Khanversations

Khan's Passing

2009-01-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

After a tough and valient battle, Khan's liver disease began to show signs of getting worse. He had begun vomiting his food, and he had developed fluid in his abdomen. His jaundice also got worse. On Tuesday, the veterinarians recommended euthanasia for my baby boy.

Today at 2:00pm, Khan passed peacefully in a comfortable room at the vet clinic, surrounded by his family. He purred right up to the moment when the anesthesia took hold, then he took a last breath, and that was all. Afterward, I cradled him in my arms.

His remains will be cremated, and we will be giving some of the remains to Shadow Cats to be added to their memorial garden.

Thanks to all of you who read this blog and followed his progress. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to have him in our lives for a short time.

Just a Quick Note..

2008-12-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

The steroids seem to be helping. He is making an effort to eat small bits on his own, and to drink water. We still have to tube feed him, but he is also keeping that down better. We won't be back to the vet until a week after Christmas, so we won't have test results until then, but he does seem to be showing improvements.

More Medications

2008-12-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Khan is not making good progress now--he hasn't gained any weight and his liver numbers have not improved--so they have just started him on steroids. I keep wondering, where is all this food that we are pumping in (via the food tube) going? He is using the litter box regularly, but I would have expected some weight gain after going from no food to about 1-1/2 cans per day. It's a mystery to me. But he is at least holding steady and getting no worse, so hopefully the steroids will jump start his liver and we'll see some improvements. If we don't see improvements by after Christmas, I don't think I will be as hopeful about a recovery.

We have all hit a low point right now that we have to get through. He is tired of the tube feedings and medications, we are tired of the tube feedings and medications. He is fighting to escape every time now, which makes the feedings very stressful for all of us. Mark and I are now sharing the tube feeding chore, which helps. Just seeing a little progress soon would help to reenergize us, I'm certain.

Improvements!

2008-12-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

Khan is doing noticeably better. I can tell when I lift him that he has gained weight, and his fur is looking much healthier than a few days ago. He's also gotten some "life" back into him--he even tried to run off a few times during his last tube feeding! He isn't eating on his own yet, but we've added an appetite stimulant, so maybe in a day or two. I'm feeling very hopeful! They said he might have some permanent liver damage, but it is manageable with medication.

Feeding Tube Update

2008-12-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

After a full day of force-feeding Khan small bits of soft food (which neither of us enjoyed), and after some email conversations with Shadow Cats Director, Sheila and her husband, Dr. Roy, I decided to have the feeding tube put in. The TAMU Small Animal Clinic did it this afternoon, and he was home by 6pm. At first he was very stressed and wouldn't leave his carrier; we had to do his first feeding in there. (Luckily, the top opens.) It was a little awkward, and my husband and I had to work together at it, but we managed. We realized afterward that we'd done it a little too fast, but otherwise it wasn't a bad job.

I checked on him about 5 minutes later, and he was purring and looking very contented. I was able to move him into his heated cup bed, and he stayed there instead of trying to retreat to the carrier. He still isn't happy about the "thing" in his neck, but he is resting pretty comfortably. Four feedings a day, plus 4 meds is what we start tomorrow! His prognosis is guarded, but we're off to a good start. I swear that cat started out with 20 lives! He is amazing.

Medical Update--Not So Good

2008-12-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. In September, Khan had a second ear canal ablation (on the other ear) which resulted in total deafness, but completely stopped the pain of his recurring ear infections. He'd been doing well since then. When he had his first ear ablation last December, they found cancer in the ear canal which they said was untreatable. Even though they'd removed what they could find, they said there was a 95% chance it had already spread. However, we saw no sign of it and Khan continued to thrive.

But a few weeks ago we noticed he was eating less, so we tried coaxing him with different kibble and giving him some soft food. He wouldn't eat any kibble, and was only licking at the soft food. We also noticed him starting to withdraw, hiding under desks, no longer jumping up onto the bed, etc. All bad signs, and I thought perhaps the cancer was beginning to show itself. So I made an appointment and brought him in yesterday.

On top of this, I lost my job at the end of October and I haven't been able to find another one. While we were able to finish paying off the second surgery with the help of credit cards (ick), I wasn't sure how we'd pay for anything further. But I assumed it was the cancer and all we'd be able to do was palliative care. Well, I was wrong.

They said we couldn't avoid doing blood work and an ultrasound and that if we didn't find out what was wrong, he'd be gone within a week. So we did the tests. They can't tell me exactly why or how, but Khan has developed pancreatitis and something I've never heard of, called cholangiohepatits (I don't know what the cholangio part means yet). Because he wasn't eating, he also has lipidosis in his liver (fatty deposits). Yikes. So they put him on a month's course of antibiotics --again! Will that boy ever get off antibiotics?? --plus an appetite stimulant, and a medicine for his liver that they said will probably be for life. They wanted to surgically put in a feeding tube, but that would have cost another $400, and the tests and treatment today had already cost $350. So they said we could take him home and try for 3 days to get him to eat. If he isn't eating normally by Friday, a feeding tube is our only option (other than letting him perish of starvation or euthanizing him).

Khan has been through so, so much. I can accept if this is the end of his life, but I want it to be in comfort, and to know that I did all that I could before saying "this is it." So we are trying to get him to eat, and I've given him he first dose of his medicines. I'll update the blog tomorrow or Thursday to say how it's going.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, the destructive Hurricane Ike became a mere tropical storm by the time it got to us. All we got was some strong wind and rain. However, we had our pet disaster kit ready to go in case we needed to evacuate. Happily, Khan and our other pets were not even bothered by the storm.

What Hurricane?

Right now Khan is taking Norfloxacin to get rid of the bacteria that was found in his ear. Three days in and it seems to not be causing any side effects. He is a champ about being pilled (much more patient than he is about getting a liquid medicine). He still has to wear his e-collar, but I try to give him a little time out of it every day, when I can be right beside him to keep him from scratching at this stitches.

The deafness seems to be a non issue, except that I cannot yet get over the habit of calling to him and talking to him as if he can hear me. I do think that cats can "read" their owners well, so hopefully he knows my intent even if his ears are not picking up sound.

Hope everyone is doing well, especially our friends (furred and not) who were in the path of Ike. Our local shelter was able to handle the small animal shelter needs of the 3000 or so people who evacuated here from other areas, and our expo center took in large animals and livestock. I called to ask if they needed a temporary home for any cats, but they had it under control.

Homecoming on Friday

2008-09-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

I went by the clinic to visit Khan this evening. He looked good, all things considered. He tried his best to escape the kennel and come home with me, but it was a little too early for that! The good news is, he is coming home a day earlier than predicted; they said I could pick him up after work tomorrow! He isn't eating well yet, but I will do all I can to help him with that; I certainly don't mind hand-feeding. It will just be so good (for both of us) to have him at home.

He normally hates being picked up, but he let me pick him up and hold him in my arms for about 10 minutes. The other unusual behavior he exhibited was sitting in his litter box for comfort. I've seen shelter animals doing this, but not Khan. The vet tech said that some cats do it because the box smells like them and they find it comforting because of that...? I'll have to do some research on that.

