Conference misery::feline

    How special!! We have a blind laborador retriever, 13 years old, and
    she does really well.  She developed cattaracts (sp?) and when we took
    her to the opthamologist she said Babe had retina atrophy and removing
    the cataracts would do no good.  Babe knows are fenced in yard very
    well.  When you see her charging out of the dog house down the hill and
    up (but not into fence) to bark at a dog outside the fence, you would
    not believe she's blind.  Her puppy (age 8) acts as a seeing eye dog
    occasionally but the most important thing I've found is to put
    everything in the same place (her food dish, the big water bucket) and
    she does fine.  Good luck and God Bless!!
    

    
    	Mary, this sounds silly, but when you vacuum does that 
    	get rid of her scent trail? 
    
    	Sherry
    

Sherry,

No, I don't think so.  I vacuum every day and she can still smell her way
around.  I know she's gotta have trails, though, cause when we got the new
carpet she had no idea where she was.  She walked into everything.  We might
have the problem when we shampoo the carpets, however.  We'll have to wait
and see!  Especially if there's some kind of deodorizer in the solvent.

Re: .2...a seeing eye dog!!  What a great story!  Biff kinda looks after
Beth, but he must have a sense of humor about it, cause he's always leading
her down the garden path...he'll jump on on something she can reach and he
taunts her with his dangling paw...Bratty Biff!!

    Mary,  I am glad to hear that Beth is doing ok.. please give them
    hugs from me.. and tell MR BIFF,, that I said to be a good boy!!!
    the little dickens.. 
    Kate, Happy, Preschie, Kissy..

MR. BIFF is being anything BUT a good boy!  He needs a good scolding (and
a BiffKiss) from his Auntie Kate!!   He's cute, but he's hell on paws...

Mary

    I've mentioned Sebastian before, but he would like to be included in
    this note. Actually, he would demand to be included in anything.
    I got him from the New England Assistance Dog people. His mother had
    distemper, so he was born with cerebral hypoplasia (spelling extremely
    approximate). It is like cerebral palsey. He falls over about every
    other step unless he is concentrating very hard. He's 8 months old now
    and has learned to spread his back legs apart to be able to stand
    upright. He can jump into the chair (which he does every time I get up
    to change the channel); and has learned to get from a chair onto the
    bed. Mostly he plays with things. He likes to shadowbox, especially if
    his shadow is on the bedroom "gate" {a piece of plywood 4 feet high}.
    The fun part about that is the gate swings, bashes him, sends him
    rolling and Sebastian takes this as a sign the gate wants to play.
    He'll do that for an hour. Usually the hour between 2 and 3 am. He also
    loves to play hockey with the dog food that is spilled. When the
    novelty of that wears off, he'll play hockey with the dogs' tails.
    Aggie, my 40 pound mixed breed, enjoys wrestling with Sebastian. He was
    her 8th birthday present, so I'm very pleased about that. Sebastian
    also likes to bat at Hammy's jowels. He stands on the bed and Hammy
    stands on the floor. Sebastian bats away until Hammy ambles back to the
    other room and Sebastian falls off the bed. I keep picturing Baby
    Sinclair on Dinosaurs. If Sebastian could talk, he'd yell "again!"
    every time something like that happens. Sebastian purrs like a
    motorboat when I hold him, as long as I rock him at the same time.
    He'll sit on my lap for 5 minutes, but then he has to go St. Bernard
    hunting and dashes off. I haven't had a kitten for 30 years (my last
    cat was acquired as an adult), so I'd forgotten what kittens were like.
    I do hope he calms down a bit. I rent a 3 room cottage, and a 9 pound
    kitten chased by a 40 pound afghan cross followed by a 165 pound Saint
    is a little more than I need most evenings. But when they all come up
    for a group cuddle, it's worth it. The three of them sit at my feet
    during dinner and demand their share. Sebastian is particularly fond of
    spaghetti. A very fine little companion!

	C.C. had her own note in the old file, but I think she should be 
	included here as a 'special' cat.  Three years ago we went down
	to Pat Senser's cattery to buy a little female Siamese kitten.
	We chose a sweet little girl from a very active litter.  One of
	the kittens in the litter was withdrawn and quiet, though.  Pat
	told us that this female was the runt of the litter, and that
	she'd had eye problems since birth.  She had been to the vet's
	many times, but one eye just wouldn't clear up.  We felt bad for
	the kitten, but took our choice home and named her Jenny.  

