Conference misery::feline

    Beth might forgive you for getting her wet...but I don't think she'll
    forgive you for calling her "blind"...she just can't see with her eyes. 
    :^)
    
    This past weekend I was making lunch, and Alex decided that she wanted
    to "help" (yeah, right).  My hub went to get her off of the counter,
    and he accidentally knocked her off.
    
    Although he apologized profusely (and checked to be sure that she
    wasn't hurt), she properly ignored him completely until he was feeling
    more guilt than anybody should...THEN she accepted his apologies.
    
    K.C.

    
    	Well I don't feel guilty about this but it goes along the
    	same vein as -1
    
    	One day last week I went home for lunch.  Chloe decided she
    	wanted to sit with me but as I was wearing black (and she's
    	a blue/cream point himmie) I shooed her off the couch.  She
    	immediately walked over to one of the throw rugs I had on
    	the floor AND PEED ON IT!  "So, there Mom!"
    
    	brat.
    

    Mary,
    
     I know Beth wasn't too pleased, but I just had people walk by my cube
    wondering why I was laughing hysterically! I would have felt extremely
    guilty too. I bet she'll forgive you when you get home though.
    
     I figure you'll probably get a lecture from her before it's over
    however! ;-) I LOVE Beth stories!
    
     I think the stupid thing I do that makes me feel guilty, is I check
    the bedroom in the morning, and seeing no cats, close the door for the
    day. (heating reasons) I've closed both cats in at different times for
    the whole day! My mother-in-law is too deaf to hear them crying to be
    let out. I feel awful when I do this, but they're usually so happy to
    be out, that they forget to be miffed! Lucky me!
    
    Y

    Hi Big Bird (Yvonne)!
    
    I did the same thing recently!  I was cat sitting/house sitting for my 
    friend.  She had told me that I shouldn't let the two cats, Minnie and 
    Romeo, stay in her bedroom during the day.  Since I was in a house that 
    wasn't mine, I wanted to abide by all the rules very carefully.  So before
    I went to work in the morning, I closed the bedroom door, thinking the
    cats were in another room.  Well, poor Minnie was in there, and when I
    arrived at the end of the day and opened the door, she just happily
    walked over to me and wandered out of the room.  She didn't seem
    bothered.  I felt so bad though!  I checked out all the corners of the
    room to see if she had used them as a toilet, but everything seemed
    allright.  She must have held it in for the whole day!
    
    Leslie (Munchie)
                    

    I don't know whether to feel guilty about this or not.  I guess it
    depends on the day...
    
    Sojou refuses to WALK from place to place, and insists on running at
    top speeds, especially in the morning and at night.  Because he never
    gives warning when he takes off, I sometimes get in his way (of course,
    he's never in my way), and he bumps into me, or my foot sends him a few
    feet farther than he meant to go.  
    
    This morning, I was on my way out the apartment, and Sojou, out of
    nowhere, came flying at me and hit my knee with full force.  I'll
    probably have a black and blue mark tomorrow, but he just looked up and
    said, "How dare you get in my way when I'm trying to get in the
    window?"
    
    I've tried to slow him down, but it doesn't work.  I usually can't even
    catch him when he's on one of his trips.  In the unlikely event that I
    do catch him, I'll hold him until he calms down a bit, but when I put
    him down, he takes off again.  Sigh...
    
    Sarah
    

    When I came home from work last night, only Kelsey met me at the door. 
    I waited a few minutes and when Herbie and Taja didn't appear, went
    upstairs to see what had happened.  Evidently, I had left the slider
    open in the bedroom and while they were sleeping, a gust of wind must
    have come along and slammed the door shut.  Poor babies were rather put
    out about this, but they did hold their business for the duration.
    
    Actually, I'm not thoroughly convinced that a gust of wind closed the
    door.  I'd rather believe that Kelsey finally got sick of being picked
    on and shut them in there himself!!  He looked rather smug and happy
    with himself when I got home from work.....
    
    -Roberta
    

    Ok, here's something that I feel REALLY Guilty about!  But it IS a
    funny story!!
    
    First, let me give you some background.  When I adopted the old ladies
    two years ago, the only thing that they had ever been fed was this
    frozen cat food called "total feline".  it looks like a raw meat, but
    filled with the vitamins that cats need.
    
    Anyway, we keep this in the refrigerator.  I was feeding the cats last
    night.  I had opened up the can of catfood for the younger girls and
    sweetie and went to the refrigerator to get the "total feline".  I got
    the food and put it out in the dishes.  
    
