Mom saw some interesting artwork, done with foil, on Facebook. The artist is Joy Chew. Mom just had to get a foil print done of me. Here is how Joy created it, with musical accompaniment added:
Category Cat Chat
The Untimely Death of Mitchner McGarrulous
I Was Found
It was shortly after the untimely death of Mom’s orange polydactyl cat, Pawscar Awesome, in November 2016. She spotted one of the many Facebook postings for animals needing a home shared by Christine from the vet’s office. This courtesy post described a nine-year-old orange cat whose owner had died, leaving him in need of a home. That was me, Mitchner. The family had decided to keep the other two cats, whom they felt would be harder to place. Mom contacted the shelter that posted the ad and gave them her contact information. The owner’s daughter invited Mom to meet me. I guess Mom passed the test because I came home with her on December 3, 2016, and have become a much-loved part of her feline family. My full name was Mitchner McGarrulous.
I Was Friendly…Sometimes
Mom added the name McGarrulous because I was VERY talkative. When I first came to Mom’s home, I preferred to abide by myself in the kitchen, enjoying a variety of cat beds. Loneliness did not end up suiting me, though, because for a while I enjoyed joining several of the female felines in the bedroom, only returning to the kitchen briefly to play with my favorite cat toy. After some time, though, I started becoming aggressive toward Jenise. Mom thought I followed the very bad example of Rascal Spatz. To prevent conflicts while she was away, Mom decided I should stay in the kitchen. She did allow me to visit the bedroom in the evening…until I would get restless or nasty. It was probably just as well this way; I had inflammatory bowel disease and probably some food allergies, so I had to be on a special diet.
Mom made up a little ditty about me that she sang often:
Mitchner McGarrulous:
Life with him is perilous
‘Cause he’s got claws!
I Departed Too Soon
Shortly after I joined Mom’s feline family, I demonstrated some problems the vet identified as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). I got a series of B12 shots and a special diet. Mom kept trying different foods that were created to help my problem, so I would keep eating. I did get a little tired of trips back and forth to the vet, though. Finally, it was decided that I should have a scan to determine what was happening on the inside. Unfortunately, it turned out that I probably had lymphoma. I was able to hang on a bit longer, but I finally stopped eating, and Mom was forced to say goodbye on June 10, 2020–truly, an untimely death!
Mitchner Moods
Alarm
Mom is good about detecting my moods. I rang Mom’s alarm bell with another bout with my IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). A trip to the vet revealed that I had lost nearly three pounds since my last visit. By itself, this would not necessarily be awful, since I was a rather chunky 14-pound-plus boy; however, there was not a deliberate weight loss effort. Mom had switched me to Science Diet z/d food since Dr. Katie discovered that I had allergies. I seemed to like this food at first, but over time I was less and less attracted to it. Bloodwork taken that day revealed that one of my kidney values is above normal, and the other is approaching the high end of normal. This is consistent with my increased water consumption, which Mom had noticed.
Alternatives
What to do? Mom searched online for other feline fare with hydrolyzed protein, and found alternatives by Purina and Royal Canin. She was able to order the Purina food without a vet prescription, so she did. I seem to like it somewhat better than I did the z/d dry. Mom then ordered some Royal Canin dry food and treats from Chewy, and my vet authorized the purchase. So far, I really likes the treats; my moods have improved. Mom is hoping I will finish the Purina dry food before she starts me on the Royal Canin. She also has started dosing me with 1/4 tablet of famotidine most days to see if that helps keep my stomach settled. I hate the pills, but now I will eat some of the canned z/d chow that I had been rejecting, so maybe they are helping. Next step: Mom needs to take me in for a urine test, but that will involve getting me to consume some gabapentin to relax me and cause me to cooperate with the vet.
A Devastating Loss
It is never a good day to suffer a devastating loss. Sunday, March 3, 2019, was a no good, very bad day.
Vet Visit #1
On Thursday evening, February 28, Shawna took Charlie Chompers and Mitchner McGarrulous to see Dr. T. at Gasow. Charlie, after getting a glowing report from Dr. E. at Blue Pearl in January, had little to no appetite. Mitchner was experiencing his second bout of inflammatory bowel disease in February.
Charlie had lost nearly a pound (10% of his body weight) in a month. Both cats had blood drawn for testing and were given treatment for their respective problems. Dr. T. instructed Shawna to call for the results on Sunday. Before she could do that, Dr. T. left a voicemail message early on Sunday morning with bad news about Charlie’s tests. His kidney values were very high. It might be possible to treat him with IV fluids in the hospital, but there was a risk because of his heart problems. Shawna called back and promised to bring Charlie in that day.
Vet Visit #2
After church, Bernita and Melissa said goodbye to Charlie. Shawna put him in the cat carrier, and she and Mary Jane took him back to Gasow.
It was time to say goodbye. Of all the kitties we have known, Charlie was a real standout. He was fearless and self-confident, the alpha cat at the Feline Funny Farm. He made himself at home from the moment he arrived and had everyone wrapped around his little paws. We will ALL miss him!
Farewell, Feline Friends!
The two cats who had been with Shawna’s portion of the Feline Funny Farm the longest (since 2005) crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2018.
