The following are copied/pasted from my LiveJournal, upon which I chronicled the first couple of months with my cat, Cricket. She had a rough time of it, as you will read. Today, she is a healthy, happy, loving cat, though still with some visual difficulties.
(The first cat I refer to here is the late, great Rufus. My mom's dog Katy (a shih tzu mix), and my dog Riley (a mutt) are mentioned as well. )
He is missing. :( I was working so hard yesterday that I didn't notice until it was getting dark that I hadn't seen him since the morning paper walk.
Me, my sister and her husband walked up and down the road, looking for him. I told Katy to find him. Nothing.
Last night was a full moon. I was up at 3 a.m. walking the road, calling, looking. I had my windows open though it was cold so I could hear better if he cried to get in.
He's a lover cat. He spends his days near me. This is completely unusual. I feel so guilty that I didn't notice sooner. I am hoping with all my heart that he comes home and was just out hunting due to the full moon.
Current Mood: 
anxious
Found him.
Actually Katy did. I gave her a gauze rubbed in his scent and she went right to him.
He's dead.
I just buried him about 1/2 hour ago. I can now see through the tears enough to write this.
I loved my cat.
Current Mood: 
crushed
They shoot horses, don't they?
If you don't know what that [title] is from, look it up on IMDB.com.
Sigh.
So yesterday really sucked. Finding Rufus and all. At least [my friend, Lem] made it here safe and held me and I felt much, much better after a night with him.
[Deleted stuff about a doctor’s appointment and searching for computer parts.]
Went to Waynesville, more of finding nothing. I called the local pet store who does adoptions for HAWA. "Do you have any kittens?" "I have some young adults, come on in and look at them."
So I did, and Cheryl (the owner) led me straight to this 6-8 month old female kitten, Cricket. Loud thing, talks a lot. I opened up the cage and picked her up and...
Sold. She was all over me. Purring, rubbing, meowing. Loved Lem too. She was curling up in my arms, making herself all sorts of Lovable. Gotta have her. She does not replace Rufus but she fills a sore spot.
I'm bringing her home Monday. Told my sister, who was glad. Told my Mom, who tried to pretend she was irritated but that didn't last long.
[Deleted boring stuff.]
Get up here, get online, find out Johnny Cash AND John Ritter died.
You know what? It's a good thing Lem's here, otherwise I think I'd just find a hole and lay down and try not to get up again.
Thank you all for your hugs about Rufus. Told the kids about him tonight. They were sad too, but they'll be okay. We'll all be fine.
Current Mood: 
distressed
Here she is...
This, my friends, is Cricket. She is doing quite well with the dogs! Head to the Cats and Dogs album to see her.
[Deleted link that goes to a dead page.]
Current Mood: 
drained
silly me
my sister set me straight, cricket is a tortoiseshell kitty, not a calico! she has snuggled into my arm and got herself cradled like a baby. thus one handed typing. :) she's sound asleep, dreaming and twitching. so cute!
Current Mood: 
okay
Bad news.
I took Cricket this morning to be spayed at the Humane Alliance clinic, through HAWA.
I just got a call from the OR tech. About two minutes under anesthesia, Cricket stopped breathing and her heart stopped. The got her heart going again and had to intubate her.
Right now she is breathing on her own but not conscious. She has about a 50/50 chance of survival at this point. Her lungs keep filling with fluid.
They've tested her for Feline Leukemia and several other major things, all negative. They don't know what's wrong.
She likely can't be left alone tonight. We would have to either pick her up to let her die at home, or have her go to the animal hospital where they will try to sustain her until... ?
I will be getting another call in a couple of hours with an update on her status and a request for a decision on what I want done.
My heart is breaking.
Current Mood: 
distressed
Cricket Update
The doctor called from Humane Alliance. Cricket spit out her endotracheal tube, and is stirring some. Her condition has been labeled as "guarded".
The Dr. also gave me another option. One of their docs lives near another vet clinic, where she works in addition to the HA. This doc has offered to take Cricket home tonight and tend to her. The clinic is real nearby should something go awry. I said yes to this option.
I don't know how much it will cost me, and I don't care. I am now praying that Cricket get better. They still don't know why she failed in surgery, and they don't know why her lungs kept filling with gunk. She's been negative on all the tests they've run.
There are always risks associated with anesthesia. I guess Cricket just became a statistic. She's more than that, though. And I want her to come home safe and healthy.
Thanks for the hugs, y'all. They do help.
