Other People’s Abys – When the sun shone, the poison flower breathed cold

Deborah Feltham, of Glendoveer Abyssinians, shared this story on one of the Aby lists, reminding us of the dangers of plants in the house.

I had bought a very fancy Pointsetta that I was told is hybridized nowadays and no longer poisonous. I brought this rather costly ornamental plant and put it on my coffee table. Fortunately (I guess) I had to work most of Xmas and 2 days before I was already too tired to make it to my bedroom and fell asleep on the sofa. I woke to find Endora chewing on the plant. Thinking it was a safe plant, I made her leave it alone and fell back to sleep. I went to work that night and when I got home next morning I found Endora VERY sick. I watched her head roll to one side and she appeared to have rigors so I grabbed her (which seemed to rouse her some) and rushed her to the vet. By the time we got to the vet she was waking up but the vet felt she ‘may’ have had a seizure. She had a temp at that point and her heartrate was high. Inside her mouth her lips and gums were very red. We had a ton of bloodwork done and the vet called poison control (I had brought the plant with me to the vet).

The bloodwork showed that she was not experiencing any kidney issues, and poison control said that the plant IS irritating and likely caused the red gums, but because I got her in right away she would be okay. Long story short, Endora is now fine, the plant is adopted out to apetless home, and I will never, ever, have another. I have no idea what possessed me to bring this thing into my home anyway as it is not something I would normally do! Vet costs are incredibly high here and the bloodwork alone was $250, so you can only imagine how costly this plant was, never mind how much it ‘could’ have cost!!!

If someone tells you that the plants today are hybridized, PLEASE avoid them anyway!! While they may not kill your pet, they can definitely make them very sick Endora is going to be on antibiotics for a couple of weeks because of the irritation to her mouth and we are planning to repeat her bloodwork ‘just in case’ later on, but right now she is back to normal.

Remember, too, with spring coming up, that all members of the lily family are extremely poisonous. Some varieties, even the pollen can kill a cat – and this goes for cut flowers as well as potted, living plants. If you make any new year’s resolutions, keeping plants out of the house, for the sake of your cats, is a very good one to make.

Aby-a-Day – October 27: Yes, you can

I ordered Jacoby a good supply of prescription urinary tract diet canned food from Southern Agriculture. I chose them because they have a very wide selection of brands (Iams, Royal Canin, Purina and Hills) and they sell cans by the each, rather than by the case, so you can order as much or as little as you want. While Jake isn’t exactly what you’d call a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination, I didn’t want to buy too much of any one brand in case he didn’t like the flavour.

I swear, he could smell the food right through the box…and the cans!

He definitely seemed to know the box was for him.

He was very patient, waiting for me to open his box.

Not to mention, very interested in the contents. I think he’s making sure all the cans arrived safely.

Satisfied, he went to claim a good seat to help me unpack the box.

“Look at all this loot!”

“Little cans and big cans! It’s like Christmas!”

“These are mine.”

“Mine.”

“All of these cans are mine!”

“This box is mine, too. In case you were wondering.”

So far, he seems to like all the brands, but the Royal Canin appears to be his favourite. I wonder if this is because he ate it as a kitten, before he left his mother to come live with me?

Aby-a-Day – October 23: Going up, safely

One year ago today, Jacoby ran up an escalator and his toes got caught in the machinery. Thankfully, thankfully, Jake’s completely fine. Apart from a slightly deformed claw on his back foot, he bears no scars from his accident.

But he will never be allowed to run up an escalator again, that’s for sure!

Technically, strollers aren’t supposed to be taken on escalators, either, but the elevator was broken at this station.

Brief Discussion of Feline Diabetes – Guest Article by Jackie Clark

Feline diabetes can be a significant health problem for cats that develop it. The condition mirrors its counterpart in humans and manifests through many of the same symptoms. Individuals with a cat that has been diagnosed with the disease should follow a strict healthcare regimen that will likely be given to them by their local veterinarian.