Cara Mia
Cara Mia was a young adult (2-3 years old) when Shawna adopted her in 2005. She was a lovely calico with a demanding meow. Her name means “one joy” or “one delight” in Biblical Greek. She was a petite but solidly built lady, and an occasional lap-sitter.
In August 2016, Shawna noticed a lump while petting Cara Mia’s belly. Dr. T. at Gasow recommended seeing a veterinary oncologist before any surgery was performed. Tests revealed that Cara’s lymph nodes were affected, and surgery would not have been a good option. Instead, Shawna was given the option of enrolling Cara Mia in an experimental study of HempRx, with the medication provided at no charge. The only catch was required follow-up visits. Cara Mia joined the study, which lasted for about a year and one half until the use of the medication was stopped by the federal government. Shawna was able to find HempRx online, so Cara Mia remained on the medication but not as part of a study.
During this period, Cara Mia had surgery to remove the largest of the lumps in September 2017. Eventually, Cara Mia began to lose her appetite and a lot of weight. Even an appetite stimulant lost its effectiveness. When Cara Mia’s breathing began to be affected and the remaining lumps became uncomfortable, Shawna made the difficult decision to say goodbye. Cara Mia crossed the Rainbow Bridge in July 2018. Having her with us for nearly two years after her diagnosis was a miracle for which Shawna was very grateful.
Gobblin’ Goopuss
Adopted at the same time as Cara Mia was a friendly, talkative six-month-old black kitten Shawna named Gobblin’ Goopuss (shown in the photo). He was playful as well as purrsonable. He did have some bad habits: he picked on Cara Mia from time to time and later joined C. P. Pirate in harassing Allicat (aka Googlie Girl). He loved human attention and posed in all sorts of positions on the cat tree to get it.
Gobblin’ eventually developed hyperthyroidism, for which he got daily medication. Compounded cream applied to his inner ear might have worked, were it not for the fact that Rascal Spatz liked the taste of the cream. As a result, Shawna got tapazole tablets, crushed them, and mixed them into Gobblin’ Goopuss’s canned food once a day. Also in “middle age” Gobblin’ developed a rodent ulcer and, later, a growth on his chin; both of these required surgery.
In November 2018, Shawna noticed that his appetite was waning and his weight was noticeably less. Blood tests at the vet did not reveal the kidney problems Shawna expected; instead, the markers indicated cancer, probably lymphoma. On December 2, Mom made the difficult decision to allow Mr. Goopuss to join his friends on the far side of the Rainbow Bridge.
Hello, Pearl Grey!
Although we have not met her yet, we have a new inmate at the Feline Funny Farm. She is Pearl Grey, a 3-month-old kitten who was found badly injured in Bloomfield and brought to Gasow Veterinary Hospital to be euthanized. The nice vets there had other ideas. They repaired her injuries and removed most of her tail. She had help learning to use her back legs again, and was finally ready to find a home. When Mom took Mitchner in for a B12 shot, Dr. C. told Mom she had a kitten that she should consider adopting. Mom did think about it, and decided to go ahead. The kitten, originally named Karen, came home August 25.
Mom spent some time thinking about a new name for the mostly gray kitten. Aunt Melissa and Cousin MJ made some suggestions, but Mom was determined to find just the right name. Finally she came up with “Pearl Grey.” Mom and her family like Earl Grey tea, and Mom’s father was named Earl. Of course a girl kitty could not be named Earl, so Pearl was the closest option.
We are not sure we are all that anxious to meet Pearl Grey. The last addition to the family did a lot of hissing and growling. Mom says she still has a few medical issues to resolve before she can be “integrated” (whatever that means). We are content to wait.
The Need for Speed
Tweaks
We are a little worried about Mom. She has become obsessed with the need for speed. We can’t seem to pry her away from her computer (or iPad or iPhone). She always has to be “tweaking” her websites. She spent a LONG time trying to get our website ready for publication and really loved the new theme. Then she discovered we were loading very slowly. How did she find out?
Tools
Mom says she uses lots of “tools” to discover the characteristics of the websites she works on. The latest seems to be a console through which she can work on any of the websites. It said we were SLOW. She did a search for other ways she could test us. Are we mobile friendly? Do we load fast enough? Is our page speed good? Will people on the internet stick around long enough to admire us? She found several testing sites, but they yielded inconsistent information. She wanted us to be FAST. What could she do about it?
Techniques
Mom used Google (not Googlie) not only for its PageSpeed Insights but also for its search capabilities to find instructions on how to make us faster. We got cached and smushed and who knows what else? Did it help? Who knows? We certainly want Mom to start paying attention to the REAL us, not our online representations.
Cat Quote
There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.ALBERT SCHWEITZER
A Link You Should Visit
You should definitely visit our Mom’s blog. She writes a lot about cats.
Just A Little Chat
Pawscar Awesome! It’s time.
Time for what?
No torture, just your blood pressure chicken slop.
Sounds like torture to me…..Yech! That tastes awful!
OK, now your little eye.
Sigh.
Just one little drop. There, that’s all. I’m done.
Sure you are…’til next time.