Gloom, French, Gatorade and a Winner!

I am so sick of the gloom! And the cold! It's snowing out. April 6 -- it is snowing. It's getting old -- photographing flowers inside instead of out.

This week's featured selection -- snapdragons!

I wonder how "snapdragons" is pronounced in French? I'm taking French -- an Evening College class once a week! I have to confess, I am loving the class.

This week is my presentation -- we all do a short presentation on something related to France/French/places that speak French. It can be food, wine, books, places, sites. Mine is on shopping in Paris on a budget.

So, part of today is pulling together the last of my presentation.

I'm not loving this past week. Been sick -- nothing wretched, tie-you-to-the-bed sick, but enough that there is no energy or motivation. Three people I know died, another is in ICU in a coma from an asthma/heart attack (you have no idea how freaked I get when I hear of asthma-related issues); a good friend is preparing for significant surgery in the coming weeks and I worry about that, and my boy Gyp is having some medical challenges, too.

Remember when Dr. Anne, the Visiting Vet came? She recommended a blood test, so not long after her visit, we trundled off to a vet clinic that did that work (she doesn't).

On the way, Gypsy was howling -- I'm sure because it was the first trip in the car since last October and also because I couldn't find his "Anxiety" flower essence which was the magic charm. (Longtime "Gypsy" readers might remember that Dr. Anne is a holistic vet, and really -- she has been amazing, her recommendations spot-on.)

On the way, I'm zipping along a little quickly and I'm stopped by the police. (I knew as soon as I saw him turn around in my rearview mirror who he was following... the flashing lights sealed the deal.)

I explained I was on the way to the vet with my very sick cat. OK, I shouldn't lie to the police. But he was sick. Just not very.

Meanwhile Gypsy, who had been acting as though he was in great pain (he wasn't) became quiet once the car stopped. From the caged box, he looked pleadingly as though to say, "Please, Mr. Officer. I am being kidnapped. Soon you'll see me on a milk carton. Amber alert! (And I am amber, by the way.)

The nice guy gave me a pass this time and off we went.

Long story short, Gypsy has kidney disease. For those who know cats, 1.8 is the high end of normal and he is a 3. Which is better than a 4, 5, 6, or 10. But not good.

So, another element of my Sunday afternoon will be giving him an IV of electrolytes, which I call his Gatorade.

This juicing takes about 20 minutes or so. Or it did when Dr. Anne was helping me. On my own -- my very first time on my own -- we'll see. (And, presumably this doesn't hurt the cat at all, except for the moment when the fluid begins.)

The hardest part will be this -- turning on the fluid while I hold the needle in Gypsy, who will be on the bathroom counter (door closed, to prevent an easy exit).

Well, no -- that's the second hardest part. The hardest part is actually sticking a needle into the cat.

Now, I should say so far, Gypsy doesn't seem to mind. But on my own... we'll see.

The bad news is that you can't cure feline renal issues. But the good news, I guess, is that between this and his meds and his juicing, just maybe we can reverse things a little bit and prolong a life with good quality.

Meanwhile, as cats live moment to moment, I'm doing my best to do that with Gypsy, and so is Rick.

More than once over the past two weeks, I break down into tears, thinking what my world will be like with my own special chat orange. But that's not living now.

So, I go pick up the Gyp, give him a cuddle, toss a toy and practice my French on him.

It's working for us.

And now -- the winner! It's Bella Rum of Cul-de-Sac Chronicles! The winner was picked randomly from all the entries -- Bella defined "therstes" as "Members of a group who suffer from dehydration."

I had tons of fun with that contest! A package of notecards of photos from Paris is coming your way!

And, for you readers out there, a very good book recommendation at Chopsticks and String, if Brit mysteries are your thing!

Gypsy and the Visiting Vet

I've written about my Visiting Vet before. She is without doubt, amazing.

And Gypsy likes her too -- although I'm amazed he still does, after our last visit.

Remember when I mentioned that Gypsy had fleas a few months back?

