May I vent just a little more?

[luckies4me]

I am so mad today, as well as sad. You see, I have just found out we have a Brown Recluse infestation in OUR home! I have found three, all the same size without the past two days. The first two I found right next to the rat cage, next to eachother. Then just today of all things, I found Dylan playing with one in the kitchen. Great! I do not see any bites on him so I am confident he was not bit. They were ALL the same size, and I am pretty sure they were born in our house. I can't tell you how many I have seen this year alone. A few years back there were several cats that died of Brown Recluse bites here in OR.

About a month or so ago Dan had taken out a speaker from our car which has a hole in it to run the wires. Well last week I had noticed while vacuuming that there appeared to be a spider web in the speaker. I took the nozzle of the vacuum and suctioned everything out. I am thinking that the mom was in there and that was where she layed her sack. So now tomorrow we are taking all the animals out in order to bomb. I am trying to get ahold of the manager so he can have someone come and spray, but if now we are bombing ourselves. I cannot put our life as well as my pets lifes in danger. What makes me angry is that after watching Dan's dads cats for two weeks, driving him to and from the Portland airport with no gas money, and having to use gas money to go to and from his house every day for two weeks and having to buy the cats food and him not offering any money for this, he declined to watch the pets for just a few hours so we can bomb. That makes me so angry!

I was going to have to board all the animals but I have luckily found a friend who is willing to watch the pets for the day.

Contined in second post so I don't lose this one.........

[luckies4me]

So then comes the animals. I just lost Honey due to pyometra and having to put her to sleep. Last week we had to take Ewok to the vets because his eye was swollen. He is UTD on shots but he needed to go in. They found no foreign body and we were given ointment due to what they believed was a cat scratch. Well the eye was doing better until yesterday. Now BOTH of his eyes are enlarged and swollen. They are also leaking. It is clear, not gooey like herpes. So I have an appointment for him next Wednesday at 9:30 to get checked out again. They are concerned it may be allergies. The testing is around $200 dollars, plus the initial exam and FIV/FELV testing just in case, although he's already been vaccinated.

Does anyone have any experience owning cats with allergies? If so, what is your experience, how was it treated etc? Then comes the rats. Meeko has a growth on his back. It is fairly small right now. Since my camera is broken I cannot take a picture of it. Since it is small I am hoping it can be removed and does not grow back. I am hoping it is not cancer. I am hoping it is just a cyst. I also got an email from a lady who had adopted two rats from me about 9 months ago. One is Sterling, now named Stan. Some of you may remember me posting photos of him in the past. He is a blue standard ear berkshire. Well him and another boy I adopted out to the lady, Ollie (dumbo platinum velveteen-whom was bred here) are coming back here. Kinder care is ending and they were classroom pets. So I am taking them in. Well Stan has a HUGE, which I believe is cancerous tumor on his back. It looks cancerous to me. So I have to take him in for surgery, estimated cost=$400 or more depending on how long he is kept under anesthesia. This is going to be a VERY risky procedure. He is around 2 years old and was a rescue I got from a local pet store who refused to treat his mites and URI and kept him in a TINY critter keeper for three months with barely any room to walk or groom himself.

I am freaking out. I have already spent about $200 dollars on vet bills this month, plus Ewoks appointment next week and both Meeko and Stan's tumor removal. I am praying to God Meeko's is not cancerous. This can mean the end to a very good line here at Romping Ratties.

Then comes my dad. I talked to him last night on messenger. He is angry that the doctors now want to remove BOTH of his legs, after he thought the right leg was showing improvement. He was in the hospital just last week due to his legs and pain etc. He told me he hasn't eaten in two days. I am sending him an Albertson's gift card in order to buy himself some food. With his ailing health he NEEDS to eat! He only get $10 a month on food stamps, plus his social security which barely pays for his space rent, utilities and more food. The good thing is that he was given an electric wheel chair for free from the state to help him get around. My grandfather also qualified for one, so now they have daily wheelchair races in the mobilehome park. To top it off, after 7 years of being sober, he started drinking again due to depression.
He has quit smoking though, which is good. The oxygen chamber saw him no good.

One good thing is that he has since started dating his in home care nurse. Her name is Maria and I believe he is portugese? I am hoping she will give him the OOMPH he needs to get through all of this. He still talks about my stepmom Patricia a lot and really misses her. So I would appreciate if some of you have the time, if you could send a little prayer for my ratties and my father. It would mean a lot to me.

[luckies4me]

Here is a photo of Stan's tumor. The rats are not yet with me. The lady I adopted them to is going on vacation. I do not yet know if she has left, but I called her this morning to ask if she can drop them off before she leaves so I can see that Stan gets checked out asap. If not, I have to wait until she comes back, which isn't until May 15th or 16th. I am a little upset she has not taken him to the doctors.

[carole]

Sorry to hear things are not going too well Cass, please tell me what is a brown recluse , I have never heard of them, I thought maybe you mean't mice, but please put me in the picture.

I sure hope things get better in your household, and your Dad stops drinking, it will only make matters worse for him, that is very sad to hear, you are in my thoughts and I can only hope there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, take care sweety!!!

[luckies4me]

Thanks Carole. I am happy for my father though, that he has a new girlfriend. That is one plus!

[stacwase]

I don't have any advice for you - just hugs!

[carole]

Well Cass a new woman in his life, could be just what the doctor ordered, fingers and paws crossed eh? hang on in there babe.!!!

[luckies4me]

Thanks! I am trying to find a photo of a Brown Recluse.......they are pretty nasty.

