Friday, November 15, 2013

Sure do love our Snugger bugger

I never ever ever . . .in a million years ever . . .thought that Mark and I would have a cat.
1.  I am allergic to cats.  So allergic that this is the fifth time in my life to take allergy shots for cats . . .and I've been taking them over three years at this point . . .and we are pushing the envelope with how much  "venom" (I have no idea what the stuff in the shots is . . .seems like venom!!) I can stand!!
2.  Mark has always hated cats.  H.A.T.E.D. cats
3.  We've been married 30 years and raised two children without a pet . . .why now? 
Well, Snuggles E. is our cat.  We've had him four years this month.  We have no idea how old he is.  He showed up on our deck one day and has been with us ever since.  The vet says he is old. . . she can tell because of his teeth . . .and also because, well . . .he had his "fix" so long ago that it is actually difficult to tell whether he is a male or female (poor guy!).  We do know that he is a male.  So. .  back on August 21, Laura and I took him to the vet because he was sick.  He just wasn't right.  They took blood that day and it was horrible.  He cried like a baby.

They couldn't really find anything wrong with him.  They gave us some meds for his ears and said to take him home.  We kept doctoring his ears on the outside and he seemed ok.










 
September arrived.  Snug has always (since we've had him) been an indoor/outdoor cat.  He loved lying in the sun on the deck or marking his territory which consisted of our yard and the yards surrounding ours.  We let him out after work on a Thursday and he didn't come home that night.  He always came home right in time to have a late dinner and go to bed.  Mark nor I slept any that night.  We left the back lights on; I drove up and down the street; Mark drove up and down the street; we called his name.  He never came  home. 
 
At daylight on Friday morning, I pulled on some shorts and started walking up and down our street softly calling his name (most people were still asleep!).  When I started back up the driveway, I could see him under Mark's truck.  I called and called but he wouldn't come out.  Mark came outside to help me and Mark finally laid down on the concrete and unched (oonched?  scooted?) under the truck and Snug kept backing away from Mark until he came out and I picked him up.  He was terrified of Mark (and he and Mark have always been buddies!! - really - this cat has Mark wrapped around his paw!).  I was home with him all that day and he just wasn't right.  I called and the vet said they could see us when Mark got off work.  We took him to the vet and they assessed him and gave him fluids - he was dehydrated (if you have never seen that, it is so cool - they pump the fluid under their fur!).  I think they gave him a shot of antibiotics and told us to take him home. 
 





On Saturday morning, we woke up to a very sick kitty cat.  He seemed blind.  He would walk up to the wall and just stand there.  His walking was stiff and he was kind of "hunkered down."  He wouldn't eat.  OH MY GOSH!  I never knew you could hurt so much for an animal.  Mark and I were both crying because we thought he was dying.  The vet had told us the night before that if he wasn't better, we could just meet her at the office at 8:00 a.m.  We were there waiting on her.  As a matter of fact, they called her and she came straight in.  She actually started accessing his condition in the waiting room because there were no rooms available.  I love Dr. Frederick at Alford Avenue Animal Hospital!!  She loves our snugger, too!!

So . . .we thought she would have to put him down.  Once we got in a room, she examined him more closely and made us put him on the floor so she could see him walk.  She gave us some different meds for his ears and sent us home.  That still wasn't the end of the story!!

Since he had stayed outside all night (we don't know if our odd neighbor locked him up or if he had an encounter with a coyote . . .we don't know . . .and I am not being a bad person for saying that about our neighbor . . .Snug has been in their house before and I told them he was our cat but . . .I had literally had to walk into their backyard to get him because they were feeding him  . . .and said, "Oh is he your cat?" . . .when Mark had already told them he was . . .odd!  just odd!!) and almost died, his immune system was compromised.  Hair started falling off his head and big bald patches appeared - even a hunk of fur all the way around his tail fell off . . . and even a little piece of his ear fell off!!!!! EEEEEKKKK!!.  Back to the vet . . .and Dr. Frederick scratched all the bald places with a toothbrush and put the "stuff" onto a medium in a petri dish.  ring worm . . .bless his heart.  His ears eventually had no hair and most of the top of his head was bald.  He had patches under his chin . . .his tail . . .so very pitiful.



They started doing lime dips two times every week and since I have to take him by myself, I purchased a kitty carrier. 



Look at the bald spot on his tail - halfway down . . .this is right after a trip to the vet . . .his white feet even turn green!!  (lime?)



Doesn't he look like a happy kitty??? Not!!!  The girls are so sweet to him.  They say he is the best kitty ever.



One week, I gave my phone to one of the vet techs and asked her to take pictures of him while they were doing the bath.  Pretty doggone pitiful.





To me, he looks like one of those funny cat photos.  So . . .today is 11.15.13.  We've been battling his condition basically since August 21.  We've been to the vet so much and spent sooo much money.  I emailed with the vet yesterday.  He has to have three negative tests (for ring worm . ..which isn't actually a worm - but a fungus) before we can stop treatment.  She said we aren't there yet.  GRRRR.  We sure do love our snugger bugger. 
P.S. Cat ringworm is contagious . . .to humans double GRRR!

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