    First I went to feed Sweetie, Kyra, and PIMA (I feed my cats in
    separate areas so that everyone gets to eat).  Sweetie and Pima came to
    eat, but Kyra wasn't around.  She rarely comes when it's eating time
    anyway.
    
    Then, I went to feed Silver, PITA, and Tabitha.  I came back and
    put down the food for the old ladies.  Kyra still isn't around.  I had
    a hold of her dish and went hunting for her a bit.  I had just seen her
    about 1/2 hour ago, so I knew she hadn't gotten out or anything.  I
    finally said "to heck with her" and figured she'd come out when she got
    hungry.  I decided to get myself something to eat.  
    
    I opened up the refrigerator and out walked Kyra.  She just looked at
    me as if I to say "you've got a lot of nerve locking me in there!"  I
    felt SO bad about it!  I was terrified afterward!  She could have died
    in there if I hadn't decided to get something to eat!  I showered her
    with hugs and kisses, but she wouldn't have anything to do with me! 
    
    Later on, I went back to the refrigerator to get something and she did
    it again!  Only this time I saw her.  She scooted under the door and
    where it's a white refrigerator and she's a white cat, I didn't see
    her!!  
    
    She finally forgave me at around 10:00 last night!
    
    Holly
    

    Moochie, my "not really a stray, but an unfed neighbors cat" has
    disappeared....I last saw her Thurs night 6/25, and I haven't
    seen her since.  (My husband did spot her briefly, from a distance,
    Saturday).  I asked around, and the son of the family that owned
    her said she has been around.
    
    I feel so guilty.....I brought home Nique, who refused to let Mooch
    eat in peace, and who would drive her off and or beat her up at every 
    opportunity....(so does every other cat in the neighborhood, too!)
    
    I'm so worried that she is starving, and I worked so hard to fatten
    her up, and I feel so guilty for being the cause to driving her
    away.
    
    Sigh
    
    Lynne

Oh, Lynne, don't be so hard on yourself.  Mary-Michael Cochrane and I have been
corresponding in mail and she told me something her former husband told her...and
I'll tell you.....Lynne, you can't save the entire world.  But, boy, do I know
what your feeling.  As for Moochie (GREAT name!), just remember that a cat
never forgets the location of a food bowl.  Try leaving her some food outside
that she can eat and she'll be back.

I'm feeling so guilty about the problems I'm having with Biff spraying EVERYTHING
he gets near (the spraying also includes out-and-out puddles of pee), including
my hand bag, brief case, baskets of freshly washed clothes.....I saved that
little cat's life and this is how he repays me???  Why can't he be perfect like
Beth???  I came down stairs this morning to find a huge puddle of piddle in the
middle of the floor.  Think he's trying to tell me something??  He's at the
vet (and not too happy about it) where they'll see if it's anything physical or
just a fashion statement...

Sigh.....
Mary

    I feel SO guilty that Misha is going to a shelter.  There's
    nothing more I can do for him.  He won't stop spraying and
    he won't stop beating up Belle.  I can barely keep up 
    cleaning up after him.  He's affecting the quality of Belle
    and Mips' lives, not to mention me and my SO (who loves him as
    much as I do, and is a saint for putting up with him for this
    long).  This is how Misha copes with stress.  He doesn't want
    to learn another way.  It would be easy if he was a nasty kitty,
    but he's not.  He's a sweet, lovable bundle of fur with a 
    wonderful dispostion, and now I'm sitting here crying because I
    feel like I've failed him in some way, and I know there is nothing
    more I can do.  
    
    Mary-Michael

    I have had three different male cats who all stopped spraying after
    they were castrated. I would think that this procedure, as stressful
    as it is, would be less traumitizing to a cat that being put into a
    shelter.
    
    Scott

    
    Mary, I can empathize with you.  I know how much you've done for Misha,
    but some cats just never adjust.  My guilt is about Smudge, who has to
    live in the cellar, since she won't leave Jenny alone.  As soon as we
    turn our backs, Smudge tries to beat Jenny up, and this has been going
    on for two years.  Like Misha, Smudge is a big, lovable, wonderful cat
    on her own, but she will not co-exist with the others.
    
