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!

SNUGS and the "V.E.T." - shhhh!

How can an animal be so smart? How in the world can an animal who cannot read or talk or spell know what "V.E.T." means? How in the world? Well, this old man kitty does? When I put my purse on my shoulder and Mark goes to pick up Snugs so we can start down the basement stairs to the car . . .Snugs runs in the other direction. These pictures were actually taken back in January when he went for his annual physical but we go once a month for a "mani/pedi" and for them to give him a dose of cat lax. He runs away every time. This last time he ran upstairs and tried to hide under Glenn and Lauren's bed . . .but there was so much stuff under it (because they are getting ready to move) that he "thought" he was hiding . . .but he really wasn't!! His head was "hiding" but his big black and white body was sticking right out from under the bed.

We normally love our vet . . .and all the folks that work there but we didn't have a very good experience this last time.  We have turned into those "crazy cat people" over the years.  Snugs is such an old man and I guess (yes, I know) we have become over protective of him.  They sent a high school student (who is trying to decide if he wants to become a veterinarian- you know how I know this, don't you?  I asked him!!) and an intern (I'm assuming because she looked older . . and I was expecting someone like our friend, Carrie . . .but she wasn't) in to take care of us . . .and let me be the one to tell you . . .they didn't know how to take care of us.  Snugs teeth and gums are really bad and he has a heart murmur and cannot be put to sleep for the teeth and gums to be cleaned . . .and they made his gums bleed as they tried to ram a tongue depressor into his mouth with cat lax on it. So there is all this bacteria in his mouth and all I could think about is that he was going to get an infection and be really sick.  Stupid, I know.  He is usually docile once you put him on that table . . .so it was pretty surprising when he came straight up into a standing position ready to attack.  They tried three times and at that point Mark said, "STOP!" VERY FORCEFULLY.  You have to understand that I've only seen Mark lose his temper once or twice in our entire 29 years of marriage . . .and he was pretty darn close.

Snugs proceeded to hide under Mark's coat (yes, it was cold - in May - in Alabama - weird, I know - so Mark had on a coat) on Saturday much like he did back in January.  They then trimmed his nails . . .they didn't seem to know what they were doing then either but they did a little better job on his nails than on the cat lax.

We asked for someone with more experience to please come in and give him a dose of medicine.  They did send in one of the older ladies (my age!) and she put the medicine on her finger and stuck it right into his mouth - no problem.  We usually have this really sweet lady who calls him "mashed potato toes." 

Snugs was so traumatized that when Mark walked out of the exam room into the lobby, there were two large dogs waiting and Snugs just cuddled up against Mark. He didn't look right or left. He didn't even notice that there was anyone else around. While I was paying, the employees closed the door to the back where everyone (all the techs, etc.) are located . . .I think they were talking about us. I guess we will have the reputation of being the crazy over-protective cat people now. 

I think the problem began with the fact that it was pouring down rain. We usually get up on our designated "vet" Saturday and go to the Vet's clinic right when they open - first ones there (those of you who know us - does that surprise you?) - and get our stuff done and get out of there in about 15 minutes. It was raining so hard that we dilly dallied around the house and were later getting to the Vet's clinic and they were already seeing other "patients" so I guess it was as much our fault as theirs. They always tell us not to make an appointment just for that . . .my goodness . . .the musings of this middle aged mom . . .I used to worry about my kids - do they have an ear infection? are they sick? Now I'm worried about an old man kitty cat . . .