The condition is most frequently found in cats that are eight years of age or older. The most obvious sign that something is wrong is a sudden change in weight and/or appetite. Likewise, cats that drink and urinate more than average may have the condition. The urine itself can be tested with simple glucose strips, which should indicate whether or not glucose is exiting the body. If the test is positive, then the animal has diabetes and a treatment plan will have to be developed.

Abyssinians, as with most other cats, can be treated in a number of different ways. The diet should be strictly regulated. The vet will usually recommend low-carbohydrate dry cat food, which should help to regulate the insulin levels that are so important with animals afflicted with diabetes. Veterinarians can sometimes help to mix up dietary formulas that are specifically designed for cats in serious condition. This allows the overall ingredient percentages to be carefully controlled, which should keep the worst diabetic symptoms at bay.

Pills and insulin injections are also available, and veterinarians can help with setting these up and training the owner on how to administer the injections. Injections have in fact been found to be more effective than pills in most situations. Though the cat may be less than pleased with the injections themselves, in most cases they will begin to become familiar with the process and will behave better as time goes by. These additional treatment options, when combined with a diet that is carefully monitored, may even send the disease into remission. It is certainly treatable, even in progressive cases.

Some conditions, like mesothelioma, may mimic diabetes in the symptoms that present themselves. Lethargy, inability to keep down food, and physical weakness could be due to any number of conditions, and this is where a vet comes in handy. Ultimately, if the pet cat is acting a bit odd and is simply not itself, then this is the time to schedule an appointment with a professional. Vets have whole batteries of innovative tests that they can run on animals, and one of these should offer up a diagnosis.

Feline diabetes is a serious illness that can nevertheless be treated if it is caught in time and treated proactively. Most cat’s will go on to live normal and happy lives with their owners.

Thanks to Jackie for this informative article!

Other People’s Abys: Ajani Tut’s 3-legged odyssey

I happened across this video today, and it is just too cute:

Via this random You Tube video (someone sent me a link to another kitten in a hamster ball this morning, though that I found this one), I discovered the Abayomi Abyssinian channel, and even more than you need to see the cuteness…you need to watch this video (slideshow, really). It tells the story of a little blue boy named Ajani Tut who lost his leg in a tragic accident. His name is Ajani, an African word meaning “he who wins struggles,” which definitely suits him…

Be sure to check out the link with the story of his recovery and trip to his new home in Edmonton, where he now lives with a little girl, another Aby, two other cats, and a big dog (who Ajani bullies mercilessly). It’s truly incredible how this kitty adapted to the loss of his leg. As his new owners put it: “He is still an Aby , with the Aby soul and all the unique character traits that we have come to love. Four legs or three does not change that!”

This cattery has another blue boy, Ruddicat Head Over Heels of Abayomi (Taiko), who is a relation of Abyfriend Katscan’s Louis and Rosie!

Do Lou’s Diabetes Blog

I was referring someone to one of my favourite websites, Retired Friends (I found both Tessie and Patrick through this site, Trick in 1997 and Tess in 2005), and I just couldn’t resist checking out the Abyssinians. I read about an available special needs kitty, a fawn Aby called Moses with bad knees, and I went to his breeder’s website, where I discovered a link to her blue Aby Do Lou’s Diabetes Blog. I always tell people it seems like Abys have more blogs than other cats, and look! Here’s another one. Do Lou, aka Red Ferne‘s Judah Ben-Hur, was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009, and seems to be doing well. He also dresses up!

But most of all, I was quite taken by this photo of Do Lou in a bomber jacket…doesn’t it remind you of Jacoby in his fighter plane?

I didn’t have any blue Abys in my blog roll yet…

Aby-a-Day – September 18: I am curious, yellow

This morning, I was woken up by Jacoby…digging in our comforter. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I grabbed him and put him in the litter box…and nothing happened. He assumed the stance for several minutes, and nothing came out. Then he tried the other box, and a couple of other non-box places (which he never does), so I knew something was up. It was too much like the last time he went from box to box but didn’t pee.

We may have had other plans this morning, but I don’t remember what they were anymore; we bundled him up and took him to Angell Memorial, which is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

I often say we’re lucky to live in Boston and have such a world-class pet medical facility right nearby. Not that anyone wants to have to go to the vet on a Sunday morning, but it’s nice to know that the option is available.

