Homeless Cat -- Now Spotacus' Legacy

[Wanderlost]

On 18 Dec, a very large cat showed up at our house. It was late and cold, and he looked in the door and made it clear he wanted inside. Well, since we have two cats already and he was a stranger, we could not let him in the house. WLToo walked out and the cat ran to him, so he walked the cat into the garage and into the climate controlled room out there.

He was extremely hungry and thirsty, but in otherwise good condition and very clean. We fixed up a bed for him, set up the feeding and elimination stations, and went to bed.

Next day, we worked in the garage all day, while the big guy slept or supervised. We found him to be an intact male, no sign he's ever worn a collar, and he has a strong need to be in the general vicinity of humans. For an intact male, he's remarkably mellow - I don't think he was the alpha cat in his previous home.

Have had zero responses to the "found cat" notices around the area and online, so we'll be working with the local rescues to get him neutered and all his shots, then find him a home. We can't keep him because he's just too big for our two cats to share our small house. Alex would have another emotional meltdown, and I don't want to go through that mess again (long, ugly story).

For now, we're calling him Spot, not that he answers to it (does answer to "Kitty, Kitty"). No idea how he travels; we'll find out when we take him to the vet on Tuesday.

If anyone knows of someone who would like a large (about 15-18 pounds) cat who needs to be with people, please let me know. No cat novices, please; this cat needs someone who knows exactly how to handle an adult cat of this size, especially when he's feeling frisky.





We're at Canyon Lake, TX, so if there are any Winter Texans nearby who would like to meet him and maybe give him a home, that would be great.

[Wanderlost]

We're back. The last month has been super busy. We started de-cluttering WLToo's mom's house, so she can sell it and move into a retirement community. Talk about manual labor!

The boys had to stay at the vet while we were gone, so they could monitor Spot's bladder (he's ok now). Spot gets kennel "fever," like cabin fever, so he's pretty aggressive to the techs. Luckily, they understand that his aggression is of the "play with me right now!" kind. We don't want to inflict that on the techs again anytime soon, though. Besides, it's much too nice around here now to have to lock up the cats. They'd rather sleep on the porch all day.

Spot and Alex are doing well on the distilled water with vinegar. Took 'em a few days to decide the funny smell didn't mean the water was funky; it was funny watching them sniff the fountain thoroughly before drinking. Now, they just get a drink. Spot likes the joint compound powder; he licks it off the bowl bottom.

Alex has lost a lot of weight, but is healthy. He's just very old. He's also silly enough to start stuff with Spot, then pitch a fit when Spot gets rough. We break up too rough play at least twice a day. So as long as the weather is nice, when we go somewhere for a few hours, Spot stays outside and Alex inside. We don't want to come home and find Spot killed Alex by being too rough. It's just fine with Spot; he piles up on the porch furniture and is perfectly happy.

Last night was pretty humid, so Spot didn't sleep with us. He stayed on the chair and a half, on his binkie. If it's as humid tonight, I'll close up the house and turn the air conditioner back on.

A 12-point buck, really nice looking one, courted Mama Doe Lassie in our meadow last week. If he succeeded, the fawn(s) should be real looker(s).

We still have one hummingbird, so we're keeping a feeder out. Other than that, not much in the way of birds anymore, so it's real quiet out here.

Unfortunately, we have a sudden influx of millipedes, which we naturally find with our bare feet. Yuck.

I'm still swimming, although WLToo won't join me anymore. Says 75 degrees is too cold - I think it's great.

Speaking of swimming, think I'll take a quick dip before supper. Later, y'all.

[dturm]

Many cats vomit with Clavamox liquid, not a true allergy but they just can't tolerate the liquid.

As far as the Baytril - there are two forms of the injectable Baytril a small animal version that is 22.7 mg/ml and a large animal version that is 100 mg/ml. There is a HUGE difference in price (the large animal version being much less expensive). The large animal version is used (calculating correct dose) for most patients BUT cats seem to vomit more frequently with this injection. We almost always use the small animal version with cats. That means a larger volume dose, more expense, but less chance of side effect.

Not a true allergy, but sensitivity to the large animal version. Any of you who have your cats on Baytril injectable might want to ask your vet to make sure they use the small animal version in your cats.

Doug, DVM

[Code2High]

When baytril stopped my bunny from eating but didn't stop the UTI, he ended up on Lugol's iodine. And when Sputnik had a UTI on a weekend, I used the same thing.... it doesn't seem to be something that people talk about doing for cats or rabbits for UTIs specifically, but I have to say it worked in each instance and the side effects were less than the pharmacuticals. I'm all for going the traditional route when it works. When it doesn't, sometimes you have to think outside the box.

Sput just finished a course of clavamox because I decided to double check that it was a UTI before treating this time (happened on a Sunday instead of a Saturday night...). It's been okay, (in fact I think it may have cleared something somewhere up that we had no idea existed) but twice is enough. A little research indicates that holistic peeps find that d-mannose works well for maintenance on cats prone to UTIs, so she'll go on that shortly. Seeing my old, tiny cat pee blood is not okay.

Finding ways to up fluid intake is also a good idea (more wet food, wet food with water added.....many cats like "soup."