I'll take pictures of him after he is home, and I'll try to get some better close ups of his ear than I did last time. The surgeon did a very good job once again.

Khan's Out of Surgery

2008-09-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

They said they'd call, but after 3-1/2 hours I grew impatient. I called and got ahold of the student working on Khan's case. She said he'd just gotten out 20 min. ago and had just woken up. She said he was doing splendidly. They're going to try giving him food at 7pm. I asked her if he was purring....he is a purr-machine and, even at the clinic, purrs when anyone even approaches him. He never stops purring! She said she hadn't heard him purr yet, but I suppose that's understandable. Before surgery he was probably hungry and grumpy, and now he's just doped up. I'm not going to visit, because last time he was very mad when I left him after a visit, and I think that he'll be fine with other people looking in on him. He loves everyone. Besides, with his brain damage, he seems to have a very poor short-term memory. We aren't sure that he registers things like how long we've been away from him. He doesn't give us the cold shoulder when we come back from a trip, as some of our other cats have. Anyway--I'm rambling, so it's time to stop. He's ok for now, and if he does well overnight I'm sure his long-term prognosis will be excellent.

Going into Surgery Now

2008-09-03T11:46:00.001-07:00

I just got the call from the clinic that he is currently being prepped for his TECA, and they will call me when he is in the recovery room, in a few hours. I'm a bundle of nerves! I'm glad I've been practicing meditation for the last few months. It's amazing how ten minutes of focused breathing can calm a person down. I think I'll go do it again.. Positive thoughts! Positive thoughts!

More Surgery---Today

2008-09-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Khan is having his other ear ablated today at approximately 1:30. This is all happening very fast for me. What happened is that I took him in yesterday both for a checkup and because I had noticed his right ear was starting to develop yeast, and plugs (made of wax and exudate). I also asked for a chest x-ray to check on that spot in his lung, a blood panel and urinalysis to check his kidney function, and his Adequan injection.

I left him at the clinic around noon and was going back at 5pm to pick him up. Coincidentally, the surgeon who had done his other ablation was at a meeting I attended at 4pm, so I mentioned that Sebastian was in the clinic and he said he had seen him and looked at his ear. But that's all he said. When I got there at 5, after waiting for about 30 minutes (they were in a procedure) the doctor on call for the feline service came out with a student and talked to me. They said several doctors had looked at the ear, including the surgeon (which I knew already), and that all were of the opinion that we should go ahead and to the total ablation on that side as well. He did, indeed, have yeast (no bacteria) but they felt like the ablation was inevitable. Then the doctor said that the surgeon had an opening at 1:30pm the next day! Yikes!

I sat with them for about 15 min and just "talked out loud" the pros and cons that I knew. The doctor couldn't add much--I'd been through this before--but it made me realize they were right and that eventually we were going to have to do it. The risks and the monetary cost both gave me pause. It will be another $2000 or so, and we JUST finished paying off the last one from last December. I am not too worried about his loss of hearing--the ear plugs have pretty much made that the case now, and I know he must be in discomfort to boot.

They kept him last night. (Boy, did I miss him!) They're going to call me this morning to confirm everything, then they'll call me after he is anesthetized and then again after the operation is done. He'll stay overnight, of course, and maybe for 2 nights.

Gotta get going, but I'll update later.

Black -is- Beautiful

2008-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

You may have heard that the Williamson County Animal Shelter in Georgetown recently canceled their "Black is Beautiful" promotion scheduled June 14-20 during which black-coated animals were to be adopted out for only $25. (The normal fee is $85.) Black-coated animals have a lower adoption rate compared to animals of other colors, and therefore a generally higher chance of being euthanized, so the purpose of the event was to encourage people to take a second look at those dark-furred, potential adoptees. Unfortunately, the Georgetown shelter’s timing was very poor, and coincided with Juneteenth: June 19, the anniversary of the date when slavery ended in Texas. The timing of the shelter event, combined with the name, resulted in criticism from the President of the Austin NAACP and others, and the shelter elected to cancel the event.

As any visitor to this blog can tell, I am a great fan of black-furred animals (my 4 cats and 1 dog are black), and I am in favor of any promotion designed to increase their adoption rate. I feel sympathy for the shelter’s organizers, but naturally wish that they had been more aware of the scheduling date, not only because of the meaningfulness of that date, but also because of the importance of such a promotion. Cheryl Schneider, the shelter director, was quoted as saying that not only would they not reschedule the event, but that future adoption events “won’t be so specific.” What does that mean? Will they not offer black-furred animals at a discount? Will there be no “kitten adoption” promotions in the spring? I truly hope not.

This has surely been an unexpected learning experience for the Georgetown shelter, but the they should not allow themselves to feel so "burned" that that they will not try to do it again. Simply, greater consideration is the key. The slogan "Black is Beautiful" drew criticism because the phrase originated in the 60's during civil rights, and has a lot of embedded meaning. Clearly, in retrospect, a slogan less loaded with historical and political meaning is called for.

But coming up with a different slogan should not be difficult. The Humane Society of Utah once did a similar promotion called “Black Magic.” Or how about “Back in Black?” The song does have that line about “nine lives” and “cat’s eyes.” (And while I suppose AC/DC could protest the use of copyrighted material, I think it would be safe.) In any case, that combined with a neutral date could do wonders, and may save the lives of a lot of special animals who often don’t even get a chance to be appreciated for their personalities.

So hey, Williamson County Animal Shelter, you made a mistake. You admitted it. Few think you intended racism, but just had not considered the timing and the possible reactions to the name you chose for it. Temporarily canceling the event was in the best public interest. But please don’t shy away from doing this again with a new name and new date---soon. This occurrence, negative as it was, got you a lot of free publicity that most shelters cannot afford to buy. Make the best of it you can, and restore your reputation! The animals will be the greatest benefactors of whatever you do.

Khanversations Expands!

2008-06-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Obviously I started running out of updates on my wonderful Khan, who is doing just fabulously, thank you. So I've decided to take the blog in a new direction. I'm going to write and post regular, short articles related to cat care, local pet-related events, stories (when I have them), and anything else that seems relevant to this site, so please check back regularly. It will be a great opportunity for me to do a little more writing that isn't related to (ugh!) work, and that will hopefully keep you tuned in.

But I won't forget the friends of Khan, either. Here is a recent photo.

Khan is on the right, enjoying a canned food treat with two of his housemates.

Thanks for your patience. Be back soon with new posts!

A New Post--Finally!

2008-02-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

I know! I've been remiss. But let me assure all of Khan's friends that he has been eating very well, has gained back his weight, and the droopy lip that resulted from surgery seems to be getting better. It seems that it was the antibiotics causing his appetite to wane (that, and probably the lazy lip made it difficult to eat). But I was able to start him back eating that Prescription food, the Purina, which has small, easy to eat kibbles. He now goes back and forth between that and the Science Diet, which is fine. We give him both options. He seems happy and comfortable, and the ear has healed up completely. He did tear out some of stitching, but that skin has also healed up and it looks great.

Medicine Finished!

2008-01-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

Khan has been on twice a day Clavamox and once a day Marbofloxacin since his surgery (to ward off infection), but today was his final day of the medication. We took him into the clinic for a scheduled recheck, and the doctor on call said that his ear looked very good.