Current Mood: 
distressed
Another Update on Cricket
Dr. Alexander called, the one who is keeping her at her home tonight. She sounded upbeat, and Cricket is doing better. She is protesting being messed with now, and I could hear her in the background yelling about it. She was attempting to escape her basket, and the doc is going to have to put her in a carrier, most likely.
She's breathing much better now, much less labored. I'll be getting an update first thing in the morning, unless something turns bad through the night. It apparently was an upper respiratory infection that hadn't shown up until the anesthesia knocked things loose. She hadn't had so much as a runny nose or sneezing when she went in, so no one had any clue she was sick. URI's are quite common, especially in shelter cats.
Cricket will be staying another night there, we're looking at her coming home on Wednesday, if she keeps improving.
Current Mood: 
hopeful
Cricket Update
Dr. Alexander called this morning. Cricket is doing better, breathing much better although there are still the times when she has some rales going on in her lungs. (Crackling sounds.)
Only this morning did Dr. Alexander tell me that it's rare for any animal to survive after a cardiac arrest in surgery. If they survive, it's rare that they improve as much as she has. They are all really pleased about this.
But.
Cricket is blind and clumsy. This may or may not resolve with time, it's impossible to tell.
At least she is alive and getting better. I'm going now to the vet to hold her and let her know I love her. Who knows, maybe my presence and touch will help.
Current Mood: 
hopeful
Cricket Update and Philosophy
Cricket is doing better. She took a 1 1/2 hour nap on my chest today, I spent 3 hours at the clinic. She's disoriented and clumsy, being both blind and deaf for now. This may improve/change over time, but only time will tell. She is, however, alive and perking up quite a bit. My presence made a noticeable difference in her status, the vet staff was thrilled to note. She's being called the "Miracle Kitty" because it is extremely rare for any animal to be revived after a full arrest and even more rare that one recover even to this state.
( See me wax philosophical in a stream of consciousness babble... )
I am a believer in attachment parenting. My children seem to have proved out this is a Good Thing. I have the same "parenting" style towards animals. In fact, before Cricket got ill, I was thinking of making/buying a front pack to carry her around in, since she likes so much to be held and carried.
Now, I'm certain I will do that. Especially if the blindness and deafness lasts. The vet staff was happy to hear that, they think it's a great idea. I suppose they're all suckers for animals, like I am.
We're still hoping her deafness and blindness will go away. The lack of oxygen is even more devastating to animals than to humans. Humans can go about 6 minutes maximum before the brain starts to suffer irreparable effects from a lack of oxygen/cessation of breathing. Cats cannot go but moments. The optical and auditory systems are the first damaged, since they are so large.
Cricket was bagged rapidly upon her respiratory arrest, but she had so much fluid in her lungs and even those moments may have done permanent damage. We will not know unless she regains her sight and hearing if she will, in fact, recover these.
For now, touching her whiskers bothers her, perhaps because it is sending some sensory information she can no longer understand. The hairs on her ears are also extra sensitive. She can smell her food, but has a clumsy time finding it, so has to be helped to eat. Still, she is eating, which is a miracle in itself.
When Rufus died, I had said I didn't want another cat. But I just could not stand having no cat in the house. So in a fit of emotion, I went and got Cricket.
There is something really wrong with having to deal with death so close together, 1 1/2 weeks apart.
Even so, it makes my philosophy and outlook on life affirmed. Rufus had a good life when he was with us. I don't know how it was for him before he came to live with me, but while he was with me, he had a great life. He was given much love, and many interesting things to do.
In the short week Cricket has been with me, she has received the same degree of love, affection and attention. When she comes home, it will continue. She will live however long she has happily and very well loved.
That is, after all, all I can do. Giving others love, taking care of others, doing what I can to make others happy. Altruistic? Yes, but also somewhat selfish. I have to take care of myself as well, so I need to make sure I don't neglect my own needs. Part of this is the need for joy and happiness. If I make others happy, then my environment is happy, thus I am happy. It's a nice, happy little circle.
It was good to hold Cricket today. She was annoyed at the catheter in her arm, which is a good sign. She wanted to explore with her altered senses, which is another good sign. I look forward to her being home and to pampering her endlessly.
She may be a special needs kitty, but she is alive and she will be well taken care of. She is expected to be able to come home tomorrow.
Current Mood: 
hopeful
Cricket Update!
She is doing remarkably better! She is responding to sound now, which is tremendous! She was glad to see me and began purring shortly after I had her in my arms. On the way home in the car, I tucked her up under my chin against my neck and hummed. To her, it is purring, and she went to sleep, purring as well.
