toys

just a random post

vet visit

The 4 kittens went for their 2nd vaccination

and the 4 seniors, went for their microchips...

while SUNSHINE stayed home, as she has just recovered from the operation.

BULAN: 3.9 kg
BINTANG: 4.0 kg
MICHIKO: 4.2 kg
YUMIEKO: 3.5 kg
SUNNY: 2.3 kg
BELLA: 1.5 kg
MJ: 2.0 kg
DONNA: 1.9 kg

with 8 cats in hands, of course I didn't have the chance to snap pictures... Oh it was my first time getting microchip for my cats.. I was told that they use quite a big needle for that, I was so anxious, but it was fine. The needle was bigger than the usual one for vaccination, but it was ok since they applied local anaesthetic on the spot where the needle goes in. What & Why microchip? well, a more extensive post on that later, and yes microchips are a 'need' for my cats not just a 'want'.

Overall, I'm so so so so glad, each one of them was fine after this vet visit. Nothing unusual at all!

The Earsss

When I got SUNSHINE, she always had this mite problem with her ear.... Well I think it's mites, because her ears were always filled with this dark~black colored dirt, and although I cleaned them for her every single day, by the next day, her ears looked like they haven't been attended to for months... Before she had her kittens, I think I had that settled cleared out, I cleaned her ears every single day using this EARriffic cleaner. But after her kittens were about 3 weeks old, I think it came back and the four kittens were having the same problem. By this time, SUNSHINE was going bald!

So what I did was cleaned their ears with EARriffic and alternately with this other cleaner Ears care, which I think works more gentler.

For SUNSHINE, I used a few drops of the Frontline Combo Spot On. It was difficulty to aim into her ears but I had to try, her ears turned warm and she was scratching like she wanted to take her ears off! and ewww... a tiny (actually big, considering that it came out of her ears) chunk of clumping black thingy came out!

SUNSHINE'S ears improved, but the kittens were still having it. Went to the vet and got Surolan. And their ears improved...

The kittens and SUNSHINE were eventually placed in a room with the 4 seniors. and I was so busy that I didn't realize the ears problems came back... and even worse it seemed like it had spread to BINTANG, MICHIKO and YUMIEKO (oh yes BULAN somehow didn't catch it). I knew it when I cleaned their ears each day, but the next day, their ears really was dirty as if I hadn't cleaned them at all. So I used Frontline Combo Spot On on them, cleaned with Earrific and Ear cares alternately, then a final touch with Surolan.

For whatever reasons, it wasn't wroking with improving their ears' condition, maybe they've become resistant to all that I was using. So when those ran out, I used the Frontline Spray.. Well, I had to keep trying and since I didn't have time to go out and had a Frontline Spray around, I made do with it. I'd soak cotton buds with it and used them to clean their ears. And was I glad that it helped!

Now, their ears have improved and I'm currently using this Elexer for their routine ear cleaning work. This is claimed to work gently as the ingredients are natural. Apparently the ones that are meant for mite treatment (such as the EARrific) would be too harsh because of the chemical content which would cause irritations. So far so good, and it smells good too =).

SUNSHINE spayed..

Day 1: 2 January 2010, Saturday

I had no difficulty with her fasting, I woke up in the morning and she was just hanging around quietly.... which kinda scared me, coz she could've ripped off some package of food and filled herself.. but I looked around and I don't think she had access to any food or water. So off we went.

We arrived at about 9 am and she was expected to be done before noon. We got the phone call at exactly 12, and home we went. She wasn't up yet when we picked her up, but by the time we reached home her eyes were wide open and it was about 1 pm. I prepared her cage and put her in. She was sitting up after half an hour, so I left out some wetfood for and she was eating. Looking good SUNSHINE girl, let's make this next 7 days uneventful =).

Still drowsy when we reached home

She was quiet most of the time

Day 2: 3rd Jan 2010

The day had gone by with ease. Apart from a little bit meowing, and climbing on the sides of the cage (as requests to be freed), she caused no other problems.. She had been eating well and she's still on wetfood. She pee'ed on her towel though, which could've been an accident. SUNSHINE, am waiting for you to show some poo in that box, prove your recovery, kay...

was up and alert, looking energized!

