ladyjanelly: (kitty)
ladyjanelly ([personal profile] ladyjanelly) wrote2007-07-26 03:52 pm
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Piff update

So. Probably the last "Piff update," just because he's a happy and healty kitten with all prospects of growing into a happy and healthy cat.

Turns out he's negative on both FIV and feline Lukemia. That was good news.

He had some ringworm that made the last inch of his tail hard and swollen and look like it was gonna fall off. Took him to the vet for that, got it treated. The tip of his tail has no hair still, but it's growing back.

He's got a pale undercoat that's growing in. Not quite a true silver, I think, but very strange.

Got him his vaccinations. He promptly curled up like he was gonna die, ran a fever of 103.  Took him back to the vet, got him a shot of steroids and anti-inflamatories and whatever else they put in the shot.  Perked him right back up.

In one month, he went from just over 1lb to almost 4.  May have to reevaluate the guestimate of his age.

He's incredibly affectionate.  Not so big on sitting in your lap if you're sitting, but I can lay him over my shoulder and he'll just hang out there as long as I'm standing or walking.  

The only problem with the kitten at all is that his day starts sooo much earlier than ours.  He cries to be let out of his room, and if I let him out, he meows hello to everything.  Hi scratching post!  Hello toy! Hey there, table-leg!  I let him out this morning and he was so noisy that I chased him out of the bedroom.  So.  Like a minute of blessed sleep, and then he bripps at me again.

I look down, and he's got his shoestring in his mouth, and he looks up with me, all wide eyed like "YOU CAN HAS STRING NOW! I SHARE!"

Fucker shouldnt be allowed to be so damn cute so early in the morning.

Can anybody think of a kitty-toy that he could play with by himself that he couldn't choke on or strangle himself with?

[identity profile] koyote19.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
My mutant boy Oscar had a bad reaction to his vaccinations the first time he had them (non-responsive, high fever etc). Since then, the Vet has always given him a shot of benedryl 10 minutes before any of his vaccinations, just to be safe.

As for toys, my guys have one of the round cardboard scratching pads with the plastic track and a ball to push around it. hours of entertainment, though it has eventally lost some of the thrill. I also have 3 toys on elastic strings that can be fastened to doorknobs. The toys are at cats-eye level, but they bounce enough on the elastic when batted to keep attention for a while. (at least until I notice and then it suddenly becomes no longer cool)

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
I'll check out the ball and track. That might work. He needs something I can start and he'll keep playing with it for hours. Sam wakes up at 6, and I usually get up with him then go back to bed. I need for Piff to amuse himself until 8. :)

The vet said that next time I'll drop him off so they can give him a shot before and observe him for a while after. He was crying when I'd pick him up, like an "Oh God it hurts so bad" cry. I felt like such a bad mommy. I carried him in my arms while Sam drove.

Glad Oscar's okay (what makes him a mutant boy?). It helps to know it's a fixable or avoidable thing though.

[identity profile] koyote19.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Oscar's 11 now, and we've only had one other bad vaccination incident, and that was because a vet filling in for the normal vet screwed up his benedryl shot.

I call both my boys mutants. Oscar is a Manx, and fairly talkative when he feels like it. He's also very smart. He tends to be more standoffish with strangers, but the rest of the time he's like velcro and I have to peel him off my chest or head whenever I'm on the computer.

Shadow is a Siamese. He's more of an idiot savant with opposable thumbs and very little idea how to use them for evil (except unbuckling any collar from his throat or Oscars in about 30 seconds). He's incredibly cross-eyed, not very smart, and never stops talking. He made friends with a possum outside the window once, and now will howl out the window calling for his buddy when he's lonely.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-28 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
That's hilarious. :) Thats some cats with serious personality.

I type on the laptop while lounging back on the couch. Piff comes up and sleeps on my throat and licks my ears.

[identity profile] nereem.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
You can get some good scratching posts with "additions" - which has a lot of fun and excitement for kitties. When my cat Smurf had kittens, we got them this huge scratching post thing (carpet) and it came with stuff that was suitable for kitties.

You can make youre own for cheap. Old rug, wrap it up, a couple of strings tied tightly around it with some big-ish soft toy- (so they wouldnt choke) and yeah- there you go- kitty jungle gym.

