It's A Good Feeling . . .

Today was quite a milestone, and I'd like to believe it was due at least in part to the power of reading her "Jerusha"!:) :)

I was actually petting Muskrat's neck and head!!!:D Here's how it happened: I have a dust pan and brush that I use to sweep up the litter crumbs in her cage, and she is now used to me moving the brush about, to the point where she felt bold enough today to rub her head on it. So I began to brush her with the brush, and of course my fingers where right there on the handle so I slowly let my hand take over as I put down the brush . . . she was too busy purring and rolling her head all around to notice . . . it was so wonderful to finally touch her!!!:D :D :) :)

How wonderful! {{{hugs to you both}}}

Avajoy - HURRAY!!!!! Way to go!!!!

Lynne

CONGRATS AVAJOY , to quote a phrase,
"It's a good feeling". That's the wonderful "payoff" of getting
to see her start to know & enjoy a gentle human touch.

More progress! Tonight when I came home from work and was tending to her, she let me rub her head, neck and back withOUT THE BRUSH!!!!!:D :D :D All the while I was singing softly to her.

The down side is that I made an appt. with the vet tomorrow evening because her leg is not healing, so I hope by getting her into the carrier I will not undo all the trust I have gained . . . :( I'm trying to determine the least stressful way to go about this, and will try putting some treats in the carrier to lure her in, so that I don't have to physically put her in . . . I'm hoping maybe she will harbor less resentment if she goes in on her own accord . . . :confused:

I could always have my hubby do the dirty deed, since she hisses and pins her ears back whenever he approaches . . . probably because he can't spend any time with her, so she is wary of him, and . . . possibly it was a man that snapped her little leg so she is generally fearful of them all . . . well, wish me luck tomorrow night . . . I need reassurance that there is no serious infection going on . . . I have bonded so much to this little girl . . . :) :)

OH LOTS AND LOTS OF LUCK AVAJOY

Hope you get her in the carrier without too much trauma - but it has to be done - cruel to be kind and all that. Thinking of you.


Lynne

Best of luck, Avajoy. I hope you can get her in without too much fuss! :)

Sometimes I have had to delay an expected meal to
lure a kitty into the carrier for treatment. After she's
waited some hours pass the normal feeding time, give
her some canned food inside the carrier. Push it to the
back and be ready to close the door when she goes in.
It's really a balancing act on your part, as you have to
actually act like "nothing special" is going on.Just keep
in mind how this will help her, and no matter what happens
try to keep your voice, soft & sing-song like. Best of Luck.
I know you can do it, and she'll thank you for it later.
:)

Well . . . as it turned out, getting her into the carrier was the LEAST of my problems . . . the vet visit was a total FIASCO!!:eek: :mad:

After a 45 minute wait, the vet finally got to us. The vet thought it best to take apart the carrier so she could be removed from above. (It is one of those plastic carriers with steel door at one end). She told the assistant to put towel over Muskrat's head as soon as she removed the top, but the girl was not "with it", so the moment Muskrat saw daylight from above she jumped out OVER the carrier AND the examining table onto the floor and skittered into a corner of the room behind some plastic stackable bins on wheels. From back there, she could have crawled through a tiny space behind an immoveable built in desk and the wall, so the vet quickly found something to slide back to prevent this. She had also closed and locked the door to the examining room beforehand, which was now a welcome precaution. To make a long story short, the stackable bins were wheeled out just far enough so that she could not escape, and the reassembled carrier was placed by her with the door opened, and the vet used a towel to coax my poor little frightened girl back into her carrier.

She was never examined (vet proclaimed her too wild and scared, and inquired if I had a video camera to take movies of her leg . . . oh, PULEEESE!!!!) and yet they wanted to charge me for a "Brief Exam" . . . Hah! The vet did give me antibiotic pills to crush and put in her food once a day on the assumption that the leg is probably infected. If I had known the assistant was such an air-head then I would have volunteered to take her out myself through the steel door, and she wouldn't have gone through all this trauma. :mad: I kept my distance, assuming the vet and tech had experience handling uncooperative cats, and I also did not want Muskrat to associate me with this unpleasantness which would possibly outdo all the trust she had gained in me.

I just don't understand why the vet couldn't have taken better control of the situation . . . I have always had much respect and confidence in her . . . I brought Muskrat to be examined, and she was not, and I'm extremely disappointed. How did they handle her when I first presented her for spaying??? Don't they have long heavy gloves to handle ferals?? I did find out that another vet (who owns the practice) was on hand then, and different vet techs as well . . . so now I will know to request her.

