I have not even thought about my blog for sooo long.  It says the last post was in April.  Well...here's what's been happening.....................

Tanner does NOT have any teeth left and is eating just fine without the pain. He's looking good and even allows minor petting (if you stay away from his tail).
Lamont still acts like his teeth hurt sometimes.  They get wet food in the morning and at night so they won't starve any time soon, that's for sure.

Sugar and Cherry were put on a rigid diet and are both looking trim and healthy.  Sugar seems to have stomach problems.  If she eats human food she has the runs and lots of gas.  That seems better after giving her Greek yogurt a couple of times a week.

My health is doing better.  I'm still on part of my meds to slow my Heart but the dizziness went away as did the shortness of breath.
I'm currently learning to tat with a shuttle.  I could do it with a needle but have always wanted to shuttle tat.  My next challenge is to learn beaded rope crochet.

I can't believe Christmas is coming soon.  Where has this year gone?  I guess I lost track after I had that Ablation.  I was down for so darn long.  
Anyway....I have bought for three people so far and have five more to go. I want to get it done now so I can enjoy Christmas this year.

I'll have to take some pictures and post them soon.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Lamont And Tanner Update

Lamont is doing well.  He's getting tired of eating the soft food.  He's never been a fan of Friskies wet food.  He likes his Whiska's dry.  I can start him on the dry food after this weekend.  His gums were still a bit red when he went for his checkup.  He's also tired of being cooped up in the back room.

Tanner is doing better now too.  His skin is finally healing up so his new medication is working.  Comfortis rocks!  It's more expensive but when you figure in the flea treatments, the prednisone he had to take to get better, it works out to be a little cheaper with the Comfortis.

Cherry's skin is getting bad again so she will have to go back on antibiotics.  I will phone her doctor tomorrow and order meds to pick up this weekend.  It seems like we have to go to the vet every weekend.  I know everyone who works there better than my neighbors where I live.    Oh well.....I have to take Tanner in this weekend to have the techs give him his Comfortis again.  That's the other drawback.  The Comfortis is like a antacid tablet....it's huge.

I still have my cold but I think it's worse because of all the pollen that's blowing here and there.  I do have allergies and need to refill my flonase.  Maybe I can separate out the allergies if I start using the nose spray again.

Yesterday and part of today we had no phones or Internet connection.  I called Comcast and they brought us a new modem/router combination.  The tech replaced boosters and some cable connections to boost the signal. Before he came we couldn't get a wifi connection in the bedroom (three quarters of the length of our house) and our phone was dropping calls.  That should be great until about next year and then they'll have to do it again.  We've had it done at least three times out of four years with Comcast.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Cats, Birds And Bugs

Here we are in May and I've had the flu and a strong cold during this flu season.  I just came down with the cold two days ago.  I haven't been well since I caught that horrid flu.  This is what we can expect after having the four-in-one flu shot for seniors?

Lamont had to go to his doctor's office and do an overnight stay to have four teeth removed.  Every time he ate he would scream.  He's on antibiotics now and is doing well.  He goes in for a recheck tomorrow.
Lamont and Tanner are back in the kitty room.  It's been easier to medicate both of them in a smaller room.  Tanner's skin condition is clearing up.  After we get a handle on both of these boys and their conditions they're going out into the main part of the house again.

The birds are starting to show up for Spring.  I have seen, in the past week alone, Bullock's Orioles, American Goldfinches, Black-Headed Grosbeaks, Red- Winged Blackbirds, White Crowned Sparrows,Cowbirds,Steller's Jays and Towhees.  No Western Tanagers yet though.  If this year is anything like last year the Grosbeaks, Goldfinches and Red-Winged Blackbirds will stay for the summer.  I haven't seen our Northern Flicker this year.  By now they are usually drilling away at our metal stove pipe on the roof of the house to ward off any other males in the area.
I still have to order that suction cup clear acrylic bird feeder for the window so the cats can be amazed and amused.

Well....... I'm going to get comfy and warm and try healing this pain-in-the-rear cold bug.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Maybe Yes, Maybe No

I have a big decision to make.  Our neighbor is going to move to the southern Coastal area of Oregon and wants to take Lamont with him.  In light of the trouble I've been having with him bullying Homer and Paddy, I'm thinking about letting him go.  The only problem with that decision is that every time I have let someone have one of my cats they have ended up dead within the first month or two. I've told the neighbor that Lamont must be an indoor cat and that if anything happens (that he decides he doesn't want him anymore)  he must be brought back here.  I just don't know what to do.

