His leg was really swollen this morning, so they took off the cast and retaped his leg. Because of the situation, they have asked to keep him for two weeks at the clinic so they can monitor his progress and be on top of any problem before it can get out of hand. This will also give the vaccines a chance to work as it is a two week period plus a booster before the kitten is fully protected. So looks like he won’t be coming home for awhile and a boarding fee will be in play as well.

I would rather have him out of danger then here at the house dealing with possible exposure. I am trying to find a foster for him, but he will need a lot of TLC and monitoring. My last foster family ended up adopting the kitten they were fostering- and everyone else is already fostering cats for us.

The goal has been reached with a bit to spare for Stumbles aftercare. The vet explained yesterday, that because he is such a young kitten with BIG paws it will be necessary to go in every few weeks, remove the cast and check the splint. They may have to change the splint depending on his growth factor. They splinted the leg yesterday because of the pain but his surgery isn’t until today.

I wish you guys could see him, he is so loving and so trusting. Thank God not a feral bone in his body. He is a soft gray though not a mackeral tabby and someone put a lot of love in him.

One of the vet’s theories is that someone saw this kitten being mistreated and took it to “safer ground.” I don’t know, don’t suppose we will ever know what led him to my door.

But thank you for those who donated to his care. I will do all I can to make his recovery as swift and painless as possible.

My vet is so wonderful. He is going to only charge CATS Inc., half of what this operation would normally cost. The original estimate was $1,300.00 but they are going to now call it an “extended neuter” and only charge $600.00. So basically, tomorrow when Stumbles goes in for his neuter, they will also pin his leg and cast his leg. I dropped the vaccinations off at the clinic earlier (to help cut costs) and they will vaccinate and flea treat at the same time. He will be on cage rest for quite awhile but they will keep him until Friday. I can set up a big padded cage in the living room, off the floor so the other kitties have to work to visit with him. I still have some leftover x-ray film so I can make him a custom-made e collar.

The vet just called and said they have a fracture of the long bone in the right front leg. By the nature of the break, it doesn’t look like a normal break and it is quite unstable, it is about an inch away from the joint itself. Normally, if a cat breaks his leg naturally it breaks at the joint. So the plan is to go in surgically and put a pin in the bone to stabilize it, then they will cast the leg and Stumbles will be on cage rest for quite awhile.

He is a sweet, sweet boy and I hope he comes out of this with flying colors!

While he is there, they will neuter him, vaccinate him and I can pick him up Monday. So if any of you have loose change rattling around in your pocket and want to send it my way- Stumbles could sure use it.

That is what I am calling this beautiful, young gray tabby cat someone stuffed into a carrier and placed on our porch. I had my arms full when I came out of the house and I almost stepped on the carrier and tumbled down the ramp.

I brought him inside and opened the door for him waiting for him to make the first move. That’s when I noticed his right front paw as hanging in an awkward position. I gently lifted him out of his carrier (thank God he is a sweet boy) I noticed right away he was a Tom and he can’t walk at all on that front paw.

He did let me touch him, and explore a bit, when I rotated the paw, it made a grinding noise (that broke my heart) So I stopped all exploring and rushed him to the vet.

I am waiting to hear on what they find. I don’t know if they can save the leg, but the instructions I left was do everything possible (after testing first for disease) to save this sweet kitty. I will find a way to cover costs if there is an operation involved.

Mike joked and said we should call him “Don’t Belong!” But I told him that all creatures belong to us- we are the stewards over them here on earth. So I settled for the name Stumbles. Now I wait to see what they find out about his poor leg. 🙁 It doesn’t look like a new injury so he has been suffering for quite awhile I would bet.

I placed a carefully worded ad about Jedi several weeks ago. I have found someone who is willing to take her and although that thrills me, it also concerns me. I am not in the habit of adopting out a cat with so many issues, and lately she has started spraying! She is not sick per se, she just is outside during the day and I have outside kitties who spray so she is marking her territory. It is not the small short spurts of urine that signify a UTI it’s more like “Hey Mom, this spruce is on fire! Let me put it out!” I have to say for a female, it is quite an impressive hose she has there. *G*

Since the spraying is a new behavior for her, putting her into a home just doesn’t seem like the right option. Mike and I have been discussing about building a special cage for her- a big playground type of cage off our back porch. If she gets into the barn cat food, the diarrhea starts. If she slips into the house and gets into that food, the diarrhea starts and it explodes out of her poor girl. I know it’s a food sensitivity because when she stays on her special canned food- she is fine. She’s also started to bite people and that is a new behavior. It’s a love bite on the face, but it is hard and it hurts. I can’t in good conscious take her to a stranger and expect them to understand her and accept her behavior. Instead, I will call Hannah and explain and perhaps get to to accept a kitten or a cat who is completely healthy.

