Health

OUR FINAL PORTRAIT SELFIE

Sunday Selfies: Week #483

This week Sawyer is your host for Sunday Selfies. It is the final photo in our 2023 portrait series.

 

Portrait selfie: A green-eyed, grey tabby cat portrait.

 

Every one of the Kitties Blue had a killer portrait, but in all honesty, Sawyer’s is my favorite. I love this little guy so much, especially as we were so fortunate to get him back after his three-and-a-half week, unauthorized walkabout. He does, however, challenge my patience. He has been eating very poorly for several days—turning his nose up at whatever we present to him. We know a seizure is imminent, and it hurts my heart whenever Sawyer has to go through one. He’d appreciate some prayers and encouragement.

Next Saturday is Sawyer’s sixth gotcha day, so he’ll be back then and hopes you will come celebrate with him.

Please Hop With Sawyer

Sawyer and I are both hoping you’ll join him today. All your other friends will be here looking for you as well. Get those selfies posed, snapped and posted early. Then you will have the entire day to take your easy with your humans and maybe a nice, sunpuddle nap as well.

Thanks for joining us today. We truly appreciate your friendship and support.



C.J.’S VET VISIT & A POEM OF LOVE

Thankful Thursday

Each Thursday, the kitties and I like to share things for which we are thankful. Voicing gratitude is important in order to keep a positive outlook on life.

This week I am thankful that our wonderful vet, Dr. Neel, recommended Dr. McBane as her replacement. Calista Jo and I had an appointment with her yesterday. She is thorough, friendly and kind, and I really like her. Unfortunately C.J. was not pleased with being in the PTU or traveling in the car. I was nearly deaf from all the meyowling and caterwauling there and back.

She was mostly well behaved while we were in the exam room, as she did a lot of self-soothing purring.

Calista Jo may have eosinophilic granuloma. She received an antibiotic injection and will be on steroids for the next three weeks.

I got several photos of her while she was quiet. Unfortunately, I cut the tips of her ears off in the best one.

 

C.J. vet visit: Large dilute tortoise shell cat lying on a pick towel.

 

I also am thankful Dad Tom and I were able to attend two concerts this past week. The first featured Cote Deonath, The Ultimate Elvis, which Periwinkle & Stinky shared with you on their adventure. If you missed that, click on the link in the previous sentence. We also attended a wonderful concert by Graham Nash.

As always, Kitties Blue and I appreciate your friendship, support and comments.

Angel Brian hosts the Thankful Thursday blog hop. If you would like to participate in the hop, post on your blog for what you are thankful and then click on the badge below to link up over at Brian’s Home.

 

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Each week our dear friends, Teddy and Angel Sammy, (Two Spoiled Cats) share an inspiration photo with the hope that some of their followers will write a poem about it. This week’s photo is totally precious. It looks so much like our Cooper Murphy and Lisbeth; though, we would never find the two of them in a such an embrace.

 

An orange tabby cat and a tuxedo cat embracing with the tuxie cat bathing the tabby.

 

Love’s Embrace

Love is not partial to any gender
or species. It is universal and meant
to be shared. A smile, warm hug, kind word—
each has its place and time; is
appreciated and reciprocated if the
heart is pure, the intention true.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 11/15/2023

This poem is definitely unfinished, but I have been unable to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. If I can complete it, I will share it again in a future post.

Each week Angel Sammy transmits his poem from the Rainbow Bridge to Teddy for publication. He is a masterful poet, and his weekly creation is always worth reading. Pop on over to Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, to check out Sammy’s poem and get the photo for next week’s challenge.

Thanks for joining us today. The kitties and I will be back tomorrow with some Fill-ins.

 

MISTY MAY’S VET RECHECK

Slightly Wordy Wednesday

Mom took me back to see Dr. McBain yesterday. She wanted her to reevaluate my eye ulcer.

 

cat vet recheck: tuxedo cat lying on a paw print mat in the vet's office.

 

Like Mom, Dr. McBain was pleased to see how much better my eye looks. She did a stain on it looking for any injuries, which she couldn’t do last time, as the ulcer was so large. She didn’t see anything. My eye still has a discharge, which means the ulcer has not sealed over yet. So, I am on another 10 days of antibiotic drops. I only need to get them twice per day, so neither Mom nor I have to get up in the middle of the night.

Now Sawyer needs to cooperate. After just one week since his last one, he had a seizure in middle of the night last night. Mom was up with him for two hours. So, she’s still over tired.

So that is my report for today. Thanks for checking in with us.

