"Star", Melba, and Sylvester (long)

Hi the

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him. I had bought him toys and treats and a soft cat bed and left
them with her too.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space. I am glad that he's in (-31C tonight with
a savage wind chill bringing it to -46C). I imagine that he will let
her know if he's unhappy and she knows that I get him back if there is
ever any problem. I have even thought of asking for him back and
finding him a bigger home with people around. It's getting a little
late for that.

I can't shake the feeling that my time with Star isn't over yet though.

Melba has made a fairly good recovery so far - surprised my brother and
SIL by eating at about 90% of usual and being fairly perky. I spoke to
my brother tonight and Melba's having the best day ever today. They
successfully changed her bandage today and it was unmitigated hell but
they got it done. It stresses them out big time. She goes tomorrow for
a blood test to see where her red blood cell count is - if it is low (it
was a borderline test before), then she may need a transfusion. Yikes
again. But I think she should be okay based on her spunky behaviour.
Ideal the number is 35 - 45 and she was at 22 last time - 16
necessitates a transfusion. She may get stitches out tomorrow too.
They would also prefer the the feeding tube removed and to syringe feed
if necessary. She's been eating so well for about 5 days now.

More on the spleen - it was 4 times oversized compared to usual - had a
hematoma and was folded over and growing over upon itself. They were
proposing an aspiration but realized that if they had penetrated the
hemotoma, it might have created a huge problem. It could have burst
even over time if they hadn't elected to remove it. That's what they
said and they seem comfortable with their decision, despite the
complications. I passed on your comments and concerns Christina and
Lesley - because they echoed what I thought.

Sylvester has been a complete handful at my SIL's dad. He's happy and
loving and all over John - but scratches every item of furniture, jumps
on everything, climbs on everything, and sleeps in the kitchen sink. He
drinks and eats in a very very strange manner. He flattens right to the
ground and has to pry his head over the edge of the bowls to eat and
drinks. His litterbox habits are pristine. John likes the cat but
thinks that Sylvester might need more space - he lives in a small condo.
My brother and SIL are thinking that they might never be able to
integrate Sylvester into their house given Melba's fragile condition and
tendency to stress.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Susan M wrote:

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him.

I like that name, too. "Star" is also very cute - both names are good
ones.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.

I'll bet. I would be, too.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space. I am glad that he's in (-31C tonight with
a savage wind chill bringing it to -46C). I imagine that he will let
her know if he's unhappy and she knows that I get him back if there is
ever any problem. I have even thought of asking for him back and
finding him a bigger home with people around. It's getting a little
late for that.

I'd say give it a chance. Not all cats get lonely being by themselves.
And she is coming home mid-day to visit him while he adjusts.

Would she consider getting him a buddy if he does get lonely? I know
it's a small space, but if he's lonely, that might be a good solution.
And if she has enough *vertical* space (eg, cat tree, shelves, high
furniture that she would't mind them climbing on), that's probably
more important than floor square-footage (square-meterage?).

Melba has made a fairly good recovery so far - surprised my brother and
SIL by eating at about 90% of usual and being fairly perky.

That's great! I've been worried about her.

More on the spleen - it was 4 times oversized compared to usual - had a
hematoma and was folded over and growing over upon itself. They were
proposing an aspiration but realized that if they had penetrated the
hemotoma, it might have created a huge problem. It could have burst
even over time if they hadn't elected to remove it. That's what they
said and they seem comfortable with their decision, despite the
complications. I passed on your comments and concerns Christina and
Lesley - because they echoed what I thought.

Well, I'm not glad she had that terrible condition, but I am glad to
hear that they had a valid reason for removing her spleen, even if she
doesn't have cancer. For one thing, it means they're more trustworthy
than it sounded, and second, it means she's not going through this ordeal
for nothing. If what they say is true, then it was a necessary surgery.

Purrs for her to continue to get better!

Sylvester has been a complete handful at my SIL's dad. He's happy and
loving and all over John - but scratches every item of furniture, jumps
on everything, climbs on everything, and sleeps in the kitchen sink.

They should be glad he's not *peeing* in the sink, like some cats we
know.

Joyce
--
To send email to this address, remove the triple-X from my user name.

glad melba is doing well, you will do fine with hunter in a small space, if
she has had cats before then she will know to get him some vertical space if
it is an issue... if I were you the hardest part of this would be staying
away long enough for hunter to bond with the new slave, Lee
Susan M wrote in message
...
Hi the

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him. I had bought him toys and treats and a soft cat bed and left
them with her too.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space. I am glad that he's in (-31C tonight with
a savage wind chill bringing it to -46C). I imagine that he will let
her know if he's unhappy and she knows that I get him back if there is
ever any problem. I have even thought of asking for him back and
finding him a bigger home with people around. It's getting a little
late for that.

I can't shake the feeling that my time with Star isn't over yet though.

Melba has made a fairly good recovery so far - surprised my brother and
SIL by eating at about 90% of usual and being fairly perky. I spoke to
my brother tonight and Melba's having the best day ever today. They
successfully changed her bandage today and it was unmitigated hell but
they got it done. It stresses them out big time. She goes tomorrow for
a blood test to see where her red blood cell count is - if it is low (it
was a borderline test before), then she may need a transfusion. Yikes
again. But I think she should be okay based on her spunky behaviour.
Ideal the number is 35 - 45 and she was at 22 last time - 16
necessitates a transfusion. She may get stitches out tomorrow too.
They would also prefer the the feeding tube removed and to syringe feed
if necessary. She's been eating so well for about 5 days now.

More on the spleen - it was 4 times oversized compared to usual - had a
hematoma and was folded over and growing over upon itself. They were
proposing an aspiration but realized that if they had penetrated the
hemotoma, it might have created a huge problem. It could have burst
even over time if they hadn't elected to remove it. That's what they
said and they seem comfortable with their decision, despite the
complications. I passed on your comments and concerns Christina and
Lesley - because they echoed what I thought.

Sylvester has been a complete handful at my SIL's dad. He's happy and
loving and all over John - but scratches every item of furniture, jumps
on everything, climbs on everything, and sleeps in the kitchen sink. He
drinks and eats in a very very strange manner. He flattens right to the
ground and has to pry his head over the edge of the bowls to eat and
drinks. His litterbox habits are pristine. John likes the cat but
thinks that Sylvester might need more space - he lives in a small condo.
My brother and SIL are thinking that they might never be able to
integrate Sylvester into their house given Melba's fragile condition and
tendency to stress.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Susan M wrote:
Hi the

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him. I had bought him toys and treats and a soft cat bed and left
them with her too.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.


Well, he found you. Maybe he was supposed to be your cat. If it wasn't
for Otis and Sam's allergies and all the rest... {{{Susan}}} You did the
best you could under the circumstances.

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space. I am glad that he's in (-31C tonight with
a savage wind chill bringing it to -46C). I imagine that he will let
her know if he's unhappy and she knows that I get him back if there is
ever any problem. I have even thought of asking for him back and
finding him a bigger home with people around. It's getting a little
late for that.

Does she have any cat trees? Other pplaces where he's allowed to climb?
I don't think floor space is as important to cats as it is to have many
different levels to hang out and to climb. I lived for over 10 years in
tiny studio apartments with Frank and Nikki. They didn't seem to suffer
from limited floor space.

I can't shake the feeling that my time with Star isn't over yet though.

We'll just have to see what the future brings.


Melba has made a fairly good recovery so far - surprised my brother and
SIL by eating at about 90% of usual and being fairly perky. I spoke to
my brother tonight and Melba's having the best day ever today. They
successfully changed her bandage today and it was unmitigated hell but
they got it done. It stresses them out big time. She goes tomorrow for
a blood test to see where her red blood cell count is - if it is low (it
was a borderline test before), then she may need a transfusion. Yikes
again. But I think she should be okay based on her spunky behaviour.
Ideal the number is 35 - 45 and she was at 22 last time - 16
necessitates a transfusion. She may get stitches out tomorrow too.
They would also prefer the the feeding tube removed and to syringe feed
if necessary. She's been eating so well for about 5 days now.

More on the spleen - it was 4 times oversized compared to usual - had a
hematoma and was folded over and growing over upon itself. They were
proposing an aspiration but realized that if they had penetrated the
hemotoma, it might have created a huge problem. It could have burst
even over time if they hadn't elected to remove it. That's what they
said and they seem comfortable with their decision, despite the
complications. I passed on your comments and concerns Christina and
Lesley - because they echoed what I thought.


That sounds pretty bad. Maybe they did remove it with good cause. We're
still purring for Melba to improve quickly. Sounds like she is doing
very well, considering.