Tanner is finally exploring different places to sleep in the house.  He hasn't found the cat tree yet but it won't be long.  I'm having a devil of a time trying to get his eye meds in his right eye every day.  Now that he's got more room to run in and more places to hide it's a real challenge for me.  I need to get a flea treatment on him soon. (Good luck with that) He's already starting to get bumpy skin again.  Back to the vet again.


Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Their Movin' On Up

The cats didn't get much for Christmas this year so I decided, at the time, to order a big cat tree for them to enjoy after Christmas.  I ordered it yesterday and it's due here on Friday of this week.  I only wish Fina was still here.  I know she would have loved it more than the others.  It's 72" high with a couple of boxes for them to hide in and several platforms to be lazy on.  I just tried to upload a picture of the tower but it's not happening.  When we get it together I'll snap a picture of the finished object before it gets mauled by the cats.  Lamont and Tanner were out of the back room yesterday most of the day.  They didn't eat their breakfast this morning so I didn't let them out again.  I want them to enjoy the cat tree too.  Instead of carpeting on plywood they use faux fur now.  That's not going to last very long I'm afraid.  My kids will have that looking shabby by next year.

Yesterday while Tanner and Lamont were out of the back room they rediscovered the joys of the deck and dog run (where we feed all the squirrels and birds). There was a Little Oregon Junco bouncing around super close to the slider in front of the two of them and I thought Lamont was going to go through the glass to get it.  They were both mesmerized for about 30 minutes then it was on to the next big thing.  I think they found joy in using a strange cat box after the bird and squirrel viewing.  Then they moved on to slobbering in a strange water bowl.  SO MUCH FUN THEY HAD!  Paddy and Homer watched them very carefully to make sure they didn't break any rules.  Moosey slept in front of the fireplace while the others took care of watching the foreigners.

Next month I want to get one of those suction cup, clear, acrylic feeders that attach to the window.  They should have a ball with that.  That's going to be like having their very own kitty TV.  

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Help!

Again, I am falling behind in my posting.  Victor was back at the vet this week.  He (of all things) has an infected tail.  Whether it started with a flea bite or a cat bite, who knows.  He's on liquid antibiotics and a topical as well.
He doesn't seem to mind the liquid but when I spray his tail with the topical he has a royal hissy fit.  Well...I guess I should know his boundaries by now, right?  Rule number one:  The vicious feral cat will not be touched in any way by human hands.
It seems that Sugar has the same problem and is tearing her hair out in clumps.  So.......tomorrow is vet day for a follow up on Victor and a new appointment for Sugar.  It never ends!  This is a slow path to being homeless.
If we don't find an extra income soon we will be out in the street.
If anyone wishes to contribute I have a Paypal account (Under the name Muttzncatz).  Contact me for instructions.  What am I saying?  I can't even get anyone to sign up to follow my ramblings.  I know somewhere out there is a person or two who would love to help with our vet bills.
Cherry just had surgery for a kidney stone.  That was around $900.00 with all the ex-rays and overnight stays.  Now she is on a special prescription food for the rest of her life.
Just the pet medicines alone that we get every month is enough to keep us broke.  Victor is on a special liquid for his blood disorder and will be for the rest of his life.  Amos is on an antibiotic because of the growth in his nose.  He also takes an appetite stimulant and an immune support pill each day.  Fina takes a special medicine to keep her from getting an upper respiratory infection due to her having only one nostril.  Tanner now has Hypo Thyroid and will be on a daily pill.  Homer has a constant problem with worms and has to be de-wormed about every other month.  He also takes a Calming liquid to keep him from spraying.  The flea treatments each month are almost $200.00.  The dogs are on heartworm meds each month.  I may have left off something, but I tried to give you a picture of what it's like.  Our credit card is nearing extinction.
Well that's about it for tonight's rant

Good Night From Muttzncat's Place

Where Has The Time Gone?

OK, so it took me over a month to get back to my blog.  I apologize.  You'll understand when I tell you some of the things I have been dealing with.

First, Victor is still doing well.  We have him on a very expensive medication but he only takes it twice a week and he is doing very well.  Amos is starting to have more discharge from his nose again. I think we need to change his antibiotics.  I'm going to paint the walls in that room this weekend If all goes well.  Cat snot does not go well on stark white walls.

Cherry became sick and we took her to the vet.  She just had surgery for a Kidney stone.  Her re-check will be this Friday of this week.  She is healing nicely and not even bothering her stitches.  She is however, on special foods now.

