lamp posts etc. I am so worried and am hoping the "power of
the purrs" will help guide her home.

Thank you so much
Sharon


Twice a day, at least, I check this thread, to see if Smudgie has come
home yet, or if there is any more good news.

I was SO SURE she would be back home in a day or 2, at most

Sending more purrs for Smudgie to find her way home. Soon. Please.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

Every day is a treasure with Kenzie; I try to treat them that way. There
will only be so many, and then there will never, ever, be any more.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein



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Twice a day, at least, I check this thread, to see if Smudgie has come
home yet, or if there is any more good news.

I was SO SURE she would be back home in a day or 2, at most

Sending more purrs for Smudgie to find her way home. Soon. Please.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

Thank you so much, I was sure it would only be a couple of days too. It's a
week today and today is my lowest day so far. I am doing everything I can
think of to try to find her and it's still not enough. I am really beating
myself up over it now. Last night we put Febreze on our fence to hide any
smells in case male cats have been spraying (the neighbours must think I'm
so house proud!) and tried a different brand of ham in the trap. On one of
my looks out of the window around 1.30 this morning I did see another cat
eating the ham outside the trap but it didn't go in.

I now have another plan to try and see if Smudgie is actually coming into
the garden ...a few years ago we set up a webcam after someone pelted my car
with eggs in the night. It started recording when there was movement outside
and recorded for 2 minutes. Tonight my DH is going to convert the webcam to
infra red and set it up looking down into the garden. I know infra red
recordings can be grainy but Smudgie is easily identifiable from the side as
where the black fur meets the white along the side it's a very pronounced
wiggly line. At least if she IS coming into the garden I will know and it
will build my hope back up.

Unfortunately there was no article in the local paper today but there is a
free one out again tomorrow so perhaps it will be in there. Goodness knows
how far she may have wandered by now so it will spread the word a bit.

Thank you, and everyone, for helping me through this

Sharon

On 7 July, 13:48, "Sharon & Smudgie" wrote:
Twice a day, at least, I check this thread, to see if Smudgie has come
home yet, or if there is any more good news.

I was SO SURE she would be back home in a day or 2, at most

Sending more purrs for Smudgie to find her way home. Soon. Please.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ *^..^

Thank you so much, I was sure it would only be a couple of days too. It's a
week today and today is my lowest day so far. I am doing everything I can
think of to try to find her and it's still not enough. *I am really beating
myself up over it now. *Last night we put Febreze on our fence to hide any
smells in case male cats have been spraying (the neighbours must think I'm
so house proud!) and tried a different brand of ham in the trap. On one of
my looks out of the window around 1.30 this morning I did see another cat
eating the ham outside the trap but it didn't go in.

I now have another plan to try and see if Smudgie is actually coming into
the garden ...a few years ago we set up a webcam after someone pelted my car
with eggs in the night. It started recording when there was movement outside
and recorded for 2 minutes. Tonight my DH is going to convert the webcam to
infra red and set it up looking down into the garden. *I know infra red
recordings can be grainy but Smudgie is easily identifiable from the side as
where the black fur meets the white along the side it's a very pronounced
wiggly line. At least if she IS coming into the garden I will know and it
will build my hope back up.

Unfortunately there was no article in the local paper today but there is a
free one out again tomorrow so perhaps it will be in there. *Goodness knows
how far she may have wandered by now so it will spread the word a bit.

Thank you, and everyone, for helping me through this

Sharon

Don't give up hope Sharon, you're doing all the right things.

Jeanette

On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:48:15 +0100, Sharon & Smudgie wrote:

Thank you so much, I was sure it would only be a couple of days too.
It's a week today and today is my lowest day so far. I am doing
everything I can think of to try to find her and it's still not enough.
I am really beating myself up over it now. Last night we put Febreze on
our fence to hide any smells in case male cats have been spraying (the
neighbours must think I'm so house proud!) and tried a different brand
of ham in the trap. On one of my looks out of the window around 1.30
this morning I did see another cat eating the ham outside the trap but
it didn't go in.

I know it's really hard, but do try to keep your spirits up. You are
quite fortunate in that you've caught sight of Smudgie. During the time
that my Sammy was missing we didn't get any sightings. Hang in there, and
keep putting out Smudgie's favorite foods, and keep doing your dusk
patrols looking and calling.

We're still purring and praying.

Dan

On Wed, 7 Jul 2010 10:45:13 +0000 (UTC), Bobble wrote:


"Honey bees" are usually inoffensive little guys who cross-pollinate
plants for us and help keep us alive. However, people like me must
stay as far away as possible. Years ago, I walked out in flip-flops
to take out the garbage. A Bumble bee stung me on the very tip of the
smallest toe on my right foot (the first time I'd ever been stung by a
bee - and those type of allergies, if not treated, can escalate over
the years). I turned away to walk into my house, got half-way to the
front door and collapsed. I was *very* lucky that the guy who lived
across the street was outside cutting his grass and saw what happened.
He just swooped my up, threw me into his car, and broke all speed
records to get me to the hospital. As soon as the admitting nurse
found out if was an allergic reaction to bee sting, she dropped all
the paper work and brought me to the back. [In most cases of allergic
reactions, especially to venoms, take president even over heart
attacks.

SNIP

Wouldn't this be better in a thread of it's own rather then under
"Smudgie is Lost!" seeing as how there is really nothing about
"Smudgie is Lost!" in it!!

Just a thought where there is already like 3 or 4 threads for "Smudgie
is Lost!" already.