Sylvester has been a complete handful at my SIL's dad. He's happy and
loving and all over John - but scratches every item of furniture, jumps
on everything, climbs on everything, and sleeps in the kitchen sink. He
drinks and eats in a very very strange manner. He flattens right to the
ground and has to pry his head over the edge of the bowls to eat and
drinks.

LOL! He sounds like a real character. Again, I have to ask, does he have
anything that he's allowed to scratch and climb? Scratching posts, cat
trees? Sounds like he could do with a few of those.


--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

Susan M wrote:

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal.

As opposed to living rough or being PTS? You'd probably think our apartment
too small but with high ceilings the Furballs utilise the "up" dimension as
well


Melba has made a fairly good recovery so far - surprised my brother and
SIL by eating at about 90% of usual and being fairly perky. I

Good news about Melba

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200801/1

Susan M wrote:
I can't shake the feeling that my time with Star isn't over yet though.

Let's hope Star adapts well to his new home. When we first got Luna and
Maya, we lived in a 700 sq ft (65 sq meters) condo and they did just fine.

They would also prefer the the feeding tube removed and to syringe feed
if necessary. She's been eating so well for about 5 days now.

We'll keep purring for Melba.

Sylvester has been a complete handful at my SIL's dad. He's happy and
loving and all over John - but scratches every item of furniture, jumps
on everything, climbs on everything, and sleeps in the kitchen sink. He

Sounds like a keeper!


--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

"Susan M" wrote in message
...
Hi the

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him. I had bought him toys and treats and a soft cat bed and left
them with her too.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space. I am glad that he's in (-31C tonight with
a savage wind chill bringing it to -46C). I imagine that he will let
her know if he's unhappy and she knows that I get him back if there is
ever any problem. I have even thought of asking for him back and
finding him a bigger home with people around. It's getting a little
late for that.

snip
Susan M
Otis and Chester

Don't worry about the size of the apartment. Think about how small a cat is
in comparison to a human. Cats can get plenty of exercise by running around
even a tiny apartment, going up and over furniture, etc. If she can get a
cat tree, that would be ideal -- mine are tall and sturdy, but they only
take up 24" square of floor space.

Please *do not even consider* asking for him back. That should now be
Sarah's decision. It would be cruel to both Sarah and her new cat for your
to do that based only on the size of the apartment.

MaryL

MaryL wrote:


Don't worry about the size of the apartment. Think about how small a cat is
in comparison to a human. Cats can get plenty of exercise by running around
even a tiny apartment, going up and over furniture, etc. If she can get a
cat tree, that would be ideal -- mine are tall and sturdy, but they only
take up 24" square of floor space.

I don't even have a cat tree but they have bookcases and wardrobes and
kitchen cupboard tops (Dunzi's favourite- she gets the Sun from there) and
the top of the fridge or the top of the living room door (Another Dunzi
favourite) to jump up on and furniture to leap across, under, round etc. Plus
there's always the exercise of opening doors, bouncing off Hoomins etc

And I did see some very nice cat trees...if they're good (Okay.....next time
I am feeling a bit flush)

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

--
Message posted via CatKB.com
http://www.catkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...dotes/200801/1

Susan M wrote:

Hi the

Well, I got Star and he was groggy. I took him to meet Sarah and she is
an absolutely lovely person - she has had cats before (I thought she
hadn't) and knew how to treat him in his grogginess. He didn't want to
come out of the carrier so I opened the container of catnip and he came
out. He is a total pathetic nip-head. She had looked at the pictures
of him and decided to name him Hunter, which is a good name for him. It
suits him. I had bought him toys and treats and a soft cat bed and left
them with her too.

After some time, I left. I was very *very* sad to leave him. I was
surprised by how sad I was. I am still sad.

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

I think she is an ideal slave but I remain concerned about him being
alone in such a small space.

I wouldn't worry! Cats are very adaptable critters, and
anyway a healthy cat SLEEPS between eighteen and twenty
hours a day - he'll enjoy his playtime with her all the
more, for being well-rested. ;-)

Marina wrote:

I was taken aback by the size of her apartment - it is tiny. I am
worried about him being a young outdoor kitty transitioning to a small
apartment. I don't think its ideal. She works but lives just a few
minutes away from the office so has been going home at lunch.

Does she have any cat trees? Other pplaces where he's allowed to climb?
I don't think floor space is as important to cats as it is to have many
different levels to hang out and to climb. I lived for over 10 years in
tiny studio apartments with Frank and Nikki. They didn't seem to suffer
from limited floor space.

GMTA.

Joyce