[Dashonthedash]

Spot's not the only one with a squeamish stomach. Lily had an infected salivary gland that had to be drained. There is a big hole there now, and I can't keep a bandage on it because it needs to continue draining until it heals itself. I put a couple of old blankets on her couch so she won't stain anything. It's OK as long as I don't look at it.

[Wanderlost]

Nice looking Vulcan, Gary.

We've been doing a bit of traveling, just got back. Spot and Alex had a nice stay with the vet. The techs told us that Spot spits at them from his kennel when he wants attention. We've never seen that behavior at home -- must be a kennel thing.

Unfortunately, Spot's bladder problem is back. He's allergic to Baytril, Clavamox, and who knows what else. So we have both cats on distilled water with a bit of cider vinegar in it, and we sprinkle Dasuquin, a joint powder, on their food. I think his squemish stomach and bladder are going to become one of her case studies.

We found out about the allergies because he got a Baytril shot for the bladder infection and crystals while at the vet, and he started throwing up. This is not a cat who throws up a lot. Then he got moved to Clavamox liquid. We gave him that right after his lunch, so he'd have food to keep it from being so harsh on his tummy. 2 1/2 hours later, he started throwing up. Ever seen a cat with the running vomits? First time for me, too. He threw up over and over for a half hour, down to the dry heaves. So we hauled him back to the vet for another Convenia shot.

The only thing we've not tried is pills inside a pill pocket, but he's not easily fooled, so I don't have much faith that he'd take his medicines that way, either. Not sure there are any pills left that he wouldn't throw up, anyway.

Meanwhile, Alex got his old cat exam and he's in fine shape. Sharing Spot's Dasuquin and vinegar water won't hurt him at all - the Dasuquin might help on those days when he has to think through the process before jumping high.

I have another heart monitor glued to my upper chest. This time I wear it for two weeks, then take it off and mail it back. I'm sure it will show that the A-fib is gone. But not being able to swim for two weeks reeks.

The hummingbird migration is done. We just have the residents still here. They'll probably leave next month. The barn swallows are gone, and I miss 'em. The only bird song now is the hummingbirds, an occasional finch, and the resident mockingbirds. The roadrunner raspberry doesn't count as song, and the scrub jays don't say much at all.

Mama Doe Lassie still brings the bucks with her into the meadow. She has a family unit of her, her three bucks, and three of this year's fawns that she's adopted. But she does know to only come to the house when they don't see or are not in the meadow, because that's the only time we'll bring out her corn.

I see it's time to feed the humans. Later, y'all.

[Dashonthedash]

You're not the only who names the deer. I took one look at this one and decided to call him "Mr. Spock":

[Wanderlost]

Poor Spot. He has a bladder infection again. This time he got an antibiotic shot and a shot of glacosamine (not glucosamine). He'll get three more glacosamine shots to strengthen the bladder walls and hopefully cut down on repeat infections. She also gave us some CD for him to eat. He tasted it, but I have my doubts that he'll agree to eat it -- he much prefers the Blue Buffalo and Wellness no grain kibbles.

He's already acting like he feels better. At the moment, he's asleep in his new favorite place, on the back of the chair and a half. We put a throw up there to keep the hair off the chair fabric, and he made a nest.

Alex is tucked up beside WLToo in his recliner. So all is ok with the cats.

Hummingbirds are all over us. I bought a 30 ounce feeder this morning, loaded it up, and next thing I knew, five hummers were drinking at the same time (it has six feeding points). Three feeders, more birds than we can shake a stick at, and hours of entertainment as they challenge each other, us, the cats, Mama Doe Lassie...

I heard the barn swallows, but haven't seen them. Guess they're down by the lake feeding, getting ready to migrate. I really miss the early morning/lunchtime/evening gossip fests on our porches.

Ah, well, back to book editing. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

All the barn swallow babies flew in the last week. Now they're building up strength for the migration that will come sometime this month.

Hummingbirds seem to be migrating already. We're refilling one feeder every day. The little hummer that keeps challenging me seems to have figured out that I'm the one who feeds it; now it just hovers and watches until I get the feeder re-hung.

Mama Doe Lassie and her three bucks still hang out in our meadow, which has no more fresh grass than anywhere else. I guess they just like our meadow.

WLToo did start mowing, purely for wildfire mitigation purposes. I rather like the look of the tall grasses waving in the breeze, but they're an extreme fire hazard now, so he's mowing a little at a time in the more temperate early morning.

He's much better, now that he's finally over the pneumonia and has his BiPAP machine. Has enough energy to start building a container garden system that waters itself. He'll put that on the north fence of our garden area in a few days. Then we'll plant the autumn garden and hope it does better than did the spring one.

When he used his BiPAP the first night, Spot was rather alarmed at the length of hose along the bedside. He snuck up on it and struck at it several times. It was funny to watch, but I did move him away before he clawed a hole in the hose. Now it doesn't bother him at all.

Spot and Alex spend mornings and late evenings on the north porch, and the heat of the day on the back of two chairs. Spot also has a huge box to play in, at least until we take it to recycle. His fascination with boxes is so funny to watch.