I am all loved up with this post- that im gonna go squidge my own kitty Gidget (the only one left of the kitty army we had :( Smurf went missing soon after the kitties were born and the only kitten left is my one. We originally had Oddball (yeah i know STUPID names, but she was my younger bros and he named her) was stolen, and Ewok (i actually named her- coz her ears were all curvy like a bear and she was dark with gingery bits) got hit by a car- and it was just TERRIBLE, she came back and oh my GOD, we had to put her down and it was just... so upsetting. The only kitten to make it fully to adult hood is my cat, Gidget, who is so pathetic and follows me EVERYWHERE that, i dunno what i would do without her)

LMAO- hello toy, hello table leg! HELLO WOOORLD!!

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
He like--talk-talks to stuff. Like "Mow meow mrr bripp?" Like he has his own language.

So sorry the litter had bad luck. Gidget sounds really sweet.

[identity profile] allzugern.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Awwww! I'm so glad t hear he's getting better. four pounds! Wow. You'll have to post pictures soon :-)

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
It's amazing how big he is. And active. And vocal.

Kendra has some on her phone, of him sleeping on the closed laptop. Piff sleeps on porn. :)
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[personal profile] jebbypal 2007-07-26 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Us petless people wouldn't mind kitty updates even if he is healthy and happy:P:):) I live vicarously through other's pets till I can afford my own.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
I should have pictures soon. Kendra took some with her phone. I took some with the digital, but it won't let me get them off of it. Stupid camera.

[identity profile] lekkerstuk.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I have a fourteen-year old cat, Noodle, who trained me long ago that the day started at 5am, when he eats. Obviously your little Piff still has years of work ahead to get you trained up. My cat also has a habit of meowing loudly every time he changes positions or walks into a new room, just to keep me informed.

I've bought every possible toy for my cat over the years, from carpeted cat condos to scratching posts, but his favorite toys are still household objects like rubber bands, though I try to keep those away from him. He loves nail files, he'll get on his back and cuddle with them and bite them. I have to lock myself in the bathroom to file my nails because he'll come after me. But he gets nail files every Christmas in his stocking. (Yes, my cat has his own stocking!) He also like the plastic rings on milk and water bottles, particularly on hardwood or tile. I've heard of lots of other cats who like these, too.

But his favorite toy is his people. He loves attacking the belt on my bathrobe every morning before I'm awake enough to defend himself. I'm afraid your cat just lurves you. And there is no distracting a cat who wants attention!

[identity profile] lekkerstuk.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
Sorry to overload you here, but I've just remembered more! I've lived with cats my whole life and I've never met one who doesn't like boxes and suitcases. Just leave them out an extra few days after you need them and you cat will be in heaven. My cat slept in the lid of the Trivial Pursuit box for years, even after he was too big and he split it down one corner just to fit inside.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
Heh. Our cats have tried to train us to wake up. We never ever never feed them within half an hour or more of getting up. No matter how they cry or how they wake us up.

Piff's funny. He talks to stuff more than he talks to us. Like his own little language. "Mow meow mrr bripp?"

He tried to climb my pants leg to get at the drawstring of my pants today. :)

[identity profile] lekkerstuk.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
You guys are tough nuts to crack. If I don't get up my cat then paws at my face until I do. Or he'll sleep on my pillow and subtly edge me off it. But after I feed him he goes out so I get some peace.

I'm glad to hear that Piff is so vocal. I'm sure he's made friends with all the furniture. I'm happy that he's doing well, too.
ext_2984: Dean reads Supernatural (coffee again bros anim)

[identity profile] jellicle.livejournal.com 2007-07-26 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
He cries to be let out of his room, and if I let him out, he meows hello to everything. Hi scratching post! Hello toy! Hey there, table-leg!
Piff is made of awesome! I'm so glad you found each other!

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
Me too. He's the first cat I've really liked since my Blackfoot died over a year ago. Lilycat (the old-lady black cat) is sweet, but she doesn't have a huge spot in my heart. Indigo (the crazy orange kitten/cat we just sent to live with her daddy up north) was a nice baby but she grew up weird and mean.

Piff's my lovey boy. Hopefully he stays nice after he gets fixed.

[identity profile] davidcrackin.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
I was thinking about Piff this morning, wondering how he was doing, and I am so glad to hear that he has bounced back! I always wanted my kitties to sit on my shoulder but they never got into it, and I am jealous.
My cats love anything plastic that they can carry around in their mouths (think shower curtain rings, little thread spools (with no thread left), ninja-cat stars (I don't remember where I got them but they were for cats but looked like throwing stars ... I'll try & find out what brand they are) etc).