Day 3: 4th Jan 2010

Early morning she ate up a whole can of wetfood on her own! Yay! (the previous few days, BULAN and MICHIKO had to help her finish up). She also pee'ed in her litter box (of wood pellet).

The plaster also went off today, and it looked good. So far SUNSHINE had been an easy one...

when BULAN was helping her finish up her food

the wound before and after the plaster was off

Day 4: 5th Jan 2010

She finally used the litter box for poo'ing!! but she didn't cover up and she meowed so loud, that I think she wanted me to get clean it up. She also held out her paws, I think she thinks she's ready to go out.... wait up SUNSHINE, gimme some time to be ready and sure of your recovery. But from the look of her waste, I think she's fine (I believe a cat's pooing and peeing, and what comes out are good indicators of their condition ;-).

no problems with appetite =)

oh yesss.. the meowing to be freed had started

Day 5-Day 6: uneventful indeed

Day 7

I found her e-collar hanging from her neck. And her meowing to come out of the cage is a bit louder today.

She took that off herself!

Day 8

She was allowed to roam freely, with the 4 other around (BULAN, BINTANG, MICHIKO & YUMIEKO). She played with MICHIKO, but seems like she's still not getting along with YUMIEKO. huhu.. the thing is, it's YUMIEKO who comes and provoke her. When she's in the cage, YUMIKEO sticks her hand into the cage and reach SUNSHINE, so of course SUNSHINE would get up and look, then YUMIEKO would growl at her, hence their fight would start off. Similarly, when SUNSHINE is allowed to roam, YUMIEKO follows after her, but when SUNSHINE pass by near her (near because YUMIEKO followed after her afterall) then YUMIEKO would growl at her. So now it doesn't seem like SUNSHINE is the one to starts the fight. Her wound is looking good, it would be soon til she's free to be out.

Day 9

She was let to roam freely with her e-collar on. She uses the litter box properly and no pee'ing on my bed.. hooray!!

Day 10

She was let to roam freely with her e-collar on and accompanied by BULAN over night (that is when I am around). Actually, I think she had been ready to go off the e-collar since about Day 8, but I wasn't ready.

Day 11

She is free of her e-collar. Accompanied by BULAN, but she left her poo on a piece of newspaper instead of in the litter..... my guess was probably because BULAN had used the litter box, and true enough, he did. So SUNSHINE is another princess, she's a humble princess but a bit on the hygienic side...

Day 12

She is free to road, free of her e-collar, was accompanied by BULAN and BINTANG overnight. YUMIEKO still hates her, follow her around to bully her and make sure she stays away. MICHIKO is just terrified by her, her play invites would lead him to be defensive and hence a fight. DONNA no longer recognize her mother =(, but SUNNY (he's a friendly one anyhow) is still fine. I haven't observed MJ and BELLA... tho...

anyhow... I'm declaring SUNSHINE officially recovered. Wainting for a few more days to give her a bath (I think the others don't like her so much, because she smell too much of her self, from her hanging out in the litter box while she was in cage), then I'll try putting her in the room to join the others.... but she can't seem to share litter box, so more litter box on the way!

~some random pics of her~

SUNSHINE's behavioral issues...

With SUNSHINE, it had been a real challenge since we first got to know her. She came in unexpectedly (at a time when I wasn't ready to accept a newcomer), she wasn't in the best of health (her ear, wound, fever, fleas) and also behavioral issues. It was chaotic, when it came to bathing (as she screamed and protested, but with all the fleas she was carrying around on her, bathing was on her 'must' list) and I don't even wanna elaborate with the hairdryer. An even more challenging behavior was that, although she was litter trained for whatever reason she urinated on my bed! She would definitely use the litter for poo'ing, and sometimes for pee'ing too.... and hence I couldn't really make out reasons for her peeing on my bed... It was really getting on my nerve as I never had that kind of problems with my first 2 cats (the Princess & the Mafia). I got some recommendation on this behavior at the time and I was working on that, until........ (as told in my earlier posts)... she was returned to her actual owner, and (after a looooooooong story) she was eventually back with us. (*sigh* & phew!)

