Service Cat – Page 4 – Service Cats U.S.

The Silent Killer pt. 1

Meow all, Lexi here with ya’ today. If you remember Dezi is off with the cat scouts having fun with a jamboree. But never fear she left the blog in my paws and I won’t steer ya’ wrong. After all, we have the same mommy. Anyways, we wanna address something very serious over the next couple of days, so that’s why the blog is being written in all human speak. We don’t want to take a chance that somebody can’t understand it and then has to go thru what we did when it could have been avoided. As Dezi has told you, I lost my brofur Lucky to a UTI. A lot of you have never dealt with this, and for that we are so grateful. But over the next couple of days we’re going to be dealing with what mommy calls “The Silent Killer”.

UTI’s or Urinary Tract Infections are more common than you might think, and are completely curable. So why then did I lose my brofur Lucky you ask? That’s why mommy calls it the Silent Killer. I will be telling his story, but first I would like to give you more information on this potentially fatal illness. I do want to preface this by saying altho’ we will be referring to this as a feline disease and we will be focusing on cats, this post in it’s entirety applies to all animals; dogs, rabbits, pigs, etc..

I’ll start by giving you all the definition of a UTI. It’s a bacterial, fungal, viral or algal infection developing anywhere along the animals urinary tract. The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra and/or prostate gland (applies to males only). The urethra is the tube from the bladder to the outside that urine travels through. They can also be called FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease), FUS (Feline Urologic Syndrome), FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis), and Interstitial Cystitis. Now if those aren’t some big words…And since it covers such a large area and can go by so many names are you starting to see why mommy calls it the Silent Killer? It could be as simple as stress to stones or a complete blockage of the urethra. Altho’ UTI’s are more common in males, females are not immune. If you look at the photos, you will be able to see why males are more prone to a blockage. The urethra is longer and has a rather large bend in it whereas a females urethra is shorter and has an almost direct route to the outside.

What are the causes of this horrid disease you ask? Let me tell you what 2 different websites have to say, and you’ll really start to understand mommy’s frustration. Pet MD says UTI’s can be caused by Stones, Crystals, a urethral plug, bladder inflammation, injury, incontinence from excessive water drinking, stress, spinal cord problems or congenital abnormalities. And most of these are symptoms, not causes. But the vet section of Web MD says what most VETs say, and that is, a disease that arises spontaneously, or for which the cause is unknown. In other words, nobody is certain, or at least they can’t truly agree exactly what is the cause of this disease. Although for the most part they can at least agree on some of the causes, those being diet, stress, liquid intake, and injuries to the urethra. This horrible disease can affect any animal at any age, altho’ it is most often diagnosed/seen in males between the age of 1 and 5 years old. Now you’re starting to see why Dezi’s recent 5th birthday was such a landmark for mommy. We lost Lucky right before he turned 5 and Ransom also had this horrible disease and we lost him right before he turned 5.

Mommy calls this disease a silent killer. While some cats will show no symptoms until it’s too late or the disease has progressed to it’s final stages, it’s not uncommon for animals with a UTI to cry out while using the litter box. Or eliminate inappropriately; like in your bath tub, or on the floor or in your plants, etc.. It hurts to urinate and they associate the litter box with that pain and don’t want to go back there. Typically there is blood in the urine as well, and as the blockage increases, the cat will strain to urinate. I would like to interject here that a normal urine sample for cats is at least a tablespoon size amount at a minimum of 2 times a day. Now remember that will vary based on your cats size, age, liquid (diet) intake and other health issues.

The symptoms aren’t always immediate, and of course as with everything else, some of them could point to something entirely different. Some of those symptoms are lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, depression, and licking excessively around the penis or vaginal area especially right after urinating as this may be a sign of burning during urination. Often mild cases often go undiagnosed in cats specifically until discovered during a routine annual checkup, and may often clear up on their own.