	About three weeks later, we received a call from Pat.  She had just
	heard from the vet that the female kitten's left eye would never
	get any better.  He said it was a defect known as 'small eye'.
	Pat was upset, as she didn't know what to do with the kitten - she
	couldn't sell her, and the thought of having her put down was
	too much.  She said if we wanted her we could have her for free.
	The next day, Andy & I took the afternoon off from work and
	headed down to Greenfield, and brought home a tiny kitten in a
	cardboard box.  We named her C.C., for 'Compact Cat' as she was
	so little.  She seemed to recognize her sister immediately upon
	arrival, so at least she wasn't too terrified.  It took her about
	three weeks before she learned how to purr, but she hasn't stopped
	since.  

	Our vet examined her, and said he's pretty sure that she's
	blind in her left eye - it's about half the size of the right eye,
	and when you first see her, it's a bit disconcerting.  We've grown
	to love her little face, though.  I've never known a cat quite like
	her - she's extremely possessive, especially of me - she shows it
	by gradually shoving other cats off my lap :^}  She talks in purrs
	and chirps, and gives the best headbutts in the house.  She has
	many of her own special toys, and she'll bring them to you when
	she wants to play.  Only very seldom do we actually notice that
	she's a bit handicapped - when she's watching birds outside, her
	head moves from side to side, I guess to keep her one good eye on
	her target.  At first, she used to slip off the edge of counters,
	as her depth perception is probably not very good, but she seems
	to have adapted to that now.  Once in a great while, she'll slide
	into some solid object (her brakes aren't the best either), but
	that doesn't slow her down at all.

	Oh dear, I've rambled a bit - I could talk for hours about this
	baby of mine, who shares my pillow every night, but I gotta get
	back to work :^}

	Sandy

    I find it truly amazing how handicapped animals can adapt to
    thier handicap.  In my opinion (and I'm sure you'll all agree)
    these animals are so special and deserve the very best in life.
    And thank god they found wonderful "keepers" like you...but
    a special cat deserves a special loving keeper.
    
    Someday I have promised myself that I will adopt one of these special
    babies to pamper!!  
    
    Sandy
    
    

    Copper Penny Rusty, my domestic longhair, has an internal
    handicap that was discovered (thank goodness!) in time to
    save his life.  He has a natural constriction of the bowel
    which is inoperatable, so he needs to have muciloid (aka
    Metamucil) added to his food to keep the bowel movements
    soft enough so they will pass the constriction.  After that
    first scare and almost losing him, we diligently add the
    required powder to the canned food given twice a day.
    
    Of course, Rusty isn't exactly sharp as a tack, either.
    A fellow cat person once told me "red cat, brains optional" (-8
    
    I laughed, because it was too true!

    It's so great to hear all these stories about exceptional pets!  I just
    can't imagine my life without my tortie baby.  She's an absolute joy,
    and perhaps the best part is that she trusts me in everything--real
    unconditional love.  I've had to 'rescue' her from a few tough places
    she's managed to get herself (I say rescue cause she probably thought
    she was fine...Beth's Excellent Adventure...) and each time, she wraps
    her paws around my neck and gives me kisses.  Who could ask for
    anything more!!
    
    Mary
    

      Hmmm....interesting tipic... I think all 4 of my felines would
    qualify to a degree...some more than others.
    