My arm is still a little wonky, but I think it's good enough now that I'm starting to edit WLToo's next book in a little while. After all, it hasn't complained while I type this...

Later, y'all.

[CA_POPPY]

Isn't it something, how territorial those little hummers are? I think yours was saying "keep that blank-blank cat in the house!" DH says the tiniest hummer in our neighborhood is bullying all the rest away from our feeder. Even harder to believe, he thinks it is a female. :W

[Wanderlost]

A hummingbird challenged me this morning. I was standing in the door, waiting for Spot to decide if he wanted to go out or not. A hummingbird left the feeder, hovered about four feet from my face, and spread its tail in challenge. I just looked at it and said, "What!?!" It flew back to the feeder. After it left, I checked the feeder, but it didn't need a refill. Not sure what that hummer was thinking.

The over 100 temps have broken; now we're only in the high 90s. But as long as the humidity is down (which is normal here) and the wind's blowing, it's fine.

Spot's new favorite sleeping spot will soon depart. The old sofa is pushed up against the new chair, and the two backs make his napping spot. Nephew and friends are to pick up old sofa and take it to sister's house today, tomorrow, when they get around to it. Now that Spot has found the joys of sleeping high, he'll either figure out a way to stay on the back of the chair alone, or he'll go back to the cat tree.

Alex has his choice of the table between our recliners, where his catnip pads sit, or on a recliner back. Spot's done the recliner back a few times, but the new chair is softer. We'll see.

We have three baby barn swallows on the north porch. With all the juveniles and parents feeding them, they should be strong enough to migrate when the time comes. It is unusual for a third hatching; they seem healthy, though.

It's too pretty to stay inside. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

It's hot. Heat index is way over 100. The swimming pool is more like a bathtub, and there's absolutely no wind to cool us after we get out. So we're staying inside, under the ceiling fan.

Spot has a new favorite sleeping place, on the back of the new chair. Alex prefers the back of WLToo's recliner.

WLToo himself is getting better, finally. He actually slept about six hours last night. The PA's explanation of what would happen over several months of getting over pneumonia was dead accurate. He still needs a lot of sleep to get fully better, but it's encouraging.

Mama Doe Lassie's deer herd stays all night in our meadow now. They run back and forth near the house when they want us to open the gate. Then they stand and watch, as though they were counting, to be sure the gate will stay open, before they head out for the day. Endlessly entertaining, these deer.

We decided to mess with the really aggressive hummingbird on the north porch. We changed that feeder to a smaller one, and put the big feeder on the south porch, where all the other hummers go. They've all been cautiously checking out the "new" feeder before finally sitting on it. I've finally been able to identify a hummer that perplexed me. Duh. It was a female ruby throat.

Spot's looking in the door, with that sad look he often does. He knows we'll let him in, but still looks like he thinks he's been abandoned. So I'll go let him in. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

We picked up a new chair today, so all morning was re-arranging. Moved the sofa out, put the recliners in that spot, put the chair and a half over where I used to sit. Vaccuum, mop, a little dusting, sweat dripping off both of us.

WLToo still sounds like a steam kettle, and tires very quickly, but he says he is getting better. But we got it done, and now the cats are rediscovering the entire room. Well, Spot is -- Alex has discovered the joys of walking from one recliner across the table to the other and wallowing on both humans, one after the other. Going to make typing difficult.

The hummingbirds buzzed us repeatedly as we wrestled the new chair into the house. I knew I should have worn something besides yellow and red... One flew inside, but was smart enough to fly right back out.

So nice to sit directly under the ceiling fan, especially with outside temps over 100. But it's time to go swimming. Later, y'all.

[Wanderlost]

Sister reports Scrappy is over being mad at her humans, but is still rather testy toward the three cats who've lived with her all their lives. Her BFF, Monty, is still puzzled and a bit hurt that she won't play with him.

As for putting a collar on Alex? Every attempt was a major failure throughout his life -- lots of interesting stories of how he escaped every single collar. So he's chipped, but is mostly a housecat.

No, we've decided we'll not be in the dogsitting business as long as Alex is still with us. After leaping up on Scrappy's back, while WLToo was holding her, Alex has been a little sore. That high a leap at his age came back to haunt him.

Meanwhile, no sign of Mama Doe Lassie since Saturday. She's probably watching to be sure the dog is really gone. Her three bucks were playing chase in the meadow this morning.

It's so hot that everything has gone to ground. Very little movement except early in the morning and after sunset, and even after sunset it's danged hot. Highs in the 100s and lows in the upper 70s/low 80s means everything moves very slowly and only to get into the next shady spot. Luckily, we have a bit of a breeze, so wetting ourselves in the pool and sitting in the breeze is pleasant.

In fact, that sounds like a good idea. Later, y'all.

[Code2High]

Scrappy needs some L-tryptophan and pheremones for a few days....

If you have to get your cats around dogs again, I think I'd consider an e-collar. I used one once on Boo.... hated to zap him but he had to stop. And stop he did.

[Wanderlost]

WLToo was just looking at all his wounds and muttering, "Never bring a dog to a cat fight..."