    Sandy
    

RE: .11

You might not be familiar with Mish's story, it is admittedly
scattered about in several notes.  Misha was neutered at 6 mos.  His
problems are emotional and behavorial.  He and I have struggled through
almost 2 1/2 years of everything from vallium to ovaban to behavior
modification to reducing the number of cats I had by placing them in other
homes to holistic veteranary medicine.  He has very special needs for a
low stress environment where he can be the only cat. I can't give him
that.  I'm hoping that by placing him in a no-kill shelter he can find
someone who can.  

Mary-Michael

Re: .11....judge not until you've walked in his pee.....

Biff, who is also neutered, and Misha are identical in their behaviour
patterns.  Both are making life, limb, and property very miserable in
both households.  Neither of the two Mary's are irresponsible owners who
are looking to pass off their problems onto someone else.  I don't want
to put words into Mary-Michael's mouth, but I'm sure she feels the same
way I do...putting Biff (or Misha) into a shelter is like giving up our own
child we love.  But sometimes you've got to face the fact that no one is happy
and there has to be a better home for the cat.

I'll shut up now.

Mary

    ... and, let's try not to be so harsh.  Remember, valuing differences.
    Quite often people who live in other countries and other cultures say
    things that are misinterpreted (or differently heard) by us Americans.
    
    I always try to be aware of other noter's origin (frame of reference)
    before jumping on them.  I'm much more tolerant of poor grammar and
    spelling and mixed up sentences when the noter is from France or
    Germany -- heck, I can't even speak another language, let alone try to
    communicate (in writing) in another one.  ...I've always admired the
    correctness of British-English ... moreso as I witness the destruction
    and decline of American-English. 
    
    I didn't take Scott's comment to be judgemental, or to even hint at any
    parental irresponsibility.  I took it simply as a statement of
    something that has worked for him...a suggestion...take it or leave it,
    from someone who may not have followed the whole story.  But, as soon
    as I read his comment, I said "Uh, oh.  They're gonna clobbered him for
    this."  And they did.
    
    But, I don't feel guilty.
    
    Jo-Ann

Re: .15

I don't feel I "clobbered" him at all.  I just stated he might not be familiar 
with the story, mentioned Misha was fixed and presented a condensed version of 
the problems we've been through.  I wasn't trying to "clobber" anybody.  

If I am senstive to advice offered regarding Misha, it is only because I have,
at times (**and not from people here**) been made to feel that I am somehow
to blame because after spending 2.5 years struggling with my cat, I choose
to put him up for adoption.  That I should instead let him pee all over a house
that I don't own because it is cruel to place a cat in a shelter. I know
most neutered male cats don't spray.  In fact, it seems like every other
neutered male cat in the world except mine (and Mary Tamir's) doesn't 
spray..... ;-) ;-)  I live in a de-militarized zone.  I have cats hissing
and growling and jumping all over each other.  I forget what it's like to walk 
into my house and not smell cat pee.  I panic everytime someone comes over 
because I think it smells disgusting.  I'm afraid if I move my landlord will
make me replace the carpet and I can't afford it.  And I'm frustrated to tears 
because I love this cat dearly and I can't make this home work for him. 

Guitly, you bet.  Sensitive, yes.  Perhaps overly so.  But valuing differences
also means valuing what I'm feeling too.

Mary-Michael

    Mary-Michael,
    
    Calvin is neutered and he sprays.  There.  There is at least one more
    cat in the world that is fixed and feels the need to be male and mark
    his territory.
    
    Catherine
    

    An animal lover to the extreme Aunt of mine had a neutered male cat
    with the same spraying problem.  After years of trying to alleviate it,
    she chose euthanasia, because she felt it would not work in a new home,
    and someone might resort to abuse with his problem.
    
    Some might consider her option cruel and inhumane, but she did not see
    it that way.  I can greatly empathize with what Mary-Michael and Mary
    are going through, and can only imagine how awful it feels to make a
    decision of such magnitude.
    
    Hugs to you ladies!
    
    -Roberta
    
    

    Mary-Michael --- I don't believe your note "clobbered."  You quite
    simply gave Scott a summary, capsulized statement of what you've been
    living through.  As a matter of fact, after reading your summary, I
    thought "Whew, that was good.  Now there won't be any fireworks."  
    
    There's nothing wrong with being sensitive -- too often, not enough of
    us are.  I'm very sensitive (and embarrassed) about the fact that I've
    never been able to completely "house-train" my 11 year old
    husky-shepherd.  Believe me, when she decides to urinate in the back
    room, there's much more liquid than a couple of pieces of paper towel can
    handle.   Granted, it's a different situation that your's, and not
    meant to make your situation seem any less difficult than it is.  
    