We really want to do this justice, so we will continue tomorrow as we have given you a lot of information to digest today. But before we go, we want to say that if you suspect your cat or animal is having difficulty urinating or may have a UTI please go to the VET immediately!!! Don’t wait, it may mean the difference between life and death.

Till the next time………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Lexi and Cat Scout Dezi

Round the World and Up the Road

OMC Mommy and me went like evewywhere in da world yesfurday. and when we got back home we wuz so tired weez just cwashed. Guess me shuld stawt at da beginnin’ huh?. Well as yous all know of course mommy’s disabled and so hers has to see da doctor evewy mumff fur check ups and purrscwiption wefills. So dat’s where ow day stawted. Well after gettin’ up and havin’ bwekky of course. So anyways off to da doctows office we went. Mommys pointment is always da first one wight after lunch and weez hav to wait outside at least 10 minutes after openin’ time fur them to unlock da doors. But not yesfurday. Yesfurday we got there and they wuz alweady open and when we went inside they acted like we wuz late. But the girls gave me a tweat anyways. And then we wuz back to see Doc. Hims gave me a tweat and a good pettin’ and then him and mommy talked fur a while. And then we wuz off again.

Ow nex stop wuz da dollaw store. Yous know mommy luvs to dwink hers coffee and she needed sweetener. So we went in and got da sweetener and it wuz like sum kinda shoppin’ bug hit mommy. Fur those of yous hoo don’t know, meez mommy is a list purrsun. She dusn’t like to shop or go up and down each aisle, so this wuz stwange indeed. But while we wuz twavellin’ up and down each and evewy aisle, mommy found these little santa harnesses. (see da foto below) She fawt they wuz just adowable. And weez usually go to da old folks home and sing carols afur Christmas, so mommy fawt this wuld be da purrfect outfit fur me. Only they didn’t hav a lawge, and da medium she kep twyin’ to fit me into wuz fur suwe not made fur a full figured gal. Mommy wuz weally disappointed. Me knows dat ifin they had meez size dat harness fur suwe wulda left da store wiff us. Well 2 boxes of sweetener bought, a tweat fur me fwum da cashier, and we wuz off again.

Down da road a ways and we stopped in to da fawmacy to get mommys medicine. They hav a dollaw section in da store so weez wandered fwu da 2 aisles of dollaw stuff while they filled mommys purrscwiptions. And then ovew to da malt counter fur meez tweat fwum da soda shop girly. Mommy decided to take me to da bank so hers kuld get sum popcorn cuz hers wuz gettin’ a little hungwy and da bank gives away popcorn on Furidays. And of course meez favowit tellers wuz workin’ so 2 tweats fur me. And we wuz off again. Mommy just got sum cheese wiff meez gotcha day purrezzy so hers ‘cided to stop at da gwocewy and get sum cwackers to go wiff it.

Ow nex stop wuz da gwocewy store. Well this isn’t ow gwocewy store in ow town, weez in da nex town ovew, and meez nevew gone wiff mommy to this stowe. So we wuz a little worried weez’ll tell ya’, but when we walked in da door, da cashier asked mommy ifin me wuz da kitty hers son came home fwum school talkin’ ‘bout last year. WooHoo ow message is gettin’ out. Animals awen’t disposable even when yous liv in da back woods of society. So they had to make ovew me and giv me lots of luv and pets. Wiff mommys okay of course cuz me wuz on duty. Mommy went to da clearance aisle and there wuz an open box of cwackers dat had sum bwoken ones in it but wuz now on sale fur a dollaw, so mommy got hers cwackers nd me made sum new furiends. When we walked outside to da caw, da BBQ place nex door to da gwocewy sent a whiff of dat pawsum bwisket ow way. Me swears mommy wuz flemmin’ too. But mommy sed no, and into da caw we went. And back down da road to ow house.

Mommy sed me looks so adowable here

hers just had to shawe this foto wiff you.

