Not January! January is the best month ever!
(Why, yes, my birthday is in January. What made you ask?)
Is this the first foster group you’ve had in a while? I’m thinking he might be a bit stressed with the new additions, even if he doesn’t really seem stressed. Herpes flareups are common. Hopefully that’s all it is. Adult cats can get a Lysine supplement of 500mg twice daily, and 1000mg twice daily during flare-ups. I get mine (for the shelter) from Puritan’s - the capsules can be emptied onto food, or there’s a powdered form by the pound from NOW that Puritan’s also carries, and that’s 1/4 teaspoon to make 500mg. It’s worth a try, either as a maintenance or in conjunction with antibiotics or whatever your vet prescribes for him. I have one kitty with a perpetually wet left eye, and another with a perpetually runny left nostril. It seems to help both of them. It gets used a LOT at the shelter, I order probably 4 pounds a month, plus a few bottles of capsules.
When I left Miami, I put up a sign saying “futon, bed, large corner table, small items, for sale: make me an offer.” I’d already shipped the trunk home (literally, it went by ship) and stowed in the suitcase what I’d be bringing with me, everything else fell under “make me an offer”.
The way I looked at it, any money I got was extra over throwing things away or giving them to Goodwill. Many things went for more than I would have asked for, some for more than I’d paid. I’ve experienced similar phenomenons in other situations; a friend whose business model is “make me an offer” says his customers usually research what’s the usual market price and then offer him more.
We’ve had fosters in and out on a regular basis, and all of them have been vetted first. No snezzing kittens or anything.
It wouldn’t surpirse me to learn that Lucky has Herpes, that boy sure does live up to his name. For those who don’t know, he had his balls and front claws cut off, somehow became a stray on the mean streets in the land of coyotes and hawks, and who got shot in the face before he finally showed up on my doorstep with a mouth full of metal shards. I was amazed that he passed his bloodwork.
Losing his balls was probably the only reason he survived.
Anyhow, tomorrow he will probably be feeling great, he will get some antibiotics and will recover quickly. Its just a little kitteh cold. He’s going to be a just fine kittey.
So…do you dose the entire pride or do you need to not allow the others eat the spiked food? I took a minute to look at the wiki entry about Lysine and wonder if I should start dosing all of our pride as a prophylactic measure.
The need for foster homes is constant, our cages are always full. Our first responsibilty is to our personal pets, so if they need suppliments I will do that.
It’s illegal here (and a super dick move, especially if you’re into hit-and-run like our neighbour one New Year’s Day), but the cops here also don’t do anything about it.
I think there are cockroaches everywhere - we have them here, although they are quite rare.
Aye, only two of the four at home need it, but I just mix it up into everybody’s food so they more or less get about 500mg twice a day. It’s a water-soluble amino acid, so getting more or getting it when it’s not needed does no harm at all. It’s not foul tasting, just kinda salty. I think I’ve even heard of it being used as an ingredient in salt substitutes. The cheapest way to go by far is the one pound bottle. Sprinkle and stir, it completely disappears and the cats don’t notice it.
Herpes in cats is very common. Depending on the study, you will hear anywhere from 60% to 80% of all cats have it. We see outbreaks in housecats most often when a new cat comes into the home, or new roommates, new baby, or moving happens. The titers aren’t that reliable and are expensive, so it’s most often diagnosed by symptoms. Your vet may or may not think Lucky has it!
The other supplement I add to their food is glucosamine/chondroitin. One doesn’t need it that I know of but she’s at least 12 years old, one has had bone surgery for which it may or may not help with formation of arthritis, one has urinary issues it may or may not help with but has had fewer episodes with it, and one has arthritis in his right hip and spondylosis in two places - I’m pretty sure it’s helping him.
“No” means “oh no, my niece did not just borrow my truck mostly without asking, to drive forty miles to her in-laws’ to get her shit, and then message me that I could give her some gas money tomorrow!” Seriously? First, if she’d asked, I certainly would have loaned the truck, but she’s a big girl: if they don’t have $20 for gas, how the hell do they have money for the apartment? Second, we have given the kids rent-free housing for the past six weeks, advanced them a thousand dollars on work that hasn’t been done, fed them out of our own shallow pockets, etc. We gave her my old van. I’ve probably spent $500 on pantry and household stuff for them. They lived with us for a year during the 2011-12 school year, also rent-free. And now they expect me to front gas money? While DaNephew’s perfectly good car sits right here?
It’s not the money, it’s the expectation …
Also, my mother is planning to move to my neighborhood soonish. And by “my neighborhood,” I strongly suspect that she means to try to guilt me into surveying off an acre of my new place, because she cannot afford land in this county. I think I have to let Tony play the bad guy here, and come up with some plausible reason to not let the crazy woman move in to our back yard… I could handle it if Ma were old and needed help, but she’s only 63, and the women in my family tend to live for-freaking-ever. I just can’t face three decades of my mother.
