Critters!

silverfox · Sep 14, 2021, 1:46 AM

We just had a super random I-am-emailing-the-HOA-tomorrow-to-see-when-they-will-inspect-the-roofs-for-damage hail storm. It freaked the crap out of our resident cats (Calypso and Kiva followed me downstairs to watch from the bottom step as my husband and I stared at the dime sized hail while Lyra hid.) and their fear made me go check on the fosters.

Apparently the nook in our cat tree holds one mommy and four babies. Which is sad, because it meant one baby couldn't get in and went and cowered all alone in the tunnel.

They came out when I sat down all all begged for reassurance. I think Mama sighed with relief her babies were no longer smothering her.

Aria · Sep 14, 2021, 3:48 AM

We've had the harness for a few days now, including a trip to the groomer.

While doggo does not seem overly thrilled at this strange contraption with eighty-seven adjustable straps and buckles, he does seem to thoroughly appreciate the help on the stairs and the hand up when he's trying to get off a mushy surface but his back legs are "stucked and can't get up, Mom!"

So I present the Help 'Em Harness, in case you, too, would like to convert your elderly dog into an easily transported suitcase with a vaguely confused look on its face.

I recommend this video overview for peak "WTF is happening?!?" dog expression.

JinShei · Sep 14, 2021, 9:33 PM

@aria we had a similar device after poppy our boxer burst a disc in her spine one day. We had to teach her to walk again after surgery.

silverfox · Sep 18, 2021, 5:24 AM

My uncle gave me some of his cheaper lightsabers because he brought pretty expensive new ones.

This is what ended up happening.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRXxLQxC/

SuperiorHuron · Sep 20, 2021, 2:23 AM

Manipulated into a new furbaby today

Ganymede · Sep 20, 2021, 1:44 AM

@superiorhuron

Dawww!!!

Yeah, kittens are the best manipulators.

silverfox · Sep 20, 2021, 1:16 PM

@superiorhuron
Awww!

Atomic · Sep 21, 2021, 1:51 AM

Looks like my boy has bad hind legs. I'm finding out how bad, but right now he has good and bad days. I did get some steps for when he can't jump into bed. He's got a rough hip and the vet says his knees both subluxate.

I have been giving him daily dusequin(or whatever it's called), and we tried some syringe-given antiinflammatories. Getting old sucks.

Doesn't stop him from using a hunting blind, though. No ankles are safe:

Too Old For This · Sep 21, 2021, 6:53 AM

I'm going to be scheduling an appointment for my old man. His last vet refused to accept that he had either broken or dislocated something near his wrist, and for the last couple months I've watched the poor guy limp around with a giant knot just above his paw. It affect his ability to retract the claws on that paw and His Heftiness can't enjoy stepping weight onto it. Got a good vet for him now, and some good pet insurance to help cover the costs... now its time to get him properly taken care of so he can stop limping about.

Edit to add photo

silverfox · Sep 22, 2021, 1:50 AM

Calypso brings me so much joy I can not describe it. Her trust in us is complete. I know my elder cats love us and are happy to live in our home, but it isn't like what Calypso feels. It is so pure.

I'm going to cling to these moments as long as she will give them.

***sad content***

click to show

This was brought into clear focus this week, because the shelter I work with lost one of their resident cats (a cat that just can't be adopted out, this one because he would be a sweet baby, and then savage someone at random) this weekend, and it happened without any warning. One day Simba was the lord of their back room, hunting any mice stupid enough to sneak in from the overgrown lot next door, and being his sweet/savage self. The next day he was struggling to breathe and they took him to an emergency vet. He was diagnosed with leukemia and was told the best thing they could do is help him over the rainbow bridge before he suffered more. They had him for eight years, and suddenly he is just... gone.

The timing of his illness was either just sad or blessed.

Because he was so unpredictable they kept Simba in their isolation room, which is actually this huge room they use for storage (food, beds, cleaning supplies, etc) Since he was the only one back there he had free reign of the room. Only a handful of people were allowed back there who knew how to react properly when he took it into his head to attack.

This room was... ill organized. Since only a handful of people were allowed back there it ended up just a complete mess. They are right next to an overgrown lot too, so mice would sneak in and nibble at the cat food if a bag got ripped. Simba helped there by acting as a mouser and protecting the food supply from the mice.

Well, this last Saturday they'd decided enough was enough. They closed the shelter and 20+ people showed up to clean it out. Simba had to go into a cage for the day, but that was okay. We took EVERYTHING out - including the shelving and gave it a deep clean. We even scrubbed the foor. Then we went though everything Marie Kondo style. Any food they didn't feed their cats that had been donated was set out to be picked up by a pet pantry. Any expired food was picked up by an organization that feeds ferals. Old supplies were tossed. New shelving was finally installed. It looked like a totally different room. We could see from the front door to the back door! They put in six large cages for cats in need of isolation care for longer than just a week or two. (Big 4'x3' kennels).

That night they let Simba back into his new domain. In the renovations he had gotten a new bed, and a new climbing tower just for him also.

Not 24 hours later he was gone.

Either it is sad because he never got to enjoy his newly cleaned home

Or

It is blessed because Simba had been sick for a while but knew it was okay to show it now that his services as mouser weren't needed anymore (aka, there were no more broken bags of food, the floor had been disinfected to remove any scent trails, all remaining food was up and out of reach...) and he could go home knowing the shelters isolation room would stay safe.

GreenFlashlight · Sep 22, 2021, 4:49 AM

Jesus, you two (or you four, I guess). You have had a rough go of it. I'm so sorry.

silverfox · Sep 26, 2021, 3:35 AM

I have six kittens laying on me, though two are less laying and more reenacting WWE fights.

Life is good.

Ganymede · Sep 26, 2021, 3:44 AM

@silverfox

silverfox · Oct 17, 2021, 2:20 AM

We got new fosters today.

My husband is already smitten. The orange and white he declared to be Sir Charles Purrington . The others are Sugar (tabby/white) and Cecilia (Tabby)

Pyrephox · Oct 16, 2021, 11:56 PM

@silverfox Your fosters never fail to give me joy. Thank you for sharing them!

Too Old For This · Oct 17, 2021, 1:14 AM

@silverfox I want Sir Charles, too!

silverfox · Oct 17, 2021, 1:14 AM

@too-old-for-this

He is the most chonky amazing boy! He didn't have a single second of fear for the new place. He went straight to playing. When you touch him he purrs louder than my adult cats!

Too Old For This · Oct 17, 2021, 1:18 AM

@silverfox I want him MORE now!!! He sounds amazing!

...and I may have a weakness for ginger kitties.

Macha · Oct 17, 2021, 2:09 AM

@silverfox Thank you for always sharing. I love kittens, but.. allergies.

Ganymede · Oct 17, 2021, 2:20 AM

@silverfox

Like, fuck you and all that cuteness, I am jelly.