When we got back home and mommy unloaded da caw and me all we wanted to do wuz cwash. But mommy had gotten written up by da manager cuz da winds and rain had blown sum twash into ow gawden and mommy hadn’t picked it up. So mommy went out to clean dat up and then back into da house she came. Lexi and me boff told mommy to sit down and welax a bit. She sat down fur a foo minutes and then she got up to clean up da bwekky dishes. This be a nowmal tweat time fur us, so Lexi and me boff sat there lookin’ at mommy wiff dat look. Yous know da one. Da one dat sez Purrlease giv me tweats wight now. Well dat pawsum box me mentioned earlier dat me got fur meez Meow/Gotcha day had sum little shwimpy tweats included. So weez wanted sum of those pawsum shwimpys. OMC they awe delishus. What’s dat? Me knows me alweady had purrlenty of tweat while bein’ out wiff mommy, but nun of them wuz these nommy shwimpies. And yes, mommy gave in and weez had sum of those delishus shwimps. After da kitchen wuz cleaned up mommy went and sat down and Lexi and me jumped up in da chair wiff hers and we all just spaced out fur a bit.

Now don’t furget tumowwo, Sunday da 9ff weez sponsowin’ da Blest Sunday postaffon and weez’ll be makin’ ow vewy special Fank you posty to yous all. Weez workin’ on sum supwises and hope we hav them all in time. So purrlease join us in postin on yous blog, yous vewy own Blest Sunday posty, and fur all da members of da TCC weez will see yous at da club and/or yous bloggy. We awe invitin’ anypawdy hoo wuld like to join in, not just members of da TCC. Weez weally believ dat no matter yous situation yous awe blest and dat by listin’ sum of yous blessings yous wealize what yous might hav furgotten and dat’s just how special you awe to God and to all of yous furiends and furmily. And yous furmily kuld be those by blood or those yous adopted.

PeeEss: Mommy wants me to tell yous dat weez a little behind in visitin’ as yous may know ifin weez not made it by yous bloggy. Weff da wedder change and mommy not feelin’ so gweat earlier in da week, she got a little behind and weez can’t make heads or tails of ow email account wight now. But we awe gettin’ fwu it and will get to all of you shortly.

Till da nex time……………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi

Humble Beginnings

OMC Ifin yous all kuld only see and hear meez mommy. It’s like evewy 10 minutes, “Oh good grief, my nose” and then hers picks up da kleenex and ‘HONK’. MOL Wiff da season changin’ so suddenly and all da rain, and of course mommy wuz just gettin’ well fwum da pneumonia hers got duwin’ da flood, hers allergies awe weally kickin’ in. Let me tell ya’ ifin this goes on much longer mommy will look like Rudolph. Oh well, weez do luv Christmas.

On anudder note as me told yous on meez Meowday, we celebwate da whole mumff. So me fawt dat since me has so many mowe furiends now than when we stawted bloggin’ dat me wuld tell yous da stowwy of how me came to liv wiff mommy and sissy. And meez first duty as a Service Cat. Ifin yous been readin’ meez blog since da beginnin’ hopefully me won’t put yous to sleep and can bwing out enuff new to keep yous innewested. So don’t close da tab yet.

See it all stawted in November of 2009. Mommy had a Ragamuffin’ named Ransom dat had been vewy sick fur a long time. And one day he just gave up and hims went to heaven. Mommy wuz distwaught and sis Lexi had now lost 3 bwofurs in her 10 years. And since Lexi wuz 10 years old mommy knew she needed a helpurr fur her. She just kuldn’t do all da work mommy needed her to do alone. Oh sis Lexi wuld twy, but mommy wuldn’t want her to have to. So even tho’ mommy wuz gwievin’ hers stawted makin’ sum calls. And then wight afur Fanksgivin’ mommy talked to a lady fwum a wescue dat told hers they had just raided a Ragdoll bweeder and had a litter of 11 kittens. They wusn’t quite suwe how old they wuz, but they wuz eatin’ solid food and weened. (NOT) Anyways, mommy sed hers wuld be wight there. So mommy told sis Lexi she wuld be back and wuld be bwingin’ her new bwofur or sisfur home. And she got in da caw and dwove da 2 hours to see me and meez littermates.