      First there's "Stormy", A.K.A. "Stormette".. Stormette was found
    dodging cars in front of Bldg 22 on main street in Maynard the morning
    after a late November horizontal rain/ice storm a couple of years back.
    She was rescued before she became "road pizza" by a couple of the
    ladies who worked in 22...and who knew that I was an animal lover who
    was a sucker for a distress case. So when I arrived at work that
    morning, I was greeted with more sneaky-looking smiles than I ever saw
    before, and was told: "Guess what we have for YOU??" I was escorted
    into an unused office, and there--all alone--was Stormy--sleeping
    curled up in a little black 'n white ball on top of a vacant desk..
    So---after hearing how she was rescued and had been seen outside in the
    terrible storm, she was immediately given her name, and I took her 42
    miles home at lunch time. On her way home, she crawled down onto the
    car's floor, between my feet, rolled over on her back and wrapped her
    legs around my left foot, and "Zzzz'd" out. Thank goodness I drive an
    automatic...
      Stormy is still very petite..doesn not get fat although she has
    plenty of food, an has soem very peculiar ways about her. She LOVES to
    sleep in places that are smaller than she is...like inside my wife's
    purse, in a shoe box, and one time I thought I had lost her because she
    had disappeared the day I had a vet's appointment and I frantically
    searched for her...finally finding that she'd somehow been able to open
    one of those cardboard cat transporters and was sacked out inside it.
     She also loves to sleep on top of the kitchen stove, between the gas
    pilot lights...
      Stormy MAY have some minor brain damage...she has a habit sometimes
    of walking very fast in circles for as much as 20-30 minutes. Nothing
    was discernable from tests, but our Vet said this is sometimes a sign
    of slight brain damage. She absloutely cracks my Vet up, because he has
    never been able to really effectively check out her heartbeat with his
    stethoscope...because whenever we take her there, she purrrrs so darned
    loud that he can't hear anything but her purring. Stormy's purr is so
    loud you can hear her in the next room...
    
      So...that's my first "handicapped" story.... More will be coming..
    
      John McD

      My next two "handicapped" kids are gonna be lumped together here
    because they both have the same handicap: They tested Positive for
    FeLV.... But we've had one (Miss Meow) for 7 years now, and the other
    one (Cookie) for over 2 years, and neither have exhibited any adverse
    symptoms of this disease. However, there's always the chance....
    We have each one immunized for the disease each year, and we don't even
    bother having any of them tested any more...why test when we already
    know...and there's an outside chance that the immunization will make
    the immune system of the animal kick-in and rid them of any problems..
    JM

      And last but surely not least---just ask the three girl-cats he lives
    with if you don't believe me---is our "Sheik", Smokey!! He's the only
    male out of the four, and we know why he has this contented, smug look
    on his face all the time!!
    
      Poor Smokey is the most obviously handicapped cat we have. When he
    was a small kitten, he was acquired by someone to catch mice in the
    barn, and this was late October. The barn he was in also served as the
    garage, so one cold night he discovered the car and it's warm engine,
    and he climed up in the engine compartment to sleep in comfort....and
    the next morning when the car was started he became tangled in the
    fan-belt. His left front leg was mangled, and a large gash was made in
    his head. He was taken to the vet, but when the person found out how
    much the bill would be, she decided to "get rid of him". My friend who
    works for this particular vet then asked if she could have him, and the
    vet did the operation for very little, thus saving him. 
      When he came home with my friend, one of her Bassett Hounds has just
    given birth, and Smokey, being a small kitten who loves everything,
    moved in with the puppies. He lived with, nursed with, and eventually
    trained and grew up with those Bassett Hound pups, and even today he
    likes to "hang-out" with the dogs!! He doesn't miss his other front leg
    much...it sure doesn't stop him from hopping up on the countertop or
    the dishwasher butcher-block top to sneak pieces of chicken when we
    make a sandwich, or to his/hers food dishes. ANd when I come down the
    stairs he sits on a foot-wide strip of carpet along the top of the
    stairs and attacks my hand with that remaining front paw....which had
    to be declawed to prevent him from trying to climb and be 'hung-up'
    somewhere. This morning when I left the house, he was lying on his back
    in an old clothes basket full of an old worn-out comforter....squinched
    into a 'nest' that he'd formed, and there's NO WAY anyone can convince
    me he wasn't 'smiling' at me!! He doesn't "RUN" since his accident, but
    he hops along like a bunny as fast as the girls do with their four
    legs...
    