    I'm only suggesting that we all consider the source, and reflect a 
    minute,  before we fire off our replies.  
    
    Jo-Ann

    This has nothing to do with the shelter issue but...
    
    When you have him placed somewhere and are ready to attempt to get
    the smell out of carpets, etc. you may want to try this.  My mother
    has a similar problem with her dog and what she did was take her
    carpet cleaning machine and fill it with Nature's Miracle instead
    of the regular carpet cleaning solution and clean the rugs.  It 
    seemed to help alot (although it may not smell wonderful while the
    Nature's Miracle is working).  Unfortunately, she still has the 
    problem with the dog so it was not a final solution for her but it
    worked for a short while and it may work for you.
    
    Just a suggestion.
    
    Jan

Well, I "clobbered", I suppose.  My apologies to Scott.

But back to spraying...it's more than just spraying and cleaning carpets...
Biff urinates.  A little spritz of a spray I can clean up, especially on the
countertops or against the wall.  Biff has elevated this to copious amounts of
urine, vertically deposited where ever he feels like it--my brief case, my
laundry basket, my everything.  Yesterday morning, it was an entire puddle
right in the middle of the floor.  Enuf of the statements, Mr. Biff!!!  Biffy
is still at the vets----and amazingly, still hasn't peed.  Before she leaves
tonight, Robin will feel his bladder and if it's full, she'll manually
express the bladder to get him to pee.  After 36 hours, one wonders if he
has some kind of blockage.  Poor Biffy.  I feel so guilty leaving him at the
vet, but I feel even more guilty that I'll have to give him up.  What will
Mikey do without him??  Give up Mikey, too??  I dunno....he's still very, very
feral and still is afraid of everything that moves.  Not too likely a candiate
for adoption.

Maybe I should bring my nice leather briefcase in for him and he can pee in
that again......

My apologies, Scott, since I was a tad overbearing.  It's hard not to feel guilty
giving up a cat for adoption, let alone deal with the thought of having him
endure the shelter.  Sigh.......

Mary

    Well, Holly pees where she pleases.  Mostly on the floor or rugs,
    because I've learned not to put down anything tempting, like a
    cardboard box, or leave a towel on the floor, etc.  So, even with
    Nature's Miracle, the house smells.  I've tried everything, and nothing
    works for any length of time, so I've just adapted.  I apologize when
    people come to the house (I don't invite non-cat people at all,
    and I don't invite cat people for dinner, I take them out to a
    restaurant.)  It's worth it to have Holly around, such a love bug.
    
    Try hanging your briefcase on a door knob.
    

    Now, Karen, you don't think hanging my brief case on a doorknob will
    really help, do you?  Biff is very creative....if he wants it, he'll
    get it.  He has sprayed drapes that are about 3 feet off the floor--
    turbo pee!  I had an outfit hanging on the back of a door in my spare
    room.  Biff climbed up onto a chair and sprayed that, too.
    
    A frustrated Mary
    

    I think it's very different if you own a home rather than
    renting someone else's property.  I had my own condo for
    three years and Misha did his business in various corners 
    of the basement and I cleaned up after him and that was
    that.  He was very well behaved in the rest of the house,
    and I wasn't planning on moving anywhere anyway.  Unfortunately,
    getting divorced changed much of that, and my ex-husband 
    refused to keep Mish, so off he went with me.  As much as
    I love him, I don't think it's fair to allow him to ruin
    someone else's property.  The caging episode is in another
    note...let's just say Mish isn't particularly fond of
    confinement.  Mish also urinates as well as sprays.  I have
    had decent luck moving one of the litter boxes over one of
    his favorite spots, but let my SO and I have an argument, or
    Belle hisses or,God forbid, Mish does something wrong and I 
    correct him, and my nose is sure to pick something
    up shortly thereafter.  And I can't begin to tell you how well
    "Stop arguing with me, can't you see you're upsetting the
    cat?" goes over....... :-) :-) At this point I'm sure I 
    can clean up the carpet, Misha is not yet in the Biff category,
    but he is a jealous and insecure cat who needs either a 
    place of his own, or a houseful of toms where he will never
    get a chance to question authority.  A houseful of three
    unhappy cats and two unhappy humans doesn't do any of us
    any good.
    