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
Yay!
He's doing great. I say this is the last update, because after this point no news is still good news.

Piff won't shoulder-sit, but I can hold him up and he'll sprawl sideways over my shoulder, either facing my neck or facing out. He digs that.

Hmm. Maybe I can get some ping pong balls? It'll need to roll on carpet.

[identity profile] davidcrackin.livejournal.com 2007-07-28 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
practice golf balls (with the holes in them) R good ... this makes me miss my kitties.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-28 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
I got some of the little balls with bells. He's not too noisy with those in the mornings.

Awww. Sorry you don't have your kitties.

[identity profile] moogielion.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 01:34 am (UTC)(link)
Miss Kitty Fatass lives only for the jingle ball tied to the boot lace. She has special songs that she sings only to it.

She stopped eating for a week once, and just as we were going into sick kitty panic mode, I had an unrelated thought: "Hmm, haven't seen the jingle ball lately" hunted it down and returned it to her. she started eating again immediately. Damn cat was mourning the loss of the jingle ball.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Oh god, that's too funny.
I can just see her, pinin' away.

Lilycat is approaching Miss Kitty proportions these days. We put her on a diet and got Piff to harass her. She moves around a lot more with him in the house.

[identity profile] faunna.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
I've wondered several times in recent weeks about Piff but was never in a good place to be able to write or call. I assumed no news was good... good to have that confirmed.

Marlena reacted to her shots too. It was the third and final round of puppy shots and they made her whole face swell. Hubby noticed shortly after he got her home that she was looking funny and headed back to the vet where she got steroids and benadryl before it progressed too far.

How about the little realistic fake mice made out of mystery fur? The only problem I've ever had with one of those was when Sumdgie dropped one in the water dish until it exploded and then chowed down on the innards resulting in some sort of trip that made for a long, interesting evening; however, putting things in the water bowl in the name of fun was her thing. As much fun as milk jug twiddle, bottle cap, whatever in the water bowl were her favorite game had to be pencil in the toilet...

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I made Piff a toy. I took a round laundry basket that he plays in like a giant hamster wheel, and tied some of those little toys you talked about to the inside. So he goes after one toy, and the thing rolls (which he likes) and the other toys flop around and he tries to catch them. Yay!

We're done with the humidifier. Sometime when you're at the chiropractor's office, call me and I'll run it down.

Piff wasn't having allergies, I think. Just the live culture vaccine got him good.

[identity profile] faunna.livejournal.com 2007-07-29 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm in that part of town on Wednesdays. Tend to get there between 11 & 1. Clock out about 7. Drive past your house at roughly 6:15 with the boss mans grandmother...

One toy I forgot to mention... the pipe cleaner (or chenille as they are called at the flower shop). They seem the most fun twirled into a spring shape so that they roll; however on tile they slide just fine once squashed. I've got plenty (I use them to teach hand-weaving) so I'll put some in the car.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Cool. Just give me a call and I'll run it down. Wed. is the best day for me, actually.

[identity profile] skuf.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
Good to hear he's doing well :o) !

Tennis ball on sturdy, but not too long string (too long and he'll be bouncing it all over the place), hung from somewhere not too high (high enough that he has to reach/jump a bit, but not high jumps, which would be noisy, too).

Having more than one option and rotating them every few days/weeks makes sure he doesn't get bored.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Ahhh, rotation. That's a great idea. I made him a toy with a round laundry basket and some strings that's a hit, and I got a mouse on elastic that goes on the doorknob, and he loves that too.

[identity profile] loki-dip.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
We used to make toys for the neighbours cat.

Cut two same size circles out of cardboard and place them together (and then cut a large hole in the middle). Take a ball of wool and wrap it around continuously until you've filled the hole. (Should take a while.)

Then using a pair of scissors cut the wool around the edge of the circles. Tie it in the middle (between the two pieces of card and really tight) and it gives you a small ball that they can play with.
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Re: kitten toys

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Brilliant ideas--except for the "another kitten" one. :) This guy is a pet for our fat old-lady cat. We've got a two cat maximum (or else we'd end up with like 39. Swear to god.)

[identity profile] nanashi-sama.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 12:17 pm (UTC)(link)
late comment, I know....

My cats spent one Easter (and several months after) entertaining themselves with a couple of plastic eggs that had 3-4 jellybeans in them. We never were sure whether it was the wobbly roll or the rattling sound they liked the best.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-07-30 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh. I'll have to look for something like that. Thanks.