[Marge]

Gosh Cass! We've been busy with vets and animal problems too. Not the rattie boys though, they are all healthy and happy. Skipper the yorkie had bladder stones and $500 later we are not guaranteed they won't reoccur. One horse coliced and we had the have the vet out, of course it was after hours so it was an emergency call out. $350 later the horse is fine. Then the cat got very constipated and off to the vet we went.... It's never ending! Sometimes I wonder why I have animals at all.

Is there something I can do to help? You know I don't live too far from you so if you need something HOLLER! It sounds like you do.

The Brown Recluse spider is nothing to trifle with. Also called the violin spider, they are 7 times more potent than a black widow. I was bitten by one and I suffered through 9 months of abcesses waiting for the poison to completely come out of my body. They would probably kill Dylan!! I'd bomb the house too! I have plenty of room for ratties if you want!

Can Jim and I at least take you out to lunch or something? Hugsssssssssss

Just an update on the 4 boys. The biggest is the brown velvet boy, (Scooter) he weighs in at 18 ounces. He's turned from a standoffish guy to the first one to greet you. The second is the white velvet (Guy) who developed a lovely brown nose. He weighs in at a pound. The third is the blue bershire (Buddy) who is just under a pound. Lastly the little black and white silky who was the giant of the group when we got them, he weighs in at 14 ounces. All are happy and healthy, wonderful friendly boys.

Loree

[davidpizzica]

Sorry,no advice here, but I am thinking of you and your father and I'll keep both of you in my prayers.

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by Marge
Gosh Cass! We've been busy with vets and animal problems too. Not the rattie boys though, they are all healthy and happy. Skipper the yorkie had bladder stones and $500 later we are not guaranteed they won't reoccur. One horse coliced and we had the have the vet out, of course it was after hours so it was an emergency call out. $350 later the horse is fine. Then the cat got very constipated and off to the vet we went.... It's never ending! Sometimes I wonder why I have animals at all.

Is there something I can do to help? You know I don't live too far from you so if you need something HOLLER! It sounds like you do.

The Brown Recluse spider is nothing to trifle with. Also called the violin spider, they are 7 times more potent than a black widow. I was bitten by one and I suffered through 9 months of abcesses waiting for the poison to completely come out of my body. They would probably kill Dylan!! I'd bomb the house too! I have plenty of room for ratties if you want!

Can Jim and I at least take you out to lunch or something? Hugsssssssssss

Just an update on the 4 boys. The biggest is the brown velvet boy, (Scooter) he weighs in at 18 ounces. He's turned from a standoffish guy to the first one to greet you. The second is the white velvet (Guy) who developed a lovely brown nose. He weighs in at a pound. The third is the blue bershire (Buddy) who is just under a pound. Lastly the little black and white silky who was the giant of the group when we got them, he weighs in at 14 ounces. All are happy and healthy, wonderful friendly boys.

Loree

Do you know if your husband got the email I sent to him the other day? I would LOVE to see you guys! I told him I would take him up on his offer to barbecue, hehe.

I am sorry you are having troubles with the pets. Great to here my boys are all doing wonderful though! Hurray! Just to let you know though, that Meeko, the grandfather to your boys has a growth so I will have to keep you updated on his condition. So it's something to keep an eye out for when the boys get older. If they show any signs of anything let me know.

Ya I dislike these spiders. I cannot believe I have found three in just two days! It's very scary. Luckily I don't think Dylan got bit as he is acting normal and I have yet to see any bites or swelling. When I rode the Coast Starlight back to Oregon from California there was a lady on the train with me who had been bit and had a nasty scar on her leg. I felt so bad for her.

Heh, I told Jim the little PEW was going to turn into a himilayan. That is so neat he has points! You know, I was looking at my adoption agreement for you guys yesterday and I could have sworn you guys took four boys. Now I know I was right! I need to write the other boy down as I didn't include him darnet. I would love to see pics of them if you have any!

If you can help rat sit let me know. I would really appreciate it. It would only be for a few hours hopefully. Give me a call later on if you can.

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by david p
Sorry,no advice here, but I am thinking of you and your father and I'll keep both of you in my prayers.

Thanks.

[Desert Arabian]

Aww, poor little Stan! That's so sad, I really hope that the tumor gets better. I can't believe all the troubles you have been having lately.

Are you sure that those spiders are brown recluses in your house!? Here's a link to information and shows their distribution. Could they possibly be wolf spiders!? I hope they aren't brown recluses!!

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html
http://dermatology.cdlib.org/DOJvol5...l/recluse.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/en.../brownrec.html
http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure...n_recluse.html

[luckies4me]

No they are brown recluses. I know what they are. I am from California where there are literally tons of them. Loree (Marge) lives right in the next city, and she was bit if you read her post. They are everywhere here. We have had a big problem with them lately.

I wish they were wolf spiders, as they are one of my favorite spiders! I have done plenty of research on brown recluses, so I don't need the links. But thanks for posting them, We have tons of wolf spiders here. They are fun to play with. I used to catch them when I was a little kid. There are some really pretty ones too.

[Marge]

HA!!!!!!!!! I thought I was the only one who played with wolf spiders! I love to watch them watch me, even if they can only see 7 inches in front of their faces. My mother used to have one living in her curtain when I was growing up. It stayed there for a long time, and she babied it. We didn't DARE kill her wolf spider!

I hope Jim has your phone number. I thought I had written it down but I must have not put it where it belongs.... shame on me!

Ours is in the phone book if'n ya can remember my last name! Ratties can stay here for as long as you need them to stay.

Loree*oh shoot, can't let Cass see the dirty rat cage......... HEATHERRRRR!!*