    I appreciate many of the good suggestions, wise advice and
    warm support I've gotten from people in his file.  My 
    Regina Steemer and I are busy most Saturdays...at this
    point janitorial enzyme cleaner is cheaper, stronger and
    comes in larger quantities than Nature's Miracle, and it
    works very well.  All of them unfortunately make me physically
    ill when I use them, and usually give me an asthma attack,
    but it keeps the smell down.
    
    I never felt a cat was negotiable.  My commitment to each of
    them when I gave them a home was forever, like a child.  
    This may be the kitty version of Tough Love.  What may be
    best for all of us may also hurt all of us to choose.
    
    Mary-Michael

    I was reacting to what I saw in .10. Obviously this story goes back
    much further.
    
    Given that, my patent solution must have seemed patronizing to so
    experienced a cat-lover!
         
    
    Scott

    
    To the Marys,
    
    As you well know, neutering isn't always the solution.  I have three
    male cats and one female. They have all been "fixed" since they were
    6 months old.  All of them have sprayed or peed in the house at one 
    time or another. (And when these guys spray they s-p-r-a-y, no little 
    spritzes.)  We went through a real bad patch for about 4 months during 
    last Autumn and Winter. After hormone treatments and a fortune spent on 
    "Odour Eliminator" they have pretty much stopped.  They do better when 
    the weather is good and they can go outside more. (They don't like the 
    cold or the rain!)  
    
    I understand how you are feeling though.  I was getting to my wits end 
    when they were peeing a lot.  Cleaning cat pee off the kitchen cabinets 
    first thing every morning is not my idea of a good start to the day!  
    Crawling around sniffing the carpet because I could smell pee but
    couldn't locate it is not one of my favourite activities either.  Luckily 
    my lot sorted themselves out but I was beginning to think we were going 
    to have to find a new home for one of the little darlings.
 
    You have my sympathy
    
    LaDonna           

I feel so GUILTY!!  Poor Biffy still hasn't peed.  Last night, his bladder
didn't feel very full, so they didn't express him.  This morning, he still
hadn't gone, but he's been sitting in his box acting very much like a cat who
wants to pee but can't.  He's being sedated and Robin will express his bladder.
I should know by 2 or 2:30 what's up.

I tried the hormone route with Biffy twice.  First time was Ovaban and it
seemed to work for a while.  We just finished him on Megastrol and it worked
while he was on a higher dose, but toward the end, he just kept on spraying.

You know, M-M, you're right...if I owned my house, it would be different.
Right now, I'm dealing with woodwork repairs (Mikey prefers this to the
scratching posts), and de-Biffing everything else!  As for "Tough Love",
I never understood so well that the person it's toughest on is the parent, not
the child.

Biff is prove positive that God has a sense of humor....

Mary

    Biff peed!  Unfortunately, there was blood in his urine.  I'll post
    more as soon as I know more.  I'm seeing the vet later this p.m.
    
    Mary
    

    Good news!  Moochie appeared Saturday afternoon, after 2+ weeks
    without a trace!   She's very thin, but came to me when I called,
    and chowed down on 2/3 of a 6 oz can without coming up for air!!!!
    Better yet, on Sunday, she showed up around noon, and spent most
    of the afternoon resting on top of the shavings bin, (in between
    many hand delivered meals, of course! (; ) up at the barn.  
    I missed her so, and this really brightened up my weekend!
    
    Lynne  (hope she's waiting when I get home tonight....)

    Lynne!
    
     I'm so happy for you! I'm sure she'll still be there when yo get home.
    After having to fend for herself for two weeks, (most likely because
    she was skinny) she'll remember where the love and meals come from! ;-)
    
     Give her hugs from me, Furby and Feendoonie!
    
     I love good news on Mondays!
    
     Love,
    
     Y
    

More good news for Monday...Biff is home, complete with a raging urinary tract
infection.  He's on meds and I've converted them (ha, that's what I think!) to
c/d instead of the Light they've been getting.  Bethy is really, really pissed 
and Mikey wants his Fancy Feast.  As for behaviour, Biff jumped Julie this
morning, which means he still wants her dead.  I've been lavishing attention
on Biff since he came home and he currently adores me.  He hasn't sprayed (to
my knowledge) since coming home on Friday.

We'll see.....