We had been put in a big box wiff baws on it. We wuz skeered and all huddled togedder. And then me heard a voice dat sounded like an angel and da lady dat put us in da cage came and put us in a basket. She carried us to anudder room where me smelled sumfin’ sweet. And then da lady poured us outta da basket and onto da floor. We wuz all kinda stunned. We all looked wound and me saw a lady in da floor and kuld tell dat’s where da sweet smell wuz comin’ fwum. Meez littermates all huddled togedder and stawted playin’. Not me. Me waddled ovew to da sweet smellin’ lady and crawled up what seemed like a mountain (her cwossed legs) to get to a flat place (lap) and lay down. Me laid down and stawted purrin’ and then looked up at da sweet smellin’ lady and she looked at me and she just glowed. There wuz water leakin’ fwum hers eyes and runnin’ down hers face and she spoke so softly me almost didn’t hear her. And she sed, “Hello my angel. Are you my destiny?” And she picked me up and handed me to da udder lady hoo put me down wiff meez littermates again. Again, me waddled wight back to her and crawled up da mountain again and laid down and looked up at her again. This time there wuz a flood comin’ fwum hers eyes and she gently picked me up and held me close to her heart and sed, “You are my Destiny.” Mommy and da lady wiff da basket talked sum mowe and then me and mommy (da sweet smellin’ lady) went away.

So many new sights and smells. It wuz a bit cold and me wuz a little skeered so me clung to da sweet smellin’ lady wiff all me had until hers put me on a warm soft blanket and stawted singin’ to me. Me stawted dwiftin’ off to sleep. Me wuz so tired. Da sweet smellin’ lady didn’t know it but me hadn’t eaten anyfin’ since da day afur we had been put in da cage and wescued. Me got weally quiet and mommy got worried and pulled ovew to check on me. Me wuz bawely bweevin’. And then hers got a call. One of meez littermates had suddenly died. Suddenly me wuz gettin’ jostled wound and rubbed all ovew. Meez eyes wuz heavy but me got them open and mommy wuz lookin’ me ovew fwum head to paw. And hers talked into da little fone and sed, “They’re not 6 weeks old. They most likely can’t eat the kibble. Do you know what kind of wormers were used? OMC Something she bought at Walmart?” She gave them how much?!!! They all need bottles of whole milk ASAP, and a heating pad. As for the wormer you’re just going to have to keep them strong enough to make it through. If you need anything, call me, and I’ll keep you updated about Deztinee.” Yous see, we wuz actually only ‘bout 3 1/2 weeks old. Da bweeder had lied to da rescue peeps. (they specialized in dogs and it wuz da holidays so no vets available) So we wusn’t weened. And da bweeder had given us an ovew da counter wormer in doses fur a 6 pound cat. And not only once, but twice in one week.

Mommy continued home (purrawlly speedin’, but sshhh, don’t tell), and got me in and shoved a bottle in meez mouff. Me wuz so weak me didn’t wanna suckle. But mommy kep after it until me finally did. After meez belly wuz full and me had gone potty (the runs big time-mol) mommy gave me a baff and got me all cleaned up. And found that me wuz covered in fleas. And yes, me had worms alwight, but not da kind me had been tweated fur. Me had tapeworms fwum da fleas. But me wuz too yung fur da twaditional tweatment, so mommy had to use a natuwal wemedy. It didn’t take long, and in a foo days me wuz stwonger and up walkin’ wound and playin’ and checkin’ out meez new surroundings. Meez nevew missed meez littermates. Me wuz always posed to be wiff mommy and sis Lexi. As fur meez name, mommy chose to change da spelling of Destiny (cuz herz likes da unusual), but to this day mommy still believes me wuz always hers destiny.

