Opt to Adopt: Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo from Elizabeth's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Elizabeth is a pretty gray and white mediumhair kitty.  She is talkative and sweet.  I often find her lounging on the front counter, wanting to greet every visitor that comes to the shelter.  

Elizabeth came to the shelter after her human passed away.  She is sad about losing her human, but she would like to find a new human to love.  Elizabeth is 12 years old, and due to her age, she is part of the Perpet-U-Care program, which will pay for a portion of her medical care for the rest of her life.  

You can find Elizabeth in the upstairs hallway at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  She looks forward to meeting you and telling you why she makes the purrfect companion. 

Mancat Monday

Hello everyone, it's the Mom here.  I have some news about Carmine.

Last week when I picked Milita up from her surgery, I asked the vet tech if Carmine could eat regular (as opposed to urinary tract) canned food because he seems to be really sick of his urinary tract diet.  Who can blame him?  He's been eating the same thing for more than 5 years!!

The vet was adamant that he stay on his urinary tract wet food.  I asked her what we could do because Carmine is sick of it, and pilling him to make him hungry enough to eat it seems really mean to me.

When Carmine was first diagnosed with FLUTD, I tried feeding him Hill's prescription c/d kibbles and wet food.  He ate his kibbles just fine, but he ate the canned version only once or twice and decided he was done with it.

After that, I found Pro Plan had a urinary tract canned food you could buy without a prescription.  He ate this happily (along with his c/d kibbles) for an entire year.  Unfortunately, they only make one flavor of this food, so he eventually got tired of that, too.

Next, he started eating Friskies version of urinary tract diet canned food.  He was pretty happy with that for 3 to 4 years.  We also started giving him Pro Plan occasionally after he had had a sufficient break from it.

We switched him over to the Royal Canin SO kibbles about a year ago when he was losing weight due to IBD and needed to eat more.  He does seem to enjoy the Royal Canin SO kibbles more than he did the Hill's c/d ones.  He definitely eats more kibbles now that we've switched his dry food.  I eventually tried him on the Royal Canin SO canned food, too.  He seemed to like it just fine, but he started getting red dots on his head.  The vet wasn't completely sure if they were allergies or something else, but I took him off the canned version just in case, and since then, he's had no more red dots on his head.

The vet suggested that we try Purina Prescription Diet UR (ST/OX).  Has anyone tried this food before?  Our PetSmarts with Banfield Hospitals don't sell it, so I have to order a case of it on-line, which is a little scary considering he's never tried it and it's so expensive.  Our vet doesn't carry it, either.

The other option is to try the Iams prescription diet, which I had never even heard of.  It is also not available anywhere I know of locally.

Does anyone have experience with either of these foods?  Are there any other urinary tract diets out there that I haven't found?

The other alternative is to get more Royal Canin canned SO and see if those red dots come back.

Any thoughts/experiences would be much appreciated.  I want Carmine to like whatever he is going to eat.  A happy Carmine makes a happy Mom :)

Easy Like Sunday with Milita

Hi everybody, Milita here!  I'm enjoying my favorite spot on the couch.  

Since I came home from the vet, I have been feeling better.  I have been eating my wet food and my kibbles, which seems to make the Mom happy.  I have more energy now; I fly up my tree to get my wet noms!  The Mom has been playing Neko fly with me lately, and I really love that!

Today, the Mom is a little worried about me, though, because I am not eating as much as I have been the past few days.  I even hid under her bed and then under her dresser for a while, which I never do unless the awful vacuum monster comes out.  The Mom says she is going to watch me carefully to see if we need to take another trip.......I don't want another trip!!!  

When it's medication time, I make sure and fight as much as possible.  Earlier, the Mom was holding me while her friend gave me the medicine.  They got the pain medicine in me, but when they tried to give me my Amoxicillin, I kicked the Mom really hard in the tummy and dug in my back claws!  The Mom is nice and allergic to me, so when I scratch her, all the skin around it, gets all swollen and red and really itchy!  That'll teach her to try to make me have medicine, MOL!!