The bad news is that he hasn't been eating well since the surgery and he has lost nearly two pounds. I knew that he hadn't been eating as much dry food as normal (because the surgery affected his mouth on the left side), but I hadn't realized he had lost so much weight. So we are going to try feeding him more canned food meals, which he does still eat, and they gave us some appetite stimulants if we want to try those.

In spite of this setback, the surgery truly has done him good. He is acting more "cat-like:" playing with toys, coming out to find sunbeams to lay in, following us around for attention. He has also been jumping up on furniture that we thought he could no longer manage because of his arthritis. So overall, the operation seems to have been a good thing.

He goes back in two weeks for a weight check, and to make sure no bacteria have sneaked up in the ear.

Christmas Khan

2007-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile, but I've had the flu and getting ready for Christmas has been chaotic around here! Thankfully, Khan takes it all with his usual relaxed grace. He has even come out to sit under the (artificial) tree!

His ear is healing well, although he seems to have pulled out a few stitches near the top, and the rest of the stitches have not yet been absorbed. He's off of the pain meds but is taking two types of antibiotics because of the bacteria the lab found in the ear canal tissue that was removed. This should take care of any remaining bacteria in the ear.

I'd been dying to give him a bath since the surgery, since he still had some "muck" on him and his fur was starting to mat. But I was too sick, and it was too chilly outside. Last night I finally decided to shave him a little--to even up the fur on his head with the side that was shaved for surgery, and to clean him up a bit. Although my razor work was sloppy and uneven, it seemed to make him more comfy and it convinced Clementine to finally snuggle up to him again (for the first time since he came home from the surgery). I think the shave got rid of any remaining "hospital smell."

If I don't post for awhile, happy holidays from me, Khan, and the rest of the kitties!

Khanvalescence

2007-12-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Here is Khan at home, just after I picked him up from the hospital. They said he didn't exhibit any left-side facial paralysis, but I noticed some right away. It is probably temporary, but for now he drools a bit out the left side of his mouth and he is having trouble eating hard food. (And doesn't his mouth look a little funny in that picture?) We are also concerned about his water intake, so we are watching it

Other than that, the ear looks great. It sticks up a bit, but will probably relax later. We got that blue bandage off of his arm at home, as he got a little cranky with the vet staff when they tried to do it. He's on some heavy pain medication which mostly makes him sleep, and make him restless when it runs out and gets to be time for a new dose. He's not quite behaving like himself yet, but I'm going to give it a few day until his pain is better and we're off the meds.

Pre- and post-op Photos

2007-12-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

I have some photos that I took of Khan before and after surgery. This first one is in the clinic, where vet student Jordan is about to take Khan (in his carrier) back to get him ready for the surgery later in the day.

The second and third photos were taken when I visited him about 4 hours after surgery. He was on heavy painkillers, and in ICU. The third photo shows his IV setup.

The good news is that he comes home tomorrow morning around 9am!

Surgery Update

2007-12-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

He is out of surgery and awake, and his breathing tube has been removed!

They’re warming him right now in a temperature-controlled area.

The surgery went "very well." They said that once they got in there, the middle ear looked very good, which means the infections hadn’t gotten that far. But the outer canal was pretty blocked with that mass (polyp) that was keeping us from being able to treat the ear. They are treating him with an antibiotic right now just to make sure they get rid of all the bacteria (in case any remained in his ear); while strong, it is not an antibiotic that will hurt his kidneys.

At my request, they took some digital photos during surgery, which they will be sending to me. If they aren't too graphic, I will post them later.

They also mentioned that the CT scan showed fluid in the right side ear canal, and they said there is a very small chance that ear could need surgery in the future, but it is more likely we can treat it topically. (We have not been doing anything for that ear up to this point.)

They are going to call me later this afternoon with an update on his recovery--but everything looks good so far! I can't wait until we can bring him home.

Surgery Scheduled for Thursday

2007-12-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Khan's surgery to perform the TECA on his left ear will take place Thursday, Dec 6 at 10:30am (unless they get behind). Someone from the clinic will call me before he goes into surgery, and right after he gets out.

I'm feeling ok about it right now, very positive. Tomorrow morning I'll probably be a stressed out wreck. Things are hectic and overwhelming at work right now too...of course!

I'll post again after he gets out of surgery.

What is a Life Worth?

2007-12-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

We've have reached the end of the point where we can continue to treat Khan's damaged, infection-battered left ear with systemic antibiotics or topicals any longer. A small polyp has grown in the ear canal, near the surface, which blocks any airflow and encourages bacterial growth.

Today, several soft tissue surgeons and Khan's feline specialist looked at the ear and agreed that the only possible next step for him is a Total Ear Canal Ablation to remove the entire left ear canal and attempt to remove all damaged and infected tissue. The cost of this procedure including all pre-operative tests and post-operative care will be, they estimate, $3000 to $4000.

Shadowcats spent at least $6000 on Khan at his initial rescue, removing his damaged eye, reconstructing his jaw, and giving him weeks of post-operative care after he was hit by an unknown motorist. They spent another $3000 or so after that for an additional operation (his lateral ear canal resections) and other care. I've spent approximately $1500-2000 more in the year and a half that I've owned him, and I knew from the start that this ear canal removal surgery was a future possibility. I was hoping that we could just treat infections as they came along, and that these would be infrequent and easy to treat. But things don't always work out the way you plan.

For me, a good feeling comes with adopting a rescued or special-needs animal. In fact, I may never adopt any other kind again. But older animals and injured/disabled animals like Khan come with a price. They need more care, and more expensive care than their more youthful and healthy counterparts. So that leads me to my topic question; what is a life worth? What value do we, can we, put on the wellbeing of our companions? At what point does an owner say, "Enough is enough,"?

My cat Julian lived to be 20-1/2. (The "1/2" is important to me--it was 6 more months that he waited until a time when I was ready to let him go. But the thing is, I didn't really have to "let him go" at all. He collapsed early one morning as we were getting ready for work/school, and he couldn't get back up, even though he was fully conscious. We spent an hour and a half sitting with him at home, and another four hours at the vet sitting with him in the "Quiet Room," as they call the room where animals are humanely euthanized when their owners choose to be with them. It was only when he was about 98% gone that we were ready to allow them to give him the final injection. (And that was at their insistence; they were afraid of "death throes" that might unease us.) Those four hours with him were peaceful, and beautiful. He was relaxed, without pain, and he let me, my husband, and my young daughter stroke him and fuss over him while we told stories to each other about his antics over the years, and about what made him special to each of us. "He had human eyes," my daughter kept saying. And he purred as he lay dying, and until the last hour, would occasionally reach out a paw to us. It's okay, I believe he was saying. This is right for me, now. I lost most of my life-long fear of death that day, watching him.

