Bluecat 9: September 2011

Hello!

Hi. My name is Blue. You may have seen me in the neighborhood.

I am a 12-year old neutered male Devon Rex cat. You may think that I look funny but all cats of my breed share similar characteristics. We lack an outer coat (guard hairs) and have only the "undercoat" which is soft and wavy (and very warm). It is a mutation. Many cats of my breed have patches of hair missing, especially on our necks and under-body. We are supposed to look like this. Our ears are quite large and our necks quite thin. We can be of any coat color - from tabby striped to Siamese-type with points and everything (my mother was a Blue-Point Devon Rex) and I'm not sure who my father was -- he may actually have been a regular cat. Sometimes breeders will breed a purebred Rex to a regular cat. Not sure why actually. My color is Blue and White, hence my very non-creative name: Blue.

I have always been a very active cat. You may notice that I walk with a pronounced limp and that my right leg and paw have a funny curve. When I was a year old I was in an accident where I hung by my right front leg for a while. Not sure how that happened, actually. It really hurt but I eventually got free. My human guardian (mom) who is coincidentally, a veterinarian found me and took me to Dove Lewis Emergency hospital where I was diagnosed with a Brachial Plexus Avulsion. It was pretty crazy - my pupils were different sizes and I couldn't put my foot down at all at first.

My mom did some acupuncture on me (she is a holistic veterinarian) and gave me a homeopathic remedy, which calmed me down quite a bit and hopefully helped to mitigate the nerve damage. I also got some osteopathic treatment from Dr. Reese. She is very nice.

As time went on my leg got better and I could put weight on it and walk and run pretty normally, but it was never really normal. I cannot feel my little toe or the outer half of the one next to it on my right foot. It is called ulnar paralysis. I was not yet full-grown when it happened and so my radius bone grew but my ulna did not and eventually my leg got more and more crooked and I walk with a limp.

I like being outside and I like to visit the neighbors. My mom and dad (my human guardians) have tried to keep me as an indoor cat from time to time so that I wouldn't hurt myself again but I drove them crazy (like any teenager, LOL) so they continue to let me live my full life as an indoor-outdoor cat.

So that is my story.

I am not malnourished. I may beg for food but my mom would prefer that you not feed me (damn). I am not "messed up". And another thing: we have waxy skin and our ears and eyes are pretty waxy. I think it has something to do with not having a regular haircoat.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

I'm OKAY!!!

I am much better now. I have a very good appetite and just feel much better. It was a rough time there for a while, but really, I am OKAY!!!

My mom says that the phone has been ringing a lot lately with people worried about me. I think they must be new in the neighborhood because I don't recognize them and then they look at the tag on my collar and call my mom. They usually say that I look malnourished or that I haven't been home in a while.

I know Rex cats are very weird looking and I am probably one of the weirder ones. But really, I am okay.

My mom wonders why no one reads my blog. Then they would KNOW!

But she also appreciates the calls in a way because if there really was something very wrong with me she feels reassured that someone will call. I heard she and dad discussing something about "repeat bloodwork" last night - I hope it's not that needle-sticking in my arm thing again but I guess it probably is. Oh well.

Such is the life of this Rex cat.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

How many lives do we get again????

I think that most cats get 9 lives, or so I have heard... but sometimes I think I must have more than that... and I will explain why here today.

A couple of weeks ago I found something TOTALLY AWESOME on the cupboard while mom and dad were out - it looked like dry food (my favorite "bad" treat!) but they were longer and slimmer... pointy. Of course I didn't chew it (I never bother) - so just wolfed them down - DELICIOUS!

When my mom and dad got home they said that I had "gotten into" something called "roasted pumpkin seeds" that was going to part of THEIR dinner (which makes me wonder why they don't share more often... after all, I am a member of this household!) - but oh well, "He will probably barf them up later".

Well, barf them up I did. Whole. Along with my breakfast. I thought everything would be fine after that - I mean, what's a cat without a little barfing??

Strangely the next day I barfed again... started to not feel so well... but I endured and kept right on eating my dinner, begging for more, all of the "normal" stuff that I always do.

But then 4 days later I felt really like crap and wanted to hide. I didn't come home that night and my mom worried. I finally came in for breakfast and went about eating as usual, but I guess I was a little slow... I barfed again... no food this time... just some yellow crap... I went to my hiding spot again outside. It was really hot and I felt like crap. I didn't come home for dinner. I knew my mom was worried (she kept calling me) but I just thought I would be fine if I could just sleep here a little...

I came home that night around 11. I could hardly move - I don't think I've ever felt this awful before... I would like to eat but I can't... yuck, yuck, yuck. I want to die, whatever that is... have I spent all my lives already? Don't some cats get one more?

My mom, who is a vet, was really worried gave me some fluids under the skin because I was so dehydrated. She stuck something up my butt and said I didn't have a "temperature" - oh man, I felt like crap and those fluids were really awful. I drank a whole bunch of water.

I slept all night in one spot in the kitchen. My mom didn't get any sleep because she was so worried... I think I must have barfed again... all water. Oh crap.

Then she and dad put me on a table and did something else - "drawing blood" - I think she almost fainted when she saw that the blood was yellow-tinged and separated out really fast - "OMG it's his liver!!!!". She sent it off for analysis... and gave me an acupuncture treatment.

Later she stuck that thing up my butt again and said that I had a fever!!! She gave me some homeopathic medicine - those little sugar pills (yuck) - Phosphorus 200c - just in case I still had some of those pumpkin seed things still in my stomach or intestine... this would help it to come out - and maybe help my liver too.

The blood results came the next day - liver problem, maybe a blockage... and something called a high white count - maybe bacterial? so vague these livers... I think this is when she started me on an antibiotic.

I don't know if it was the homeopathy, the acupuncture or the antibiotic but I started to feel better pretty soon. They gave me baby food (yum) and I ate just a little at a time.

That was last weekend... so far this week has been a little up and down. I lost a lot of weight and still feel weak. Mom and dad imprisoned me in their house for a few days which was okay, but really, I get off on being outside so eventually they let me.

I like that my mom worries about me and can help to fix me... I know she worries that she cannot do everything.

It's okay. I love her. And dad.

Fingers crossed that I have a few lives left... and will be around to skulk around your house once again, lovely neighbors!