    
      JM 

    You know, John's last note made me think of something, and perhaps it's
    cause I just sent my wonderful vet a Christmas card to thank her, but
    in addition to our special pets, it takes a pretty special vet to not
    give up on special pets.  I remember when Julie was only 4 weeks old,
    she jumped off the window sill and broke her left front paw.  I rushed
    her to the vet on call (my vet wasn't available).  While they were
    still at the hospital (it was about 5:00), they seemed kinda put out
    that I had an emergency and said I'd have to pay for an emergency
    visit.  I said I didn't care and hussled me and Julie down there.  The
    vet was quite nice, not expecting such a tiny kitten, but when she came
    back with the verdict that the paw had a fracture, she asked what I
    wanted to do about it.  I thought she was asking for my medical
    opinion, but instead she meant "treat or euthanize".  I was horrified. 
    My vet would never have done that.  She stuck with me through my
    pregnant Meggie, through a sick, worm infested, flea ridden, mite
    rampaged Mikey, and with Beth.  In addition to my special cat(s), I've
    got a very special vet.

    
    	After reading John's stories, I realized I have a `challenged'
    	kitty too! I forget because I'm so used to her...Katie was 
    	rescued from someone who was shooting her littermates on a 
    	farm, she was the last one and was taken and given to me. I
    	don't know if this is a result of her proximity to the gun 
    	blasts, or birth related (her eyes are green, so I don't think
    	so), but she is deaf in one ear. (How convenient! :P  ). The 
    	only time I really notice it when she is sitting facing me, 
    	say ten feet away, and I call her. She will turn her head and
    	LOOK BEHIND HER!! And she'll do it several times in a row, be
    	looking right at me when I call her, and then look behind her.
    	It's very comical...(`you talking to me?')
    
                          

       Re .14
       My regular vet is a peach!! He absolutely loves animals, and I just
    don't know how he can take the job he has.. He is very open and honest
    with diagnosis, and never beats around the bush about anything. He will
    "stick with" an animal as long as it's humane to do so, and then he
    make no bones aobut telling what's happening. In the last few years
    we've had to euthanize three pets--5 of our pets...3 dogs and a cat.
    One of the dogs had terrible arthritis in her spine,and had become
    paralyzed. The cat has contracted FeLV(This was WAY before we acquired
    either of our present FeLV+ kids), and two dogs had simply become too
    old and their systems had gradually failed....the other dog had lung
    cancer. In each case, he outlined the situation in a very calm but sad
    manner, and indicated the fact that there was no possibility of
    recovery at that stage. The vet's entire staff--including him--were
    walking around with a wad of kleenix the day we had to make the final
    decision... THis vet and his staff get to "know" these animals, and to
    them it's like losing a friend too. 
      His manner with the animals is also very good...and they trust him in
    return. About half of my dogs will NOT tolerate us to clip their
    nails---in fact, my Dachshund tries to bite me if he sees the clippers
    come out---but all of them, including this Dachshund, will let this vet
    clip away without any effort to pull away.. Going to the vets is an
    adventure with my whole clan....in fact, "Stormy" likes it so much that
    she purrrs so loud he has never been able to listen to her chest
    accurately....all he can hear is the purring thundering in the
    stethoscope....
    
    JM

    re: .16 -  I'd also like to add that not all vets know how to handle
    feral cats and one that does is a real God-send.  
     
    I think Bob probably counts as a "special" kitty too.  Bob's handicap
    is emotional tho.  He was part of the feral colony at Weymouth Commons
    apartments.  He's the biggest cat in the house and the most timid.
    I guess we could call him "the gentle giant".
    

    Well I think my kitty qualifies as a handicapped cat...As a matter
    of fact ...that is how my vet introduced me to her...my vet knows
    that I love cats ..and have adopted cats from her before.. I was in the 
    office with my Callie so she could get her leukemia booster shot.. and
    the vet asked if I was would like another cat...but said that this
    kitty was handicapped...I asked what her handicap was and she said
    that she was epileptic (sp?)...that it was under control for the
    most part but that she was on medication twice a day...I got on
    the phone to my husband and asked if he would mind if I came home
    with 2 cat instead of just the 1 that I had left the house with..
    he laughingly said..."I knew I shouldn't let you go to the vet alone"
    You never come back alone!!!...
    
    She came with the name Cuddles and it seem to fix her....she is
    about 2 1/2...and was owned by a family that once they found out
    she was epileptic ..didn't want to take on the responsibility of
    medicating her....(they had 4 kids and a dog)..so they already had
    a full plate..(I guess??)...Cuddles for the most part is doing fine..
    she has had a few set backs and has had to spend time at the vets
    to get her medication straightened out...but she is a joy...
    