So when she was back with us, she was then joining a family with 4 seniors. She was staying separately at first, had to clear her up with fleas, her ears, and then went for her 1st vaccination, only after that she was introduced with the 4 seniors.... She was lined up to be spayed after her 2nd vaccination, BUT she happened to be pregnant (as in, it happened before she joined us).

She was gradually getting along with the four cats, but problem was with litter. It was often that I came home to find her mess on the side of the litter box. Because none of the seniors ever do that before, the accusation fell on her and yes I later witnessed it. I recalled (from earlier recommendations) that it could be due her disliking sharing litter box with others or perhaps super-hygienic nature that she did not want to use, used litter. So from 2 litter boxes (which was suffice for the 4 seniors), it became 3, then it became 4, then it became 5, then it became 6, but still, even when there was still unused box, I would still find a mess exactly next to the boxes. I think I would've kept adding the number of litter boxes if it weren't for the new issue she was coming out with. She later developed some moody behavior, whereby she would just smack one of the others when they passed by her, which then initiated their regular fights. I thought this could be due to her pregnancy, and the feelings of being threated or whatsoever, so she then got her own room

I thought it was good that she had her own room (though I'd need to reintroduce her to the 4 seniors later). That way, I may not have problems with the litter box, as she wouldn't be sharing her box with the others, unfortunately that wasn't the case, she was still making mess, even when I left up to 4 boxes for her all alone! and another thing that worried me was that she meowed/screamed loudly as she wanted to roam around the living room... I was giving in to her, because I didn't want to have the neighbor complain on me.

So next was the new 4 baby kittens SUNSHINE got. Adorables with troubles. Lovely but naughty. Anyhow, all the while SUNSHINE was still with that litter problem, I came home every single day to find her mess next to the litter box. To ease the work a bit, I placed newspapers surrounding the box, and precisely her mess would fall on the paper and I'd clear that and replace the newspaper.

The thing that never occurred to me was the litter material that I was using on them.. I had been using either Feline Fresh wood pellets or Breeder's Celect newspaper pellet, both non-clumping. Thanks to my dear mother, she was sure that was the reason for this problem. So I switched SUNSHINE to
clumping sand litter, and tadaaaa!!! problem solved.

The kittens were growing big and naughty. They played with the litter and their room was sandy everyday, their water filled with the sand, but on the positive note, they were litter trained =). I didn't want them to keep on using clumping sand (1. because of the mess, 2. because it is costly, 3. because wood/paper based is safer, 4. because wood/paper based is easier to dispose), so I moved SUNSHINE into the living room (once the kittens started on kibbles) and have them meet up by night time when I was around that is if SUNSHINE decided if she wanted to do so =p

The kittens had been fine with the pellets (wood or paper) and SUNSHINE had been fine with her own box of clumping sand. BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT....... haih, there's alway a 'but' with SUNSHINE, she urinates on my bed, my blanket, my pillows. SUNSHINE stays in the living room, but she can access into my room by pushing the door open (because the knob is broken and hence can't be closed properly). I have moved those 'high-risk' stuff into the cats' room, I now sleep in the cats room (which they don't seem to mind, as I serve as their playground). BUT (again another 'but' for SUNSHINE), her peeing has extended to cloth material....haiaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Now what!

As I cool myself down, I'd have to say, she has been one sweet cat, she's fond of people, she doesn't make mess, she doesn't eat up my papers, and she plays with only her toys. Her fleas are gone, her ears are better, she's ok with bathing (but not the dryer), she's no longer moody/agressive (as she was during pregnancy and when the kittens were much younger), and she's interested with making friends. Unfortunately the other cats don't like her so much. I'm guessing hard, that she could be releasing some odd smell to them (as she had been on heat on and off).

Soooooooo..... she's up to be spayed, which I hope is the solution to most if not all of the issues I'm facing with. She will be confined during her recovery, so I'm hoping to take that as an advantage to force her into using either wood/newspaper pellet. I hope she'll no longer pee on any cloth thingy around here. And I hope the other cats will start accepting her in with them. And yeah, I hope she grows beautiful healthy looking fur (I didn't mention that she's thin on fur, despite of suplements, could be due to the stress of being on heat). Here we go SUNSHINE!