Julian (at left) was worth more than any amount of money t. $4000? I spent more than that during his last four years of life...not "keeping him alive" in some artificial way, but in making him more comfortable so that he could enjoy more years. At the very end, it became increasingly obvious that his quality of life had deteriorated, and I found myself once telling a friend that it would be "okay with me" if he "decided it was time." I was weary of cleaning his urine and feces off the floor several times a day because, in his dotage, he had forgotten how to use the litter box. I had begun to complain about having to giving him sub-cuteaneous fluids every night (for kidney disease), putting two different medicines in his food and having to serve soft food all the time, having to put on rubber gloves and rub medicine into his ear pinnae every 12 hours like clockwork (for thyroid disease), taking him to the vet every 6 weeks for injections (for arthritis). We hadn't had a vacation in four years. (My complaints went on and on.) Our human weakness makes us that way, subject to bouts of self-pity and weariness even over the care of someone we love. And even people who love their pets sometimes get to the point of deciding that enough money has been spent upon them, or that maybe they've already spent too much, or done enough.

I guess I've judged people for that; especially those I've heard say, "It's just a cat." I guess I can't say how much they love or don't love their pet, but they don't seem like "cat people" to me. But I recognize that, while I'm not wealthy, I am in the fortunate position that when a veterinarian surprise-punches me with a figure like $4000, I can bounce and reel around like a one of those clown-shaped punching bags, but eventually come up straight. I can say, "Wow, this hurts, but I'll be able to get through it." (Isn't that what credit cards are for??) But maybe some people couldn't. And to tell you the truth, I don't know what my limit would be. What would be my, "I can't handle this" amount? $10k? $20k? Would I take out loans or a second mortgage for a cat? God help me, I probably would.

"Putting down," an animal for financial reasons, doesn't seem to be a thought that's allowed in my reality. In spite of my previous paragraph, that isn't a judgment of those who would consider it. I'm only saying that as I sit here listening to Khan purr for no reason at all (I haven't pet him for, like, twenty minutes) I know that I could not listen to that purr while I held him for a fatal injection. Neither could Shadowcats, back in March '06. That's part of his unique story, that he was saved by his purr and his hearty spirit.

Now, because of generous and soft-hearted people, he's alive, and he is mine, and he is now my responsibility. I haven't developed the kind of relationship with him that I had with Julian. But he is a sweet boy with simple needs, who was standing under a lucky star when rescue workers found him. The only thing wrong with him now is a very naughty ear and, yes, that ear is going to be excised; since it cannot play nicely, it cannot play here anymore!

Shadowcats and Feralfriend are being kind enough to try to raise some funds to help offset the cost of the surgery, but he is going to have the surgery regardless. It is scheduled for this Thursday (I don't know what time yet, but I will post when I do). His pre-op tests were already done today, and nothing problematic showed up in them. The doctor says Khan will immediately feel better after that diseased tissue is gone, and that ear is healed. If you have a moment this Thursday, please think of him (and maybe once or twice more during the 24-48 hrs of his recovery). I will keep everyone informed of his progress.

Thanks for your patience during my melancholy and mostly self-serving essay. Did I answer the topic question? Only for myself, really; but that's enough for now.

Love, Purrs,
Jubercat

Shadowcats Fundraiser!

2007-12-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we attended a fundraiser for Shadowcats, and it was lots of fun! FeralFriend had asked us to create a posterboard display of photos showing Khan at home, which we did, and brought it with us. My daughter also made a paper on which comments to Khan could be written (and that she could read to him after we got home).

The gathering was at FeralFriend's beautiful home, which includes a cat sanctuary. The cats who are used to being outdoors have a cool screened-in area with lots of shelves and high walkways for them to use. They were a bit shy with all of the people around, but they were obviously happy and healthy. There are also special areas inside the home for some lucky FELV-positive cats. For more info on and photos of the sanctuary, see www.shadowcats.net.

We met many wonderful people, including some we had seen at the spring fundraiser. My daughter got to stand up and talk about what it has been like having Khan in our home, and she really enjoyed the positive and supportive reactions she got. Thanks for FeralFriend for inviting us and letting us be a part of such a great group of people.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Technically I'm a day late in saying that, but we are all enjoying a nice, quiet Thanksgiving weekend at home. We went to a restaurant buffet so that I wouldn't have to cook for just the three of us, and I gave the cats their usual food so that we wouldn't have any tummy upsets.

We're looking forward to attending the Shadowcats fundraiser in December, and hopefully we'll see some of the great people we met at the last one. I wish we could bring Khan with us, but it will be to crowded and hectic for him. He prefers to have a nice, quiet space...and no car rides! We were at first considering staying overnight, but will probably drive home after the fundraiser to be with the cats.

Another thing that's going on...since a job I was hoping for didn't materialize in Austin, I am doing a little househunting to see if we could find a place that would both be suitable as a residence, and have potential for us to board cats...a cat hotel! We're thinking of a small capacity operation at first, and I'm considering taking small dogs as well (but I'd rather just have cats). It's an idea I've been toying with but I don't want to get a business loan which rules out a commercial building. We have to pay attention to zoning laws, and would have to get a kennel license. And beside the fact that we've never done anything like this before, I'm very hopeful. Anyway, so far no property has been "it," and we may never find one. But at least it has motivated us to clean out the garage.

Quick Update

2007-11-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

The bumps/growths on his ears are not bacterial. They aren't sure what they are, but for now we don't need to mess with them. Yay! Khan has to take Clavamox pills until the end of the week, and we go in again on Monday. We're still trying to find a food that Khan can eat without getting digestive upset, and that the other cats will eat. We might try Hills I/D. I really don't want to put them on an eating "schedule" or have to separate them for meals. I prefer leaving food out so that they can nibble throughout the day. We freshen the food twice a day and wash the bowls several times a week. We just need to experiment ... it's our fault, because we started them eating the hairball diet when they were a year old and now that's all they want. I've found that whatever food they are given consistently after kittenhood is the one they will (almost) always like best. My previous cats were hooked on Science Diet maintenance, although I was later able to switch them to Senior. But when their diets had to be altered for health reasons as they aged, it was a great struggle.

But hey, aren't cats worth it??

As the World Purrs..

2007-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Since Khan came to live with us, I've been encouraging a friendship between him and Clementine. They just seemed like the most compatible, they are often on the bed together, and Clementine is willing to work with me in exchange for attention. So I've spent several months trying to convince them to get closer.

This is tricky business. Khan, sweet, wonderful and off-kilter as he is, doesn't really behave like other cats do, and he confuses the rest of the clan. When he first arrived he used to stalk them, for no particular reason. He also had a brief "bully" period where he would either prevent them from going into the litter box, or be lying in wait when they came out. He wouldn't actually attack, he'd just kind of stare them down until they were terrified of him. We managed to get over that and get everybody on a more even keel, but Khan wasn't making any effort toward friendship.

So with Clemmy as my (mostly) willing guinea pig, I set out to show Khan how lovely it would be to have someone furry to snuggle up with once in awhile. It was a very gradual process. I was able to get Clem to lie down closer and closer to the oblivious Khan (ok, sometimes I had to push her an inch closer). She got into it, though, and would do things like lie a few inches from him but then decide to very casually streeetch and roll so that she wound up with her tail draped over his face. Or sometimes her paw would be extended enough to touch his tail. He would put up with this for a few minutes and then get up and walk away. Clementine would turn her head and look at me as if to say, "What's his problem?" I'd sigh and tell her not to give up on him.