    MY Callie is a Calico..about 2 years old...I adopted her from the
    vet when she was 6 months old...and she has the energy of 3 cats...
    and LOVES to wrestle...sometimes I think she rough on Cuddles...but
    I thinks she enjoys it because she always seems to come back for
    more wrestling...                                    
                                                                  

    I guess Mips and Belle qualify here.  They are both one-eyed
    silver tabbies.  Belle had to have her bad eye removed. Mips
    has the eye, but the inner eyelid is adhered to it and she can't
    see.  They each have one good eye.  I've had them both since they 
    were eight weeks old.  The breeder I got them from had three kittens 
    with eye problems and when she asked which two I wanted I told her I
    wanted the two she thought no one else would take.  I've never
    regretted that decision.  They are little terrors! and fast on their 
    feet!  Belle will jump anywhere and often winds up on top of cabinets
    and bureaus that even my oriental Dream won't attempt.  Mips is larger 
    than her sister and more earth bound but she races madly all over the house
    chasing imaginary ghosts!  They are both lovable kittens too. In fact,
    as I'm writing this from home, Belle is snoozing happily on top of
    my monitor, making little patty-paws at me :-)
    
    Mary-Michael

    Just thought I'd take a moment and introduce Beethoven, my deaf kitty. 
    He's all white with one blue eye and one gold eye and apparently his
    condition is genetic.  His handicap seems like a blessing more than
    anything else.  He doesn't hear my other two cats hissing and growling
    at him.  He just stares at them blithely purring away!  :-)  
    
    I'm using American sign to train him and the other two seem to be
    picking it up.  They all seem to understand "No" (the first and middle
    fingers together with the thumb opposing and then closing the fingers
    together to meet the thumb).  Other than the deafness, he's just a
    normal 8-week-old kitten.  He loves to play and I caught him in my
    daughter's bed last night purring and trying to nurse on her chin!  :-)
    
    Nanci

    Nanci .. deafness is a genetic defect in WHITE cats.  52% of all blue
    eyed cats are deaf.  37% of all amber eyed white cats are deaf, and 17%
    of all odd eyed white cats are deaf.  It's something about the pure
    white gene.
    
    Just thought you'd like to know.
    
    Holly (who is raising turkish angoras who are predominately white)
    

    Thanks, Holly!  Until I met Beethoven I had no idea.  My Mom has a
    white blue-eyed cat named Shasta but he's hearing.  I'd never run
    across a deaf kitty before.  
    
    Beethoven seems to be holding his own with my other two.  He's started
    to try to get them to play with him.  They're declawed so they tend to
    bop him when they get mad but he's quick and he still has his
    claws and he's pretty bold about chasing the other two around the
    house!
    
    Nanci

    I read in my Cat Genetics book that the deafness is more common in blue
    eyed whites, and that on odd eyed whites, they are frequently deaf in 
    the ear that is next to the blue eye.
    
    Also, a reminder that deaf cats should be indoor only.  They can't
    hear predators and cars and other dangers outside.
    
    Jo

    Thanks, Jo.  Beethoven will be an inside cat only.  He's really
    starting to settle in with the other two now.  I gave them all baths
    yesterday and my Himalayan, Samantha spent quite a while trying to get
    the shampoo smell out of his fur and make him smell like a cat again!
    
    :-)
    
    Nanci

    
    I was wondering about this subject.  When I first took my little
    guy, Stingo, to the Vet for shots etc.. the first question she asked
    me was "is he deaf?"    He is a white kitty with one blue eye and one
    green eye and anything but deaf!  He can hear the refrigerator open
    from the other end of the house!  
    
    The vet also said he should be an indoor kitty (which he is 90% of the
    time) since white cats are prone to sunburns and skin cancer.
    
    Becky

    Although you'd think it would make a difference, Beethoven doesn't seem
    to be handicapped at all.  He more than makes up for the deafness with
    his other senses.  I've notice that his sense of touch and smell are
    much more highly developed than in my other cats.  He's also
    surprisingly aggressive toward the older two when he wants to play, 
    attacking first one and then the other and occasionally getting "into
    it" with both at the same time.  They'll growl and hiss at him and, of
    course, since he can't hear them, he blissfully purrs at them and
    launches right back into another attack!
    