The good news was, he wasn’t blocked. He probably had a crystal flare-up in his urine, possibly because we tried to stop giving him his daily UT treats. He’s already on Clavamox, for his sniffles, which he started yesterday; to that, Dr. Baker added Buprenex, a pain reliever, and Prazosin, which reduces spasms in his urethra.

He also got a flat of Hill’s c/d seafood canned food, and the instruction for us to feed him more canned food and less dry food. I’m sure he’s really going to love that last prescription! He gets to eat it in his cat show cage, which I think he really enjoys, too.

Which just goes to show you, you never know what the day will bring when you have cats. Poor Jakey! He’s currently snoozing on the bed next to me…between not feeling well and all his medications, he’s been very cuddly this weekend.

Aby-a-Day – September 9: Dress for the job you want (Fashion Friday)

After Jacoby was so solicitious after my nerve surgery, I thought it would be kind of cute to get Jake a little surgeon’s outfit.

As you know, Jake is SUCH a camera-hogging poser; of course he loved it.

The little hat made his ears go sideways, though.

I know there are those who say it’s wrong to dress cats, but in Jake’s case I really cannot agree with that…

…you can see he’s miserable, can’t you?

Aby-a-Day – July 9: Toothy matters at the vet

Today was the annual expedition to the veterinarian. Everyone is basically healthy (Tessie has an overgrooming issue, Kylie has allergies…and Jacoby, well, Jake’s perfectly fine), and even though it sounds like a major job taking four cats to the vet at once, it’s really not that bad.

Angel won the “most medically needy” award today the moment Dr. Natalie opened her mouth. For one thing, she’s lost almost all of her little front teeth. She has only two left, one on the top and one on the bottom.

The bigger problem is she has at least two Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions.

They’re the really red spots on her gums. She’s already got an appointment set for next month to get those teeth extracted. Removing the teeth is really the only treatment; it’s not always connected with gingivitis or tartar build up. Angel has fairly clean teeth, but she has two FORLS, while Kylie had her teeth cleaned last year and we brush them daily, yet she still has gingivitis…but no FORLS.

Cats’ teeth are really frustrating to deal with. You can have two cats of the same breed, in the same house, eating the same food and drinking the same water and their dental health can be wildly different. My two Siamese, Harri and Patrick, are a perfect example: Patrick had most of his teeth removed starting from the time he was 5 or 6, while Harri didn’t need his teeth cleaned until he was 15. Angel’s only 4 and she’s already losing teeth…but, according to Dr. Natalie, this would probably be the case even if she did let us brush them. So I suppose that’s somewhat reassuring.

Aby-a-Day – May 5: Is it medicine time yet?

Dr. KC called this morning with the results of Jacoby’s urine test: he does have a slight bladder infection. He also had a small but significant amount of struvite crystals present, which puts him at risk for possibly developing stones in the future. But for now, he’s well on his way to recovery, and, if there is a bright side to Jacoby being sick, it is Pill Pockets.

Three little words: He. Loves. Them.

I mean, he really loves them!

The only difficult part about giving Jake his medicine is getting the pills into the treat pockets before he eats them right out of my hands!

But I have to say, it’s nice; he needs three pills in the morning and two in the evening, and he can’t wait to eat them up. Yum!

The sad thing is, we had planned to go to both Brookline Health and NewBridge on Sunday to visit the residents (especially on Mother’s Day, for the people who won’t have family visiting), but the vet’s said he should stay home until he’s done with his medication.

Aby-a-Day – May 4: Wordless Wednesday (Gimme my pill!)

Aby-a-Day – May 3: Today was brought to you by the letter “P”

When I woke up this morning, it seemed like a perfectly ordinary Tuesday.

Then Jacoby went to the bathroom and nothing happened.

(I took these photos to show the vet, not to post, but since I have them…) Poor Jake went from box to box, trying to pee in each one as though a change of venue might be more productive. Every time, only a few drops came out. He must have tried at least 10 times in less than an hour.

