Monday, October 19, 2009
The weather is still unsettled and it is raining this morning. By 11 AM, the rain turned to sleet and then snow. It was still above freezing so very little stuck until later in the afternoon when it had built up so much that it covered everything in a new white coat.
I spent the day inside doing this and that, working on the computer, watching television, enjoying a nice fire to keep cozy. I rigged Zack’s toys over the log beam in the sunroom and played keep away with him until he gave up. This satisfied his need for exercise and I repeated the game later in the afternoon. He was happy to nap in front of the wood stove and enjoy the warmth of the fire.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It is overcast and cold this morning, with the low being 31 at 8 O’clock this morning. The forecast keeps changing so I don’t pay much attention to it and just go by what is happening outside the window.
After my usual morning, I changed into my work clothes and worked in the generator shed until 5:30, and then played with Zack before coming in to fix him and Zoey their dinner. I built a nice fire, showered, and then fixed my dinner, settling in front of the fire and television until bedtime.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
It got down to 28 at 9 AM this morning, and is staying cold outside. I built a nice fire to take the chill off the sunroom and then went about my usual morning routine.
I received a disturbing email from three different sources, all about the Copenhagen Treaty, and spent time downloading and reading the treaty text. If you haven’t already been made aware of this world changing treaty, please read about it. It could be a big step towards One World Government and the New World Order. This Oblamea, not a typo because we can blame him for all of this, is going to ruin our country within the first year in office.
In the afternoon, I worked on putting a tarp up on the woodpile next to the cabin and I restacked the wood for optimum space, cleaned the entire area, burning the debris in the outside freestanding fireplace. I also cut more firewood and stacked it with the firewood on the deck.
More play time with Zack and then I put away the tools and we came in. I fed him and Zoey, built a fire, made a cup of tea and rested before my shower and dinner.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
It was clear, sunny, and still cold this morning but by 10:30 the rain clouds began to appear and it became dark and threatening. NWS is predicting a 70% chance of snow for tomorrow night and then again on Sunday evening. I don’t think this storm will amount to much and will probably be mixed with a lot of rain, as the temperatures haven’t been that cold during the day.
I need more hamburger and vegetables for Zack’s dinners, so we headed into town in the afternoon.
One of my stops was at Costco, and directly across the road is the Humane Society. I had inquired about kittens in the spring, and while they had some, none were ready for adoption. They require all animals to have a check up, shots, and to be fixed before they can be adopted.
I stopped in and they did have several kittens that were ready for adoption so I looked at the ones available. They have a “cat room” where all the cats and kittens are allowed to roam freely, share toys, beds, food and play with each other. When I first went in, one little Orange tiger kitten came to me and was rubbing against my leg. I picked him up and he purred so loud people in the next room could hear him. After I put him down to investigate other possibilities, he continued to follow me and rub against me while purring loudly.
After I had looked at all of the kittens, I inquired about the tabby and was told that he had been brought in by a person that found him on their door step. A car must have hit him because his hindquarters were paralyzed and he was dragging himself around. He was taken to the outside vet that cares for the Society’s animals, examined and treated. They kept him until he was able to walk and treated him for brain trauma and an eye infection. His right eye is cockeyed and weeps constantly. Once he was well enough to be considered for adoption, he was sent back to the Society and put up for adoption.
Upon being returned, he instantly caught a cold, which is the Feline Viral Respiratory disease. It is highly contagious and often affects all of the cats in the facility. They treat it with antibiotics but the kitten didn’t do well on the first type, so they tried another and he got better.
I made a decision that this was the kitten for us; Zoey, Zack and myself, so told them I wanted him. Due to his medical history and only being with them a short while, they insisted that I take him home on a two-week trial basis. If he didn’t do well or get along with my other pets, I could bring him back. If he did well, I could fill out the adoption papers and keep him.
I was assured that he was completely healthy and had been checked by their in-house vet, so there shouldn’t be a problem. They gave me a hard sided cat carrier to use, telling me to bring it back in two weeks if I was going to keep him.
While he was at the vets, which was almost a month, they had given him the name Herbie. Of course I was under no obligation to keep that name and due to the fact that he didn’t respond to it at all, I thought I’d come up with a different name for him. Some names just don’t fit the personality and I wanted to see what he reacted to when I got him home.
We ran the rest of the errands needed and then got home around 5 PM. After bringing the kitten in, setting up a new litter box, water and food, I let him explore the cabin. I unloading all the stuff from the truck, played with Zack and then fed him, Herbie, and Zoey. Zoey was NOT happy to see the kitten and hissed at him, staying her distance. She pretty much stayed upstairs, where her litter box and dry food is, while the kitten stayed downstairs. He ate heartily and then climbed into my lap and napped. After building a fire and showering, I fixed myself some dinner, snuggled with the kitten in front of the fire, and watched some television until bedtime.