I stopped by my own vet on the way home. She was astonished, given the story, that Cricket was even alive. In fact, when the doc shone a light into her eyes, Cricket winced and her pupils reacted! This is most excellent!
There is a really good chance that, given her quick healing, she will have her sight and hearing back at least somewhat in a week or so.
She's eating well, but does not like to use the litter box, as the surface is unstable. She's still pretty clumsy, with a bit of lagging reflexes. That should heal well too though, as it's tied in with the sight and hearing.
At the moment, she's exploring my room (which has been made safe for her) and bumping into things, then moving on. She's in no pain, and is noisy as ever. She'll be fine, and I'm so thrilled!
Current Mood: 
happy
Status
Cricket ate nearly a full can (fancy feast size) of cat food upon arrival at home. She's on the second can now, and is chowing down between explorations.
She's not drinking much, but then she didn't before either out of her own bowl. She'd drink from the dog's bowl or mom's paint bowl, or the sink or the tub. I've done what the vet recommended and put some water in with the food, which she readily licks up as she eats. I know she's getting fluid, this way.
Watching her stumble around is hard. She has lost all her grace. I have hopes for her though, and pray it keeps improving. Unfortunately there is no way to tell how much brain damage was done, without extensive (and expensive) MRI testing and such. Best to just wait and see.
She slept for about 2 hours on my chest tucked into my shirt. I hummed, she purred until she fell asleep.
I'm not sure what tonight will be like.
Current Mood: 
anxious
Cricket's morning
She spent much of the night sleeping. I suppose wandering around a 12 x 12 room gets old after a bit, especially when one bumps into things every 8 feet or so, via the head.
She is still clumsy this morning. Eating well, and I am putting the water in with her food, which she readily laps up. She is into cleaning herself today, which is another sign of improvement.
If you've ever seen a cat just after they have been spayed or neutered, you may know what I mean by clumsy. It's as if her rear legs aren't in synch with her front legs. She walks with a strange flop footed gait in the front legs, as well.
She is using the litter box now, which is a good thing. She knows where to find it in the room, too. Another good thing. It does take her about five minutes of shuffling around in the box to get to use it, though. She ends up with litter on her nose as well. :/ I have been helping her clean off after these forays.
Here's hoping for further improvement today.
Current Mood: 
optimistic
WOO!
I am so happy!
I've been kinda down today because she has been sleeping and not showing signs of improvement. I know, I'm expecting so much.
Well, tonight I came in from the store and went to my room, soon as she heard me she started talking and came out from under the bed. She went to her food bowl, didn't want that. She wandered... and rubbed up against my legs.
I sat down on the floor with her and noticed:
1. She is not bumping into most things anymore! She stops millimeters from hitting her head, so that's either her whisker sense coming back or her sight. I'm thinking sight because my white shirt stops her a lot quicker than my blue jeans do!
2. She kneads me! She crawled up (intentionally!) into my lap and kneaded me with her paws!
3. She rolled over onto her back a few times and stretched out languorously!
4. Each time she approaches the bed she ducks her head UNDER the edge to go under the bed!
5. Her paw reflexes appear normal! The doctor showed me how to test, fold under the front paws when she is sitting. They should pop right back up. They didn't, on Wednesday. There was a delay. Tonight, they pop right back up instantly!
6. She's purring lots!
I thought some of this were flukes, but after careful observation, she's really accomplished this! WOO!
Current Mood: 
excited
I need to learn cat...
Here I thought she was just being real affectionate 'cause she loved me...
I was worried because she was not eating and hadn't for awhile today. Hmm. Since I refilled her bowl with Shrimp and Fish Flake Feast from Fancy Feast. Hmm.
Okay. Tossed that out, and put another kind in her bowl.
Of course, she chowed down!
Scratch *that* flavor off the list of food to buy!
Current Mood: 
amused
The Cricket Times
It seems her eyesight is getting a bit better. She stops in front of very light (white) things without bumping into them. She closes her eyes and turns her head away when the room is darkened and a flashlight is shone into her eyes. Her pupils dilate.
Her hearing is becoming more acute. Her ears are swiveling and twitching at much softer sounds now than they had been.
She's developing some coping techniques. Just as if you had a treasure map with "8 steps from the tree, turn left" type of things, she has a pattern to get to the dogs water dish. I guess I can't call it theirs anymore, she's used it since she came to us! So it's the pet water dish. She does NOT like wet food with water anymore and she prefers dry to wet, once again. (She currently has the option of both, side by side, and chooses to eat the dry food.) At least I know she won't get dehydrated.