Despite the nightmare experience, little Muskrat is more affectionate and trusting than ever, and i don't need the brush to approach her for petting anymore!!!:D :D She is my little dollbaby.:)

My goal: I look forward to the day when she climbs onto my lap and lets me give her a little kiss on her head.:) :) :) :)

Avajoy,

I'm so sorry that the Vet visit didn't go better. Did this
Vet know that this kitty was "fresh-caught" and not yet
socialized? It must have been horrible for you to see her
freak-out like that. I use a different Vet for my kitties than
I do for my dog , only because the cat Vet has more experience
with semi-ferals. I'm glad that" Musky" doesn't hold it against
you. I'm thinking she will do just fine. You have earned her
trust... :D

Thanks, Lizbud . . . you know, maybe this vet just didn't want to deal with the hassle because she was exhausted from being so far behind schedule . . . I try to give people the benefit of the doubt . . . too often for my own good, actually.

I would love to locate a Feline Specialist Vet in the area, but don't know of any . . . this clinic is only down the road about 5 minutes away so the convenience just can't be beat . . . and usually the care given is excellent . . . I will try to take Musky back for an appt. with the vet that spayed her and if I'm not happy with the outcome I will have no choice but to find another more competent practice.

Oh! I have pix of Muskrat and will post them over the weekend! :)

Oh Avajoy I'm so sorry the vet visit was such a shambles. Poor you and poor Muskrat {{{{{}}}}}.
She must have been terrified. All your good work down to nothing! Makes me feel angry.:mad:
As long as she's still fine with you thats good. Hope things go better next time. Fingers crossed. :) :)

Lynne

Avajoy,

Just a thought, but I got my kitty vet's name
from the local Cat Rescue group called Cat's
Haven. Maybe you could contact a group near you
and ask for vet's names.

Today, Muskrat let me put a collar on her . . . she was intrigued by the bell and kept trying to bat at it . . . last night when hubby and I were sitting outside on the patio with a fire in the chimnea we could hear her in the barn playing with her bell/ball/thingy on an eleastic string that I had tied to the top of her cage so it would hang down for her entertainment . . . I have also tempted her to play with a feather teaser on a stick, so she is feeling much, much better and I'm very much relieved and happy for my little rescue girl!:D :D

Her she is!!!!! The first photo is after she was beginning to get used to me (notice the alert ears), and the second is the morning after she was first trapped (not a happy camper!). Today I took about 10 photos of her, so when I get the film developed there should be better ones to come.:)

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~jemdoll/muskrat1.JPG

Muskrat is doing so well and her leg is healing nicely, thanks to the antibiotics. She is anxious to play every evening! She's used to me pulling/rubbing the scruff of her neck, so it is easy for me to move her and now I have the confidence to handle her myself when I take her back to the vet. So she could have more room to play, I tried putting her on my screened in porch but she hid in a corner and was so relieved when I loaded her back in the carrier and put her back into her cage in the barn. She is still very frightened around unfamiliar people and places, but she is so affectionate and trusting with me that I have every reason to believe that I can help her overcome her shyness eventually.

I have not seen Debra's Mom in several days, but there is a new solid white (or probably cream) cat that has been coming around for the past few nights. At first I thought it might be Sasquatch, but no. He/she is not feral; while eating I can get within 2 feet so she should be a cinch to trap. I call her Moonglow, because on the first night that I saw her the moon was shining down, highlighting her beautiful coat . . . I don't think she has blue eyes, but it is usually dusk/dark when she comes so I'm not sure. Could be almost a year old and seems to be in good condition. I think I spotted "cotton balls", so probably Moonglow is a young boy. After the holiday weekend, I will bring out the trap and try my hand once again!:)

BRAVO! A GREAT JOB WELL DONE!:) :) :)
Sandy Frost

Good job, that is wonderful!

Thanks for the encouragement! :)

Moonglow seems to be staying in the back yard and not wandering . . . I've seen him in daylight and he is solid white and has moon-yellow eyes. The other night he and Debra's Mom had a posturing stand-off, with Moonglow deferring to DM. But since then I have not seen DM, and Moonglow appears at the feeding area long before dusk, anxious for dinner. Tonight I put the trap out (closed) just to get him used to seeing it, and he had no problem eating right next to the trap. Tomorrow night I think I will set the trap . . . :eek:

I bought one of those large ferret hammocks for Muskrat's cage, and she loves snugglling in it! She is only about 6 lbs. so it is perfect for her. She does have trouble jumping up onto it because of her bum leg, but she is no longer tipping over her water bowl in the process, so she has gotten the hang of it.

