What's one more?

Well it has been a very interesting week. First, I now have another (yup another!) cat in the house. I think my fella would like to strangle me sometimes ;) OK not really - bringing this one in was his idea.

It started last Saturday night. We were watching TV when Bubba (the downstairs kitty) let out SUCH a howl! We thought he was hurt or sick, so we both ran down to check on him. And when we got downstairs he was sitting at the windows having what I can only describe as a conniption. Opening the curtain I expected to see a racoon or maybe a skunk - he is scared to death of both of them. But what I found was teeny tiny black kitty who looked at me and started the "lost kitten" cry.

Well I went outside. I wasn't really sure whether I was going to shoo her off, or what - until she stood up. What I thought was a VERy young kitten was instead a starving adult. Her fur falling out in clumps, so thin I swear I thought I could see through her. And she was walking a bit funny, like she'd been dropped. No question that this was a drop-off cat - probably tossed out of a car window. And at the worst time of the year for a black kitty, Halloween.

Before I could even ask my fella was back outside (I didn't even realize he had left!) and was holding out a can of cat food. When I opened it the kitty stumbled to me, and started wolfing it down. She ate and ate, and between bites she kept getting up and trying to rub on me. Well no way was I leaving this poor baby out to starve, but then again I knew from experience I couldn't put her with any of the others. What if she had kitty leukemia, or kitty AIDS? So I fixed up a spare room with her own new litterbox food, water and a nice fluffy bed for her to sleep in. She collapsed in relief and although she did wake up in the night and threw up (from overeating most likely) since then she's gotten better every day.

I'm still working to "de-flea" her as in my opinion she hasn't put on enough weight to stand up to flea meds yet. I have to wash the sheets every day, keep the room clean and of course I snuggle with her lots and then wash up after. But she's improving, and I think I've even found a home for her once she's better.
If I can stand to let her go, that is :) Next Monday I cart her to the vet for blood tests to be sure she's safe to mingle in the group, and if so we can start getting her ready for her new home. Yay!

Her name? Well for now, we're calling her "Sunshine" since she's definitely been a ray of it :)

Oh man, I've got a cold..

I've been fighting this thing for days now, but it's time to admit it: I have a cold, and it's just going to make my life miserable. Ever since I was a little girl I've been susceptible to bronchitis when I get sick - something about the way my body works means that if I have a headful, when I sleep it's going to drain right into my lungs, even if I sleep sitting up. I've been fighting for the last couple days trying to prevent it because frankly, I HATE bronchitis! You can't breathe, you feel weak and sick; it put me in the hospital once as a teenager and that's not an experience I care to repeat.

I'm drinking lots of hot tea and coffee, trying to keep active, and taking my vitamins. I really hope this passes soon! I have a lot of work waiting for me...

Bunny update!

Thought you'd be interested in how my cat, Buster Bunny, is doing. You may recall that he had surgery about two weeks ago to remove string from his intestine, and lost about eight inches of bowel. The vet was not terribly hopeful but against all odds, the little guy survived and is home, being pretty much back to his old, holy terror self. The biggest change is that he is MUCH more snuggly - for example, I woke this morning to find him curled up against my tummy, his head buried right up against my belly button, sound asleep.

You know, that really good deep-coma sleep.

But I knew he was really better when he started playing 'sneak attack' again. Here he is, getting ready to pounce on me from behind my desk. You can't see the butt wiggling in this shot, but trust me, it's there.

Do you believe in miracles?

Because I do, now... and we have had one. After I wrote the last post, late New Year's eve, the vet called with the most amazing news; the fever was fading, little Bunny kitty had started eating, and maybe, just maybe he might be pulling through.

Two days later, he's home now. Very weak, and the staples are, um, a challenge... but he's here and he's healing, slowly. I go in every two hours and try to feed him, sit with him, rub his ears, and think about how unimportant THINGS are when we compare them with the people (and cats) that we love. Goes without saying that the bill is huge-mongous... but I can sell a lot of things to raise cash. My fella started taking in our DVD collection to the local store and turning it into cash, and I'm hunting up a buyer for my car.

None of it matters. When I stare into those copper-penny eyes, I know I'm doing the right thing. God has blessed me with more time, and I intend to make use of every minute.