    The toughest thing I've had to deal with is correcting his behavior. 
    Usually a "no" sign and a stern look will do it but I think I'll have
    to get an attitude adjustor for him in the form of a spray bottle. 
    Sometimes it's hard to get his visual attention.
    
    Nanci  
     

    Nanci, try thumping your heel on the floor to get his attention. 
    Somewhere I recollect hearing that this works because of the
    vibrations.
    

    Great idea!  I'll try it!
    
    Thanks,
    
    Nanci

    Nanci, I have the opposite problem with Beth, who is totally blind. 
    She can hear very well indeed, but she has "selective deafness" so the
    spray bottle works wonders, especially since she can't see where it's
    coming from.  I'm the worst Mommy in the world cause I'll just zap her
    and she has no idea it's me.  I try telling her "No!", but when that
    "selective deafness" sets in, it's spray bottle time!
    
    Honey, my 10 year old Himmy, has "selective stupidity"....when I tell
    him to stop doing something or to get down, he turns around figuring if
    he can't see me, I can't see him.  I have to walk around him and he
    always seems surprised that I found his "hiding place".  He's not
    exactly the brightest bulb in the string!
    
    Mary

    Mary - 
    
    Your story about your Himmy really got me chuckling.  Last night Muffin
    (who I personally think is the smartest of the three) was doing the
    same sort of thing with Beethoven.  Muffin was sitting on the top of
    the cat condo and Beethoven was on the floor.  When it looked like
    Beethoven was going to pounce Muffin would hunch down and hide his eyes
    behind the rim on the top of the cat condo.  He was so surprised when
    Beethoven found him even though he was "invisible"!
    
    But to get back on the subject, I think a spray bottle is the answer. 
    Beethoven doesn't seem to be understanding anything else.
    
    Nanci

    Re: white cats and sunburn and skin cancer.
    
    I have watched my vet perform and ear removal on a couple of different
    white cats that ended up with skin cancer from being outside.  It is
    not a pretty site.  The vet has to cut off the damaged part of the ear
    plus a bit extra to be sure that all the cancer is removed.  The cat
    ends up with just two openings in their head where their ears used to
    be.
    
    If your cat goes outside, maybe it would be best to keep him indoors
    when the sun is high and the danger the greatest, like between 11:00
    a.m. and about 3:00 p.m.
    
    Jo

    Sorry - I put this note in the wrong place the 1st time!
    
               <<< MUTTON::USER2:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE.NOTE;1 >>>
           -< Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected >-
================================================================================
Note 121.24                  Cat Urine/Odor Removal                     24 of 28
RLAV::BARRETT "Is it safe?"                          40 lines  19-JAN-1993 15:39
               -< Lost handicapped cat story with happy ending >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I've temporarily added a handicapped fellow to my house, and I thought
    I would describe his amazing (to me, anyways) story.
    
    Peanut was hit by a car when he was a young cat (1 or 2 years old), and
    had to have his left front leg and part of his tail removed.  He
    adjusted well, and grew into a big boy who could climb trees with his 3
    legs.  (He's now about 5 years old.)
    
    Then, Peanut's owner got married, and the new hubby didn't like him and
    made his owner keep him locked in a bathroom all the time.  I guess he
    didn't like it, because he snuck out of the door one day and got lost.
    
    The owner looked all over for him, but couldn't find him.  Then one
    day, after he was missing for almost 2 months, she was outside and
    heard a little "meow".   It was Peanut, and he had somehow become
    trapped in a hole in something (shed or something, I wasn't quite clear
    on that).  By the time she got him to my vet (the Saturday after
    Thanksgiving), his temperature was below 94 degrees - he was very
    nearly dead.  He had been trapped all that time, and had nearly
    starved/frozen to death.  I can't imagine the poor thing being trapped
    all that time.  He must have survived because rain dripped down onto
    him to give him some water.  And somehow, he managed to get up the strength 
    to meow, just when his owner was outside and could hear him.
    