Over the weekend I had her on my lap in my hammock for a little while, making sure to keep a light hold on the scruff of her neck in case she spooked, but she was not afraid and I'm so PROUD of her!!!:D :D :D

Anxiously waiting for more news.........

How is Muskrat progressing? And have you managed to trap Moonglow?

Mary

You have done a great job!

I took Muskrat back to the vet and upon examination (this time the vet tech was competent) and an xray it was discovered that she still has an abcess where the break was, AND a bone infection :( halfway up her leg. I am to administer liquid antibiotic twice a day for 4 weeks. There is a 50% chance that she may have to undergo amputation.:( :( I hope she can fight off this infection because the vet said that because her FeLV has taken quite a toll on her physical condition, such major surgery will be very risky . . . :( :( :( . . . she is a good little patient and eating all her food with the medicine mixed in, and I was soaking her leg in Betadine solution every day as instructed because she came home with a drain that needed to be kept clear and clean. Today she had the drain removed and now I must treat the area with peroxide each day until scabs form where the drain was. I take her back in two and a half weeks for another xray to see if the antibiotic is healing the bone infection. PLEASE, if you are reading this . . . SHE NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS. :)

As for Moonglow, the vet gave me sedative pills to put in his food when he comes to eat at night, but they did not do the trick . . . the pills were supposed to take effect within 15 minutes, but an hour later he decided to dart across the road into the cornfield when I approached him! So, she upped the dosage and I will try again on Sunday night. He eats on the patio and now I dole out his food little by little to keep him around so I can keep an eye on him when he becomes groggy with the new dosage. Then I can put him in a carrier for his trip to get snipped.:eek: That is, unless he has other plans again . . . :rolleyes:

POOR MUSKRAT!!! I will surly pray for her!! What a brave little kitty!!
GOOD LUCK with Moonglow..:)
Keep us posted.

I thought I had Moonglow in the palm of my hand . . . he was ready to doze off when SLAM!! the trap was tripped by ANOTHER cat . . . I had him fixed and have not seen him again, nor have I seen dear Moonglow . . . :( . . . he quickly shook off the effects of the sedative that night and took off. I hope nothing has happened to him other than wanderlust.

Muskrat had a follow-up x-ray and her bone infection is resolving, but she is now on different anitbiotics for yet another month. Thanks for your prayers . . . they are helping her to fight this.

Recently, I have had the pleasure of meeting a beautifully marked Tortie I call Lisette, courtesy of Debra's Mom who brought her here and remained by her side as the youngster panted from the heat and then inhaled the food I quickly offered. Debra's Mom is a kind soul, and she still comes now and again to eat. Lisette could be kin to Muskrat and she has now become a nightly visitor, and so I set my trap once again assuming she would enter with no problem . . . Hah! :p

I finally gave up watching her sniff the food without entering, and I went to bed. The next morning my Hubby awakened me exclaiming that I had caught Moonglow! He saw a white cat in the trap from the window. I was relieved to hear this, and to know that Moonglow was OK., but when I went outside to see for myself, I was surprised to find a pure white cat, yes . . . although it was NOT Moonglow . . . this cat had one blue eye and one gold, whereas Moonglow had two gold eyes. I had never seen this guy before, and here it was 2 days before my birthday and I've always admired white bi-eyed cats . . . :) :) . . . seemed like he was a birthday gift sent from above!!!:D

Of course, Hubby initially did not see it that way, but since it IS my BD he really couldn't deny me keeping this guy I have named Schuyler. He's almost 2 yrs. old and I had him snipped and he was given a clean bill of health and presently staying in the bathroom. Seems very docile and even-tempered; still getting over his post-op discomfort but eating, drinking and toileting just fine. He is a big cat, long and lanky though awfully thin with a coarse coat signifying his poor condition, but that will take an upturn now that he has a home and is my Birthday Cat.

I hope he and Debra will get along. She was quite enamoured with Moonglow; she watches the cats come and go from the window. I'm sure she got an eyeful of Schuyler the night he walked into the trap. He has developed the stud jowls and there is no loose neck scruff skin to grab onto; all muscle, taut and firm.

I will probably nickname him Jack Rabbit or Kangaroo, because his hind legs are sooooo much longer than the front. I took pix today so will post them when I finish the roll.