Mary

P.S.  Beth got her 1 year check up--she's a whopping 6 pounds and is doing
just great.  She's the best cat on the whole planet.  She's asked for a Beagle
puppy, just like the one at the vets, to play with.  You'd have thought she'd
be afraid of dogs....nope, the whole world is her playground!

    Mary,
    
    it is amasing how someone them seem to have low level FUS problems that
    aren't enuff to notice unless you happen to have those little litmus
    papers that vet uses lying around the house, but enuff of a problem so
    that you think it might be behaviour related. I've found taht Kostas,
    who is otherwise very sweet, is always spraying. Turns out the problem
    always occurs when he gets into someone else's food. I've had to keep
    him on amoxie for a month, AND feed him tomatoe juice/sauce daily
    along with keeping him out of everyone else's food to get the problem
    to stop. (I sometimes wonder if the reason that the folks at Kitty
    Angles found him dumped was because of his "spraying problem").
    
    Anyhow, I'm glad to hear that things are looking up for the Biffer.
    
    Deb

The Biffer is absolutely disgusted by his new diet.  You'd think I'm trying to
poison him!!  Mikey is running around in circles looking for his Fancy Feast.
Last night, I closed Biff in the basement and gave the gang a can of Fancy
Feast--it was gone in seconds.  They seem to be eating the C/D without too
much difficulty, though, cause the bowl was empty this morning.

Biff continues to be Mr. Loveable.  Last night, he sleep on my lap for a while
and purred and drooled all over me.  I'm giving him lots of love.  He still,
however, wants Julie dead...

I'll see if he minds my sticking that little piece of paper under him while
he pees....Maybe Kostas and Biff can compare notes over a bowl of c/d!!
BTW, Deb, do you feed the dry or canned?  My guys have never liked any of the
Science Diet canned foods.  I might get a couple cans just to see if they
like it.  Maybe if I put a Fancy Feast label on it.....

Mary

    
    Re:  .29
    
    Lynne, I'm SO happy for you.  One of the very best presents....when
    a cat comes home.......
    
    Nancy

    Re. .29
    
         Lynne, I'm happy for you too.  As Nique's go-between, I feel kinda
    responsible too ...
    
    Re. .33
    
         I have to get urine samples from Loki at least once a week, if
    possible.  I find that if I go up to him calmly and slowly while he's
    peeing, then pet him just above the tail, he'll lift up enough to get
    the strip under him.  If I do like my husband and run around getting
    the strip and race up to him saying "don't you dare stop until I get a
    sample!", he runs away mid-stream ;^) .
    
    					- Andrea

    I just read last night that a cat can have mild FUS without showing any
    clinical symptoms for a year+ before it's discovered.  I wonder just
    how many cats with this problem are abandoned because of their
    irregular litter box habits.
    

    Mary,
    
    The late AJP, Esq. would have rather starved than eat the canned C/D;
    But he LOVED the dry stuff. Niky and Kostas never tasted the canned
    but seem to love the dry (as do all the cats as they are always trying
    to steal Niky and Kostas's food). Beware, though that it is *VERY*
    fattening; C/D is what made AJP 22 lbs, and Kostas 19 lbs.
    
    Deb

Ya, my vet warned me about weight gain.  I'm gonna try to see if I can keep
Biff's urine acidified and still keep the clan on Light.  We'll see....

Cats......

    Another suggest you might want to check with your vet is to put
    a tiny bit of baking soda in the water.   According to my vet this
    also helps the acid in the urine!!!
    
    Sandy

    RE: -1
    that sounds backwards! If the urine is not acidic enuff, how would
    backing soda, which is alkline, make the urine more acid? I would think
    that if it did anything it would make the urine even more alkline.
    Of course, it is high in sodium, so it would make the cat drink more
    water, which could help desolve any crystals so that kitty would be
    less likey to block.
    
    Deb

    I'm gonna try the Purina Special Care at the vet's suggestion--as an
    occasional "treat" food.  I don't want a house full of tubs--but since
    they don't seem too nuts about it, I guess it's not that big of a deal! 
    After all, who's in charge here?!?!?
    
    Mary
    

    Why, Beth of course! ;-)
    
    Y

    Well, back to waitin....I haven't seen Moochie since Sunday....sigh.

    Well, I no longer feel guilty (:, because Moochie is showing
    up more and more to be fed....almost like she used to!  I
    have this weird feeling she was trapped somewhere (garage,shed?)
    for those 2 missing weeks, because of the way she acts....
    
