The State Of The Mews

Trying new things to fix "fuss&upset"...

Marley still has kidney problems and alway will.  But the kidney care Hill's Science diet (and some portion control for weight) has helped.  And he will be 14 in August.  Elderly cats usually develop some problem.  I can't do anything about that.  

Lori is still upset about Loki and Binq.  I can't do much about that either.  But things are slowly getting better.  Lori and Loki sniff noses and butts sometimes.  They walk past each other calmly sometimes.  They eat near each other sometimes.  

There are still hisses and raised paws, but not like at first.  I have seen them sitting calmly a foot apart a couple of times.

Lori is still having stress-diarrhea issues.  I say "stress" only because the Vet says it has gone on too long and meds should have solved any physical issues by now.  There could be something more serious physically and if Lori and Loki resolve their psychological issues and Lori still has diarrhea, we will try more serious tests (disease, blockage, whatever).  I want her around for a long long time.

But I can say the diarrhea problems are less frequent.  There are now several clean days to each bad one.  Which (to me) seems to fit the "stress" idea.  And to be fair to Loki, Lori initiates about half the "fusses".

Loki is still a problem.  He arrived with "eye-goop" and abdominal muscle spasms.  Those have both gone away.  Meds cleared the head infection and I have no idea why the abdominal spasms occurred or why they stopped.  Some problems stop and you know why (meds) and some stop and you never do know why.    

One day he just stopped having those abdominal spasms.  I didn't even notice at first.  It's like when an itch stops.  All of a sudden, you just realize it ended...

Loki's biggest problem is that he suddenly started peeing on my bed a month ago.  I didn't know which cat it was, but every few days, the sheets/blankets were wet.  First once a week, then every few days, then every day.  

I finally caught him "in the act".  I yelled (wish I hadn't; he must have had a reason).  Well, I was frustrated!  I don't know how many of you have ever had a waterbed.  I've been sleeping on waterbeds for about 40 years.  I love the "give" as my body settles onto it.  Some people hate them.  But because water absorbs warmth from the body, you need layers of sheets and blankets beneath you even with a heated one.

So I have 3 sheets and 3 blankets below me and 1 of each above.  Well, I was getting tired of laundering sheets and blankets every couple of days.  I put a plastic tarp over the bed, so that if he peed there his own pee would pool around his paws.  I thought that would discourage him.  Not at all...

THAT didn't even stop him.  And a few days ago, while I was right there next to him, he was sitting on the bed and I recognized the "litter box blank stare"!  And the pee rolled to the edge of the bed and wet the bedcovers.  I had to wash everything again.  And my washer/dryer can only handle 1 blanket and one sheet each cycle.  Took all day!

I decided that Loki was "too much trouble" and needed to be returned to the Shelter in hopes he would find a new home that didn't cause him stress.  I've thought that several times in the past month.  

I go between "Loki is never going to be quite domesticated" and "I need to find some way to keep him here".  I am angry one day and trying to be tolerant the next.  Loki loves me personally.  He seeks (and gets) all the attention I can give divided among 4 cats.  He seeks me out and follws me everywhere.  He is definitely happy around me.  And he is happy around Marley and Binq.

It isn't a litter box problem.  Loki happily poops in them.  And I know the "1 box per cat" guidance (so I have 4) and I clean them every day before I make my own dinner (makes it easy to remember to do).

So I've changed tactics.  The tarp stays on the bed as pee-proofing of the blankets and sheets below.  And that works because I put an old sheet on top of the tarp.  That way, any pee is soaked up by the old sheet.  I will launder an old sheet every day for his life if I have to.  

Because it isn't his fault that he is having a peeing problem.  It is mine to help solve (OK maybe the Vet too).  

I have occasionally mentioned that I am constantly amazed that some animals can share our human artificial spaces.   Dogs need to be walked, rabbits poop anywhere, I don't even know what ferrets do.  Cats usually just need a litterbox.  

That's part of the human/cat bargain.  We provide shelter/food/attention and they use the clean litterboxes.  But they have to use the litterboxes.

The old sheet on the tarp covering the bed has stayed dry for 4 days.  That is great news.  

Maybe, a few months from now, all The Mews will snuggle together, Loki will stop peeing on the bed, etc.  