Schuyler is #6 to be trapped, and so far I've kept only 3 . . . pretty good willpower, eh?!;)

Hippo Birdie, AvaJoy!!! Pretty snazzy pressie you picked out for yourself. He sounds ADORABLE! Photos would be greatly appreciated. As if you had any doubts! ;) :cool: :p

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTTHDAY DEAR AVAJOY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUU

ADORE YOUR BIRFDAY PRESSY!!

LYNNE XXX

I will finish the roll in my camera this weekend, so pix of Schuyler will be forthcoming! :)

He has an absolutely dreamboat personality, and nothing seems to faze him . . . not even Lily's cranky attitude. :p I refer to him as my "Swell Guy Schuy" because he obviously is used to being around other cats, and couldn't care less about their reservations or hostility. One night early on I slept on the hard tile bathroom floor with him because I sensed that he did not want to be left alone, and now that he is feeling better he comes into the bedroom and sleeps on my pillow every night! He just adores being petted and loved. So far, he is perfect!

Debra is still unsure what to make of him, and she runs away to hide when he comes near, but at least now she is feeling a bit more herself and wanting to play . . . for awhile she was quite on edge and not at all herself, and I was feeling badly that I had brought this disruption into her little cowgirl life. But time has a way of making all things easier to handle, and so it is with my Debra. Tonight she was back into her normal routine of wanting to play on her tree, etc. All Schuyler seems to want is to be accepted. Surprisingly, it seems like Lily is more tolerant of his presence than Debra! Who would have thunk!:eek: :confused:

That is the good news; here is the bad: Tonight when I picked up Schuyler, I happened to feel a rather large lump on the inside thigh of his hind leg . . . :( I am calling the vet first thing tomorrow . . . hope it is just a cyst.

He sounds like a dreamboat, Avajoy! I do hope the cyst will turn out to be nothing. But I hope you will keep us posted about it. In the meantime, both of you are in our prayers.

Logan

my thoughts with you too avajoy - your sweet shuy guy sounds gorgeous and it sounds as if he's settling in with you so well. he knows he's found his forever home x.
i'll be keeping all things crossed here that the lump is nothing serious. i know you'll keep us informed.
your doing a wonderful job.

lynne

Here is a picture of Schuyler; I hope I remember how to do this right . . .
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~jemdoll/schuylr1.JPG

The vet believes his lump to be scar tissue, but if I want to be absolutely certain it is not a tumor they can remove it surgically and do a biopsy. I am going with her recommendation of keeping an eye on it for a few months. If I notice any enlargement then that is a red flag to have it removed. The abrasions on his nose are much better since the photo was taken; the vet took a culture for ringworm at my urging . . . I am so neurotic and fastidious about my cats' health! :rolleyes: It has also been determined that he is blind in his blue eye. Much to my chagrin, Schuyler no longer wishes to go beddybye with me, but rather prefers to be out with the other cats. Even though the girls are still not totally accepting of him (swats and hisses), he still craves their company. He is divine!! :D

Guess who I finally trapped . . . Lisette!!! Since she allows us to be near her when she eats (just can't touch her) it was my hubby's brainstorm to put out a cat carrier instead of the trap, and sure enough she went in straightaway! I stood right by it so I could quickly shut the door. She is now spayed and released, and she is quite the braveheart because she STILL comes back every night on the patio, meowing for her dinner. Usually the TNRs are rarely seen in our yard again, no doubt fearful of going through a repeat ordeal at the vet, but not little Lisette.

I haven't seen any other cats around lately, and I used my last certificate for Lisette, so I think I will take a break from TNR for a while. It does add up, so I need to give my pocketbook a much needed rest, too. :eek:

Avajoy - thanks for the pic., of the Shuy Guy! he's gorgeous isn't he - and such a shame he's blind in his blue eye - but from the way you describe him - it doesn't seem to bother him does it?
I'm so pleased you managed, at long last to trap Lisette - fancy a cat walking into a 'porta prison' of it's own free will!!!! She MUST have a soft spot for you - still coming and letting you feed her!
I would think all this has cost you a fortune - your just such an angel.
I'm sad that Shuyler doesn't want to sleep with you anymore too - being a big brave boy and striking out on his own - wow! Probabley thinks the 'ladies' need his presence! LOL eh?!!
Lovely to have your update - thanks so much.

Lynne

Maybe it is just as well that Schuyler doesn't want to sleep in bed with me . . . the vet called last night with the news that he tested positive for ringworm!!:eek: :( The first culture was coming up positive, and the vet thought it may be a false + because she did not think he presented with the typical ringworm signs and she thought it highly unlikely that he would have it. I brought him back so they could take a second culture of the facial areas in question, and sure enough AGAIN the culture turned up positive!

