Friday, May 13, 2011

Sickness and Vacation

I had my post all ready to go yesterday, but blogger was down and I couldn’t sign in. I don’t know what was going on. So I will post what I had from yesterday. But first I wanted to tell you about Star. Last night Greg called to me from upstairs to ask if cats can cry. I thought he meant she was meowing whining or something. But he said her eye had an actual tear in it.
 
No, I said, that’s a cold. Odd that she had it now because she almost always gets a cold for like two days when we turn on the air conditioners for the summer, and again in the fall when we turn on the heat. I think she doesn’t handle the change in temperature and it takes a few days to adjust.
 
But this was not a cold. When she came down and I looked, her eye was doing more than tearing, it was soaked. And the area around it was puffy and swollen. She wasn’t opening it all the way. It was late at night, after 11, when we discovered this. It came on suddenly. I had noticed a little drippy eye the other day, but it seemed to go away right away. I debated rushing her to an emergency animal clinic, I really did. But if it was just a cold, even a bad one, that would be overreacting. But I didn’t want to under-react too. I called the emergency clinic, and they were no help. Typical.. All they can tell you is to come in and they’ll tell you if it’s an emergency. And charge you a premium regardless of if it was an actual emergency.
 
We decided to wait til morning. And I worried all night. Especially when I heard her seeming to wheeze, but it wasn’t wheezing.. It was snoring. She snores, I hear it all the time, but in my worried state, I wanted to make it something more than it was. Yes, I’m a panic-er!
 
This morning, the vet saw her right away. And he said it’s an upper respiratory infection.. But her lungs are clear. Has anyone ever heard of a respiratory infection where it’s all in the eye?? Because it seems crazy to me.. But he gave her an antibiotic and a cream for the eye. So we’ll see how she does on it. She goes back on Monday, hopefully she’s all better by then!
 
 
Ok, now onto the post I wrote yesterday:
 
 
Our vacation has been busy with so many little things, that I haven’t had time to blog or even visit around the blogs I usually read (even if I am bad at making comments often!) So I was so distressed to see what Chrystal has been going through over on Daily Dose of Dogs. Please send her love and prayers at the losses she’s suffered this week. And while you visit her blog, look at the kitties up for adoption and seriously think about taking one into your home!!
 
One of the little things that we’ve been busy with is installing a new door. I’m sure you noticed in a few pictures that ours was... well a mess! The bottom had been kicked out, bent back, then because it didn’t sit right in it’s slot, it would catch the backs of shoes and get bent all out of shape again.. So we got a new storm door! OH it’s a beauty! Thick and heavy, not likely to need replacing any time soon at all! And, best of all, it has glass ALL the way to the bottom!
 
I really really wanted that. For the kitties of course! Those doors tend to be expensive, especially the ones that self store the screens, which I also really wanted. Those ones really were out of our price range, so we settled for having to replace the glass/screen at the change of seasons. Can’t have everything I suppose.
 
It’s still a great door. But don’t take my word for it! Leo and Star loved it, even before we put the screen in!
 
First, Leo wanted to help with the installation.
 
I guard the tools!
 
 
It was night by the time it was finished. It came with the glass in, and it was too late, and a little cool, so we left it that way overnight.
 
Oh lookie! A bug walking past!

 
I just realized.. This door goes all the way to the bottom..
Buggy can’t come in.. No snack for me tonight :(
 
 
Then Star got a turn to look out.
 
 
Oh I like this. Definitely like this.
 
 
Today we put the screen in. Lots to sniff at this big door!
  
 
Birdie! Squirrel! Bug! Oooo I like..
 
 
He does not notice Star watching out the door behind him.
 
 
Watchin’ the squirrels..
 
 

Still doesn’t. 
 
Watchin’ the birdies..
 
 
 
Now he does!
 
 
Oh.. Hi... Looking for something?
(ignore the crack in the foundation.. we do..) 
(don't mind the dirt either.. tracked in while working. I'll get to it, eventually lol)
 

Then Star got a turn to sniff and look.

 
Marvelous. I approve.
 
 
 
And Leo got another turn.
 
 
This my new spot..
Yup, I might give up the Kingdom of the Footstool for this spot..
 
 
 
My mother came over earlier in the week to pick up her Mother’s Day present. I brought it in so she wouldn’t see it until she came inside. Leo thought that was pretty nifty.. He kept sniffing the dirt, then he saw the leaves..
 
 
Hibiscus hmm? Smells tasty...
 
 
 
*whap whap.. Whappity whap!* Punching bag!
 
 
 
Oh, and that yellow feather from a previous post? Gone.. Don’t know where.. Just gone.
 
 
Oh purple feather, you is my new bestest toy..
 
 
Have fun Leo, but please stop trying to get all the feathers from the bag at once.. I think it would send you into such a state of hyper-excitement that we would never calm you down again!

1 comment:

Amy & the house of cats said...

Oh feathers are a big favorite with our three youngest - including Trixie. The others like them but the babies love them and just destroy them.

As far as Star - my guess is she has allergies that got a bit out of hand this year and that is what caused the URI - they seem to call it that no matter where it actually is. Lola had them when she was young - and I had that panic of wanting to take her to the emergency vets too a couple times (ours is only 10 minutes away) but I waited and it would be a bit better in the morning (and I understand about the snorign thing - Lola is a big snoring cat too, but when she had the eye things going it was before I really realized how much she snored). The antibiotic will keep it from spreading which is good and the cream will help clear up the eye. It is not usually too bad to do that - hopefully Star will not fuss a lot. Barney gets them too, and Stella has also had it too. It makes sense that it is when the AC and heat come on because the first few days I would think that gets the allergens in them stirred up in the house. She will be ok and you did the right thing - the emergency vets would have been overkill in this case (trust me though, I am always the same way). I have used warm moist cloths on their eyes if it is evening and we can't get to teh vets office (and if you don't use all the eye meds keep them around for the future - there is usually extra since it is for a number of days, not to use the whole thing). That way if it starts up at night you can use it to help sooth the eye until you can talk to the vet in the morning - if you feel it is ok to do of course (I am not a doctor - this is just based on my experience with cats with funky eye things).

And that door is great - I love when the storm door has that much glass - ours doesn't go so far down. The cats are just going to love it so much - they will get to watch all kinds of fun things!!