So now...here is where we are (Photo 1, Khan left, Clem rt; Photo 2, Clem left, Khan rt):

It's progress! Khan still doesn't quite seem to buy into the whole "closeness" thing, but he is allowing Clem to get this close to him, and touch him. When she tries to sniff or lick him, he hisses or lifts a paw to her and she backs off. But we're coming along..

More Tests

2007-11-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

The good news is that I was able to get Khan the pill form of Clavamox, which he much prefers to the liquid. The pills are very small and easy for us to work with.

I had to take him back in on Wednesday afternoon because on our previous visit they had done some needle aspirates of a few small growths on and around both of his ears. I believe these are the same growth that were removed when he had his surgery here, but they are growing back. In any case, when they first put the samples under the microscope they couldn't quite determine what they were (except that they ruled out cancer). So they wanted to get new samples and stain them to see if they are bacterial. If it turns out they are, he will have to have them removed under anesthesia. I haven't heard anything yet.

But he has been in good spirits, especially since we switched to the pills. He's been jumping up on the bed frequently and doesn't seem to be bothered much by his sore muscles. I'm really proud of the way he puts up with all of this medical attention.

Khan Sez:

2007-11-05T16:38:00.001-08:00

Further Ear Complications

2007-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Khan went to the vet again today to check on his infected ear after about 3-1/2 weeks of treatment. The test showed that although we had mostly taken care of the first bacteria, a new bacteria has shown up, and requires a different antibiotic (Clavamox this time). I'm picking it up tomorrow, and it will be the start of another two weeks of oral antibiotics and ear drops for Khan. He's been such a good boy about the pills, but I don't think he'll be happy about having liquid poured into him. He's had it before however, with no ill effects, and we've really got to knock this thing out!

Meanwhile, I've been job searching and also this month I am taking part in National Novel Writing Month. If you aren't familiar with this event, commonly called "Nanowrimo," check out their website at http://www.nanowrimo.com/. Writers and aspiring writers (like me) from all over the world are trying to crank out a 50,000 word novel (good or bad isn't the point) by the end of November. I wrote about 1500 words yesterday and I'm going to try to do about 5000 more this weekend (yeah, RIGHT!). *grin* Anyway, it's kind of fun, and a good way to see if I have the staying power (and maybe talent?) to be a professional author. Don't judge by this blog.. I tend to be a little sloppy here. :-)

Khan goes back in 2 wks again for a recheck. I'll post an update!

Hill's Contest Update

2007-10-27T21:41:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, Khan's story was not selected by Hills to be a finalist for the Second Chance contest. However, if you'd like to vote for another rescued animal's story (and give their chosen shelter an opportunity to win a $10k donation and free food), you can go to this link during the month of November: http://www.hillsvet.com/hillspet/minisite/minisite.hjsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474395185663&bmUID=1193546197509. You must register on the Hill's site in order to vote.

Kitty Resistance

2007-10-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

We're having a few setbacks in the food department. At first everybody was excited about the new prescription diet, but that has cooled. All of the cats, Khan included, began gravitating back to the Hairball Prevention food they had been eating. I mixed the hairball food with some regular Science Diet and began feeding that to the other 3 cats, keeping Khan on the Purina. Not only did all four of them keep going to the bowls of the mixture, but they all have figured out how to pick out the larger kibbles of hairball diet, leaving the smaller maintenance food in the bowl. Sheesh! They won't touch the regular food, and while Khan will nibble at his Purina when it's freshly poured, he'll still wander back to the other.

In addition, Khan has declared war on Cosequin, which we're supposed to be sprinkling over his food to help his arthritis. He does not like it, and I haven't been able to trick him into eating it. He sniffs the bowl thoroughly every time I give it to him, and if he detects anything other than food, he walks away. Stubborn. Hmph. So for now I'm giving it a rest and I'll try using canned food later to se if that works. Oh, and to prove to me that he doesn't need Cosequin: since the first day I tried to give it to him he has begun once again using his stool to hippity-hop onto the bed just like he used to. (He hadn't been even attempting to get up there for a few weeks, which is why we got the Cosequin.) Now he's jumping up 3 times a day just to prove to me that he is perfectly fine.

Followup Visit

2007-10-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

First, I ended up buying that neat carrier from Foster and Smith, to replace the one I had worn out toting a lifetime total of 7 different kitties to hundreds of vet visits. I've had the new carrier sitting open in the house, and Khan has been using it as a "cave," so he was already comfortable with it. Today it was "used" for the first time, to take him for his followup visit. I was very pleased with it, and it got many compliments.

Khan was a good boy, as usual. His ear infection is about 70% cleared up after 2 weeks of oral Marbofloxacin and silver sulfadiazine drops. We have to do two more weeks of both, by which time he should be clear. We're checking in again in about 10 days.

I asked whether or not the ear ablation was getting to the "inevitable" point, and he said that we aren't there yet. When it gets to the point where they are coming back every month or two, then we are looking at surgery. Meanwhile, he said that there may be a mildly acidic solution that could be used regularly in his ear to ward off infections; he is looking into it. I also asked about the amount of thick mucous that forms in his right ear (it often forms plugs that eventually work their way out). He suggested trying the Cerulytic solution (that we use to clean his left ear) in very tiny amounts, to try to keep problems at bay.

I also decided to go ahead and put him on Cosequin for his arthritis, since the Adequan seems to have reached a saturation point in terms of keeping him comfortable. It's a powder, so I'll be misting his dry food with water to make it stick. I tried it tonight, but got the food too wet and sticky. Khan wouldn' t touch it. :-) He still seems to prefer Science Diet to the prescription, but his digestive issues have improved and I've now taken everyone off the Hairball Prevention food. They all loved it, but it's too high in fiber for him, and I can't keep him from snacking on the other food. (Besides, it's one of his few pleasures.)

Tonight he is purring beside me, no worse for his afternoon at the vet's. He actually enjoyed it, because for awhile he had 3 veterinary students fussing over him. He makes friends wherever he goes.

Here's The Scoop: Khan's Checkup

2007-10-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

The vet called today with test results. First, the stool sample was fine. However, he does have an ear infection and must have an oral antiobiotic for two weeks, as well as a silver sulfadiazine solution dropped into his ear every 8 hours (tricky when you work 8-5). It's the same cocktail he had for the last couple of infections that cropped up. He gets very hard-to-kill bacteria in there.

When I picked up the prescriptions after work today, I also purchased a large bag of the Purina special diet. Very expensive. A small, 4-oz bag was $22. I got a large bag, but because they had messed up on getting the one I wanted, they offered to give me a large bag for the small bag price. So I'm going to have to sequester Khan for his meals, as I can't afford to let all 4 cats eat it (even though they are allowed to, the vet said; it's just easy-to-digest food). The others get Science Diet. Nova, however, seems to also love the Purina, and has been trying all kinds of tricks to sneak by me and get to it before Khan. She only likes it so much because I am denying it to her. She's that kind of cat. :-)

We have to go back in two weeks for a recheck.