Tanner had to go to the vet also.  He wasn't eating well and looked sick. This is the King of feral cats.  He has been inside our house for about three years now and we still can't touch him.  We trapped him and took him to see Dr. Stanhope at St Francis.  He had a bad upper respiratory infection so we gave him a 14 day shot since pills were out of the question.  He also had a yeast infection in one of his ears.  We left there with ear drops to put in his ears every day.  The doseage was twice a day but we were doing well to get one dose a day in those ears.  The ear infection is cleared up and the rug is much cleaner now than it was before his infection.  Everytime we trapped him and squeezed the ear drops in his ears he peed on the carpet.  He had to go back after two weeks for another 14 day shot. His infection was better but not gone.  After 28 days of the antibiotic shots he still has the upper respiratory infection so now the doctor wants us to give him Clavamox pills twice a day.  OOOOKKKKKK.  The first try with the pills I put one in a lump of cream cheese and offered it to him.  Nope!  Next try was a cheese slice wrapped around the pill.  Not on your life!  Liverworst...no way!  That night we trapped him to give him his ear drops and eye meds, which had been added the last visit, and I took the pill pusher and popped it into his mouth.  Done!  Ha!  He had the most surprised look on his face as he peed in the chair.

Since Christmas We have spent over $2,500.00 on Vet bills.  I need a guardian angel to find me a unlimited supply of money to get out of debt.  Please everyone...pray for a miracle for me.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Muttzncatz's Place Update

I caught a picture today of Tanner as he was napping in a basket by the front door.

He has been extremely elusive.  You can't even make eye contact with him and he's gone.  I shudder to think if I should ever have to give him any serious medicines...who would win that round?  For as chunky as he is he moves with lightning speed.

Fina was just getting ready for an afternoon nap when I clicked this picture.

At least her eyes aren't glowing like her picture on the left of the page.

Victor is fighting me on his feedings.  I have gone through two large towels so far and there will be at least two more by the end of the day.  That is a messy job.  Feeding a cat that doesn't want to hold still is not my idea of fun.  He is sneaky about it too.  He shrinks into the towel instead of trying jump forward out of the hold.  I have tried every wrap I can think of on him and he still escapes before I'm done feeding.  I end up wearing almost as much as he has eaten.  I will say that giving him his pill is a breeze.  Since he doesn't have teeth in most of his mouth he can't bite me.

Maybe it will be easier tomorrow.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

The Christmas Squeeze

Since I overloaded everyone with all the pictures yesterday.....a non pictured entry will be a shock to the system.  Sorry.  The presents are wrapped and are hidden in the computer room, safely away from the claw-footed furballs with destruction on their minds.  I still have to get stocking stuffers and the 3M double sided tape to hang the stockings.  That will be on Friday when we go grocery shopping.  Tomorrow I have to make the corn pudding.  I'm splitting the recipe and freezing half of it for another meal.  There will only be four of us for Christmas eve dinner so a whole recipe is just too much. The recipe for corn pudding is on one of my posts in this blog.  Oh, here it is....
http://muttzncatzs-place.blogspot.com/2011/11/vet-update.html

Is anyone else's Christmas card list getting smaller?  It seems like every year you send out cards and only get about two-thirds the amount back.  I usually send out around twenty cards.  So far this year I have gotten nine cards.  There's always the one or two that you didn't expect to get a card from too.  You grab a card, write a greeting on it and hurry to put it in the mail so it will get there by Christmas (like you planned to send them one).

The cats are beginning to look at the tree like it is something they need to climb.  I caught Tanner sitting on the table under the tree staring up into the center of it.  I immediately squirted him with water and told him NO!  He's so hefty...I'm not sure he could actually get his rear end off the table and into the tree.  Although, I will say, he has lost some tonnage in the last year.  I'm going to take new pictures of the cats and post them on the blog sometime after the first of the year (as requested by Nancy).


Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Little Tree Many Ornaments

The tree is done.  Here it is.......

To the left under the tree there is a white splotch.  It's kind of hard to see but on the top of the tree there is a snowman and he's holding a snowflake that splotch under the tree......that's Fina making herself comfy and waiting for Santa to bring her bling and lots of happy grass.  If I lifted the table cloth up you would see three other kids...Paddy, Tanner and Homer.  Tomorrow or the next day I'll try to get a better picture of the area.