So me knows yous wunnewin’ what wuz meez first Service cat duty ifin me wuz so little. Like me sed, me wuz always posed to be wiff mommy. Me wuz tuned in to hers vewy bein’ and me had gotten stwonger and wuz followin’ mommy evewywhere hers went. Me had seen hers fallin’ and goin’ to sleep in da floor, and me didn’t like it. Afur hers wuld fall me wuld sense dat sumfin’ wuz gunna happen, me just didn’t know what. So one day hers wuz in da kitchen gettin’ sumfin’, neevew of us member zackly what hers wuz duin’, but me got dat sense dat sumfin’ wuz gunna happen. By now me knew dat it meant hers wuz gunna fall down, so me fawt me needed to tell hers so maybe she wuldn’t do it. So me stawted meowin’ meez squeaky little meow. Me don’t know ifin hers didn’t hear me or what, but she just kep on duin’ whatevew hers wuz duin’. So me kep squeakin’ louder and louder. And finally she stawted tellin’ me she luved me. Altho’ me luvs to hear dat, it didn’t help da situation. So, me decided me must do sumfin’ els. So me stawted pattin’ hers ankle (dat’s as high as me kuld reach) and turnin’ wound and wound. And of course me kep meowin’ too. Hers looked at me and weached down and picked me up and stawted luvvin’ on me. Awe yous kiddin’ me? Put me down! What ifin yous fall, meez meowed. She put me down and me wesumed meez warnin’ til she hit da gwound. Well me licked hers face and when she finally “woke” up me meowed dat me told hers so, but she didn’t seem to cawe or unnewstand. Me just didn’t know how mommy, hoo seemed to unnewstand what all meows meant didn’t unnewstand meez warnin’. We did this a kupple mowe times afur hers decided me might be twyin’ to tell hers sumfin’. To this day me warns mommy afur hers passes out. And these days she pays attention. So, dat wuz meez first evew duty as mommys Service Cat. Well dat’s da stowwy of meez humble beginnings. Mommy sez weez not rich wiff fings or munny, but weez awe ovewflowin’ wiff luv and dat’s what counts.

Me also wuld like to hopefully clear up da Blest Sunday posty. Yes sissy and me awe hostin’ da Blest Sunday post-a-thon fur da Tabby Cat Club. But since this mumff be special we fawt it wuld be nice to invite ALL BLOGGERS to join in on yous own blog. Da blogosphere is so blessed and all of you awe blessed in yous own way, so we fawt it wuld be fun to wead what you wus fankful fur or blest by too. So whedder yous a member of da TCC or not, purrlease join us Sunday fur a Blest Sunday posty. And member, this post will include ow vewy special Fank yous to all those hoo helped us in any way duwin’ da past foo mumffs. Weez been asked ‘bout da linky fing, and weez will be honest, mommy dusn’t hav a clue ‘bout how to do dat.

Till da nex time……………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi

Smurfville

Well mommy and me wanna fank yous all fur da purrs and purrayers fur hers. Mommy be much better today. Her’s gunna look like a smurf fur a while, but she’s feelin’ much better. Oh yeah weez got news bout da fwidge today, and now it’s posed to ship out wound da 30ff. So, mowe waitin’. What’s new tho’ wight? Anyways, nuff of da bad stuffs. Weez back and weez back wiff happys. Dat’s hoo weez awe.

Notice me has 2 beds fur layin’ in and meez crowded up nex

to da hutch on da floor. MOL

But weez did get to finkin’ dat maybe sum of yous wuz wunnwin’ just how weez did ow job fwu all of this. Aftew all fur mumffs weez kuldn’t get da wheelchair fwu da house and when weez stayed in da motel weez didn’t hav da hospital bed or da wheelchair at all. So not to dwell on da sads or bads weez wuz wunnewin’ ifin yous all wuld be innewested in us writin’ and tellin’ ya’ how weez adjust and what weez do when fings awen’t “nowmal” fur us. Ifin not, dat’s fine and weez will move on, but weez wanted to offer.