Khan's Checkup

2007-10-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Khan had his checkup today. His left ear may have a new infection (there was a bit of white discharge in there, and they are testing it), and the doctor noticed a growth or swelling in the already narrow ear canal that seems to be blocking it (thus causing more infection). He thinks this may signal to us that a total ablation of the left ear is imminent. This will involve removing his left ear canal and sewing up the opening. At this point, he is pretty much deaf on that side anyway, and after the procedure he'd no longer be bothered by the "leaky" ear, recurrent infections, medications, and us cleaning it all of the time. But it is surgery, and comes with its own risks and possible complications. For now he said we'd treat with antiobiotics if needed, and then probably reassess in a few months. They wouldn't do the surgery with an infection there anyway. Tomorrow I'll know the results of the ear culture and the stool sample testing.

Regarding the latter, he said to try him on a diet of Purina EN (dry) to see if he digests that better than his current Science Diet. He does seem to be liking it--but he's never been picky about food. If this diet doesn't solve the problem, they want to do a colonoscopy (under full anesthesia). However, my instincts say that the diet will work, and that's what I am willing to occur. I do not want him to have to go through a colonoscopy--especially since it appears to just be caused by an irritation. It will take 3 weeks on the diet to see results.

Anyway, depending on what they tell me tomorrow, he will probably be on another couple of weeks of antibiotics. He's had a lot of them since we got him, poor boy, all because of ear trouble. Then for him to lose an ear after all this is just frustrating. But we knew when we had the resections done that it might come to this. My instincts are also telling me that we are on a conveyor belt to ablation-land, so I'm going to come to terms with that if it happens. He'll be a one-eyed, one-earred, fluffy, purring people-greeter! (Sorry, that was the best I could do!) Oh! And he also got his Adequan injection, though we are thinking of adding Cosequin to his diet in the future, as I've been seeing a slow but steady decline in the strength of his back legs/hips. (I asked again about learning to give the intramuscular injection myself, but he says the literature is now indicating that maybe Adequan in a subcutaneous injection will have the same effect. It would be nice for both of us if I didn't have to take him in every 5 weeks just to get the shot.)

So Much Softer Than Litter...

2007-10-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of months after we adopted Khan, and he was getting used to the place, he started having little accidents on the bathroom rug that sits in front of the litter box. (It's part of one of those matching sets that includes a contour rug around the toilet. ) We thought at first that maybe he was having trouble making it into the box, so we experimented with lower-profile pans, but he wasn't having trouble getting into either of the other two litter boxes (which are in different areas of the house). We also thought that maybe he didn't like sharing a box with the other cats, but that turned out not to be the case either.

Every time he'd leave his calling card on the rug (which was always Number Two, btw), we'd clean it up and then put the rug in the washer. It would take about a day to hang dry, and we started noticing that on the days the rug wasn't there, either no "accidents" would appear outside the litter box, or, we'd find one centered on the little contour rug (which was about 3 feet away from the litter box). Whenever both rugs were in the wash, there were no outside deposits. It actually took us several weeks to get wise, but we figured out that he just prefers pooping on the rugs. He doesn't do it on any of the carpeting throughout the house (which is just berber), or on the foot-wiping rugs by the front and garage doors; he only goes on the thick, cushy throw rugs in the bathroom. I guess the final experiment would be to put one of the rugs someplace unusual--say, the living room--and see what happens. For now, we've decided to go "rugless" in the bathroom. Maybe sometime I'll experiment with different types of litter to see if there's a texture he prefers. Or if I see a big sale on shag carpeting, I'll stock up.

By the way--he's going in for a checkup on Tuesday afternoon, and I want to bring a stool sample. So I told my husband to "Putout the rugs on Monday!"--just temporarily. :-)

2007-09-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

It was easy; I just pawed the pile of neatly folded clothes into a nice, comfy nesting area, and climbed right in! I'll be out in a few hours. Maybe.

Those Ears! Those Ears!

2007-09-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

[For those who don't recognize it, the title references Rudolph's Shiny New Year--remember Baby New Year with the big ears?]
When we adopted Khan, we learned he had a lot of growths in his ears, polyps which blocked his hearing and had caused massive infections (they had probably been there for years). The first surgeon we spoke with wanted him to have both ear canals completely removed and the ears sewn shut, basically resulting in deafness, but no more infections. We really didn't want him to go through that trauma so we spoke to a second surgeon who said it might be possible to do ear canal resectioning, which removes the vertical canal (where bacteria become trapped) and creates a new opening for the ears. It didn't guarantee the polyps wouldn't grow back, and it meant the risk of recurrent infections. There was also the possibility that the more drastic surgery would be needed later anyway. I consulted with Shadowcats, and everyone agreed that we wanted to try the less radical procedure first. The surgery was done last September and was very successful. However, the left ear canal had grown very narrow from the past infections and and it has an excessive waxy discharge. So even though his right ear is like new, his left will always need daily care. I clean out the discharge with Cerulytic solution every other night, and wash the fur under his ears on the alternating nights to remove the deposits that have dried there. He really hates having his ear fussed with. The skin there is thin, so if he scratches at it, it bleeds. (He had to wear a hateful E-Collar for weeks after surgery!) I'm also seeing polyps on his ear flaps beginning to grow back, so they may be growing back inside as well. Chances are, he'll eventually lose the left ear. But we're going to hold that off as long as possible. His hearing isn't good now--really, it's mostly gone on the left side. But he has adapted well, and we just have to remember not to "sneak up" and startle him when he's resting!

We Have Reader-Sign!!

2007-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Alright--I've gotten my first posted comments. I'm so excited!

To answer Chez-Mew, I was at "Literary Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention," meaning the focus was more on books than on films or comics or other media. Lots of authors in the genre were in attendance. I read other things as well, but SF-Fantasy is my weakness. Khan loves it when I read because I usually sit on the bed--his favorite spot--and keep him company.

Speaking of cats and books, at the convention I also got an autograph from Carole Nelson Douglas, who writes the Midnight Louis mysteries. She also signed the book, with a cat-paw drawing, on behalf of Midnight Louis himself. I gave it to my little one, who wanted it for a collection of pet-related books.

Keep the comments and questions coming---Khan and I love to hear from you!

Auction Success!

2007-09-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

I actually did get the prints that I wanted! I went one dollar over my limit on one, but with that dollar-over-the-last-bid technique, I got it! The other one was a bargain; I was the only person to bid on it. The cat prints I got were "Magnus and Loki: Pure Evil" by Clemens, and the one by Pellegrini is called "Stretch." Pretty cool. Now I just have to get them framed. I also came home with a huge bag full of books (most of them signed by the authors), and a lot of good writing advice. My mini-vacation should keep me feeling good for about a week or so, and for a boost I can keep peeking at my pile of new books to read. What could be better than cats and books?

Khanvention!