Victor went to St Francis 24 hour vet hospital yesterday for his anti- inflammatory shot.  So far he still won't eat.  He's the one with almost all of his teeth extracted because he was allergic to his own enamel. His gums get swollen and red still so we have to get him a shot about every six to eight weeks.

Now I have to hang the stockings on the mantle after I put Sugar's name on one.  That's all I'm going to do this year.  It's a snowman year...very few, if any, Santas were brought out.  I still have to put out my air-blown snowman in the yard.  After I get home from the dentist ( A fitting for my bridge) on Saturday I'll do that.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Getting To Know Sugar

I'm so glad our mini heatwave is finally over. I hate 90 degree weather. Now maybe I can get back to work in the yard.  I have so much trimming to get done. According to the weatherman on our local channel we may have rain on Saturday.


I can hardly wait until Sugar gets used to the sounds here in our home. I get to sleep about 2:30 AM and she wakes me at about 8:30 AM.  Maybe I could crate her with a radio and a warm blanket and she wouldn't hear our neighbors or the cats in the other part of the house.  Our next door neighbor decided to take a phone call on her deck this morning and Sugar had a fit.  Then in the next hour Fina decided to throw herself at the bedroom door until I got up.  These guys (cats) all have their own way of handling situations.  Fina was attempting to get me up to feed everyone.  She won.......again!

This morning I went out on the South side of the house to water our tomato plant and there was a baby raccoon climbing up the tree extremely close to where I stood. he settled on a branch that he considered high enough to be safe from the human and began talking to me.  After he finished his speech I went to get the hose and turn on the water.  When I returned to the top of the stairs again he was gone.

Today was chase the Tanner day.  It was flea meds time for the poor child.  He's getting better about leaving a stream of pee as we chase him though. He ran into the vacuum box that I fell on the other night.  It was easy to reach in and rub the treatment on the back of his neck.  He's always the last one to get his flea treatment only because of the degree of difficulty.

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Sugar Has Come Home

Sugar came home with us today after the meet and greet at the Oregon Humane Society.  When She and Cherry met each other it was basically a no big deal thing.  When we got Sugar home however, Cherry decided that Sugar didn't have any business being in her home.  Cherry did the occasional growl of authority and then ignored her.  I figure it this way...they haven't torn each other apart yet so I think they'll eventually get along after a few days of being together.

We have to take her to our vet this week some time for the free checkup.  She sounds congested so I'm a bit concerned about that but maybe it's just one of the things typical to the breeds she is mixed with.

In the evenings I come in to the computer room/library and knit, crochet, cross stitch, paint, play games on the Internet (Pogo) or read.  I fixed a box with a pillow in it for Sugar since Cherry has one.  Cherry jumped in her box and Sugar ran to the other box and jumped in like she knew it was hers.  She must be fairly intelligent.  She certainly seems at home here.

The cats took Sugar in stride.  The only one who had his tail in a knot was Tanner.  He looks like someone put him in a dryer for a fluff dry every time he comes face-to-face with Sugar.  When Fina came to investigate the new kid on the block she jumped in front of Sugar like she wanted to scare her.  It worked.  Sugar now gives Fina a very wide berth.  It's hard to comprehend because Fina is so small and looks frail but she IS the queen of the place and must be obeyed!

Good Night From Muttzncatz's Place

Another Rainy Day In Oregon

It's been raining off and on for most of the day right into evening.  I love it!  That means it's too wet to sit on the ground and do weed pulling Yea!!!!!  A day off is a good thing.

So...what to do with my time?  How about dragging out the watercolors and giving a kitty portrait a try?  Let's see....who should I paint?  I can guarantee it won't be a black kitty so that lets Homer and Moosey off the hook.  Maybe miss funny face (Fina)  Her cute little one nostril, cleft lip might be interesting to paint.  Tanner has beautiful markings even though he has a scaredy-cat attitude.  Most of the time when I'm trying to get a photo of him all I see is his rump moving away ASAP.  Hunter won't get away from in front of the camera so it's hard to get any distance to get a good picture of him.  Paddy is usually sound asleep or has his head in a just emptied can of cat food. (That's why we call him can-face.  He has a permanent circle cut around his face from the cans which wouldn't be too awfully wonderful in a portrait anyway) Lamont might be a good model but he is presently not a happy camper from being confined to the back room.  Victor doesn't care as long as he can be Velcroed to Lamont.  Maybe someone else has a cute and cooperative kitty that would like to be a subject of a portrait?  You would think that out of eight cats at least one would be a good subject, wouldn't you?