We hope you all have a great Sunday! 

Halloween Safety Tips for Cats

I've seen a few of these posts around the blogosphere, but the topic is so important that I thought it warranted a post from us as well.  Please keep these safety tips in mind as you celebrate Halloween in the coming days.

Candy Is For Humans Only: I'm sure many of you know that chocolate is very toxic to cats and dogs, especially baking and dark chocolate.  However, any candy containing the xylitol, an artificial sweetener, is also toxic to pets.  Moreover, candy and its wrappers pose a choking hazard to your kitty.

If you want to give your cat a yummy treat for Halloween, purchase his or her favorite kitty treats or try a new brand of cat treats.  Keep all candy out of your pet's reach.

Keep Cats Indoors: It's unfortunate, but not all people love kitties as much as we do.  To keep your kitty (no matter what his or her fur color is) from becoming an unwilling participant in Halloween mischief, keep him or her indoors.  Black cats are especially prone to going missing on Halloween.

If you are giving out candy to trick-or-treaters, it's a good idea to keep nervous kitties in a safe room in your home with the door shut to prevent them from escaping accidentally.  Even the most social kitties can become overwhelmed by all the trick-or-treaters visiting your home; keep an eye on your feline any time you open the door.  Keep collars and identification on your cat so that if your kitty accidentally escapes, you will have a better chance of finding him or her.

Halloween Costumes: Please do not put your kitty in a Halloween costume unless you know he or she loves it!  I haven't personally met any cats that would even tolerate being dressed up, let alone love it, but I'm sure there are a few out there.  Dressing up a cat who doesn't love being in costume causes him or her unnecessary stress.  An unhappy cat in costume may even hurt himself or herself trying to get out of it.

If you want your kitty to look festive for Halloween, you could try putting a decorative bandanna or bow-tie on his or her collar.  Mom Emily from Kitty Cat Chronicles makes some really adorable bow-ties that slip right over your cat's collar.  Carmine really loves his!

If you have one of the rare kitties who enjoys being dressed up, ensure that your cat's Halloween costume does not constrict his or her movement in any way.  Be sure your cat can see, hear, breathe, and meow without any difficulty in the costume you choose.  Try on the Halloween costume before the big night to ensure your cat is not distressed by it at all.  Be sure to make sure there are no small parts on the costume your feline could tare off and swallow as well.

Halloween Decorations: As you know, there are a variety of festive household Halloween decorations.  Please keep your kitty safe by using electrical cord covers on electronic decorations.  Cats can suffer cuts, severe burns, and/or life-threatening electrical shocks when they chew on electrical cords.  If electrical cord covers aren't an option for you, you can purchase some Bitter Apple to sprays cords with.  For added protection, unplug electronic decorations whenever you won't be around to keep an eye on your kitty.

Jack-o-lanterns also pose a danger to cats.  Jack-o-lanterns can be easily knocked over and start fires.  Curious kitties can also singe or burn themselves with flames, so it's best to keep all jack-o-lanterns out of your cat's reach.

We hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween next week!

Do you have any other safety tips to add?  Please let us know in the comments. 

Milita's Post-Surgery Update

Milita had her dental surgery yesterday, and I was a ball of nerves the whole time!  Milita has been having some congestion and upper respiratory infection/herpes symptoms.  The vet took an x-ray of Lita before the surgery to make sure she was going to be okay to go under anesthesia.  They always do a urinalysis and blood tests before surgery, too.  The x-ray showed that Lita doesn't have any pneumonia or anything, which is definitely good!  She does have a little arthritis on her spine, though, so we have started her on Cosequin - it's the same stuff Carmine's been taking for his arthritis for 3 years and has made a world of difference for him.

