Back to the routine

All seems well here. What a relief, since I've really been waiting for some sort of delayed reaction to the weekend at the boarding kennel.

Snoopy was off her meds, but we started her up again once we got home. She's moving about at her normal pace - and doesn't seem highly stressed.

Sakaura is over her tummy problems and spent the night sleeping at my feet. And right now she is grooming herself! Good girl.

A sigh of relief (so far)

We boarded the cats for the weekend. Dropped them off on Saturday morning and picked them up late Monday afternoon. So far - so good. Sakaura does seem to have a little bit of diarrhea but I am thinking she overate last night. She's been on a diet of dry cat food, and she ate an entire can of Fancy Feast when we brought her home. I assume digestive upsets may be common with the change of food, plus the stress of being out of her routine.


Snoopy appears well. She's still very much to herself, but she's not visibly ill and has easily slipped right back into her routine (read: eat, sleep, repeat, repeat, repeat).

Oddly enough when we went to settle our bill, there was no charge. I sort of understand, but this was totally unexpected.

Sunday pictures

It is easy to post pictures on weekends - of course, it's always cats sleeping. Isn't that all cats really do? What a life?
Snoopy is awake, but I wish her eyes were shut - they always have that evil yellow glow.

Sakaur, as usual, is asleep.

No change - that's good?

I am starting to look at things from a different perspective here. The status quo is good. Cats are not fighting. That is good

Snoopy's hair is gradually coming back. She's eating well. She's maintaining her weight. She no longer needs the insulin.

She's not a shedder and never has been. But she has an awful undercoat that mats and she will not allow us to brush her. It's a never ending battle.



Sakaura, on the other hand, is shedding like crazy. I'd forgotten that happens to most long haired cats when the season changes.



She went to the vet on Thursday. Don took her and said she was relatively well behaved. At least she did not bite or scratch the vet. He pronounced her healthy - said she's at a good weight and we should try to keep her at or around that weight. He also recommended brushing her teeth - Don's theory is that Dr. K has found cat dental cleaning a profitable business, since no cat that we've ever owned would allow us to clean their teeth.

Snoopy still will not come into the living room on her own. She will, however, still move from her "bedroom" to where she eats and to the downstairs litter box on her own. That is progress (as small as it may seem).

Time for some new pictures and cat news.

As you can see Snoopy can be quite relaxed now sleeping on the sofa. She still will not come out on her own, but it is one of her "safe places" and she will relax there forever, if we bring her to her spot.

We purchased a "tent" for Sakaura at WalMart on Saturday and she likes it but is a bit rough and sometimes it gets quite a beating. This morning I woke up to find it totally flattened out on the living room floor.

There is much less hissing and spitting these days. The cats are not bosom buddies but I think they both are resigned to the fact that they have to live in the same house. We can deal with that.

Sakaura continues to be a picky eater. What she will eat one day she will blatantly refuse a week later. It's become quite a challenge to feed her most days.

So sleepy! (and adorable!)

The little darlings

Time for some new pictures of the little darlings. Sakaura takes a much better picture - she doesn't get those flaming yellow (or red) eyes.



Snoopy, on the other hand, has such large black pupils that always seem to catch the flash. Her hair is growing out a tiny bit - I wish it could stay about this length

Teeny tiny baby steps

This afternoon, in a very brave moment, Snoopy chose to go on to the sofa rather than run down the hall to "her room". Don had brought her over to the slider so she could look outdoors. Sakaura was downstairs asleep on the futon, so "the coast was clear". Snoopy was very uncomfortable and started to run away from the slider and jumped up on the sofa where she is sitting now, bathing herself.

Now I'd have loved it if she'd have sat there and looked out at the squirrels and birds, but I love the fact that she chose to stay out here with us instead of running away to hide.

Of course, now Sakaura has made an appearance, which has Snoopy a bit wary, but she's not tried to run away (yet).

How cute is this?

No news is good news

Cats are still co-existing. In fact, when I got home yesterday they were both sleeping in the middle bedroom - just not too close to each other.

I am a bit concerned about leaving Snoopy at the boarding kennel again. Last time we made a trip, we came home to two sick cats - one did not survive, and she only survived after hospitalization and coming close to death.

We can not stay home forever though. So we are only going to leave them a couple of days - with a big warning that they are monitored closely and not put in a common area.

With that said, I think we will need to take Sakaura in to the vet to get her shots updated. Her last trip was in May, 2007. Must make a note of that.

Still more independent!

Miss Snoopy is still moving around a bit more freely since she's back on the valium. She definitely knows where she wants to go and will travel on her own.