2007-09-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, the title is a little misleading and a little too "70's Batman Series" (especially if I keep doing it). But I am at a convention this weekend--FenCon in Dallas, a Literary Fantasy & Science Fiction Con. Much of the focus is on books and authors, and they even have a writing workshop that I was too late to participate in. There are also fans of, and events related to other SF-related media at the Con. And one thing I've learned about SF/Fantasy conventions--the fans are (mostly) cat lovers. There is always wonderful cat-themed art at the art auctions, and today I put a bid on some gorgeous prints by artists Nicole Pellegrini and Sarah Clemens. I doubt I'll get them on my first bid because the "cat stuff" is always very popular at the auctions. What's kind of a drag is that you can put a bid on an item during the "silent" part of the auction, but if there are more than 2 or 3 bids it goes to a live auction where anyone can outbid you, even if they didn't bid on it before. But it's for charity, so I won't complain too much. What I would like to complain about is that it's 10pm and the guy in the room next door keeps making loud speaker-phone calls, and my room smells like sweaty socks. It's actually a nice hotel; I just happened to get the sweaty sock room. Husband and kiddo are on cat duty this weekend!

Khan's Little Helper

2007-09-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about the great stepstool my husband built for Khan, right after we adopted him. We realized right away that our bed was too high for him to jump onto; in fact about the highest he could jump at first was around 24" (our bed is 32"), and that was only after he'd gauged it a few times and worked up his courage to do it. Now that he is a year older, his jumping capacity has been reduced to about 10", or at least that's all he'll attempt.

So the step stool was built, originally at about 17" in height, which took him about halfway up to the bed. We covered the top with padded fabric for comfort, it was made 17" square to give him enough room to get all four paws on, to give him a resting point. And, because my husband is an overachiever, he made it so the top can open up to reveal a little cat toy storage compartment.

We had to teach Khan to use it, which took a bit of doing (he's a slow learner, my boy), but he was soon using it regularly until a few months ago when he just stopped bothering with it and instead meowed at us to pick him up and put him on the bed. I also noticed he wasn't jumping onto the lower furniture anymore either, so we decided it was time to build a secondary step onto the stool. He fixed it so that the lower step could be pushed in flush with the rest of the stool, or it could be pulled out for Khan. The pull-out step was slightly angled, which at first presented a problem; Khan came to us declawed on his front paws, so he tended to slip a little on the lower stool. Instead of covering all over with fabric, my husband came up with the idea of putting some strips of textured but soft fabric across the lower step, to act as paw grips. At its highest point, the low step is only 8" off the ground.

The new, enhanced stepstool has worked really well. Khan began using the steps again with little encouragement, and he uses it to go down as well. I like it much better than most of the ones I have seen for sale, because their surface area is too small. I have similar problems buying litter boxes for Khan, because he needs a low opening that doesn't require any jumping, but because we have 4 cats I like to buy covered models. (We have 3 litter pans but they fill up fast.) Hmm..maybe I can get my man to build a litter box next...

The Comfort of Purring

2007-09-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Some days, I really need my cats. Today, for example, besides being an unhappy anniversary for most of the country, was just a really bad day at work for me personally. Lately I have a lot of bad days at work. So, besides having my human family to come home to, it's also really nice to have a cat to lie down at your side, undemanding, nonjudgmental, just happy to be there with you. Khan is really great for that because he stays in one spot on the bed for about 16 hours a day, so I never have to beg him or force him to be with me. As soon as he sees me arrive, he starts purring. (He does this as soon as he sees anyone arrive, but that's okay too.) He gets a little annoyed when I start fussing with his "bad" ear--the left one--which even after an operation still leaks a great deal of thick wax that hardens and sticks on the fur around the ear canal. I have to clean it at least every other day or he gets a buildup, and he really hates the cleaning. But he still purrs, even while he's tilting his head away giving me dirty looks over his shoulder. If we go out to the vet, he purrs as soon as he is brought back into the house, before I've even let him out of his carrier. I've owned 8 happy and loving cats over the course of my life (well, 7 happy ones and one grumpy-natured Himalyan) but I've never known a cat who purred more easily and often than Khan. So tonight, I'm going to curl up next to him and probably cry over the injustice in the world, and let him purr in my ear until I feel a little better.

"Come on--we unmade the bed for you!"

Bad Dreams

2007-09-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. When I finally did drop off, around 2 am, I began having awful, horrible nightmares involving my past and current cats. Oh, it was bad: terrible diseases, euthanization, cats being attacked by snakes; it was just full of disturbing images made up of real events and my ripe imagination. I kept having them for 3 or 4 hours, when I was awakened by Truffle meowing. It didn't, to me, sound like a distressed meow; it was a lot like the one she uses when she just wants attention (which is still pretty plaintive, as meowing goes). But that and the dreams got me up to start looking for her and make sure she was okay. I couldn't find her anywhere. I was calling, and turning on lights, which woke up my husband. I asked him to help me look. Still I kept telling myself I was making more of it than there was. But when we opened a bedroom door that we had closed the night before (because we are painting in there), out came Truffle! We figured out that the door wasn't fully closed, she managed to push her way in and then the air conditioning blew the door shut again, trapping her. Why she didn't make noise for so long I don't know, but my husband suggested that maybe she sent me the bad dreams to let me know she was in trouble. That, or my subconscious heard her meowing earlier and that set off the bad dreams. Anyway, she was happy to get back to food, water, and a litter box, and I'm hoping to have pleasant dreams tonight.

2007-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

"Next time I meet that car, it won't be so lucky!"

Demise of a Cat Carrier

2007-09-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I took Khan for his monthly Adequan injection. As the vet tech was bringing him to the back, the handle on the carrier snapped and the carrier fell about 8" to the floor. Khan was on a folded blanket and none the worse for wear (tho I'm sure he didn't enjoy it), but it signaled the end of a carrier older than he is.

That carrier was beloved. I bought it in 1993 at Target, and it has toted all of my cats (sometimes two at a time), including many visits for my darling Julian, who died in Dec '04 at age 20. Every time I took it to a vet, it was admired by the staff as much as the animal it held. It was a Dogloo model 150, blue and grey, and it had a completely removable door that could open either direction, slots for a car seatbelt that allowed it to face forward, and the best part was it has these easy snap side-latches that allowed me to take the lid completely off (along with the door) so that a timid kitty could sit in its own comfy area on a towel and surrounded by favorite toys and a few protective inches of plastic wall. You know how most cats will either try to jump off the table in search of an exit, or will try to burrow into your flesh headfirst when they're at the vet? In their carrier, mine would sit comfortably even if I stepped away from the table for a moment. Most vets allowed my cats to just stay in there, and they worked around the carrier to do their examination. (Only one or two insisted that the cat be removed onto the metal table, and I always made sure I didn't see them again.)

We had reinforced the handle because it was one of those that can snap out accidentally, but it never failed until a couple of weeks ago when it snapped out on me (with a different cat), and despite more reinforcement it did it again today, breaking plastic besides. Since I'd begun noticing other weakening points in the plastic, I knew its time had come. I'd search for years to find the identical model, because so many people asked about it and wanted to know where to get one. (Target quit carrying them practically the day after I bought it.) I never did find one that fit all of the criteria, but now I must locate one that will do. We have other carriers, but none as good as that. I guess 14 years of service is more than one can expect--and since just a few months ago the receptionist at one of our vets asked if the carrier was new (ha!), it seems to have gone beyond the call of duty.

So I've been looking around a little, and I did find one that made my heart beat a little faster, but it's $80! On Sale! Can you imagine? It's at Foster and Smith if you want to see it: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+16901+16118&pcatid=16118. Hey, I'm not saying I won't buy it. It's gah-geous, and if it lasts 14 years I suppose it will be a good value. Wonder if they'd guarantee that? Hmm.. At least the handle looks sturdy.