Milita's surgery went well.  They ended up pulling fewer teeth than they thought they would need to!  They pulled one canine, two premolars on the top, and one premolar on the bottom.  The surgery ended up costing less than we expected since the vet had drawn up an estimate for 7 or 8 teeth, soooo....I put money on my account at the vet as a credit to pay for a future big medical expense for Carmine or Lita.  I hope that sits okay with everyone who donated?

They hope that Lita's upper respiratory infection will clear up now that her bad teeth are gone.  They think her mouth infection is related to the upper respiratory one.  Lita is on Amoxicillin for another week (this is her 3rd round in a row).  I really hope this is the end of the antibiotics for her for a while.

Lita has been a bit grumpy and nervous since we got home, which is completely understandable (I would be, too!) but she's also been letting us love on her.  Earlier, I found her sitting in her dinner spot waiting for food.  This is the first time she's done this in weeks!

I think as long as we can get her upper respiratory infection under control, she is going to recover very nicely.  Thank you all so very very much again for all of your donations, purrs, prayers, hugs, and support!!

Opt to Adopt: Phantom

Phantom

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo taken from Phantom's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Phantom is a handsome tuxedo cat with short hair.  He is outgoing and likes to play.  He's friendly, affectionate, and likes being pet.  I've spent a lot of time with Phantom over the past few months, and he always seems to enjoy our visits a lot.  

Phantom came to the shelter when his human got sick and had to give him up.  He is 11 years old, but he acts much younger.  Since Phantom is a senior kitty, he is part of the Perpet-U-Care program, which will pay for a portion of his veterinary care for the rest of his life.  

You can find Phantom in the Gold Room at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.  Let's help this adorable and sweet mancat find his forever home!

Jewel's Journey Through CRF

While I'm not ready to talk about Jewel's final days, I want to share our journey through Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) with all of you in hopes that our experience will help someone else.  Remember: always check with your veterinarian before adding anything to your kitty's treatment regimen - prescription or holistic.  Every cat's situation is unique; just because something did or didn't work for Jewel doesn't mean your cat will react in the same way.

Warming Signs and Diagnosis

As many of you know, I was once roommates with Jewel's former owner, but it wasn't a good situation, so I moved out.  A month or so before I moved out, I noticed that Jewel was drinking even more than she usually had.  I planned to take her to my vet as soon as I could because her former owner didn't think this change warranted a vet visit.  

After I moved away from the house, it was two months before Jewel's former owner brought her to see me.  When I saw her, my heart broke.  She had lost 3 or 4 pounds in that short time span.  Jewel went to see my vet shortly after that visit.  The vet took a blood and urine sample from Jewel and called me with the results the next day.  Jewel had CRF.  I was rather upset when I heard the news and began to research the disease and how best to help her.  Jewel received her diagnosis in November, 2011.

Kidney Diets

Since Jewel's phosphorus levels were high, we immediately started her on Epakitin, a powder phosphorus binder you can mix into wet food.  Epakitin worked well for Jewel.  Her phosphorus levels normalized, and she didn't mind eating the powder in her wet food.

The vet also recommended we start her on Hill's Prescription k/d wet and dry food.  While Jewel didn't mind eating her k/d kibbles, she wanted nothing to do with the wet food.  

I did a little research and discovered Royal Canin also has a prescription kidney diet.  Unfortunately, she didn't want anything to do with the Royal Canin LP either.  

I had joined a CRF support group and asked if there were any other kidney diets she could try.  I learned about Purina NF, and tracked some down at a hospital close to her former owner's home.  Sadly, Jewel didn't like Purina NF, either.  

She was eating very little at this point so we started feeding her anything she would eat.  The vet confirmed that this was the right thing to do; we didn't want her to starve to death trying to get her to eat a kidney diet. 

High Blood Pressure's Sneak Attack

High blood pressure often co-occurs with CRF.  Our vet discovered pretty early on that Jewel's blood pressure was slightly elevated.  We started her on Benazepril to help control it.  It was at this point that Jewel's former owner and I decided that it would be best for her to stay with me full-time due to the fact that her former owner had a lot of other people, children, and a kitten living in his home.  We thought the stress was too much for Jewel to handle.  Later on, of course, I adopted her as my own kitty.  