The vet tech told me to keep him isolated from the other cats and I told her that it is a little late now for that to make any difference . . . I only hope the others don't catch it, but there is a good chance they shall . . . I'm just surprised that I don't have it yet, because I've been in such close contact with him, kissing and stroking his head . . . well, whatever will be will be. He's my Birthday Boy and I will just apply the lotion to his boo-boos for a month as instructed. There is also a pill to treat ringworm, but the side effects can be severe/life-threatening so I opted for the topical treatment. I went on the internet and it seems that ringworm will run it's course and then be over.

Has anyone had a cat with ringworm, and could you share your experience? Maybe I should pose this question under a new topic in cat health.

Oooohhh nooooo, that dreaded word - RINGWORM!!!

It's a fungal infection and highly contagious. Your other babies may or may not show the symptoms - they will no doubt be carrying the ringworm spores but some cats build resistance to it.

Our two babies got ringworm as youngsters when we brought them home (from another animal on the plane???) Our regime was vacuum and disfect vacuum cleaner daily, cream on bald patches x 2 daily, wash all bed linen, cushions, cat beds at least once a week (advice was to burn everything the cat uses but that wasn't practical), wash hands whenever we touched our cats, and didn't touch any other animals. Oh yeah, and no visitors who have pets of their own in case they carried spores with them.

Sound fun yet?
:)

One of the anti-flea preparations has been shown to reduce the length and severity of ringworm. I can't remember which one it is - the info is at home so I'll check it out tonight and post again.

It's not as drastic as I make it out to be - but it's a huge pain in the backside. Good luck.

Oh poor Shuy Guy - and poor Mommy!! As Miss Meow says - it sounds a complete pain up the backside!
And now the worry - have the others got it! :( :( :( So sorry for you Avajoy - glad to hear it's not spoiling your birthday pressy!!

Lynne

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Miss Meow
One of the anti-flea preparations has been shown to reduce the length and severity of ringworm. I can't remember which one it is . . .

---

Oh, I hope it is Frontline since that is what I've been using . . . thanks for your input, Miss Meow!:)

Tomorrow I take Muskrat back for her follow-up leg xray . . . I'm hopeful that the 2 months worth of antibiotics have done their job so she can keep her little leg.

The flea treatment is called Program (probably the same brand name in the USA?) Active ingredient is lufenuron.

We didn't learn about this research until about four weeks into our experience, which was the time we had just gained control of the situation (no new bald patches appearing daily), but the cats did appear to heal quickly once we started using Program.

Program doesn't kill existing fleas but causes flea babies to be born without spines, thus ending their life cycle. Apparently a side-effect of Program is that is doesn't kill existing ringworm fungus, but helps stop it reproducing.

You may have seen this web site in your searches - has a good article on the research undertaken.

http://www.ompetproducts.com/ringworm.html

This has brought back memories of our mornings, when we'd wake up and find at least one new bald spot a day where the day before there was beautiful fur. Jasmine lost all the fur on both ears and had huge patches on her legs and tail. Poor little thing looked like she'd been eaten by moths! And Mini's coat was white then, and he had big brown bald circles all over him which stayed when his fur grew back brown!

Good luck again!

And good luck with Muskrat, I hope the treatment has done its work :)

Thank you for sharing the informative website . . . what an awful ordeal that transplant patient had to endure . . . my husband has undergone chemotherapy so I hope his immune system is able to fight off any possible infection from this ringworm . . . :( :eek: He wasn't thrilled about another cat joining the clan to begin with, and now he has even more solid reason to object . . . I don't know what the gestation period is once exposed, but I'd like to think that if he or I WERE infected, we would have developed lesions by now . . . it has been one month since Schuyler arrived.

Well, I'm glad your furkids are under control with it, and I hope my others don't contract it . . . I just may switch to Program in light of this predicament.

I'm so glad little Muskrat is ok. :) Now if we can just get Schuyler's ringworm cleared up all will be well. :)

Yay for little Muskrat! That's wonderful news!

Is your husband OK now, if you don't mind my asking? When was he ill?

A girl who used to work here was recently diagnosed with leukaemia and is undergoing her first bout of chemotherapy. It's such a dreadful thing to go through.

Great News Sue.

I'm so pleased for little Muskrat. Still holding Shuy Guy in my thoughts. You and hubby too {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Lynne