Khan the Music Lover

2007-09-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was playing my electronic keyboard (we're saving up for a real piano), and I was going back and forth between classical and pop tunes, and my own compositions, when I saw that Khan had come out of the back bedroom and laid down next to my chair on top of a pile of sheet music. :-) The other cats sometimes like to jump onto my lap or the keyboard when I play, but since Khan's hearing is compromised I never thought he could hear it very well (especially from the bedroom!). The speakers are up on top of a cabinet, so to help him hear it I plugged in some headphones and set them down on the floor in front of him. He listened for a little while longer, but the second I stopped playing he walked away. Still, this was another "first" for him (coming out to listen) so it was cool. My husband and I wondered if he'd like being set up on top of the piano once we get it (to feel the vibrations). I doubt that he would, though. He becomes very anxious if I try to put him up onto any surface other than a big, wide bed. Counters make him nervous. Plus, the jump down (as with the jump up) is just too high for him. He never attempts to use any of the cat climbers we have, with the multi-level perches. We bought one with a fairly low perch for him, but it's too narrow for his comfort. Speaking of which, I'll have to post a pic of the step-stool hubby made for Khan shortly after we got him, to help him jump up to the master bed. The ones at the pet store were all too narrow in the steps. He needs to be able to get all four feet on every step/level before he can go to the next one.

Kitty Fight!

2007-09-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

My husband says that last night Khan was in the living room wailing on Truffle (as much as a toothless, declawed, 12-year old brain-damaged cat can "wail.") Truffle didn't seem to be bothered by it, and hardly fought back. But it was notable because Khan doesn't usually pick fights with anybody. It's hard to tell whether he had a genuine beef with Truff or if he was trying to play. Since I didn't observe it, I can't tell you what the body language was. In any case, Khan's notions of cat behavior are so off-kilter that you can't always tell from his body language what he intends. From what my husband says, they were fine with each other a couple of minutes later, so chances are that Khan was attempting to play the way he sees the other cats do it, and Truffle was just confused and didn't know what to do! In the last month or two I've seen Khan starting to mimic some of the habits of the other cats--laying on freshly folded piles of laundry for instance--that he never did before since he came to us in August 06. (I'm so proud of him!). It's progress. I'd really like to see one of the "fights," though.

Cat Hotel

2007-09-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

So I've been tossing around this idea in my head for a few weeks now, of opening a "luxury" cat hotel. By luxury, I mean that they wouldn't be stuffed into tiny metal kennels all day right next to a bunch of barking dogs. My idea is to build (either in a separate location or onto part of my home) large, welcoming "kennels" with ledges to jump on, washable beds to lay on, and toys to play with, and to have the entire place decorated in cheery colors with cat-friendly decor. I have a lot of experience giving medication, and now I know how to use the pet razor for grooming (sort of)! Things holding me back are:
-I'm not sure if there would be enough of a market (since a lot of people just leave their cats at home when they travel)
-My current home isn't zoned for commercial use
-I don't want to get a loan until I've paid down some of my current debt (in case the business fails)
-I've never run a business before

I went to a seminar on starting your own business at the local Small Bus Dev Association, but that's as far as I've gone. If anyone out there has been in my situation (ignorant and broke) but has still managed to start a kennel operation (particularly a cattery), I'd love to hear your advice. Email me!

He's just differently-abled...

2007-08-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Khan is definitely not like other cats. He doesn't even behave like other Persians, who tend to have unique personalities as well. I assume that in his case it is mostly a result of the brain trauma he received in the car accident. (He has never been assessed by a neurologist).

He certainly eats and sleeps like a typical older cat, but his behavior is always just a little "off," which confuses our other cats. For example, when Clementine comes up to him and turns around to allow him a little "howdy-do" whiff, he just stares ahead or off to the side, ignoring her obvious charms. He never attempts to sniff any of the other cats faces, or touch noses, rub cheeks, or brush against them when passing. He never really interacts with them at all, though he is completely relaxed with them. He just doesn't seem to know why they are there.

Poor Clementine suffers the most from this. The other cats have already accepted the fact that he is a strange animal and they leave him alone, but Clementine really seems to want to make friends. She's incredibly shy and timid. She will run under the bed if the doorbell rings or she hears strange voices, and she jumps at any small noise. She is just as timid about approaching Khan, and will only do it when I'm there. She'll jump up on the bed where we are relaxing, and will plop down about a foot away from him. Then she will decide it's time for a big streeetch that manages to roll her a little closer to him, and she will perhaps drape her tail over his legs. Khan does nothing. Ignores her. She'll look up at me for encouragement, and I'll murmur something positive to her and then push her a little closer. She'll lay very still for a bit to see if anything happens. Nothing does. She'll stand up, and gingerly move her face close to his, to sniff at his cheek and see if he responds. NOTHING! Exasperated, she gives up and goes away. This happens about once every other day.

11-Yr Old Cats Seeking Home

2007-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've just been sent an email about a woman in College Station, TX who needs to give away her two 11-year old cats (no reason given-I'm trying to find out). Their names are Tabby and Dixie. The owner says they are declayed, spayed, indoor-only cats with sweet personalities. If you are interested, please contact me.

Hills Second Chance Contest

2007-08-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I entered Khan's rescue story and photo to the Hills "Second Chance For Love "Contest [http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/minisite/minisite.hjsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474395184166]. A panel of Hills' judges will whittle down the thousands of entries to about 10, and then in October you'll get to vote for your favorite. The winner's favorite shelter gets $10,000. (I named Shadowcats, of course!) I'm also supposed to receive a t-shirt for entering, but no sign of that yet. If his story is chosen as a finalist, I'll let everyone know so that they can log in and vote!

Khan vs. Kahn

2007-08-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

I've had several discussions with people about whether it should be K-H-A-N or K-A-H-N. I went back and forth quite a bit until I decided to start this blog. While I felt that "Kahnversations" looked better than "Khanversations" (to my eye, anyway), I decided that I wanted to be true to his warrior namesake. When I looked up Genghis on Google, all spellings led to "Khan." (And for fellow S-F fans, Star Trek's Khan uses the same spelling.) So now I'll try to be consistent with the "Kh." Or Khansistent. As the case may be.

2007-08-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Aug 15, 2007
Khan has been doing wonderfully the past few months. We did find out he is highly allergic to fleas so we are being careful to keep him flea-free this summer.

I recently bought a pet razor (a nice model from Andis) and got a lesson from the wonderful vet tech who works with Khan regularly on how to properly shave his coat. Of course, my first attempt was pretty sloppy, so his coat started out being all uneven, but now that it's growing out a bit it is looking pretty good.

Khan continues to get Adequan shots about every 5 weeks to help his joint pain. His doctor mentioned some recent research suggesting that Adequan may be just as effective if given subcutaneously (just under the skin) instead of intramuscularly as it usually is. If that turns out to be the case, he will let me give the shots at home instead of having to bring Khan in so much. (I'm also trying to convince him to show me how to give intramuscular shots, but those are more difficult.)