Purrs and paw-pats, Misty May

Though she was slightly wordy today, Misty May will be joining the Wordless Wednesday blog hop hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus. You can do the same by clicking on the WW badge.

 

Also, due to wordiness, we are skipping our Looking Back post today. We’ll have one for you next week.

 

LASER BEAMS & TOE BEANS

Awww Mondays

I shared a similar photo a few weeks ago for Awww Mondays. In that one, however, Astrid is awake and Cooper Murphy is asleep. That post was on August 14, and entitled, “Smoochable Toe Beans & a Spark.”

 

Photo of a ginger tabby cat with laser beam eyes and a tortoise shell cat showing off her toe beans while napping.

 

Cooper Murphy and Astrid will be popping over to Comedy Plus to join the Awww Mondays blog hop. If you would like to participate, click on the badge below.

Sparks

I was thinking about Misty May when I went looking for a Spark about perseverance. She just keeps plugging along in spite of being deaf for several years, having hyperthyroidism, weighing three-and-a-half pounds, being one week from her nineteenth birthday and now dealing with the eye ulcer. (She has an appointment with the vet on Tuesday to be reevaluated.) I don’t think I could be as strong as she is. I am amazed at her resiliency and grit.

The Spark may not truly pertain to Misty May, but when I found it, it spoke to me.

 

A quote from Travis Bradberry on a beige and red background with pearls and roses: "Grit is that 'extra something' that separates the most successful people from the rest. It's the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become reality."

 

The author of today’s Spark is Dr. Travis Bradberry. He is a recognized world leader in the field of emotional intelligence and co-author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0. You can find out more about him at https://www.speakersassociates.com/speaker/travis-bradberry/.

Sparks is the creation of Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. Sparks began as a blog hop, created by our friend. Annie stated when she began Sparks, “I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world.”

The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky

It’s time again for our two fun-loving tabbies, Periwinkle & Stinky, to take-off on another adventure. It’s Periwinkle’s turn to plan what they will be doing. That means, you’ll need to stop in at her blog, Friends Furever, to join in their fun. I know the kitties will be looking for you, so don’t forget to pop on over tomorrow.

Thanks for joining us today.

 

WEDDING DAY BLUES SANS FELINES

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

If it is Thursday, I am going to be writing poetry based on an inspiration photo provided by Angel Sammy and Teddy from Two Spoiled Cats. Here’s this week’s photo.

 

Wedding Day Blues Felines: Bride looking under the hood of a vintage car while groom sits on sidelines.

 

I really wanted to load up this car with some of Kitties Blue staring out the windows! Unfortunately coming up with a poem to match that scenario proved exceedingly difficult. So here’s my poem sans felines.

Wedding Day Blues

The ceremony was magical.
The reception beautiful and perfect.
Now we are left in this predicament−
stranded on the side of the road.
Renting this fancy, vintage auto
was my groom’s lame-brained idea.
He knows nothing about cars and sits
miserably moping and mumbling, no help
at all. My high school auto mechanics class
helped me identify the problem, but I have
no tools to make the repair. Cell phone
service is non-existent. Our only hope
is another car passing along this
deserted stretch of road. I’m not holding
my breath. So much for the honeymoon.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 08/30/2023

If you’d like to join in the fun of writing poetry, click on Angel Sammy’s poetry badge. That will take you over to Two Spoiled Cats where you can find next week’s inspiration photo. You’ll also be able to check out Angel Sammy’s poem for this week. He always writes a great one!

Thankful Thursday

Kitties Blue and I like to share our thankfuls each week and participate in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. Here’s our thankfuls for this week.

To me it appears that after eight days of treatment, the cyst in Misty May’s eye has shrunk some. Dad Tom and I are very thankful for this. I will be calling the vet tomorrow to see if we can get another week’s worth of serum to treat it in the hopes it will shrink even more.

We are always thankful that we live in an area that is rarely effected by devastating storms and other natural disasters. We are praying for everyone in Lahaina, where fires are burning again, and all those who were and continue to be in the path of hurricane Idalia.

Kitties Blue and I are always thankful to everyone who follows, visits and comments on our posts. We are grateful for your friendship and support.

If you’d like to participate in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop, post on your blog the things for which you are thankful, then click on the badge below to go to Brian’s Home and link up.


 

A REPORT FROM MISTY MAY

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day badgeI honestly didn’t take Stinky and Periwinkle seriously when they posted yesterday that I’d be going to the vet on Take Your Cat to the Vet Day. But, they were right, and I am not too pleased about it. I caterwauled all the way there and most of the way home. Of course, I was the purrfect angel while there. This does, however, show my displeasure at being kept waiting to see Dr. McBane. I have always been impatient, but I have grown worse with my advanced age.

 

: Tuxedo Cat with an eye ulcer sitting on the exam table at the vet.

 

The vet tech, Monet, was very nice. She said that I am older than she is, which made Mom laugh. She also weighed me, and Mom and I were both pleased that I weigh about three-and-a-half pounds, which is more than we thought.

My Eye Problem

If you look closely at the corner of my left eye, you will see an ulcer. On Monday, it was just a little blister, which is when Mom made the appointment for me to see Dr. McBane. By yesterday morning it had grown so big that I could no longer totally close my eye.

Dr. McBane told us that I have an ulcer on my cornea. This is not a good thing. If I was younger, I would go to a veterinary ophthalmologist and have surgery. But both Mom and Dr. McBane agree that is not a very good idea at my age. So I am getting two different drops in my eye. One I get every four hours and the other every six hours. I also am supposed to be getting a liquid antibiotic, but it is on backorder from the manufacturer, and none of the pharmacies in town have it. We hope to get an alternate prescription from Dr. McBane today.

Dr. McBane could not give us a prognosis at this time, but I will no longer have vision in my left eye. I’ve been deaf for a few years, and that hasn’t bothered me, so I know I will adapt to this as well.

Otherwise, I am doing quite well. Mom and Dad feed me whenever I ask, and I continue to enjoy sunpuddles on the catio.

Prayers & POTP Please

I could use a little help, however, from all my friends. Mom and Dad and I would really appreciate it if you could send some prayers and POTP my way. We have no idea what the outcome of my treatment will be, but I promise to keep you all informed.

Finally, this is what I thought of the whole experience.

 

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day: Tuxedo cat sitting on the exam table at the vet with her back to the camera.

 

Purrs and paw-pats, Misty May

Wordless Wednesday

Though, Misty may has been quite wordy today, I told her it would be okay to participate in the Wordless Wednesday blog hop at Comedy Plus. You can join her there by clicking on the WW badge.

 

SAWYER’S PRE-SEIZURE SELFIE

Sunday Selfies: Week #462

If you visited us yesterday, you were expecting to see Lisbeth here today. But Mom said that I could be your host in recompense for last night. You see, I had a seizure.

 

GREY MANX TABBY CAT STANDING ON A COUNTER LOOKING AWAY FROM THE CAMERA.

 

Usually I will sleep for 40 minutes to hour afterward. That is called the postictal phase. Last night I never transitioned into that phase, but refused to be held any longer,  So, Mom let me leave her lap, and then I had another tiny episode a bit later. Then I did move into the next phase. I just had my bedtime meds as Mom writes this for me. So, hopefully, by the time you read this I will be totally okay.

Mom had another reason, as well, for having me do the selfie today. Tomorrow, Monday, June 26, marks the two year anniversary of the start of my unauthorized three-and-a-half-week walkabout. Yikes, time sure does fly by! I have never tried another escape and am pretty certain I won’t in the future.

Anyhoo, please excuse my less than terrific ability to take a selfie. I do seem to be missing my right front foot.

Time to Hop

I hope you are not too disappointed that I am your host instead of Lisbeth. I really am looking forward to you joining me by sharing a selfie. As you know, you don’t even need to post today to join. And if you cannot participate today, our hop remains open through Thursday.

Once you’ve got your selfie taken and linked up with us, you’ll be able to have a nice, easy Sunday, preferably by napping in a sunpuddle. I plan to spend the day on the catio, as the rain has stopped for now.

Thank you so much for hopping with us, supporting and following us and especially for being our good friends.

Purrs & paw-pats, Sawyer (with whisker kisses for Noelle)

 



CAPRICIOUS CAT CAPERS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

It’s Thursday again, and time to write some poetry. I have another silly cat-centric poem!

 

Houseboats lined up along a canal shoreline with people walking by on a path and cats lounging on some of the boats.

 

Capricious Cat Capers

This is fun. We can scamper from boat to boat,
Just as long as the owner doesn’t decide to float
Down the canal and away from shore,
As the prospect of falling in the water we abhor.
And if we stray too far from our abode,
We will miss our litter box commode,
As well as regular meals and chin scritches
And the fresh fishes Mom puts in our dishes.
So, if we hear a boat motor begin to roar,
We know that it is time for us to scurry ashore.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 06/07/2023

As evidenced from our poem, a few of the Kitties Blue can be found in the photo. I challenge those of you who visit today to let us know how many of the Kitties Blue gang are included and which ones.

If you’d like to participate in the weekly poetry challenge, check out Two Spoiled Cats by clicking on the poetry badge. You’ll find next week’s inspiration photo along with Angel Sammy’s poem. He is a skilled wordsmith, and his poems are always excellent.

poetry badge

Thankful Thursday

As you know, we like to share our thankfuls on Thursdays as well.

I got lucky this week and earned three badges on the Two Spoiled Cats’ Tuesday Teaser. What makes that even cooler than usual is that I earned two last week for providing the Teaser photo and stumping all the Teaser guessers. This week I was one of three First Commenters as well as the first Right Guesser. Wow…I’m sure on a roll. Here are my cool badges. I think they are totally adorable.

 

First Commenter badge with a tabby cat wearing a pink shower cap.First right guesser badge with a black pug wearing glasses and a grey tweed sweater.
Badge with two meerkats with one hugging the other.

 

I am thankful that I have finally completed the marker for Giulietta’s burial site. It just needs to have the bottle, that I use to put it on the stake, added to the back. Once it is in place, I will share a photo.

A few days ago I noticed Sawyer was having some symptoms that are precursors to a seizure. I was able to wrap him up in a towel and keep him as calm as possible, preventing a full-blown seizure. Sawyer is delighted with eating kitten food, so continues to get his meds more regularly.

Those are this week’s thankfuls. Kitties Blue and I hope you had a week filled with things for which you are grateful.

We are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. If you’d like to do the same, click on his badge.

Thanks for visiting us today.

 

THE ADVENTURES OF PERIWINKLE & STINKY: PART CLXXXIV

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by any brand, manufacturer
or supplier. It is meant for informational purposes only. Neither Stinky, Periwinkle, Kitties Blue nor The Cat on My Head personally endorse
or recommend any products mentioned here.

Periwinkle’s Arrival

Stinky is fairly certain that even though today’s adventure is going to be very helpful for pet owners, it may not be that much fun for Periwinkle and him. Nonetheless, they will get to spend the day together, which is always enjoyable. As Stinky waits for Periwinkle, he is thinking about all the supplies they will need for today. He is caught off guard when the teleportation begins to shake, but he’s ready when Periwinkle comes whooshing out.

The two tabbies spend several minutes paw hugging and whisker kissing before Periwinkle asks the inevitable question: “So what’s on the agenda today, Stinky?”

National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

“Something that may not be much fun, but I think important to share with our readers,” Stinky replies. Periwinkle gives him a quizzical look before he can explain. Stinky quickly continues, “April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. It’s the American Red Cross’s way of drawing attention to the need for pet owners to know specialized pet first aid.”

“Okay, so what is the plan with regard to pet first aid?” asks Periwinkle.

“Well I thought we could let our friends’ humans know what to put in their cat-specific first aid kit.“

“Stinky, you are right, that doesn’t sound like much fun, but it is important. And, even though, our fursibs and most of our friends are inside cats, it doesn’t mean they’ll never get hurt or sick.”

“Very true, Periwinkle. You know my big brother, Angel Mau, was bitten by a neighbor cat in 2017. He was an inside/outside cat, but it is still possible to get bitten or scratched by one of your fursibs. Here’s a couple of photos to show how serious injuries like this can be.

 

Black cat with bites on back.

Tuxedo Cat with white bandage around torso.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“My mom and dad cleaned him up really well and put antiseptic on the wound before bandaging it up.”

Pre-Made First Aid Kits

“Lots of retailers like Chewy, Amazon, Walmart and even Etsy have first aid kits for pets, but I think we should let our readers know what kind of things to include if they want to make one for their cat,” Stinky tells Periwinkle.

“That’s a good idea, Stinky, but, most importantly, we need to remind pet parents that a first aid kit is for just that…first aid. Humans always need to take their pet to the vet if they are sick or injured. And that may mean the emergency vet if it is after hours or on a weekend.”

“That’s right, Periwinkle. Though my mom and dad gave first aid to Mau, they took him to the vet the first thing the following morning.”

Cat First Aid Guides

“Most kits will include a first aid guide, but if not or if pet parents want to create their own kit, I found some guides at Amazon,” Stinky tells Periwinkle.

Here are three:

😺 The Cat First Aid book by the American Red Cross, includes the symptoms and care for more than 60 feline health conditions.
It also includes instructions for putting together a pet first aid kit as well as how to administer medications and recognize what constitutes an emergency.

😺 First Aid for Cats: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet by Stefanie Schwartz, DVM

😺 The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats by Amy Shojai. (My mom knows her. She is the founder of the Cat Writers’ Association and an award winning author who has written 35-plus pet care books.)

Assembling Your Own First Aid Kit

“Stinky, what should our humans include in their cat first aid kit?”

“Here’s a list of suggestions for a cat first aid kit, Periwinkle. These are based on what I found included in some pre-made kits as well as the Red Cross site and the Pet Poison Helpline.

∗ alcohol wipes/prep pads
∗ antiseptic wipes, lotion or spray
∗ latex-free, disposable gloves
∗ sterile saline
∗ cotton balls or swabs
∗ styptic powder or pencil
∗ iodine prep pads
∗ sting relief pads
∗ adhesive tape
∗ sterile, non-stick gauze pads in multiple sizes and gauze rolls
∗ 5 x 9 inch sterile trauma pad
∗ two-inch elastic bandage
∗ instant cold packs
∗ thermal foil emergency blanket
∗ blunt-tip scissors
∗ tweezers
∗ tongue depressor
∗ bottle opener
∗ flexible rectal thermometer with petroleum jelly or other pet-safe lubricant
∗ eyewash
∗ ear-cleaning solution

Additional Important Information

I addition, if purchasing a first aid kit that is not cat specific, items may be included that should not be used for cats, such as hydrogen peroxide.

It is also a good idea to have the phone numbers of your veterinarian, the local 24-hour emergency vet and the ASPCA Poison Control  Center inside the kit.

“Wow, Stinky, you really did your research. I hope our readers will save this post so they can make their own Cat First Aid Kit if they don’t already have one.”

“Thanks, Periwinkle. Maybe, if our readers have any other items they think should be in the kit, they can let us know in the comments.”

“That’s a great idea.”

Visiting Mau & Allie’s Garden

“Stinky, what would you think about going outside in the fresh air and enjoying a snack?” asks Periwinkle.

“That also is a great idea. Since Mau was a part of our post, let’s visit him,” Stinky suggests.

 

First Aid: Cat Three purple tulips and a garden stone with the words: Mauricio and Allie's Garden Forever Loved & In Our Hearts.

 

“I always love visiting this beautiful place, Stinky. It’s so peaceful!”

“I agree, Periwinkle. Let’s have our picnic here.”

 

Cat First Aid: Cartoon tabbies sitting on a bench with a pineapple motif along with jars of treats and with a red plaid picnic blanket on the ground.

 

“Stinky, this is a wonderful end to our day. I know the information we provided our readers today was super important, but relaxing with you outside in the sunshine is my definition of a purrfect day.”

“I totally agree, Periwinkle!”

After their snack and a little nap, Stinky and Periwinkle spend time whisker kissing and paw hugging. Then it’s time for Periwinkle to return home, and Stinky accompanies her the the teleportation tunnel. With final waves and blown kisses, Periwinkle enters the tunnel and is gone in a whoosh. Stinky heads to the catio to spend time with his fursibs.

The End

 

Periwinkle and Stinky will be joining the Happy Tuesday blog hop at Comedy Plus. You can do the same by clicking the badge below.

 

CATIO CAT TREE SUNPUDDLE WITH RALEIGH

Feline Friday

 

Pale ginger, tabby kitten napping non a cat tree in a sunpuddle on the catio.

 

Raleigh is the fan of the top of the cat tree, whether in the bedroom or on the catio. (Lisbeth has dibs on the top perch of the dining room cat tree.) It’s even better when the tree is in a sunpuddle.

Raleigh will be participating in the Feline Friday blog hop at messymimi’s meanderings. To participate click on the Feline Friday badge.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Time again to let you know a bit more about Kitties Blue and myself by completing the weekly fill-ins. Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Lorianne (Four-Legged Furballs) host the Friendly Fill-Ins blog hop. On Thursday they each select two sentences to be filled in by hop participants, and you can find those on both blogs. Enter the hop by clicking on the graphic.

Not only did Sawyer help me with the fill-ins this week, but he is also the subject of one.

We both used teal italics for our fill-ins. Any explanatory information is in parenthesis.

1. Getting Cooper Murphy to stay out of the kittens’ food is like nailing jello to a wall.

2. Sawyer: I could use a break from having seizures. (I actually had one while Mom was writing this. Pffft! At least I made it a bit longer this time…10 days since my last one.)

3. I’d like to thank my friend, Etna, for going on a walk today with me and Kizmet in the stroller.

4. Just in case Sawyer decides to take another unauthorized walkabout, I had Dad Tom put a tracking device on his collar. (It has actually come in handy when we cannot find him in the house.)

Thanks for joining us today. We’ll be back tomorrow with some Caturday Art.