Earlier this year, Jewel's blood pressure became out of control.  Her blood pressure was so high that her retinas were 50% detached.  We changed Jewel's medication to Amlodipine, beginning with one-half tablet once a day.  We had to raise Jewel's Amlodipine dose a few times before we found a dose that was able to control her blood pressure.  Thankfully, her retinas did reattach.  

Coping With Nausea and Stomach Acid

Shortly after being diagnosed with CRF, Jewel didn't have much interest in eating.  While part of this was due to the fact that she didn't like the kidney diets, nausea also played a part.  Our vet recommended giving Jewel 1/4 of a 10mg Pepcid to help her nausea.  This did, in fact, help, and she began to eat more.  However, Jewel didn't get the Pepcid daily because I wasn't able to pill her alone.  Jewel was always VERY stubborn about taking her medication.  

When I talked with the vet about the situation, she recommended we try Reglan for Jewel, which can be compounded into a liquid that I could squirt into her mouth.  Compounding medication can be expensive ($40 for a one-month supply of Reglan) though, so I did a little research and discovered a natural nausea remedy for kitties with CRF - slippery elm bark.  When I wasn't able to afford Jewel's compounded Reglan, I used the slippery elm bark to help her.  The drawback of this remedy is that you cannot give any other medications within two hours of slippery elm bark because it interferes with the effects of medication.  On the plus side, it wasn't difficult at all to get Jewel to eat her slippery elm bark mixed into a little bit of a Fancy Feast appetizer.  

Increasing Appetite

As the disease progresses, kitties with CRF lose their appetites.  Jewel would go for days or even weeks without wanting to eat much, but we found ways to encourage her to eat more.  A few times, I got her Hi'll's Prescription a/d, a canned food that's high in calories and can be syringe fed if necessary.  I didn't use this very often, though, because it really seemed to increase her stomach acid and nausea.  

Most of the time, I would go to the store and pick out a lot of different kinds of food in different flavors to see what Jewel would and wouldn't eat.  I discovered one of her favorites was Fancy Feast Fish and Shrimp Feast, so I always made sure to have at least one of those in the house for the times she turned her nose up at other foods.  

My vet also prescribed Mirtazapine to increase Jewel's appetite when she didn't feel like eating.  This medication really helped when Jewel wouldn't even eat her favorite foods, but after about a year of using the medication as needed, it stopped working for her.  We switched to Cyproheptadine to increase her appetite.  

Fluid Therapy

Fluid therapy helps the kidneys filter toxins out of the body.  I was really nervous at the idea of sticking Jewel with a needle to administer the subcutaneous fluids, and I was doubtful that I could do this effectively given my severe vision impairment.  The first time I stuck her by myself at home, I was a nervous wreck!  

Over time, though, Jewel and I both became more comfortable with this treatment.  Whereas initially, Jewel would try to run away from me during treatment, she soon began to lay down and patiently wait during treatment time.  She always received treats after fluids time, which I know she looked forward to.  Jewel LOVED treats!  

Love

It might sound cliche, but I think what helped Jewel, perhaps more than medication, was being loved.  Jewel had a difficult life, and due to her past, it took her a long time to trust me.  The love my friend, D, and I gave her gave Jewel something to keep fighting for.  Jewel turned from a cranky senior into a little love bug within months of me taking over her care.  She seemed to really begain to enjoy her life, despite all the pilling and poking we had to do to keep her stable.  

CRF Is A Roller Coaster

CRF is truly an emotional roller coaster.  One day, you're thrilled that your kitty seems happy, wants to eat, and seeks out your attention.  The next day, you're worried because she turns her nose up at her favorite food, and she's hiding under your dresser.  