    My vet was able to pull him through, and the owner has decided to part
    with him, because he's extremely affectionate, and she feels finding a
    good home for him is best.  I have taken him in to foster him.  
    
    He is somewhat intimidated by my other three monsters, and and at first
    was very unstable due to poor muscle tone, possible neurologic damage,
    and weakness.  He was literally skin and bones only!  He is regaining his 
    strength, and can now go up and down stairs.  Even the vet is amazed at 
    how well he is doing.  He has gained 2.5 lbs from his low of 6 lbs.  
    
    I've never had a three-legged cat before, and I am amazed at the will
    to live that this one has.  He has used up all of his 9 lives, surely.
    
    These animals truly amaze me... 
    
    Sue B + Smokey, Spike, Trouble & Peanut the amazing foster cat
    

what a heart wrenching story!!!!!!

I have to wonder what kind of marriage the owner has gotten
herself into (Sounds like Blue's original humans).

My heart goes out to Peanut and I hope he finds happiness.
He has certainly earned it.


                                 Susan

    I tried three times to make a reply here and deleted them all again.
    Now I sit and can't find words.
    
    Please pat the 3-legged guy very warm from me. He
    knows what I think about that all, and...
    
    I was not sure to enter this. I do, for letting you see how uncertain and
    shocked I am about this. Mods, throw it out if you like.
    
    Nat

    Well, Nat, I gave little Peanut a big hug for you.
    
    And I don't know who I'm kidding - I think I have added a 4th cat to
    the household.  
    
    I'm usually pretty good at this fostering business (the letting them go
    to new homes part), but this little guy has stolen my heart.  He is
    getting around wonderfully on his 3 legs, his neurologic "wobbly-ness"
    is just about gone, and after a minor battle with diarrhea, he
    is still putting on weight.  It's hard to believe he was literally skin
    and bones a month and a half ago.
    
    Welcome, Peanut, to your new home!
    
    I just wish I had enough room for all of the needy ones!
    
    Sue B + Smokey, Spike, Trouble & Peanut

    Thanks for -1. I came back just from a hard illness to office and your
    news gave me a bunch of energy to climb out my dark time. Hip hip meow!
    
    Nat

   Well, even tho' I've introduced our newest addition in the "appropriate"
   topic, I thought I'd also put an entry here and see if any of you wonderful
   folks can help us out.

   Our latest addition is a little one, now almost 4 months old, called 
   CUDDLES - she's my son's cat and we need some help in understanding how
   to deal with her in the best possible ways.  You see, Cuddles is most
   definitely DEAF.  In addition, there's a possibility that there may be 
   some sort of brain damage - she's very wobbly, falls frequently when 
   she's in the kitty playpen (big crate with litter box, two shelves at 
   different heights, food, water and wire sides she LOVES to climb),  
   does frequent "head bobbing" which the vet said could be an indication 
   of some type of cerebral problem.  Of course, the vet also said it could 
   just be due to her deafness and that she may well adjust and learn to 
   cope as he's known others to do so.

   We want to understand how we can communicate with her, get her to 
   understand us, etc..  We also want to be sure she can fit in with the rest 
   of the menagerie without difficulty, something she has been
   able to do so far WONDERFULLY but she hasn't been "out" with them all.
   She has been out with the other cats but only on a limited, while_we_can_
   supervise basis so we can be sure no one "picks" on her when she can't
   hear them sneak up.  She's getting to know the dogs by being in the playpen
   while they're out and will be introduced to them in the near future.  In
   the meantime, she's already overcome a bad case of fleas and earmites and is
   now recovering from TAPEWORM and some bad sores her neck, most likely
   caused by the collar we put on her (aside question, are white/off-white
   cats more skin-sensitive than others ?  the vet said we should probably
   NEVER put a color on this one, but I'd hate for HER to end up being the 
   one who can sneak up on the others !!).......

   She's only been with us a little more than 6 weeks, but my son loves her
   and so do I - matter of fact, it's tough for me to NOT cuddle her and
   make her MY cat but I'm trying to be good and let her be my son's !!!!!!!
   Any insights other deaf cat owners can give on how to work with her while
   she's still young would be most appreciated !!

   Debbi, son Matt & Cuddles (along with the rest of the menagerie !)