Meanwhile, I will go about planting the garden and cleaning the house...  *Sigh*

Cat Problems

 Loki has decided the bed is a good place to pee.  Which is difficult for me.   I finally figured out that the pee spots on the bed were from Loki.  I caught him in the act finally.  I need to research "inappropriate peeing".

I have several alternating layers of sheets and blankets on the waterbed, so washing them all takes a lot of time and effort.  I did that today and placed a plastic tarp on top.  Let him pee on that and see how he likes it!

And he likes chasing Lori.  Unlike Laz (who chased Lori viciously toward the end) Loki wants to play "chase" (I hope).  But Lori doesn't like that either.

Binq thinks my hands are toys to grab at with claws out.  And that my legs are scratching posts.  But she is getting better about that.  

Lori still hates both newbies.  And still has diarrhea after almost 3 months.  It is less than it was, but sometimes suddenly bad.  I have a new med for her and will hope that helps.  She is struggling with the last few months of insanity and the arrival of the "Unwanted Newbies" (from her POV).

Marley is staring to resist his kidney food diet.  I add some regular food on top, but he stops below that.  Putting him in The Mews Room with his bowl usually works.  

Lori gets the bedroom for her mealtimes lately.  The peace helps her eat.  I may have to isolate Loki for meals too.  Binq eats everything quickly and takes Loki's bowl too.  He has lost weight, so I have to get him to eat more.  Oddly, Binq isn't gaining any weight.  Maybe that is because she is very active in playing with toys.  

So there are problems here.  Not everything is bad.  The bad parts are infrequent.  There are good things too.

Each of The Mews love me individually.  If I stand in a room a few minutes, they are all there.  Loki follows we around the house constantly and seems distressed by any separation.  He even sits in the bathroom when I take a shower, and few cats like to be around heavy running water.

Binq doesn't want to share the bed at night, but she nearly attacks me in the morning for attention.  She just has "her time" for wanting me to pet/scritch/stroke her.  She is not a lapcat, but stays on the chair (top or arms) near me when I watch TV.

As I've said, Loki follows me around the house everywhere.  Nothing stops him.  If I'm putting laundry in the dryer, he jumps in there.  If I pull him out, he sits in the washer.  He sits on my lap when I am watching TV, sits on the newspaper when I am reading it during lunch.  The only time he is happy away from me is at meals.  

Lori wants to stay near me too.  She has always been close to me most times.  If Loki isn't near me, she is.  And on my lap if she doesn't see Loki or Binq nearby.  

Marley is always perfect of course.  Lapcat, tolerant friend to all.

I may have made a mistake bringing Loki and Binq into the house.  I thought "playmates" after her once-good relationship with Laz.  But it isn't working well.  But they are all here and it is my responsibility to try to get them all adjusted.

Driving me damn near crazy though... 

Oopsie!

 I didn't mean for yesterday's post to appear.  I had written it and moved it forward because it wasn't complete.  Then moved it forward again to adapt it for Laz.  I lost track of it.

Ayla was buried a month ago and I have a brick to mark her place.  I haven't buried Laz yet, but will soon.  And then I will build their Memorial Boxes.  Yes, things are rather confused and disorganized here at the moment.

From cats going over The Bridge, 2 new ones, Lori hissing, Marley suddenly not liking his kidney care food, Loki coughing/choking, Binq clawing me (from enthusiasm), 2 vet visits, Binq attacking the bed monsters (my feet), and Marley suddenly hiding for 2 days...  

Trying to get Marley to eat his kidney care stuff is not working the past few days.  Getting Loki to eat anything (the ear gel appetite-stimulator Miritaz ointment is prescribed and is  easy), the cleaning the dried eye goop and applying more eye ointment is not.  

Loki needs the smelliest food I have, but it barely works.  I meant to buy canned sardines and tuna at the grocery store today, but I forgot.  If I don't add something to my shopping list, I never remember.

I have some leftover calming pills from Laz and Lori is getting them in hopes it may help her accept the New Mews.  I assume they are as safe for Lori as for Laz.  At least she accepts the pill in her food.

I am a bit worn out, so I missed a scheduled post I intended to move ahead in time once again to be re-written reflecting the situation on that day's date.   

Forgive me for confusing anyone with it.😩

I will just write a new post when I dig a hole for Laz (soon) and make 2 Memorial boxes.