To be completely honest, shortly after Jewel was diagnosed with CRF, I tried to distance myself from her emotionally so I wouldn't have to be hurt when she went to the Rainbow Bridge.  That didn't work.  Jewel wove herself into every fiber of my heart.  Yes, it hurt more than I ever could have imagined when she went to the Bridge, but I don't regret a second of our time together.  I don't regret opening my heart to her and loving her more than I can ever say.  It still hurts me; every single day I have to spend without her is painful.  I don't think that will ever change.  But I know that I will see her again, and I know that she is still around, even if I can't see her or touch her or hear her anymore.  

The love I have for my beautiful Jewel will never go away.  Even though I only knew her for four short years, she changed my life.  I love and miss my baby.  

Milita's Infection Is Back

Hi everyone, it's the Mom here.  If you didn't see this on Facebook, Milita's mouth infection came back within a couple of days of her being off the antibiotic (which makes me wonder if it ever went away in the first place).  We picked up more antibiotics for her on Thursday, and she's been on the Amoxicillin since then.

I'm worried about her having surgery on Wednesday, though, because her breathing sounds a bit funny.  I've heard her wheezing, especially when I pick her up for a hug.

I trust our vet, but I cannot not worry about Milita; she is my baby!  I know the vet will give her an exam and draw blood before the surgery starts, but I'm really wondering if we should postpone it until she can get a little better.  I'm going to call on Tuesday when they open and see what she'd like us to do.

Please send purrs and prayers for Milita.  She really needs this surgery as soon as she can have it, but she needs to be healthy enough to have it, too.

Caturday Art: Gabe

I went to visit Cat Care Society yesterday, and I got to see some of the kittens!

This handsome kitten is Gabe.  He's four months old and lives in the Kitten Room.  He's available for adoption!  

I mad this using PicMonkey.  I decorated Gave's photo some and put his photo in a pink heart cut-out.  I noticed you can do a lot of things with PicMonkey, so I'll definitely be playing with it more as time goes on.  This was a lot of fun!

I am participating the Caturday Art blog hop today.  You can view more Caturday art HERE.  

A Medical Emergency (FLUTD): Caring for Critters

Many of you know that Carmine is a special needs kitty with several chronic health conditions.  Today, we are participating in the Caring for Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like A Dog.  Throughout this round robin, pet owners have been sharing their experiences of injury, illness, and other health concerns.

A Medical Emergency

On April 12, 2009, I was getting ready to go to a friend's home to enjoy Easter dinner.  While I was getting ready, I noticed Carmine go into his litter box.  I didn't think anything of it, of course.

However, over the course of the next 15 to 20 minutes, I kept hearing Carmine get in and out of the litter box, so I decided it was time to go investigate what he was doing.  I watched as he got into his litter box, squatted, and noting came out.  He got out of his box again, walked around for a minute, and then got back into the box again.  He squatted again, and nothing came out.  I watched him do this a few more times and became very worried about him.  I knew this was a very bad situation.

When my friend showed up a few minutes later, I told her what Carmine had been doing.  I called the emergency vet and let them know that Carmine couldn't urinate.  The only question they asked me was if Carmine was a male cat.  I told them he was, and they replied that I needed to bring him in right away as this situation was a life-threatening medical emergency.

So we got Carmine into a carrier and headed off to the nearest veterinary hospital.  I was really anxious and worried about my baby.  Carmine was 4 years old at the time, and I was afraid I was going to lose him that day.

After what seemed like an eternity, the vet came out to the waiting room and told me that Carmine's bladder was inflamed, but he did not have a urethral obstruction.  She also let me know that he probably had a urinary tract infection.  She told me they were going to collect blood and urine from him to determine what medications to put him on.  At this point, I could breathe a little easier knowing that my kitty would probably be okay.  It's the urethral obstruction that is the most dangerous in these situations.  When a urethral obstruction occurs, the kidneys can't maintain an appropriate balance of electrolytes and fluids in the body or remove toxins from the blood.  Sadly, if the urethra isn't unblocked in time, the kitty will lose consciousness and pass away.