This morning when she was running across the hall from her bedroom to the bathroom where she eats, Sakaura attacked her. She didn't panic though and Sakaura abandoned the fight.

They are not friends, but I am hoping they can just live in the same house now with no bloodshed.

We are contemplating a short trip at the end of May. It should be interesting trying to travel to the kennel with them in the same car. We will, of course, have to carry them in separate carriers. And, God forbid, that the kennel mistakenly think they could board them in the same space.

Kitty valium again...

Don is picking up a new prescription of valium today. We had two pills left over so this morning Snoopy got her first valium in a couple of weeks.

About an hour later, Don told me he can already see a difference. She -- on her own -- traversed the stairs from her litter box area back to the bathroom where we feed her. For the entire time she's been off the valium (and taking the prozac) she's been almost like an invalid - having to be carried from spot to spot.

So we will deal with the increased appetite if she can live a more peaceful, confident life.

No privacy

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Peace treaty?

I am not sure this really qualifies. Don has told me that on occasion he has seen this behavior, but this was the first time I actually saw Sakaura that close to Snoopy without any growling or slapping or other reactions. Of course, Snoopy was likely petrified, thus not able to move. Whatever!

I managed to get a picture of Snoopy that did not have the glowing yellow eyes - that is always a problem.



She has the HUGE black pupils that catch the flash every time. The "red eye fix" that most photo editing programs have does nothing for "yellow eye". I had to do some pretty heavy editing on the picture up top to try to get rid of the alien look.

Sakaura, on the other hand, never gets red-eye even. I am not sure why. She has more normal eyes though. I think Snoopy's eyes are damaged by the diabetes. She is not blind, but she definitely has problems seeing.

In the spirit of fairness, here's a picture of Sakaura. She does have pretty green eyes.

Almost Caturday

Another weekend on the way, and we've made little (no?) progress in cat socialization. Don continues to bring Snoopy out to sleep on the sofa.



However, she never comes out on her own and she is usually very relieved when he carries her to her "room". She is like an invalid - if only he could find her a wheelchair, I swear.

Sakaura is most happy to sleep in Snoopy's spot. She has no respect for her or her privacy!

A little research

Today I read a bit about Prozac and found that it may take a week or two before we notice any difference in Snoopy's behavior. So I guess we will stick it out. A friend told me that Prozac was not addictive (Valium is). So we need to give it a chance I guess.

Things are quiet. She is still very fearful but manages to avoid Sakaura. Don said she spent a large amount of her day today under the bed. That makes me sad.

I think I've seen it all

So you can buy your cat a bed so it can sleep next to your keyboard.

Maybe I should suggest this to Don. He says when he is working Sakaura walks all over his desk and keyboard.

Not so sure about that Prozac

We had a major cat fight yesterday. I was downstairs trying to get my laptop to connect to the big backup drive we'd set up on Don's computer, and Snoopy was sleeping on the futon. Sakaura jumped up in her face and started in on her scratching, slapping - much screeching and growling. Poor Snoopy got up and started to run upstairs with Sakaura running after her, same screeching and screaming all the way.

Snoopy hid under the bed totally traumatized. We are feeling that the Prozac is not as effective as the Valium, but will give it a full week before we opt to switch back. She's very wary today - and seems to have given up all the ground she'd gained (walking to the bathroom to eat, going downstairs and upstairs on her own, etc.)

Sakaura is a little meany! And she thrives on Snoopy's fear. How could anything this innocent looking be so bad?

T.G.I.F.

I am not sure cats know that today is Friday, but I certainly do. And a Friday that I took off work. We gave Snoopy her first dose of Prozac today. It's a liquid so I was not sure if she'd notice it in her food or not. Obviously she didn't and she licked her plate clean. I can't really tell if she is behaving much differently. Time will tell I guess. She's in her usual spot - sleeping on the sofa.

Sakaura is sleeping across the room. They are still very wary of each other.

This morning Snoopy's bed was all ruffled up, so there must have been an encounter during the night. At least they were quiet about it. They can fight all they want, but please none of the screeching and yowling!

Prozac

So we are switching from valium to prozac. I am not sure how it will work or if we will switch back to the valium (which seems to do some good). The valium makes her extremely hungry so I want to see if we get a good effect with the prozac with no increase in appetite.

Sakaura, on the other hand, horked up a huge hairball during the night. Ick! She needs to sit and let me brush her really well. She has such long hair and with warmer weather upon us, she will be shedding a lot.

Another exciting day in kitty paradise!