Maybe I could do one of the birds we had appear at the feeders last month.  We had Orioles, Tanagers and Evening Grosbeaks.  What a treat it was to see them. Here's a picture of one of them.

We always have Black headed Grosbeaks but once in a while these beauties come through and visit for a couple of days.  During this time the birdwatching society at the sliding glass door was a standing room only situation.

I think I'll get busy now and do one of my bird photos.

Good night from Muttzncatz's Place

Now For The Dog Days Of Summer.......

Thank God the fourth of July is over.  We did well though.  Everything turned out pretty well and we only had one glitch.......The Turkey had to go from the BBQ to the oven to get done in time.  I understand the Vancouver, Washington fireworks display was nothing to shout about this year.  I was told they were low to the ground and only 25 minutes instead of the old 45 minutes.  Nothing stays the same I guess.

I'm working outside when I can ...weeding the flower beds. This is a bit of a sore spot for me since we pay extra in our rent so they do our yard work.  We live in a mobile home park and we are in a section that is supposed to have yard  maintenance included. Watering, weed control, edging, trimming are all included.  Ya, right!  I have worked harder in this space than in my old one where I was responsible for all the yard work.  The only thing the park does is mow the very front lawn because it shows from the street.  After I'm done with the weeding then I have to start the trimming of the trees and bushes. Is it any wonder that I like Winter better than Summer?

I'm still looking for a watercolor class to attend.  I did find my last teachers phone number though.  I'm going to call her this week and see if I could maybe go to another one of her classes somewhere else.  I need some inspiration.  If I could go out and take pictures of flowers and birds.....I would possibly become inspired.

We are having a very cool Summer so far.  I do understand that we will be in the oven soon. 

On the kitty scene.........I now have Moosey, Victor, Lamont and Homer in the back room (Due to spraying issues).  Victor has to be watched very carefully because he has pain shots for his inflamed gums about every 6 weeks.  (He was allergic to the enamel on his teeth and had to have them pulled). When
he hisses it sounds reeeeeeally wet.  He hisses every chance he gets because he's still very feral. At least HE thinks he's still feral.  He loves to be petted behind the ears and under the chin but then suddenly realizes he's being handled by a human and hisses and trys to look almost vicious.

In the main part of the house we have Fina, Hunter, Paddy and Tanner.  Tanner is trying so hard to make up to Hunter but the best he gets is a whomp on the top of his head.  Since we did a major shift in the fur people that live in each part of the house things have not been boring.  Lamont is lamenting, Victor is glued to Lamont (no change there), Moosey attacks Homer relentlessly, Tanner keeps getting beat up by Hunter, Paddy is afraid Hunter will eat all his food and Fina is attacking Hunter Paddy and Tanner.  Ahhhh, life is good....well, maybe not good, but interesting.

Good night from Muttzncatz Place

Another Day In Muttzncatzville

The vet was uneventful.  Cherry could not produce a urine sample so we went there for nothing.  Now I have to try and get it myself this weekend.  I'm waiting for an estimate from one of the doctors for the surgery she needs.  While I was there I picked up the meds I needed and a round of flea medication for all the cats and the dog.  That means this weekend we will be chasing the feral ones all over the house to apply the flea dose on their necks.  I'm referring to Tanner, Homer and Victor.  Cherry is starting to help with trapping process.  She herds them into our bathroom so they can't get away.  I think she missed her calling.  She might have been good on a farm.

Tomorrow the repair person from Sears is coming to fix our dishwasher.  I'm always concerned that whoever they send might be allergic to animals.  It's pointless to tell the appointment taker to send someone who has no allergies.  People are getting so uncaring and cold it scares me.  Customer service isn't a concern for a business either.  When they make an appointment with you to show up between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.......I think that's rude.  In this age of cell phones and all the ways of communicating with one another....They can't make an appointment for a set time and then call if they are going to be late?  Almost everyone has a cell phone.... why are they tying up our time for FOUR HOURS?  Better to inconvenience the customer than the repair person!  Now that's customer service.

I think I'm losing my faith in mankind.  You have to guard everything you own....including your name.  Thieves will break into your car just for a GPS charging cord.  If you leave an aluminum ladder outside too long...it's gone. 
Metal is a precious commodity these days. One of our neighbors got their car stolen and found it a day or two later with all four rims gone.  Nothing else was taken from the vehicle. You have to look over your shoulder no matter where you are and don't trust anyone. Sad, isn't it?

Tomorrow is another day...maybe it will be a better one.
Goodnight from Muttzncatz's Place