UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Since it has been quite a long time since we have been active, we are going to be Under Construction for a while - trying new fonts, designs, and updating our sidebar stuff. Hopefully we will get it how we like it soon so it won't change too much!

Also - Can someone tell me how to get rid of the giant gap below this notice - I cannot figure out how to do it - thanks!!




Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Still working on visiting...

Last night when I got home I had a horrible headache, and Barney came over and slept on my shoulder (aww). Then Brad came home and he moved, and while Brad went out to pick up dinner (while I was still laying on the couch) Virgil, the kitty who is the least snuggly of all of them, came and slept in my lap! So needless to say there was no way I was going to jeopardize that lovin' and move, so I ate laying down (well laying down-ish), luckily it was McD's - easy to eat that way. But I also didn't get on the computer because of it. So I didn't get quite as much visiting in as I wanted - but I am still working on it!

I also got up at one point and put Barney by his brother and sister and got some pictures - may never see that again so I will post them later.

Oh, I wanted to answer a couple of questions I saw in comments - some of you may already know this stuff:

Floyd is 14, and he is loosing weight because he has lymphoma (mild), hepatitis (again, mild) and pancreatitis. He basically eats a lot but doesn't really process it correctly so he doesn't get the nutrients and gain weight. This is what caused the hepatitis, which is an inflamaiton of the liver - he may also have a bit of fatty liver syndrome because of the rapid weight loss. For some reason that no one has figured out, he gains weight when on amoxicilin. His blood tests show no signs of any infection but it works - see, when he first lost the weight we took him in and he did have a very minor infection, and the amoxicilin helped him gain weight. Before we knew the rest of the problems we kept putting him on as he lost more weight, and he always gained on it. We did the tests and found out the problems at the begining of the year (we went to a specialist) and he agreed that since he looses weight off the amoxicilin we could keep him on it - but you can't keep it going all the time because then he would get used to it. We had him off for about 6 weeks - he went to the vet after 2 weeks off and was about the same but when we went back for his regular check up he had lost 1 1/2 lbs. So he back on again. The problem is that he will act like he is starving (which he really is) but then won't always eat his kitty food - he will fight for people food but sometimes he just is not in the mood for the kitty food. Right now he is getting back into the kitty food (finally) and he is very interested in the kitten food that we have for Barney - which is ok since he needs to gain weight (the others don't need to so they shouldn't really eat it). Lorianna had mentioned thyroid in her comment, and I honestly thought that was going to be the problem when this all started - we had to female cats growing up that both had thyroid problems (as did my grandma), so that was my first thought. Then I thought maybe diabetic - but both those were normal. I have read on the internet that a low grain diet is better with lymphoma because the grain can "feed the lymphoma" so we have them on a grain free crunchy food, but none of them other than Barney will eat the grain free canned - so they get Fancy Feast (we want to have him eat so we go with what works). I usually try every once in a while with the grain free but it is ignored. Barney likes it so I have been mixing in some kitten milk powder with it and letting him have it as a snack - he gets kitten food for breakfast and dinner and his crunchies but when I get home I give him the kitten milk/grain free because he is a wildman with hunger at that time, and honestly he is doing what Virgil did and sneaking adult food instead of kitten food. So the snack gives him both kitten nutrition and cat food flavor - and he really likes it.

Wow, that ended up long. I am supposed to be working so I guess I should get to that. Don't tell my boss!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry your Mommy had a bad headache yesterday. Our Daddy did too. We tried to snuggle with him, but I guess we kept getting "in his face", so he kept pushing us off the couch! (We're close talkers!). Glad to hear Floyd is taking to eating some sort of food. When Scooter was on her last days and wouldn't/couldn't eat, the vet said if she'll take it, give it. She had LOTS of really yummy people food before she went to the Rainbow Bridge. Hope you put some weight on Dude!!!

Angel, Kirby and Max said...

I hope your head ache is better. I may breathing normally today! We knew all this about Floyd, but could not remember it all. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

Jasmim said...

Oh! I hope you improve their headache.
I didn't know that your kittens have these problems, but I hope that everything is ok!
Have a good week =)

Reese =^..^= said...

Gosh, you really have a lot going on! Thanks for taking the time to visit. It really means a lot. Stop by again sometime when you can. It's always good hearing from you.

Cheyenne -Millie said...

We understand bad headaches! Mom gets them!

Barney is sweet to sleep on your shoulder! That is true love!

We hope Floyd is doing ok! We won't tell your boss what your doing!

The Creek Cats said...

So sorry, we didn't know all that about Floyd. We are sorry to hear he has health problems, especially the lymphoma. We lost our Cal to that in March of this year. We only found out it was lymphoma after we had to let him go. We had a suspicion, but it wasn't confirmed until them. We tried every possible canned food available, one day he would love a food and I would order a case, then next day he wouldn't touch it. We also hear that grain-free is best for lymphoma. In the end we just had him on an appetite stimulant in addition to the prednisilone. We wish Floyd all the best and you too as his caregiver!

Quill and Greyson said...

We wont tell your boss. Hope you're all better.

Mishkat said...

We're sending Floyd lots of purrs - hope he continues to eat. And purrs to you too - hope your headache is better (our mom gets them too, and it makes her feel worse to go on the computer, so we can completely understand if you can't visit!)

Baby Patches said...

Sorry your momma wasn't feelings good but it sounds likes you guys knew dat and was givings her some good needed lovings!

Purrrrrrrrrrs

Thanks for comings by! *nosetap*

My Mind's Eye said...

I totally agree when one is getting kitty love and snuggles one stays put. Madi isn't the lap cat that our first cat, Milky-Way, was so not much of an issue with her. Anytime MW was in my lap the world stopped he was such a love bug...Poor sweet Floyd I hope he will get back to a maintenance level soon. Head touch and nose taps to you all,
Madi and Mom

Unknown said...

Yoo know, the mom said this morning to someone else that when the happy memories replace the sadness then things will be okay. Since she saidid that, she's been good. Sumtimes yoo beans confuze us kittehs.