Anyway, she follows a pattern for getting to the litter box, their water dish, etc. I *have* been able to move around my office chair without disrupting her. She walks in front of it against my desk anyway, and the supports are too low for her to hit her head on, she just kind of runs into them with her legs and then moves on over them.
She hasn't gotten up on the bed by herself yet, but she gets down by herself! At first it was more of a fall, therefore I put pillows around the bed on the floor. (Yes, I caught her when she fell.) She now just lets her front feet/foot slide down the side when she comes to the edge and plops on down, remaining upright.
She's sneezing today, which worries me. But, her lungs are clear, which is a good thing. Her urine and fecal output are normal, her eating and water intake are normal. She's talkative as usual and once more likes being held. She purrs as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed and praying. (Yes, Buddhists do pray!)
Current Mood: 
tired
More than you ever likely wanted to know...
[… about feline bodily functions.]
I was worried about constipation, so I asked my vet how often Cricket should be pooping.
It's the quality, not the quantity, I was told.
She didn't know of any kind of statement one way or another with regards to "how often" or "how much". What is important is consistency and moisture.
Dry and hard, most likely smallish to go along with this = bad.
Loose and runny, copious or not = bad.
Moist and solid = good.
So, Cricket has good stools. (I should know. I just cleaned out the litterbox. I clean it after every trip she makes so that she doesn't end up scratching up all the old stuff, since she can't see what she's doing. This one was particularly smelly. The odor of stool does not seem to matter to the vet. :)
She won't eat any more wet cat food. Heh. Just after I buy two 12-packs of Fancy Feast. She will only eat the dry stuff. I give her the high quality kitten food.
Still being trained, I am.
Current Mood: 
amused
Room Redecorating Sorta
My room is small, 12 x 12 or so. I have now a twin bed in here, along with my computer, desk, dresser. Thing is, Cricket gets under my bed to sleep. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it's nearly impossible to keep on top of dust here. Vacuuming regularly is not doing the trick.
I'm thinking two things.
1. Get an air purifier/filter. I think both me AND the kitty would benefit from this.
2. Block off under the bed so she cannot get there, leaving her to find places to sleep that are easier to clean.
I think I'm gonna have to do both. She comes out from under the bed each time sneezing. Her lungs are still clear, but that really can't be good for her, nor comfortable. My brother in law is making a cat tree for me out of a rhododendron bush trunk and some platforms. This will be made safe for the blind kitty, and should provide some nice warm spots for her to sun and sleep, including a little cave-type thing.
I hate dust!
I was thinking of redoing the walls, painting, actually decorating this space, but I just haven't the energy right now. Life is pretty draining as it is.
Current Mood: 
pensive
I'm awake.
Mom's snoring, so is Riley. Katy is quiet. The kitten is noisy for attention. I've already spent some times snuggling her, she likes to tuck her head under my chin and be stroked.
I read that cats don't purr for contentment. New research suggests it has healing properties, no lie. The frequency actually can mend bones, tendons, etc. It helps explain why cats have so fewer bone and joint problems, and why their fractures heal a lot faster than dogs. So perhaps it's a love healing gesture or something. I know when I hum to her when she's against my chest, if she isn't already purring, she starts immediately.
[Deleted boring stuff about insomnia.]
On the good front, Cricket was playing tonight. Real playing. Well, to her. Before her trauma, she chased imaginary things, jumping and leaping, cavorting around. Tonight she started doing it again, first time since her loss of her 1st life. I am so thrilled about this! Even if she doesn't get her sight back any more than she has now, she's been exploring the house once more fully and "looking" for things to get into. Almost like nothing happened. Her balance is much better, too.
Oh yeah, I vacuumed under the bed and it helped some, but not enough. I guess I'm going to have to block it off totally.
[Deleted more boring stuff about insomnia]
Current Mood: 
awake
Back to Normal...
At this point, I have no idea if her sight is back or not. Her pupils respond to light, and (when she wants to) she will follow things with her eyes even if they are silent. (Otherwise, who'd know if it was her hearing the movement and not seeing it?) But, being a cat, she only does that when she *wants* to, other times she'll just stare at me.
I did catch her playing with one of her favorite toys on the floor. She went right to it, and it was sitting there silent (toilet roll, sans tissue, with a dangly inside to make noise when moved), and tossed it around a few times.
I think her spatial perception might be off... or whatever it is that causes you to think things are closer or farther away than they are. Or rather, to judge the distance something is from you. The only reason I suspect this is the lead she does with her paw when she's going over an edge.
Otherwise, she seems 100% A-Ok!