Diagnosis & Treatment

After about another hour, the vet came back out to talk to me again.  She said that Carmine has Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD).  She told me they had found struvite (magnesium phosphate) crystals in his bladder.  The plan was to treat Carmine with the antibiotic, Clavamox, for his possible urinary tract infection and an anti-inflammatory pain killer to reduce the inflammation and pain in his urinary tract.  She told me that I'd need to see my regular vet for a long-term treatment plan.

When we got home, I immediately started researching to find out how I could best help my precious baby.  I read that many kitties with FLUTD begin urinating outside the litter box because they associate the litter box with pain, so I began praising Carmine every time he urinated in his box.

For the next two days, I watched Carmine like a hawk.  Every single time he went to the litter box, I followed him to make sure he was able to urinate.  The pain medication the emergency vet gave him made him very sleepy.  Carmine hid under my dresser much of the time for the next few days, and I checked on him often.

When our vet opened on Tuesday (our vet is only open Tuesdays through Fridays), I called them to see what the next step was.  They told me I needed to pick up some special food and more medication for Carmine.


On Wednesday, I went to the vet's office where they gave me more pain medication in case Carmine had any recurrences.  They also gave me Hill's Prescription c/d dry and canned food.  The vet tech told me that Carmine would need to eat this prescription diet for the rest of his life; the diet dissolves struvite crystals and helps prevent recurrences of FLUTD symptoms.

Carmine enjoyed his prescription c/d dry food, but he refused to eat the canned version.  In addition to his prescription dry food, Carmine has been eating canned Friskies Special Diet (for urinary tract health) and Pro Plan Urinary Tract formula for the past five years.

Approximately a year ago, Carmine developed Irritable Bowel Disease and was losing a lot of weight as a result.  Our vet and I decided to switch Carmine's prescription diet to Royal Canin SO because it is tastier for kitties, and we wanted to encourage him to eat more.  Carmine loves the prescription Royal Canin dry food, and he was even willing to eat the canned version.  However, he began getting red dots on his head, so we think he may be allergic to the canned food (we started the dry and canned foods several months apart and he had no reaction to the dry food).

Water intake is an essential part of managing FLUTD.  Unfortunately, Carmine has never been much of a drinker.  I began mixing a little extra water into his wet food daily to increase his water intake.  About a year ago, when I adopted Jewel, I bought a fountain for her to enjoy.  Carmine definitely likes drinking out of the fountain!  I wish I had bought one much sooner.

Stress can lead to recurrences of FLUTD symptoms, so I've had to work hard at keeping my home as stress-free as possible.  Carmine is a very sensitive mancat, and his connection to me is very strong.  Therefore, I have to work hard at keeping my life stress-free as well.  For approximately the past year, I've been using Sentry calming collars on Carmine, which really seem to help his stress levels, too.

Where Is He Now?

Carmine has done very well on his urinary tract diet for the past five years.  Though he has developed other chronic conditions, he has had no recurrences of FLUTD, and I'm very happy and thankful for that.  

Thank you for allowing me to share Carmine's story with you.  You can see all Caring for Critters posts on the Community Page HERE.  Please join Cascadian Nomads on Tuesday October 21st for another Caring for Critters post!

White Cane Safety Day

Living as a blind woman in a sighted world is definitely a challenge!  With very limited vision, (10/700 in my right eye and my left eye having not enough vision to measure accurately) there are things I'm simply not able to do, such as drive a car, see street and building signs, or recognize people by sight.  However, advances in technology have allowed blind people to do almost anything a sighted person can.

Carmine checks out my cane.

(Sorry for the blurriness. It's hard to capture a moving cat.)

The white cane is something that allows visually impaired individuals to travel safely and independently.  The white cane can tell us where steps are, when there are objects in our paths, and when we've reached street crossings.  White canes also inform sighted individuals that we have vision problems.