Friday, October 23, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the low being 24 degrees shortly after midnight, and staying in the low 20s until sunrise. It is overcast and dark outside, with the feeling of a storm coming in.
I read my emails and got bad news. My Air Force buddy, the one I visited in Wisconsin this past September, died early this morning. His wife, Rita, asked for information about his time in the service and I put together all the information I knew and sent it to her. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, and due to time and distance, I told her I wouldn’t be coming, but would like to remember him as he was during our visit. She responded that she understood. His obituary and the funeral service information is posted at http://www.roseberrys.com/httpdocs/Obits/2009/October/Smith.htm
I had planned on driving up to Great Falls to pick up my generator as the shop owner, Greg, had emailed me yesterday that it was finished, tested, and ready to go. Because of the bad news, I didn’t leave as early as I had planned, but Zack and I did leave at 2:30. We drove the truck up, loaded the generator into the back and then stopped to visit with Joe and Michele at their store. We didn’t get home until it was almost dark and I parked the truck in the garage, as I haven’t finished the improvements to the shed for the generator yet. I will make the necessary changes and rewire the shed before attempting to reinstall the generator.
I played with Zack and fed everyone before showering and relaxing with some heated up leftovers. The kitten seems lethargic and isn’t looking too good. He is sneezing more than yesterday or this morning, so I need to keep a close eye on him.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
It wasn’t as cold last night as the previous nights, but the temperature isn’t warming up. It is staying in the high 30s to low 40s, with an overcast and wind.
The kitten is looking like he is at Death’s Door, not eating or moving and a heavy discharge from both nostrils with labored breathing. I read every vet book I have for cats and knowing that he had a case of Feline Viral Respiratory disease I read everything about it. It is common for cats to have a relapse and I had no doubt that the kitten was suffering from that. I did an online search for information about FVR and looked for home remedies that might ease his suffering. About the only thing that the research and books recommended was the Children’s Afrin nose drops. I didn’t have any type of nose drops but knew he needed something to ease his labored breathing.
I decided to take him to town to see my vet, as waiting would mean letting him suffer or taking him to an emergency vet on Sunday. We drove to town and I called my vet, only to find out they closed at noon. I called the Humane Society and spoke to the same woman that I talked with when I took the kitten. She told me to bring him in and the in-house vet could look at him and give me the necessary antibiotics. I could either leave him with them to treat, or take him back home if I felt comfortable treating him myself. I didn’t bother telling her I worked as a vet’s assistant while in college, or that I have tons of vet books and a fairly full first aid kit for my pets, but told her I would keep him.
We drove to town and their vet, a young woman, took his temperature and handed me a bottle of antibiotics, telling me to give him a quarter of a pill twice a day (she didn’t even bother to give him one right then) and half a baby aspirin. I questioned her on the aspirin as everything I have ever read says that aspirin is deadly to cats. She assured me that it was fine and did wonders for the sick cats there. I doubted her and won’t be giving him any, after all, aspirin is usually to help bring a fever down, which he had a slight temperature, and to ease aches and pains. Knowing that a slight fever wasn’t going to harm him but the alternative of killing him with aspirin wasn’t an option.
We left, heading for home, arriving at dusk. I made a fire, gave the kitten a quarter of the antibiotic and made him comfortable. I then played with Zack and fed him and Zoey. Zoey has already been exposed to the FVR, so keeping them separated at this point seemed useless. Zoey has been staying mostly upstairs, but has been playing with the catnip-laced toy that the kitten had played with. They have their own litter box, water and food, so all I can do is hope for the best.
The first day I brought the kitten home, Zoey was really pissed at me and stayed upstairs. She would sit on the steps towards the top and hiss every time she saw this stranger, but as time went on, she got closer and investigated him.
I showered and then had some dinner, sitting down with the kitten in my lap, wiping his nose and weeping eye with a wet cotton ball to clean the snot and fluids away, preventing them from forming a crust. I put a very small dab of Vicks on his nose and I think it helped his breathing somewhat. I had stopped at the store and looked for the children’s Afrin, but they evidently don’t make it any more. The druggist recommended that I use a saline solution, putting one drop in each nostril, so I did. There wasn’t anything else I could do, so when it came time for bed, I built up the fire and made sure he was comfortable, letting him sleep in the new bed I bought for him.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The sky is dark and cold with a heavy overcast. Snow and rain is predicted for today, and the wind is picking up. NWS predicts 60% chance of snow and rain this afternoon, with it dropping to 30% through the week, until Thursday, when it goes to 40%.
I was happy to see that the kitten seemed to be rebounding and was eating, drinking and being more active. I gave him his morning pill and fed him some wet food.
I spent the day reading and researching items on the internet. It held off raining, or snowing, until late in the afternoon and then rained a little bit. Aside from playing with Zack and giving Zoey and the kitten attention, I did little else.
It is now late and I had a shower and some dinner, and then watched television until bedtime.
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