Being fairly well-read on the subject of feline healthcare (and having on hand both the most recent edition of the Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook and the Cornell Book of Cats as well as The Veterinarian’s Guide to Your Cat’s Symptoms because, for some reason, looking things up in books is so much more satisfying than Googling them at times like these), I knew that a cat trying to pee and not being able to – especially a boycat – is an emergency. It could be a blockage of the urethra (which is narrow in male cats), or Cystitis, or crystals or stones in the bladder, but whatever it is, it’s definitely not a “wait-and-see” situation. So, I bundled Jake up in his carrier and we went to see the vet.

We saw Dr. KC (who we saw when he had his escalator accident back in October), and she agreed that there was something going on, probably Cystitis since he was otherwise perky and eating well. She prescribed Clavamox (antibiotic), Tramadol (pain reliever) and Phenoxybenzamine (which reduces urethral spasms and increases urine outflow). However, I wasn’t to give him the Clavamox until I’d gotten his urine sample.

I’m sure you’re wondering (as was I), “how in the heck do you get a urine sample from a cat?” Why, with PlastiLitter, of course! You put the PlastiLitter into a small, empty litterbox and wait til the cat pees in there, then pour out the urine (which the plastic pebbles don’t absorb) and take it back to the vet. Easy peasy! Except, not really.

“Seriously? Seriously!?“

Jake went pee surprisingly quickly, almost as soon as I’d set up the little litterbox, and I got as much of it as I could and ran back to the vet…but it wasn’t enough. I had a doctor appointment of my own during lunch (ironically, involving a urine test), and then I had to get back to work, so I had to leave Jake alone in the bedroom with his little red cat show pan and his PlastiLitter and hope for the best.

You know you’re a cat mom when…all the time you’re at work you can’t wait to get home and see if your kitty has peed. It was the first thing I checked when I walked in the door, before even taking off my shoes or jacket. And…he had not. Not at all. I stirred up the PlastiLitter and showed it to him again, and pretty much begged him to “please go peepee.”

Finally, he went in and gave me a good-sized sample! Hurrah! I think he was as relieved as I was; I know he was thrilled to see the little show box go away and the regular big box returned to the litter cabinet.

So now he’s had his Clavamox, and tomorrow I’ll take his sample back to the vet to see what’s actually going on in there.

Ch. Pellburn Scarlett Reet Petite – April 14, 2009 – March 2, 2011

Sad, sad news…Jacoby’s sister Scarlett has Feline Leukemia.

I got this email last night: Sad news about their sister Scarlett though, she’s recently been diagnosed with Feline Leukemia! Noone else in the house has it. Other than the possibility of her getting out of the gate last November when the snow blower guy didn’t shut it properly, I have no clue as to how she could have caught this virus

Unfortunately, Scarlett is not doing so well now. She had gained some weight and was feeling alright, but she hasn’t been eating as much and just yesterday I sensed she was starting to have trouble jumping up to the places she liked to rest at. Today, she can’t even walk straight, she’s leaning to the right, swaying and bumping into things as she tries to walk. Getting into the litter box is even hard and I switched it to the kitten size with low sides. I’ve called the vet and I’ll bring her in tomorrow at 4:30 – time to join her daddy Scar

Jake using his sister Scarlett as a pillow when they were both around 4 weeks old…I’ve never met her, but I will miss her.

Aby-a-Day – January 10: Something’s a foot

Even though his accident was over two months ago, and his bandage has been off for weeks, sometimes Jacoby’s foot still bothers him.

I don’t see or feel anything on his foot or between his toes, but he obviously does.

Aby-a-Day – Day 327 of 365

One month ago today, Jacoby had his harrowing escalator emergency at Broadway T station.

Today he wishes to show off how well his foot has healed.

Aby-a-Day – Day 317 of 365

Good news! We went to the vet again today to have Jacoby’s foot checked…and he’s healed enough to not need to have it bandaged any more. Which is good, because he really wasn’t very good at keeping the bandage on his foot.