I have a feeling deep in my soul that Jedi is living on borrowed time. I can’t explain it, but with all she’s been through; being dumped deep in the mountains then in the vets for two weeks of isolated treatments and everything else, I just feel like her time with us is short. I think the best option is to try and scrape together enough funds to build her a special cage where she can play, stay safe and eat the right foods. Mike says we are looking at about $200.00 to do it right. If it keeps her safe, it will be worth the time and effort to build it and make it her new place.

Last night quite late, I heard a horrible crash outside. I didn’t want to get out of bed as the temp was in the teens but then the sirens started and our bedroom lit up like a christmas tree. Some kid, going way to fast on icy roads took his brand new pick-up and smashed it into the hills. The saving grace was that he smashed the back half of the truck into the hills and not the front half. All he suffered was a broken rib and a broken arm. Damn lucky I would say. His truck was skrunched up like an accordian.

This concoction arrived out of Texas and is made up personally by an excellent cat vet. My cats see it coming and they tremble in their paws! This gruel is so thick, I believe I could caulk the shower with it and it is so bitter. I know I tasted a bit of it. It kills everything (but the cat) or so I am told and I hope it turns the tide for the three remainding kitties whose diarrhea is still flowing.

Watching their reactions to this stuff prompted me to write the following:

“Oh no everybody-
Quick! All of you hide-
Here comes Mom
With pill pusher by her side!

She doesn’t think we’re smart enough
Can’t see with these eyes,
She’s trying to hide that plastic tube
Tucked close to her side.

This mixture is nasty
It makes mouths foam
Where can we hide out?
Why won’t she leave us alone?

Don’t be silly- the shower
Is the first place she’ll look.
She’ll see our pink noses,
Our goose will be cooked!

Can’t hide in the rafters,
Because she’s so tall.
And Kojak is trembling
So surely she’ll fall.

Under the bed with the dust bunnies.
We could all fit with ease.
Then we could scatter
When she bent down to sneeze.

We could all run upstairs
Remember she hates heights.
It would be better than staying
For stuff that kills parasites.

What is that wise Cagney?
What are you yowling about?
You say we don’t swallow
We just spit it out?

Oh what a smart plan
Ok everyone stay-
Just remember to spit
When she turns away!”

Not sure if the recent buy-out has something to do with the fact that Catster is going offline, but I feel sorry for the people with all those photos there that are just going to vanish. Websites seem to be short-lived anymore on the net unless they are able to be accessed easily by phones or are connected with social media.

I took jedi to the vet today. She has only gained a pound since last being seen there (over two months ago) She still has diarrhea if she eats something other than her prescribed diet and she sprays like a fireman! “Is that tree on fire Mom? Step back, I’ll put the darn thing out..” and off she goes. If it wasn’t so sad, it is very impressive. They are running some tests to see why she is spraying. The results should be in by Friday. Keeping me on these toes these kitties are-

Once more the topic is diarrhea (do I hear groaning out there?) Trust me, I am groaning the loudest :). I am fortunate enough to be connected to one of the best feline specialists who often works with the cats and kittens here in the sanctuary and she has a wide network of fellow cat vets. My kittens were the subject of a get-together yesterday and here was what has been determined:

They will now be put on Hills Prescription H/D canned only. No dry food as dry food is full of carbs and come to find out a lot of kittens can’t handle high carbs and digest them thoroughly. Dry food also pulls in more water into the intestines and causes loose stools. I called my vet and he no longer carries this brand of food but after calling several vets in neighboring towns, I located 15 cans and have ordered more. The cans are small and are $2.00 a piece.

If this doesn’t stop the runs then there is a special enzyme we haven’t tried yet Pancreamyzine which will be next on the list. Failing that, Vitamin B-12 injections will be given weekly to each kitten and if THAT fails, we go to the extreme drug (that I personally detest) prednisone. But that is our last resort.

Thankfully, these babies are bright, active, eating, drinking and not looking anytime soon to be cashing in on a Bridge Pass. But it is so damn frustrating. I am also giving them squirts of panalog into their bums to stop all the inflammation and redness. Poor kitties. If you want to remember them in your prayers- they are Jedi, Cagney, Kojak and Sophia. God knows their names quite well now. I have been discussing them with Him a lot lately.

Here’s hoping the canned food will work and these kittens will finally get some much needed relief.