bead

[Beauty17]

Thank you for all the kind replies about my Beauty and her bead game. I was worried, too, at first, about her swallowing the bead - but that seems to be part of the pleasure of the game - carrying it very deliberately with her head hanging down so that the bead rests between her front teeth. She even tosses it from her mouth and catches it in her paws sometimes. I have learned to trust her about swallowing - but of course, we remain alert when she plays bead, so that we always know where the bead is.

I need special thoughts for Beauty. She is going to the vet today because she has something wrong with her skin - there is an open sore behind her neck, and she has been scratching and licking too much, so I am concerned. I hope it is just allergies or something minor - I am worried about skin cancer, because I lost another beloved cat to cancer and the thought scares me. I hope that by late this afternoon, my mind will be set at rest. My husband is the one taking her, because I am at work.

I wish I could send pictures of Beauty, but I don't have a digital camera, and I don't know how to send pictures anyway. I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the new technology. Apologies!!! I have a beautiful cat named Indigo, too, but she is a much more demure cat who doesn't have antics to report. However, she is lovely and special in her own right. If I could send pictures, I would send a picture of her, too.

[Beauty17]

Quick note about Beauty - I asked for special thoughts for her, and I wanted to report on her, after her vet visit yesterday. She has been scratching and licking to the point of causing a raw spot behind her neck. I was worried that she might have something seriously wrong, such as skin cancer - the wound looks really nasty - but the vet says the raw place is self-inflicted, and might be the result of allergies. I don't know why it just started now, though, because nothing has changed in her environment or diet. Perhaps cats can grown into allergies the same as people can. The other possibility is that the allergies only disturb her if she has been bitten or scratched by her sister Indigo, who sometimes roughs her up a bit when the two of them get into a battle. Usually they just chase each other, but every now and again, a bit of fur flies, and since Beauty is the less dominant one, she usually gets the worst of it. The vet gave us antibiotic drops for Beauty, perhaps so that the wound will not get infected. I hope it clears up soon - it did seem to be getting better, but then Beauty went at it again and pulled it open again. So, it would seem that she is not in serious danger - but I still hope she gets over this rough spot.