Making Noises

Things were quite rough after Punkin’s death.  Quiet and sad. Too quiet.  We’d planned to wait until next spring to get another pet, however our counselor advised against waiting that long.  Grieve Punkin and find another pet within a month and the recommendation was that it be a different species.  A week later, we were adopted by a cat @ the Humane Society.  We went there to look at a 12 month old beagle; however she was already adopted.  We deliberately picked a cat that did not look either Punkin or Snoops, another cat of ours,  who was black and white, was put down in 2002 because of cancer.

Yes, did you want something?

We named him Dexter.  He is a 4 year old male tabby and very affectionate.

A sad postscript to: http://www.bignoise-enterprises.com/blog/?p=877 Tuesday we made the painful decision to end Punkin’s suffering.  She is not responding to the treatments, and they are stressing her out.  She isn’t eating, or drinking, much and hides a lot.  We have chosen Saturday, July 31st to have her euthanised.  I have made this tribute video, and will be making a donation to the Humane Society in her memory.  She was a beautiful cat, and even got her picture in the local paper, see Punkin, Celebrity Cat http://www.bignoise-enterprises.com/blog/?p=819 for more about that!

Punkin-smallerfile

Image credit: Don, Murfreesboro, TN via Wikimedia

The next edition of the Chronic Babe Blog Carnival asks the question:  The Big Breakdown: When Everything Goes to Hell, What Do We Do?

I suspect everyone would answer this question differently.  I know people that become quiet and contemplative when all hell breaks loose and I know others that do the opposite.  I think it has to do with personality.

Friday July 16th was one of the worst days I have experienced in a while.  Our cat Punkin was diagnosed that morning with kidney disease.  Punkin is 15 and she has been a part of our house since she was 2.  Kidney disease in cats is manageable but incurable.   To add to the stress of the day, we were scheduled to be out of town camping with family for the weekend and had to be there by 5:00 pm that evening to attend a function together at 6 pm.  The only appointment open at the vet was at 3:00 pm  and we had to meet with him and the vet clinic staff to discuss treatments. We also needed to finish packing a few things yet and drive approximately 1 1/2 hours to our destination.

Punkin eats a treat. "No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch." - Leo Dworken

How does this relate to the blog carnival topic?  During this day from hell, here’s how I made it through.

1. I cried. I let the grief wash over me for a while–spent time sobbing my heart out. Throughout the weekend I tried not to hold back when tears threatened.
2. I reached out. First, I telephoned my sister-in-law to let her know what had happened and to advise that we would arrive late that evening. I proceeded to then contact my husband, my best friend and others with the news.
3. I asked for help.  I asked my husband to call to see if the vet could find some time in between patients to speak with him, as I was too distraught to talk coherently.
4. I took action. I finished as much of the packing as I could manage.
5. I researched. Since I like information about what I have to deal with, I researched feline kidney disease on “Dr. Google” and, at the vet appointment, asked him questions.
6. I focused.  I worked with my husband as a team to “get ‘er done”.  After the vet appointment, we grabbed food to eat on the road, raced home, and on the vet’s advice, took Punkin with us.  We finished packing, which now included what Punkin needed for the weekend.  Once we arrived at our destination, we dropped the RV off at the campsite, did the minimum set up to make Punkin comfortable, and high tailed it to the play.
7. I prayed for rest and for Punkin to be healed.

Note that not all of these were deliberate steps taken on my part to cope, to be honest I was on auto-pilot, but helped nonetheless. Did my symptoms still flare?  Most definitely.  Did my husband and I both wish we had no plans that weekend except  margaritas in our hand that evening and a friend to make them for us? Without A Doubt.  Yet, the weekend’s activities served as a distraction from our “new normal” – owners of a cat with a chronic disease.    Things have come full circle now – I, who needs occasional caregiving (the “caregivee” if you will), have now become a “caregiver.”