Here's where the story ends

... Buster Bunny isn't going to get better. The call from the vet this morning was not good. He's running a low fever and he still hasn't eaten. The vet tried to be kind, but I think we all know at this point that my sunny little buddy won't be here for the New Year. The doctor will be calling later tonight and I already know what I have to say.

I can't stop crying.

My eyes close and I see his sweet smiling face... and then I start regretting things, time I wasted, things I could have said or done differently. None of us knows when the end will come, but I sure never expected my little bunnykitty to die like this.

If he was human, and not a kitty, I know what he would say to me now. Let me go. No pain, please, just a peaceful drift into sleep in your arms. And he would also say, remember how I lived - every day just packed (as Calvin would say) and never letting up for an instant. He ran and played until he would collapse, sleep right on the floor where he lay with his fuzzy white tummy turned up and his legs stretched out every which way, then when he woke up he'd get up and start running again. I will try to recount some of the happy Buster Bunny stories during this week for you, so you can all get to know him the way I was blessed to. And for him, I'm going to try to live life to it's fullest, never slowing down, and never taking the easy way out - enjoying each and every moment like he did, right up until the end. That little cat has blessed my life and taught me so much about never taking things for granted, and I wish he could understand how much he meant to me. But I do know that he knows I love him, and I hope to be holding or stroking his little body tomorrow so that he has no fear, only happiness, when his story ends.

Yeah, I'm crying again. I leave you with the song we've been playing all day today.

"
crazy I know, places I go
make me feel so tired
I can see how people look down
I'm on the outside
oh here's where the story ends
ooh here's where the story ends

it's that little souvenir of a terrible year
which makes my eyes feel sore
oh I never should have said, the books that you read
were all I loved you for
it's that little souvenir of a terrible year
which makes me wonder why
and it's the memories of your shed that make me turn red
surprise, surprise, surprise"

Credit: here's where the story ends
Artist(Band):Sundays

Little guy is coming home today for a bit

Well all that good energy must be working because the doctor called today and said he wants me to bring him home for a day to see how it goes. He still hasn't eaten, BUT that might be because of the atmosphere at the vets - all those strange smells! - he is otherwise looking good. So I'm going to go pick him up today at 3pm and bring him home for snuggling and watching like a hawk. Hopefully he'll eat and I can tell the doctor that tomorrow, otherwise back my bunny will go for more testing.

Fingers crossed!

EDIT: He just arrived. He's still sluggish, but hopefully he'll perk up - he's asleep in 'his' laundry basket.

Stomach churning, eyes burning

Sometimes life can be really difficult, you know? My life has this horrible tradition; something awful almost always happens to me the day after Christmas. Three years ago my grandma died; last year my fella had kidney stones - and without medical insurance, thats a bill we still haven't been able to pay off.

This year my kitty cat Buster, out of the clear blue sky, started vomiting up blood. My world just turned upside down... I know, he's not a person, but he's people to ME. I don't have children, and this little guy is only three years old. Suddenly he's sick, my fella has the car so I can't get him to the vet, and we're out of cash from the holidays. My stomach literally felt like it was made out of acid. His little eyes wanted me to make it better and I couldn't.

I called the vet and they said to give him some Pepcid AC (1/4 of a 10mg tablet) to help with th tummy til I could get him in, and yesterday morning we headed into the vet. I'll figure out where to find the money later - the vet knows our situation so I'm hoping he lets me make payments.

Anyway after two sleepless nights and so many tears, the vet told me that our little guy is improving. He hasn't eaten yet (they have him on an IV) but he's more alert. The vet let me in today for a bit to see him and he purred and seemed more comfortable - the office folks said he hadn't vomited since he got there which was a real relief. His bloodwork came back good, and the X ray was clear so now either he ate something that was toxic (though what I don't know) or he has something soft in his intestines thats blocking. Could be string, ribbon, who knows... if so then he'll have to have kitty surgery to clear the blockage. I guess a car for me can wait a while longer, I can walk to the store if need be so my little Buster Bunny can come home safe and sound.

Anyway now I'm starting to relax and have some hope that he's going to be with us for years to come. If you think about it, send some good karma his way so we can get him home sooner (and maybe without expensive surgery for mom here).

Here's a picture of him from when he was younger: