Sweetpea Update

UPDATE Fri July 1 - We got a second opinion on Sweetpea and I am so glad we did.

Dr Ann is a bit of a drive but well worth it.  We took a half hour just to go over all the tests and paperwork form the other vet - trying to make sense of it all.  Dr Ann had me leave Sweetpea with her for the rest of the day so she could run a few more tests of her own.

Turns out Sweetpea is NOT diabetic but she does have elevated liver values and a mild UTI.. Sweetpea is on Clavamox for the UTI.  The thyroid meds or the not eating could cause the high liver numbers so for the next week we will make sure Sweetpea eats (she ate on her own tonight) and NOT give the thyroid meds.  We have appetite stimulants to give Sweetpea and Dr Ann did some acupuncture to stimulate her appetite too and to tone the liver.

We will take Sweetpea back to Dr Ann next week to get more blood work and see if the numbers are different.  At this point with all the crazy stuff going on from the old vet, I am sure she must wonder if she is hyperthyroid after all.

The old vet was one I had been seeing for years for many of the other cats and did not have any problems except some issues with Georgie.  At this point, I am not going back there for sure.  Dr Ann is worth the drive and I will be going to her from now on!  I like her blend of holistic and conventional vet care. Thanks for all the comments, suggestions and support.  I have been a wreck this week!

Purrs for Sweetpea

UPDATE Fri July 1 - We got a second opinion on Sweetpea and I am so glad we did.  Dr Ann is a bit of a drive but well worth it.  We took a half hour just to go over all the tests and paperwork form the other vet - trying to make sense of it all.  Dr Ann had me leave Sweetpea with her for the rest of the day so she could run a few more tests of her own. Turns out Sweetpea is NOT diabetic but she does have elevated liver values and a mild UTI.. Sweetpea is on Clavamox for the UTI.  The thyroid meds or the not eating could cause the high liver numbers so for the next week we will make sure Sweetpea eats (she ate on her own tonight) and NOT give the thyroid meds.  We will take Sweetpea back to Dr Ann next week to get more blood work and see if the numbers are different.  At this point with all the crazy stuff going on from the old vet, I am sure she must wonder if she is hyperthyroid after all.  The old vet was one I had been seeing for years for many of the other cats and did not have any problems except some issues with Georgie.  At this point, I am not going back there for sure.  Dr Ann is worth the drive and I will be going to her from now on!  Thanks for all the comments, suggestions and support.  I have been a wreck this week!


Sweetpea was taken to the vet yesterday to find out why her appetite was off.  They found out that she has diabetes.  Her thyroid levels were perfect so that was one good thing.

She will be at the vet all day today and perhaps tongiht so they can do a blood glucose curve and determine what amount of insulin to give her.

Sweetpea is stable.  She had a fever but that has come down.  She is not eating on her own so they are syringe feeding her.  We are all hopeful that this will go better than Georgie's diabetes diagnosis.  Groegie went right into ketoacidosis and that complicated things a great deal.

We are sad this is happening to Sweetpea as she is not one to take meds or shots well.  If it becomes too stressful for for her at 17, we will have to think of all our options.  Purrs are greatly appreciated for her. Mom is going to visit her this morning and will have an update later.

Thank you Ann of Zoolatry for this graphic.

Catching Up

It is me, Only, today. Sorry we have been AWOL since our last post in May.  The beans have been on the road, traveling - first time they have gone anywhere together in ten years. In May it was a short trip to Highlands, NC  to try out the pet sitter, then it was a wedding in VA near DC. A family thing.  And then Mom headed out to Charleston SC to visit a work friend who moved down there last year.

Pop dancing with the bride, his niece, in VA

 Another trip is coming up - to visit Mr. Kitty's humans.  His Dad B. would love it if we snuck him in the luggage but no can do. B had a liver transplant last year and now needs a kidney transplant.  Mom's oldest friend D. is giving her kidney to her husband B.  They have been thru more than most people can cope with over this past year.  That was why they could not keep Mr Kitty if you remember.  No pets allowed now after an organ transplant. The surgery is scheduled for July so Mom may go back up to help them out.

Cats always find Mom like this one did in Charleston.  He was the Inn cat.

The beans  found a great pet sitter and we like her.  She is nice and quiet and makes sure we all get our meds and lots of pets.  She grew up on a farm and has a dog and cat herself.  We will be in good hands but it may be the start of some traveling urges for the beans.  Uh oh.

Mr Kitty zonked out on  the porch.

Nothing new with us cats.  Mr. Kitty is doing fine on his thyroid meds and so is Sweetpea finally.  Snowball is holding his own with his megacolon - no issues so far.  It has been very hot lately so we are enjoying the AC in the house and the cat house cats all have fans.  Their inside room is cool like a basement on account of being built into the hillside.  Mr. Kitty juts loves to nap out on the porch in the heat - funny guy.

Mom turkey and poults - see how mom is holding her leg up?

We have a mom turkey with a bum leg who has been visiting our bird feeder.  The beans will make sure she has food and water while they are away.  The turkey had six babies but only two are left.  They are getting big, can fly a little and are starting to look like turkeys and not just fluff balls.

Mrs Raccoon

A cute raccoon has been stopping by to feed too.  Mom seems to think she may have little ones in the woods but so far no sign of them.  No bear sightings but one did bend our bird feeder pole down to the ground.  We told the pet sitter to watch out.  She will not put food out at night.

That is it for us.  After the next trip, the humans should be home for the summer and hopefully will get to blogging again.  (Unless Mom has to go back to help out Mr. Kitty's folks.) Mom does post on Facebook and on Instagram so look for us there. We miss our blog buddies and hope y'all are doing good.  With luck we will visit you all in about a week. 

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Gotcha Day to Angel Yoko

Sweetpea

 Happy Mother's Day to all mother beings on this planet.  
It is me Sweetpea hosting the blog on this special day.

Today would have been Angel Yoko's 23rd Gotcha Day.  She was Pop's Mother's Day gift to Mom way back in 1993.  They had gone to local shelter in Florida where they lived at the time to get a puppy, thinking Angel Chica would like a companion. Ha!

Amazingly there were no puppies to be had so Pop started looking at the kittens.  A shelter worker was cleaning cages and pulled Yoko out to have Pop hold while she moved the mom cat and her other kittens to a clean cage.  That was it - Pop fell head over heels for Yoko.  Mom had her eye on a black and white kitty but Pop could not be swayed.

So Mom's gift ended up being one for Pop instead.  Yoko and Pop were inseparable.  She slept on his chest like a fur tie when he was watching TV.  He could do no wrong in Yoko's eyes.  With Mom she would hiss, and growl if Mom tried to move her or give her any meds.  Pop could do it, no problem.  It was OK tho, Mom had Angel Chica for her best buddy and now Pop had Yoko.

The four of them lived in Florida peacefully until 1998 when they moved to North Carolina.  Things changed big time then.  Mom started TNRing the feral colony behind their farm house and  one by one brought us all in, much to Chica and Yoko's dismay! I was the first lucky one to be taken indoors. As time went on, the older two cats adjusted to all the incoming new kitties.  Yoko was really happy she was lost in the crowd since Chica did not pick on her so much anymore.

Both Chica and Yoko went to the Bridge in 2013, nine months apart.  We all miss them both so much. Mother's Day will always be a day to remember our sweet Yoko.  Mom thought of her as our Buddha cat - she did everything from eating to grooming in a very slow methodical thoughtful way, like a meditation. With that last image in mind, let's end this post with a quote from Buddha about love, mothers and all beings.

It's Mr. KItty's First Gotcha Day!

Me last April.

A year ago today, Pop Don arrived home in NC with me in the car all the way from MA.  I had never taken such a long trip before and at my age too.   It has been quite a year.

On the porch where I saw the bear.

I miss my first Mom and Dad and human brothers but  things are OK here.  I had to adjust to a lot of things.  I lived in a big house with only one other kitty - my sister Squeaks who was supposed to come with me but she went to the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly before the trip to our new home.  Now I live with lots of other cats in a smaller house.  I tolerate the cats - everyone is really OK to me but I am just not used to so many.  Anyway I prefer people and when anyone comes to visit, I am the first one to greet them.

A rare moment when I am on Mom Cheri's lap

I was able to go outdoors at my old home but this is a wild and woolly place in the mountains so I stay inside.  In my first few weeks, I saw a bear.  Thankfully I was on the screen porch.  I still growled and hissed at him.  He ran away and kept looking back at me.  I showed him!

Helping Pop Don with his snack

I love Pop Don and spend all my time on his lap or sitting next to him.  Mom Cheri is nice too but I am used to guys more.  I am a man's cat mancat!

Me and Callie waiting for nibbles

I ate dry food before but Mom Cheri doesn't feed dry food on account of the male cats getting UTI's so wet food it is.  So I have lost a little weight.  I had some dental work too and even had surgery to remove a benign thyroid tumor on my neck.  It had grown too big and made me uncomfortable.  Turns out I have hyperthyroid so I take pills for that.  I love to eat so pill pockets work great.

With my scar after surgery

Mom Cheri texts and emails photos of me every week to my first humans.  They miss me so much but they cannot have pets due to Dad having an organ transplant and being on immune suppression drugs.  He may have another organ transplant this year.  It has been rough for them but they are happy I made this transition and that I am doing well here.  They know and I know I am very loved in this new home.

I am thrilled to have met all of you and get a kick out of having my photos on the Internets!  I am kind of a star now, I guess.  That's cool.  Thanks for coming by to wish me a Happy Gotcha Day.  Please help yourself to some tunatinis, ham treats and catnip cream cheese cupcakes!  

P.S. Mom Cheri is on Instagram more these days and posts 

daily with pics of us cats and of our mountains.  Check us out @wildcatwoods