Yup. Our doc’s a fairly conservative, older guy. Boobies in the waiting room= A-OK. Boobies in the consulting…
Also, husband is weird about me getting them out in public. I have no issues, as everyone in the hospital saw my tits when I was having Miss E.
Yeahhhhh, Al’s been having diarrhea off and on, too, and I’m sure that’s stress-related. I’m REALLY hoping I don’t have to take him to the vet, and that he’s just being weird about all the boxes and being home alone all day. But having lost a Maine Coon to megacolon years ago, I don’t want to just ignore plumbing problems. He’s eating and drinking OK, and has left solid poops as well as the less-well-formed stuff, so fingers crossed.
Please, cat: I know you’re gettin’ on in years (he’s probably pushing close to 15) but now is a really, REALLY bad time to a) leave shit everywhere, or b) hafta see Mr. Vet. Just get better buddy, okay?
That does it. I’m going to CVS this evening for my flu shot. I think I’ll have a word with the cute pharmacy technician about something to mitigate the pain. 
Thanks for the info. I was too sick to read the Dope much yesterday, and this morning the infection has pretty much cleared itself up.
Yep. There’s a reason that part of their fancy scientific-sounding name is periplaneta.
Forgot my other bitch: I was sitting on two $100 gift cards from some time ago. Between Shoe’s illness, semi-recovery, caring for him at home, dealing with the aftermath of his death, packing, and moving, they … we all saw this coming … expired.
DAMMIT!
I mean, I know I have a sorta-excuse. I’ve been BUSY in ways I never dreamed possible. But manalive how I hate it when I lose track of something like that, especially something so valuable, especially when I could kinda use it. I hate doing that almost as much as I hate the self-loathing spiral when I fuck something up like that. I mean, I would never dream of berating a friend then way I’ve been berating myself.
GRRRRRRR. Both at the mistake, and at how mean I can be to myself. But mostly, at losing a couple hundred bucks. Dammit.
Gotta love those Facebook friends who post life-affirming messages like “Each day I try to be the best I can be…want to teach my kids to be the best…yadda yadda…” and then their very next post shares a dubious and hateful anti-Obama meme detailing all the nefarious things the president has done like his “war on coal!!!” and the “22 servants who wait on the First Lady hand and foot at taxpayer expense!!!” Seriously?
Purplehorseshoe,I didn’t think gift cards expired. I know for sure in California they don’t; it’s a state law I think. Texas doesn’t have that law? That really sucks. Were they store-specific? If yes, you might try talking to the people at the store to see if you could get an extension.
And: DO NOT BERATE YOURSELF. For crying out loud. You are doing so extremely well and after all you have been through, you do not deserve any criticism from anyone much less yourself. So just stop it, ok? Take some internet {{purple}} hugs and forgive yourself.
So, I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. I was having a conversation with someone about it on Facebook since I’m friends (in real life) with several other people who will also be there. During the conversation, an old friend from school popped in and offered to take me out for a drink or buy me dinner - turns out he lives where I’m visiting. Without thinking, I said, “Yeah, that’d be great!” We exchanged numbers. I commented about it to my husband and he encouraged me to get together with the guy. However, I’m going to flake.
I used to have a huge crush on on this person. I found out recently that he used to feel the same way about me. We’re both married. We both have kids. But I still find him attractive. After actually thinking about the situation, getting together with someone I used to think was smoking hot all by myself and mixing in a bottle of wine seems like a horrible idea.
In my experience, the fact that this situation feels wrong tells me that it probably is. At this point, I’m irritated with myself that I agreed in the first place. I’m a huge dumbass.
Best advice in this situation is to ask. Ask politely, explain that you understand if they cannot but given the circumstances many places will replace them. The way I look at it is, for a little bit of time invested you might get the money back. It’s worth a try.
I mean, disagreeing with a president is one thing, spreading deliberate lies and misinformation is another and is hardly “being the best you can be.” It’s your right to disagree or even dislike the president, but at least be honest about it. Spreading obvious bullshit is the domain of the evil and the ignorant.
If that doesn’t work, try selling them for about forty bucks each at the garage sale.
Not store-specific: they were pre-paid AmEx cards, and they had a definite expiration date printed on them. I did try calling, too - no dice. These aren’t store gift cards (I’m familiar with that law) and they’re already gone, I just wanted to bitch about being so bitchy at myself. Like I said, it turns into a vicious spiral.
More importantly, right now at least, is that Shoe’s parents stopped by the house for some forms I’d signed for them and … a waterbath and a vet appntmnt. for Al ensued. Shoe’s mother is being nice enough to take him to the vet for me this afternoon. Which is something of a relief, really, since most of my stress was not having the time (specifically, time off work - I’ve blown through it) to take him in myself. Plus, once I move, his current vet will be over an hour away so I’ll have to find a new one, transfer records, yadda yadda, so if he IS going to get intestinal or other internal problems, I’d rather the guy who’s familiar with his history give him one last exam.