Well, through a number of symptoms related to the fleas, Dr. Anne thought Gypsy might have a tapeworm. And he has been on the constipated side for a bit (oh, great -- I can just hear you clicking to someone else's post right now).

So, she came armed with a pill (easy) and a costume.

The costume (also known as his MSU Spartan-green restraining device) was to prevent Gyp from moving when she filled a syringe with barium and put it in his mouth.

Believe me, I don't think I could have gotten it in him! And after all that, he still liked her! (He's less certain about the Chinese herb he needs to take for digestion every day, but I love the way it smells -- like cumin! Wonder how it is in chili or guac?) He also got a hefty dose of electrolites! Who knew?!

So, we're working on it! Daily life -- sometime you just have a hairball...

Gyppy and the Visiting Vet

Gypsy has a new vet. She came to the house for our first appointment last week, and we sat in my living room where we talked for nearly two hours before she touched the Gyp. By that time, he had developed a cozy friendship with her textured leather bag, no doubt full of the smells of many another cat before.

When they did have contact, she was an old friend, whose familiar and warm voice and gentle touch "allowed" her to build a relationship with my orange boy.

When she left, I had a new meal plan for Gyppy -- one that will take about six months to integrate -- and a new insight on my boy, his psyche and veterinary medicine.

She is a holistic vet, and while she is perfectly willing to use traditional medicine or prescriptions if the situation warrants, she believes is treating the whole animal.

She touched him gently, moving her fingers over the acupuncture points on his back. As we discussed Gypsy's reaction to Stimpy's death nearly five years ago and how he licked his stomach and part of his paws bare (he's now furry again), I was relieved that she understood that animals grieved.

She explained that often soothing himself with grooming also could mean his stomach was upset, as ours sometimes react when we are under stress. And interestingly enough, all the places he licked were on the nerve tracks of the digestive system.

Then she asked me if he threw up. Bingo! And when he does, his dry food isn't always fully digested. As she felt him later, she could tell by his intestines where part of the digestion situation fell.

I learned far more from this session than anyone other than I would be interested in sharing. But there are a few things that might be useful information to all pet owners -- whether or not they someday choose to take a holistic approach with their pet.

She doesn't recommend vaccinations for older cats. It can be hard on their heart, and they may well have an immunity over time. (I'm not sure of her take on this for dogs.)

She advocates use of flower essences for certain behaviors. For example, Gypsy has always been a needy, clingy boy (which I like), and I've always felt it was because he was abandoned as a wee little kitten.

She "gets" this. And he's very anxious in the car. (aka, the Happy Hurler.) Among the essences I'll be getting first are "abandonment" and "anxiety."

And really, things like that work for me -- why wouldn't they work for him?

Corn is very difficult for cats to digest and wheat isn't great either. When you are buying cat food, that should not be near the top of the ingredient list.

And you don't want "by products" there, either. Or, you may be feeding your cat (and dog), things like ground up chicken beaks or fish poop.

She says wet food is often better than dry because of the moisture and being easier to digest, among other things.

But the real idea is to move toward people-grade food. Gypsy will be experimenting with tomato sauces, pasta sauce (hold the pasta), asparagus, and more. This will take some time to integrate that successfully, but will ultimately result in a better coat and easier digestion.

Speaking of poop, she's very big on checking it in the litterbox. Does it break easily? Is it hard? Do things appear digested? And someday, "is it different than usual?"

By listening she could tell me that Gyp had a heart murmer, so no soy sauce for him, but that can be a flavor they gravitate to and it's fine if there's no medical reason to avoid it.

She also listed several commerically prepared cat food brands (and dog) that had a better combination of ingredients. So, I'm off to the pet food store. (And, she wisely also suggested I not overbuy any one of the three recommended to see which he decides he'll like best.)

Gypsy rarely met a brand of food he didn't like, so I'm looking forward to first shifting him to a better commercial brand, then integrating more of my home cooking into his diet.

I was sorry I had to meet people for dinner so we couldn't talk longer! I felt as though I'd met a friend who wants Gypsy to be around a very long while, just like I do. And in the best way possible.

I'll let you know how it goes -- but I think it could be fun!