He will have a scar, and his one claw will probably need to be trimmed carefully to keep it from growing into the toe next to it…but, three weeks to the day that he got his foot caught in the escalator, he’s pretty much entirely recovered!

Aby-a-Day – Day 313 of 365

Jacoby has figured out how to take off his bandage. We came home Friday to find a bandageless boycat limping up to the door, and it took a bit of searching to find where he’d dropped his bandage and sock. We’ve rebandaged his foot twice so far since then. When he had it off the first time (for who knows how long), he started limping and he kept licking it, so I know it hurts and he definitely needs leave it on…but he still takes it off. I just hope it doesn’t get infected…and I hope he didn’t go into the litter box while it was off! I have no way of knowing how long he went without it. There are times I wish we had a webcam to keep tabs on him and the girls!

That’s the problem with Abys…they’re too darn smart! Once he figured out how to get it off, it’s become very difficult to get him to keep it on. He’s pretty efficient at pulling it off, too. We’re salvaging the “No-Chew” bandage we got from the vet (we’ve ordered more for our own Feline First Aid Kit), and after a run to CVS have plenty of materials for any kitty bandaging situation.

He didn’t, but it was pretty well chewed. I think the bad flavour on the No-Chew bandage has worn off.

I’d consider a Cone of Shame, but I honestly don’t think it’d help.

When we rebandaged his foot last night, we took off the old, ratty bandage and left it off for a while so it could get some air, and he had a field day licking his foot. It must itch when it’s on him, like a cast does on humans. He just could not lick his poor foot enough. It seems to be healing really well, though; he’ll have a scar, and possibly a crooked claw on that one toe…but we were really, really lucky.

In other good news, now that we’ve switched him from the liquid Clavamox to the pills, and thanks to Pill Pockets, he actually eats his medicine from my hand without a struggle! Just watch him nom…

He’s the first cat I’ve ever had that was this easy to medicate. It’s awesome.

Aby-a-Day – Day 306 of 365

Tomorrow Jacoby and I go back to the vet again to see how his foot is healing. If the cut still isn’t improving, he will need to have stitches, and more bandages. And, most likely, more Clavamox®. Jake’s getting really tired of the bandage and the sock on his foot, but I think he’s getting more fed up with the twice daily doses of the Clavamox drops. It’s been a week and a half, and it’s at the point where, when I say his name and head for the fridge, he hides. This morning, he sought refuge in a box I’m saving to pack things in for storage. He wasn’t terribly stealthy about getting into the box, although he thought he had been.

“Ha! I am hiding! Mom won’t ever find me here!”
Then, the camera shutter clicks (on iPhones, it’s a fairly loud, old-school shutter sound).

“Oh…hai.”

Aby-a-Day – Day 303 of 365

(Continued from yesterday’s post…)

It’s been a week since Jacoby’s accident. He’s still on antibiotics, but he seems to be adapting to his injury well. Today, he’s been attacking our reindeer skin rug, shoving my intricate box configuration around so that he can hide under the bed, and sleeping inside his fighter plane, so apart from the foot, he’s quite obviously fine. And that’s while trying to get him to rest!

In fact, he’s been such a little whirlwind of activity, it makes me a little nostalgic for his pain medication.

Aby-a-Day – Day 302 of 365

(Continued from yesterday’s post…)

Jacoby went back to the vet today to have his foot examined again. I was hoping his toe pad would be healed enough to forgo the bandage, but unfortunately, the cut is still open, and bled a little bit when Dr. KC cleaned the area.

I know Jake is getting fed up with his bandage, and his sock. But even with the dressing, he’s still walking too much for the wound to heal up. It’s the pressure he’s putting on it – which in a way is a good sign, because he’s obviously not feeling a lot of pain if he’s able to ignore the injury and walk around on it. He isn’t really even limping.

So his foot was rebandaged today, with more padding on the bottom of the foot, since we can’t exactly make him keep it elevated or give him crutches to walk around on. And we have to go back on Wednesday. If the cut still isn’t closing up, he’ll have to have stitches. He’s stuck with the new improved bigger bandage and Sock 2.1 (it’s grey this time).

(…to be continued)