Well, normal except that I have a cold as does Cricket, Riley and Katy. We're all sneezing, Katy is coughing, I have a sore throat and sore ears/neck. Bah.
[Deleted irrelevant stuff.]
Kitty Enrichment
After doing LOTS of reading on the subject of keeping indoor pets happy, as well as things from a special someone about keeping big cats happy when "caged", I'm wondering if anyone else has any ideas.
Cricket's favorite toys are the fake mousies, one of which makes a crinkling kind of sound, two of which are just sewn leather (now missing eyes, ears, etc!) and I dip those in catnip. Her other favorite, probably more than the mice, is a toilet paper roll sans tissue that I've hung a noisy dangly inside of via thread. She doesn't pay any attention whatsoever to the feather toy with a bell on a string that I bought!
My brother in law is making a cat tree for her from a rhododendron bush trunk. It'll have platforms covered in nice scratch-worthy carpet and possibly rails as Cricket still has a bit of a time with edges. It'll reach all the way up to my window so she'll have nice spots to sunbathe.
Right now she's into imaginary games, chasing things only she can "see" and tearing about the house full throttle! She's begun to "attack" the dogs but they haven't quite got the relationship yet where they play together.
Not sure what else to do for her, but it seems like there should be something. All the copious articles (there aren't that many actually) on keeping indoor cats entertained talk about various toys. I'm really wondering about other, more stimulating things.
So, ideas?
Current Mood: 
awake
Chirp Chirp
Another Cricket Update
I'm so happy! Formerly, if I put my finger up towards her eye and made sure not to touch any whiskers or lashes, she would not even blink or seem to notice. Now, however, she closes the eye and/or winces away! She can see!
Her depth perception or spatial perception or.. something.. is a wee bit off still. Surfaces that drop off like edges of things give her some trouble, she sees the edge but isn't sure how far down the next spot is, so tests for it first, then sometimes seems to misjudge. But even that is getting better and she's been all over nearly everything today!
She's been wanting outside too, sitting at the screen door and staring out, meowing. She's tried to get in the fireplace, but I won't let her. :) The only surfaces she hasn't been on that she'd been on before is the table in front of the picture window. I'm sure that's next. :)
I am *very very* relieved and happy!
Oh yes, she slept some with me last night!
Yay!!!!
Current Mood: 
happy
Forced Break Time
I've been sitting here working with most of my attention on work and the (very) idle IM conversations with a couple of good friends. Cricket was 8 feet away when I noticed her. Then, the next moment...
There was a cat with claws out landing on my left arm and chest! My yelp/scream of surprise didn't seem to bother her, nor the dogs, one of which (Riley) is sleeping on my bed. She leapt a good four feet up and at least three across to land on me like that.
Of course, after I moved my right arm to disengage her claws, she curled up happy as can be and started purring and demanding to be scratched under her chin and down her chest. Hmpf. This is why cats are hard to put off while dogs can be told "not right now".
She's adorable though, and Mom's attitude is good even when Cricket runs from one end of the house to the other before climbing up the back of Mom's recliner and onto Mom's head. We're not doing much to stop her from clawing anything but the couch, the other furniture is fair game.
She particularly likes the small 2' by 2 1/2 ' rug I have at the entrance to my room. I can't keep it in place. She chews on it, claws it, drags it down the hall, gets under it, etc. She loves the thing.
[Friend of mine] mentioned that she may have one eye weaker than the other. That'd explain her being able to see but having depth perception problems. Makes sense to me. It still makes me a bit sad when she misses what she's trying to touch, but she gets it the second time unerringly and is obviously happy and healthy now.
One of the things she reaches out to touch is my face, when she's cuddled in my arms. She'll stretch and reach to gently paw my chin, claws in. I thought it was just a fluke and not intentional, but she does that every time. It's a way of her communicating I guess. I love it.
She's a sweet thing. With claws. Sharp claws.
Current Mood: 
busy
We all win.
Katy grunts at me. Riley lays his head on my thigh. Cricket climbs up my leg, winds around my feet and meows plaintively or walks on the keyboard to type out her own opinion on what my hands should be doing.
Petting them.
Know what? I do. I stop what I am doing and I take the 2-10 minutes to pet, stroke, massage and play with them. Riley's too big to get on my lap, but Katy and Cricket prefer that spot to be cuddled.
I often wonder if they are doing it for them, or for me. I know that both human and animal benefit greatly from the interaction. I am always calmer after one of the touching interludes. I am reminded that life is fleeting and these moments should be enjoyed and cherished.
I am very glad to have animals sharing my life.
Current Mood: 
thoughtful
