Shiloh Acres - RAIN!!!!!!! and maple syrup! ;)

[LovinLife]

What a day! I love cats but have no tolerance for animals coming to my home looking for a free meal or play-time at the expense of one of my animals. I love hawks too but don't love when they come around my chickens. I'm not a good shot so I probably wouldn't be able to kill anything but I sure would try!

 

[justusnak]

Sounds like you might need to live trap a few kittys! I wont tolerate a cat after my chickens....especially now with spring coming, and 40 or so eggs in the bator! I have a few cats, outside ones....that are great mousers. They wouldn't think of going after the chickens. As a matter of fact, they sleep in the nest boxes when they can. They know where the eggs come from..and like an egg once in a while.
Hope you are feeling better soon. Springtime colds are the pitts!

 

[savingdogs]

Well I know that issue with work has been bothering you for awhile so if that got resolved that is sure a thorn out of your side!

What a bummer your birthday cake fell. I have to bake one today so I won't think about that. I don't have all the ingredients I'd like because we are snowed in so I hope I don't repeat your performance.

What I would do about the cats is get a bb gun and shoot AT them but don't hit them when they enter their yard. The idea is to scare them off from returning, not to hurt them. Training those particular cats would be the goal.

I'm surprised, my two outside cats are very friendly with the chickens. But they are both fat so perhaps they just are not as hungry.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks y'all. I hope your cake turned out well, SD!

I did actually fire near -- not at-- one of them a couple days before. And it was bigger than a BB gun! They run when they see me or I scare them like that but -- they come back. A live trap might be an idea. I just don't know what I'd do after I catch them? The closest animal shelter charges I think $35 per cat to drop them off, and they would probably be euthanized anyway. I can't even contact a barn cat rescue about them if they kill chickens -- who would want them? Too bad my dog is not ready so that I could just station him out there. He might chase the chickens or mess with the rabbits too if I left him alone with them for a long time. he's just too young to be reliable. So not sure what I'm gonna do there.

Right now I'm worried about MY kitty. The one with the fragile health that usually gets on my chest to wake me every morning, responds to commands almost like a dog, and has loved me through a couple of the hardest years of my life when I lost just about everything. I didn't even pick her. She picked me. She was a feral rescue kitten from the vet's and I was looking at ANOTHER kitten for my daughter when this tiny thing launched herself from the cage, mewing desperately, and flew to land in my arms. She refused to be put down and has been there often ever since. She's the most affectionate cat I've ever seen.

She's had breathing episodes that look like a hairball, but aren't. It comes and goes, often brought on by exercise. The last time it lasted for days, and it was SUPPOSED to be a viral thing, because of an eye symptom that time too.

Well, when I got home from work yesterday, she was just sitting. She didn't come to me. It soon progressed into abdominal breathing, too fast, her fur is ruffled. I tried the treatment from before, but it didn't help. I took her in the bath and ran a hot shower for steam, which helps a little, but she kept getting worse. I really have no money (having issues with getting paid at work for months now) but if there had been a vet open last night I was tempted to take her in.

Of course I read everything I could online. Her symptoms are exactly consistent with an acute attack (usually requiring hospitalization and always drugs) of asthma. Of course, there are 5 or 6 other things it COULD be, and except for lungworms none of them have a good prognosis. I have to hope it's asthma or lungworms.

I dunno ... I wonder if I can convince the vet to see her in exchange for me working off the bill. This really hurts -- things look like they will be improving as far as work but I don't have it yet -- and my kitty likely can't wait.

She's calmer this morning, but her breathing rate is faster. About 50 resps per minute. It was 45 last night. Her claws get stuck and she has a hard time releasing them so her muscle control isn't as good. She purrs away when I pet her and just looks at me all lovey with those slowly blinking eyes. Which is better than the round scared eyes and crying from last night, but she still can't get air. At least she's not turning blue or doing the profuse drooling they say happens just before collapse.

And no, my cold is worse. It was mild and today is a week into it, so it should be better -- but I got only a couple hours sleep Sun night worrying about work, woke up at 3am after falling into an exhausted sleep after Mon night, and last night hardly slept at all because of my kitty, and cried WAY too much. I sound AWFUL lol. Probably look as bad too.

Vet opens in 1 hour now. And I'm supposed to be at work in 1 hour. I gotta decide what to do now.