My cane is especially good at keeping me from running into people on the street and helping me find my way around dark and/or unfamiliar places.

You can see a short demonstration on how visually impaired people use their white canes in the video below.  If you cannot see the video below, you can ge here and view it.



Not only am I blessed to be able to get to places on my own with the assistance of my cane, I am very blessed to have a kitty who seems to understand that his mommy can't see very well.

Carmine always meows at me before he jumps up in my chair or onto my bed to let me know he's on his way up.  If I'm walking around the apartment in the dark, Carmine will meow at me to let me know where he is, too.  It's really nice that he seems to understand my limitations.

Today is White Cane Safety Day.  It's a day to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of visually impaired people as well as their independence  Take some time to recognize and appreciate the visually impaired people in your life today.

I'm pretty open about my blindness, so please feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments and I'll leave you a comment reply with an answer.

Opt to Adopt: Coco

Coco

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo from Coco's Adopt a Pet profile page. 

Coco is a beautiful gray tabby with short hair.  She is approximately one and a half years old.  Coco is a little shy when you initially meet her, but she is friendly and affectionate.  Once she gets to know you, she just might choose to curl up in your lap.  She also enjoys an occasional play session.

At Coco's former home, she hid much of the time because the dog and children were a little too much for her.  She prefers a quiet home with no dogs or children residents.  She does get along with other kitties okay, though.

Coco is up-to-date with her vaccinations, spayed, and litterbox trained.  You can find her in the Green Room at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.

Mancat Monday with Pawesome News!

Hi everyone, Carmine here (sorry about the blurriness in my photo)!

Do you remember last week when I asked everybody if they could help my sisfur Milita get the expensive dental surgery hers needs?  Well.......

WE GOT THE FUNDS!!!!

We never expected we would be able to raise the funds for Milita's surgery so fast!!  

To all of those who contributed to and/or shared about Milita's surgery, we say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.  Your love and care for Milita has really touched our hearts, and we will forever be grateful for your support.

Milita's surgery is scheduled for October 22 as the v-e-t didn't have any surgery openings this week.  We will definitely keep all of yous updated on hers progress!

Caturday Art

This is our first time participating in the Caturday Art blog hop!  The Mom finally decided it was time to start playing with a photo editor (it's about time!) and this is what she did with Milita's picture.

This was the original photo.  The Mom cropped it just a little bit.  Then she added a frame and used the neon photo effect in FotoFlexer.  Then she changed the color of the neo from red to pink.

We hope you all like our first attempt at Caturday Art.

You can see more Caturday art here!

Portrait of Jewel

As time passes, I seem to miss Jewel more and more.  I've had an especially hard week this week in my grieving journey.

Today, I want to share something VERY special.  After Jewel went to the Rainbow Bridge, our friend Alana from Cat in the Fridge sent us this beautiful portrait.  Alana is very talented and a great friend.  If you don't know her, please stop by and visit her blog.  You will not be disappointed!

This is a photo we took of Jewel.

This is the portrait Alana did for us.

Didn't she do an amazing job?  Thank you so very much for this beautiful portrait, Alana!  I will cherish it forever. 

Feline Mammary Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and unfortunately, humans aren't the only ones who are affected by breast cancer.  Cats can suffer from mammary cancer as well.

Risk Factors & Symptoms

According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, mammary cancer occurs in female cats 95% of the time and is the third most common type of feline cancer, following lymphoma and skin cancer.  Mammary cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in kitties over the age of 10.

Cats given the female hormones estrogen and progesterone for behavior modification or as a form of birth control are much more likely to get cancer than those who were not given hormones.  Additionally, Siamese cats seem to possess a genetic disposition for developing mammary cancer; they are twice as likely than other breeds to be affected by it.  Spaying a female before her first heat cycle decreases the risk of developing this type of cancer later in life.