And I’ve now realized that, much like my own chronic illness, “my husband and I are in this together” and I’m doing my best to

from Wikipedia: Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, to raise the morale of the British public in the case of invasion. It was little known and never used. The poster was rediscovered in 2000.

Punkin checking things out

June is Adopt-A-Cat month.  In support of this, one newspaper is taking submissions on adopted pets — be they adopted from a shelter, another family,  or found on the street and rescued.  You can read the stories here: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Adopted+Tails/3117880/story.html?tab=PHOT Here is my submission on our sweetheart:

 

Meet Punkin.  We adopted Punkin in 1997 from the CHS.  Punkin is a female calico (as almost all calicos are.)  She is quite spoiled, very vocal and demanding.  We created a monster I guess. Punkin is a “morning cat” and often starts her day at 4:00 a.m. and doesn’t understand why you don’t want to start your day then too! You can imagine this isn’t much appreciated by the humans in the house. When she wants your attention, she will lick your arm, or face, and once she gave me a “wet willy” in the ear with her tongue.  At 4:00 a.m. of course.  She drinks out of the tap in the bathtub, and will sit in the tub until someone comes and turns it on for her.  She likes her toys and still has a lot of kitten in her, even though, at 15, she is considered a senior, and has some arthritis in her lower back near her tailbone. She’s on medication for it.  If you have ever had to give a cat a pill, you can relate to what a challenge it is to administer these potions.   All in all, though, she has “personality plus,” helps make our house a home, and we love her.

Dear Punkin, please note that giving me a “wet willy” with your tongue at 4:00 a.m. will no longer be tolerated and may result in the loss of one of your 9 lives.

At that moment, you were not very cute.

Sincerely, your owner.

Punkin loves laundry day.

Dear Punkin, please confine your vomiting to areas we can actually access to clean up. FYI, right under the middle of our king-sized bed is not one of them. It is a good thing you are cute.

Love, your “slaves.”

Punkin

Our cat, Punkin, in her favorite chair.

Cat owners will do anything for their cats.  This is evidenced by the array of “impulse items” displayed in pet stores across the country.  Two treats for your cat – and cheap entertainment for their owners – is catnip and honeysuckle wood.

Catnip, also called catmint, is a member of the mint family and a common herb, used by humans since at least the 1500′s in a tea.  It contains a compound called nepetalactone that has an almost aphrodisiac affect on cats.  Interestingly enough, catnip affects not all cats – about 15% are immune and reacting to catnip is thought to be inherited by something called an “autosomal dominant trait.”  Cats that are “high” on catnip will exhibit some or all of the following behaviors when around a field of catnip, or a toy containing catnip:

• meow and roll in the catnip
• rub their cheeks against the spot where catnip has been sprinkled
• get into silly positions such as on their back with paws extended, gazing up at the ceiling
• run around the room like a kitten playing with its invisible friend
• settle into a dreamy, sleepy silly pose and not move for a while.

Cats can be very possessive of their catnip or their catnip toys, and some cats have been aggressive after use.

Honeysuckle is not an herb but rather a deciduous vine or shrub native to the Northern Hemisphere.  Many of the species have sweet smelling, bell shaped flowers and the scent is released when the stem is broken.  The honeysuckle nectar is edible and can be accessed by removing the blossom and sucking at the nectar in the center.  It is best grown in full sun to part shade.

It can be quite invasive and some species are considered weeds in North America.

Only one species of honeysuckle contains the same ingredient as catnip.  Cats that are not immune to honeysuckle – about 30% of cats do not react to it – will exhibit similar behaviors when around honeysuckle as catnip.  The berries of the honeysuckle are poisonous but the wood is not.  If the piece of wood purchased is rough, I would recommend sanding the same smooth so the cat doesn’t injure himself playing with it.  Alternatively, you could stitch up a soft cover for the honeysuckle.  If the honeysuckle wood looses its’ smell, you can wet it to rejuvenate the smell.

[sources for some of the information:  www.catniptoys.com, www.enwikipedia.com]