Even though I can't easily get my pay -- I do have a responsibility to the kids. If I go in, I can get the important part of my work finished in 3 hours. Then I could leave and talk to the vet.

If I take kitty in, I dunno what they will say. I can only give them about $20, and I don't know if they will accept payments or make some arrangement.

If I don't take her in, I'm afraid she can't make it this time. If it turns out to be something worse after all, she may not make it anyway.

I hate days like this. Thanks for letting me vent, y'all. I know a lot of people would say it's just a cat, but she's been through too much with me.

I used to think it SO important to sit down and have meals as a family. You know what she does? I have a dining table with benches to sit at, and I put my food on the table and sit down to eat. She hops up and sits at "her place" at the table beside me, and just sits there, being at the table, while I eat. She doesn't beg, or nose the table or food, or try to steal it or smell it or anything. It's like she just remembers that dinner time is a time for sitting at the table together, so she does. Somehow that means a lot to me and I really don't want to lose it.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

The one with the fragile health that usually gets on my chest to wake me every morning, responds to commands almost like a dog, and has loved me through a couple of the hardest years of my life when I lost just about everything. I didn't even pick her. She picked me. She was a feral rescue kitten from the vet's and I was looking at ANOTHER kitten for my daughter when this tiny thing launched herself from the cage, mewing desperately, and flew to land in my arms. She refused to be put down and has been there often ever since. She's the most affectionate cat I've ever seen.

this is a great story

sorry she is poorly - its very hard when they've been such a part of your life. your vet may work with you - you'd be surprised especially if you are willing to pay something.

good luck!

 

[i_am2bz]

Shiloh, I'm so sorry about your kitty. I have 5 & they are not "just" cats. My cat Sparky was a stray & thinks he's a dog. He comes when called, & sits for treats when the dogs get theirs. He's the best cat in the world (IMHO).

He had a urinary blockage a few years ago (on a Friday night, natch, so I had to go to the $$$ emergency vet place)...Vet told me if I had waited even a few more hours he would've died. It had to go on my credit card, but it saved his life & I can't regret it, as he's still with us & still being the best cat ever.

However, also several years ago, another cat, Patches, had stopped eating & was having trouble breathing. I took her in & they found a mass in her lungs. She was already about 9 years old or so at the time (rescued from a bad situation), & I opted to bring her home & try to keep her comfortable. It would have required specialized surgery at the vet school, chemo, etc. She died peacefully in her sleep about 2-3 weeks later, at home.

Every situation is different. I wouldn't have done anything different in either case, & it had nothing to do with loving one more than another, or even the money (altho that's always an issue with us, too).

Every time one of my critters appears ill I panic & my heart breaks just thinking "what if..." I hope your vet will work with you. Sending a prayer your way.

 

[ksalvagno]

You cat sounds like what my cat had, asthma. My vet just gave me some medication. He didn't stay at the vet and no special treatments. He is a barn cat and I had to bring him into the house while he was recuperating. He is fine and back out into the barn. If he has another asthma attack, then he will have to come in and be a house cat. The vet warned me that it could be reoccurring. Good luck with your cat.

 

[savingdogs]

Shiloh, I'm on the same page as Iam2bz, they are not just "cats", they are four legged family members.

OFG took the words right out of my mouth, but I'll add I worked for three vets and all three had a big nasty sign reading ALL SERVICES MUST BE PAID FOR AT TIME OF SERVICES, and all three had huge accounts recievables from all the exceptions to the rule they made. Some of them even did it knowing the families could and would never pay. Much less a regular paying Christian customer with a return issue.....vets carry balances all the time. This is why I grind my teeth when people say vets are just in it for the money....I'm sure some are, but they are a big group and many are just plain old animal lovers and have too MUCH compassion, not a lack of it.

I hope that they can do something for her to at least ease her breathing difficulties, if nothing else. Their time is never long enough. I'm sure you have given that kitty a wonderful life no matter what happens, cherish the memories, she would not want you to be sad. I hope you get more time with her though. Your kitty is in my prayers.....I know God watches over animals so I think prayers for them are 100 percent appropriate.

 

[Dace]

Shiloh, sending you prayers for your kitty.

 

[AL]

Thoughts and prayers for you and your sweet kitty.... it is so hard to see them in distress