    Last night, I went up to put the horses to bed, as usual.  Now,
    Mooch never used to come in the rain, so I didn't think about
    her as I went up the hill, shaking the dry catfood to get Nique's
    attention.  Mooch comes out of the woods, runs right into Nique,
    who (of course) proceeds to chase her out of "her" yard.  I yell
    for Nique, who stopped, but then continued after Mooch.  I put horses
    in, go get a flashlight and food, catch Nique, and lock her in the 
    barn.  I figure I'm gong to tramp all over the wet woods, in the rain,
    trying to find Mooch to feed her, at 10:00pm at night.  She hadn't gone
    far!!!  She was at my feet in seconds.  So, here I am, in the rain,
    at 10:00 at night, guarding Mooch while she eats.....
    
    L-

    Lynne,
    
     I'm glad Mooch showed up! I can just picture you out in the rain too!
    What we don't do for the furfaces! ;-)
    
    Y 

    Lynne....
    
    Your note brought back so many memories of when I was feeding
    Van Gogh and J.C.!!!! Sleet, Snow or Rain wont' stop an animal
    lover!!
    
    I'm sure Mooch appreciates all your efforts.
    
     Sandy

    Good news!  I have been steadily working on Nique's mat problem,
    and I have removed most of them, without injury to Nique!  Of
    course, hubby isn't too thrilled that it was his favorite pair
    of scissors I used on her, but he'll get over it...(-;
    BTW,
    One of the nice things about having cats, is when you need it,
    you have medical stuff from past health treatments to use....
    
    Fred, my rabbit, is very ill with a middle ear infection.
    Anyone who has had this happen to their rabbit knows how
    gruesome it looks.  It twists the rabbit's head in a sideways
    position, making it impossible for them to drink or move about.
    A trip to the vet got me tresaderm ear drops and Tetracycaline
    to be mixed into his water.  But, he cannot drink!  Casey's Amoxi
    syringe came in handy!  I sit poor Fred in my lap, cradle his head,
    and let the water slowly drop into the side of his mouth.  It took
    10 times before he stopped drinking this morning....now, if only he
    would eat a little something....
    
    Lynne

Re: .6

This sounds very promising. You have gained mama cat's confidence and she 
trusts you, which is a *big* help. I would concentrate on the babies, work 
at socializing them as soon and as often as you can. I don't think they 
will automatically trust you just because mom does. But I guess first you 
have to get to them. 

How close can you get to the kittens? If you can get within earshot, and 
*if* it wouldn't upset mama, maybe you could go out a couple of times a 
day and just talk to them in warm and fuzzy tone for a few minutes so they 
will get to know you. I did this with my cat Sunny, who had been feral 
before she was trapped and brought to the shelter. I kept her in my guest 
room and I'd go in several times a day and just sit and talk to her at 
first while she hid under the bed. I put a screen door across the doorway 
to the room and every time I passed by I would say things to her, like 
"Hi, Sunny, how are you? What a pretty girl you are!..." It probably 
sounds nutty but I really think it helped. She learned her name quickly, 
too!

You're doing a great job -- keep up the good work!

Linda

    Poor Fred!  Ear infections hurt like blazes, I know.  Let us know how
    he is doing.
    

    An update on the situation with Kostas. After several recurring bouts of
    FUS, he recently blocked. He spent a week in the hospital, and was on
    antibiotics for 10 days, and had his diet changed to S/D. When he
    finished the antibiotics, the vet X-Rayed his bladder. Seems that he
    has bladder stones (and some "gravel") in his bladder which is what is
    causing the condition to persist. The good news is that the vet
    believes that the stones can be desolved with diet and additional
    acidifiers. He is going ot be on S/D for teh next 3 month (he isn't
    pleased with the taste of it but on the bright side, maybe that will
    slim him down a bit). He is also taking an ethcloride twice a day.
    
    He seems like a new cat; he hasn't missed the litterbox or used the
    sink/tub as a box, and he is even playfull! We will Xray him again in 
    a couple of months to make sure that the stones are gone.
    
    Deb

    Wow!  Poor Kostas!!  You must be relieved that the problem is finally
    identified and that, even though he don't like the cure, he's on the
    road to recovery.
    
    I'm gonna show your note to Biff to convince him that his C/D is good
    for him and he'd better eat it!!
    
    Hugs to Kostas and the rest of the FIRM!
    
    Mary
    

    A big hug for Kostas.  That week must have been a misery for both of
    you.