Me suwe duz luv sis Lexi

Now earlier this mumff weez wrote a posty ‘bout da dangers to black and white cats at this time of year. Halloween is gettin’ closer and closer now and weez want to wemind yous all to purrlease take any steps you can to purrtect yous black cats. And any stway or fewals in yous neighborhood. No kitty deserves to be mistweated, not one. But fur suwe nun deserve it based on da color of their furs and hooman ignowance and superstition. Ifin yous liv in an awea where shelters don’t baw da adoptin’ of black cats fwuout this mumff, purrlease talk to them and twy to get them on board. Wemember yous hav to be da voice fur kitties as most of us don’t hav a voice of ow own. It seems no matter how advanced hoomans become they awe still purrlenty ignowant and superstitious ‘bout sum fings.

See meez bootyful “Black” tabby sisfur? Can yous

magine sumpawdy hurtin’ hers? And wuld yous not cawe ifin they did?

Purrlease be da black cats voice.

One last fing today. Weez wecently got a email suggestin’ dat mommy be, well……stwetchin’ da twuff ‘bout da purrices here. So while weez wuz out yesfurday at da phawmacy, me weminded mommy dat weez shuld stop at da gwocewy stowe and take a foto. So off we went. Da item mommy wuz questioned ‘bout wuz da one hers has complained da mostest ‘bout of course, so weez headed wight fur da purroduce and spyed da lettuce. Da owner wuz there and so weez had to stop and visit a minute afur headin’ ovew on ow foto mission. Hims told us while weez wuz visitin’ dat da lettuce be on sale this week so we wusn’t suwe what purrice we wuz gunna find. But we purrawmissed to always tell da twuff so it didn’t matter what da purrice wuz weez wuz gunna foto and post it, cuz we knew dat no matter what it wuz gunna be widiculously high. And so here it is, we know it be hawd to see, weez had sumone use there fone and email it to us, so da quality not be gweat, but lettuce wuz on sale fur $1.99 a head.

Guess dat’s gunna be a wrap fur me today. Weez still got a foo fings to get togedder wound da house and me wants to help mommy any way me can. So let me know ifin yous wuld like to hear how weez worked wound da difficulties of da past foo mumffs. And member to adopt and save a life. Weez gunna be covewin’ sum mowe of da educational stuffs purretty soon. Altho’ weez hav enjoyed makin’ a lot of these fun postys, and weez will continue to hav fun; we weally need to get back to what me stawted da blog fur. Now meez gotta go take cawe of meez mommy here in Smurfville. MOL

Lexi and me luv each udder vewy much. Mommy sez

it’s nevew too late to ad a furry. Yous wuld nevew know

dat sis Lexi hated me when me first came here.

Weez also wanna say a meowsy big Fank yous to Miss Kelly Jo fur donatin’ to da fundraiser fur us to get sis Lexi sum steps and us a new dry mattress to sleep on. Ifin yous not checked out da fundraiser yet yous can do so here. Fank you all so vewy much!!!

Till da nex time…………………………Be blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi

Till the next time………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Lexi and Cat Scout Dezi

Mommy sed me looks so adowable here

hers just had to shawe this foto wiff you.

Till da nex time……………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi

Till da nex time……………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi

Notice me has 2 beds fur layin’ in and meez crowded up nex

to da hutch on da floor. MOL

Me suwe duz luv sis Lexi

See meez bootyful “Black” tabby sisfur? Can yous

magine sumpawdy hurtin’ hers? And wuld yous not cawe ifin they did?

Purrlease be da black cats voice.

Lexi and me luv each udder vewy much. Mommy sez

it’s nevew too late to ad a furry. Yous wuld nevew know

dat sis Lexi hated me when me first came here.

Weez also wanna say a meowsy big Fank yous to Miss Kelly Jo fur donatin’ to da fundraiser fur us to get sis Lexi sum steps and us a new dry mattress to sleep on. Ifin yous not checked out da fundraiser yet yous can do so here. Fank you all so vewy much!!!

Till da nex time…………………………Be blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Dezi and Lexi