There may be no noticeable lump or other symptoms in the earliest stage of feline mammary cancer.  In later stages, you or your veterinarian will be able to feel a lump under your cat's skin.  Some lumps can ulcerate the skin.  When this happens, many kitties will excessively groom or lick the ulceration, which can lead to infection.  Kitties with cancer may also experience fever, pain, and swelling.  It is not uncommon for a cat to have multiple mammary glands with cancer at one time.

Diagnosis & Treatment

If your veterinarian finds a lump in your kitty's mammary tissue, he or she will send tissue samples to a special laboratory for testing.  According to PetMD, approximately 85% of mammary tumors are malignant.  X-rays and abdominal ultrasound can be utilized to determine if a tumor has metastasized to surrounding lymph nodes, the lungs, adrenal gland, kidney, or liver.

Photo Credit: K B

The most common method of treatment for mammary cancer in cats is complete removal of the affected gland and associated lymph node.  A veterinarian may also choose to do a radical mastectomy where the entire mammary gland chain on one side is removed to prevent recurrence of tumors.  Chemotherapy may be combined with surgery if a tumor has metastasized to other parts of the body.

Prognosis

As with humans, early diagnosis and treatment of feline mammary cancer offers the best survival rates.  The removal of tumors smaller than two centimeters in diameter can offer a kitty three years or more of survival time.  

Always consult your veterinarian if you feel any unusual or new lumps under your cat's skin.  Early detection and treatment offer the best outcomes for surviving mammary cancer.  

Opt to Adopt Pepper

Pepper

Cat Care Society, Lakewood, CO

Photo from Pepper's Adopt a Pet profile page.

Pepper is a beautiful black and white shorthair tuxedo cat.  Pepper is a sweet girl who enjoys human affection.  She likes to be cuddled and pet.  She's a sweet and friendly kitty who would make some lucky human a wonderful companion.

Pepper is approximately 12 years old.  Due to her status as a senior kittizen, she qualifies for the Perpet-U-Care program, which will pay for a portion of her vet care for the rest of her life.  

Pepper is looking for someone to love, and she hopes you'll come visit her soon so you can see for yourself how great she is!  You can find Pepper in the Green Room at Cat Care Society, located at 5787 W. 6th Avenue in Lakewood, CO.

Have you heard?

Milita needs to have dental surgery to extract several teeth so that her mouth can heal from its infection.  If you could help us by donating to her surgery fund and/or sharing with others who may be able to help, we'd really appreciate it!  

You can donate to Milita's surgery fund HERE.

Mancat Monday: Carmine Has Important News

Hi everyone, Carmine here with some very important news.

Last week, my sister Milita came with me to the stabby place.  The Mom had noticed some behavior and mood changes in her, and she was getting worried.  Sometimes Milita doesn't even finish her dinner, and anyone who knows Milita, knows she's a chowhound enjoys her foods.

After a thorough examination, the vet discovered Milita has some serious periodontal disease right now that is causing her some problems.  Milita currently has a mouth infection and needs to have 7 or 8 teeth extracted in order for her mouth to heal.

There is a very real possibility that the infection spreads to her heart, lungs, or kidneys without the dental surgery my sister needs.

As many of you know, our mom is disabled and lives on a limited, fixed income.  Our vet does not do any kind of payment plan, even with long-time clients like us.  The Mom does not qualify for Care Credit, either, due to the limited fixed income she has.

That's why we are hoping some of you can help us raise the funds Milita needs for her dental surgery so hers can get well.

If you are not able to give, could you please share our fundraiser with others?  We really want to get Milita well again!

Robin from Playful Kitty made this graphic for our fundraiser.  You are welcome to share it on your blog if you like.

You can donate to Milita's dental surgery HERE. 

Easy Like Sunday with Milita

Milita: This blue fleece blanket is mine, but if you'd like to come join me on the couch, I'll have the Mom spread out some more of our fleece blankets for you!

Have a great Easy Sunday, everyone!