Tag Archives: cats

protected

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home

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On Saturday morning, after having decided the previous evening that it was time to let Luna roam free, I realised it was also clearly time to put up some kitteh protection.

When I first moved here in February I decided that minimal protection was fine for the boys as the railings have a curly metal design along the bottom that would prevent any accidental slipping off the balconies, even if either of them could squeeze through the bars, which seemed doubtful. This was a far cry from the massive protection that I put up at the old casa az when I first got Loki, who was a crazy climber back then, and I had constant visions of him going “over the top” in a split second. Luna is a much calmer kitten but she is so eensy that, as you can see in the photo, could easily tumble through the railing if she leaned over too far. So it was off to the hardware store for some mesh.

This time I’ve only put it up half-way because I don’t think Luna would actually try to jump through – this is just to protect accidental falling and also put my mind at ease. And so now all the kittehs can enjoy fresh air out on the balconies and I don’t have to keep the doors closed in this lovely autumnal weather.

Haven’t let Luna out on the terraza yet – one step at a time…

testing testing…

23 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home

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I really hope I don’t end up regretting this but this afternoon I decided to take Luna out of quarantine. I’ve had a couple more chats with vet Yolanda and she says this kind of situation is always fraught with “what ifs”. The only totally secure thing I could do is wait awhile and get a specialised blood test done that is only for feline leukimia, but then what would I do if Luna tested positive? When I told Yolanda I really couldn’t see myself giving her up at this point she said that Loki’s vaccination should keep him fairly well protected and that – frankly – even if Azar did contract the leukemia now he would probably end up dying of something else before it developed into anything life-threatening. And so about an hour ago I brought Luna out and let her wander around with the boys…

I’ve actually been bringing her out all week and having her sit on my lap while watching tv or working at my desk. She is very content in my lap and will happily stay there for ages, purring way. So Azar and Loki have got used to the idea that there is a gatita around. Azar is only mildly interested but Loki is completely smitten. At first Luna would do the cutest hissy-spitty-growly thing – hilariously “ferocious” in one so tiny – but she soon got used to the guys and no longer feels threatened by them. So when I brought her out this afternoon and plopped her on the chair next to Loki … nothing happened! There was a bit of sniffing and chirruping but no weirdness and nobody seemed put out. Azar even played with her a little, but mostly it’s been The Luna & Loki Show since then. Luna is clearly in charge and Loki is following her around like lovesick schoolboy. Adorable.

Anyhow, this is all a bit of a test. There seems to be no risk of scratching or biting, so even if Luna is positive there is little likelihood of her passing anything on immediately. I think for now I’ll just let her out under supervision and put her back in the “air lock” to sleep with Nog at night. Still not sure if I’m doing the right thing…

mira la luna!

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in animals & pets, cats, change, home, hope

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Say hello to my beautiful girl. It’s so weird to think that a week ago getting a third cat was something I was considering – maybe! – for some time during the winter. Closed balcony doors, less chance of kitten dropping off balconies, etc. Though it had been on my mind for awhile to look for a playmate for Loki. And then I saw that poster last Monday…

Then after much back and forthing I made the Big Decision on Friday that I would take this kitteh, even though it means having to keep her “in quarantine” for a month until she can be retested for feline leukemia, as the test she had on Friday wasn’t “negative enough” for Yolanda to say with confidence that it’s safe for her to be in contact with Azar and Loki. But she has plenty of space to sleep and play, and she is never left alone for long. Plus Nog sleeps with her at night.

I picked her up yesterday after going out to get some proper kitten food and a small litter box. So she is set up quite nicely in Nog’s room with the cushion of my ex-comfy chair as a cat bed, her food and water dishes and a couple of toys. Litter box is out in the hallway. And she also seems to like the “safe hiding place” I left for her – the cat carrier with the door taken off – as well as crawling in behind the big square “reading pillow” on Nog’s bed.

[click on collages to enlarge]

The best part is that she is so affectionate and loves purring away on my lap. And she is also very playful. Yesterday afternoon I settled down to watch a film on tv after lunch and, since the boys were napping elsewhere, decided to risk bringing her out to sit with me. And she was happy as anything on my lap getting lots of snibbles. Azar came over after awhile and didn’t seem to notice her at all, but after the film was over I put her back in her room.

I’ve decided to call her Luna. It just sounds right and it’s a bit in memory of Lua, as she was also a very pretty girl and a siamese mix, and of course both names mean “moon”. I just hope Luna turns out to be less *ahem* cranky than dear old Lua was.

One thing’s for sure – Luna sure is photogenic.

decision time…

16 Friday Sep 2011

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by Thurston Arnold

Today I had to make the Big Decision about taking in this little darling. Fani took the kitteh to see Yolanda this afternoon and there were a couple of surprises. First, she is a girl. Second, she is approximately four months old, which really surprised me because she is so tiny. But apparently all the milk teeth have been replaced by permanent ones and, despite her size, she isn’t as young as we all thought.

The good news is that she seems relatively healthy. She was deloused inside and out when Fani took her to a different vet a few weeks ago, and I’m told she has a good appetite. The only possible bad news is that the test they did for feline leukemia was inconclusive. Yolanda said there was a small “blip” in the test results that meant she couldn’t say for sure that it was 100% negative, and she recommends redoing the test in a month’s time. Meanwhile, the kitten shouldn’t have contact with the other two cats as it’s very contagious and can be transmitted by saliva. Also, although both Azar and Loki have been vaccinated now, this doesn’t offer total protection against the virus.

So, this was all going through my head after Yolanda called me this afternoon. I had already half-decided that keeping the kitten “in quarantine” for a month wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, when I thought it would be a case of waiting for it to be old enough to have the test accurately done. But now it will be a case of retesting because there is a suspicion of disease. Also, I was kind of wanting a male cat that would grow into a robust playmate for Loki. This tiny thing looks like she’ll never weight more than a couple of kilos at most. So I called Fani to tell her about my doubts and she was understandably upset, as the only other option for the kitten at this point is to take her to Greece on Monday, which will be a long 7-day journey by car.

And so… I’ll be picking her up tomorrow morning. What the heck. Worst case scenario is that she has feline leukemia and I have to find another home for her where she would be the only cat. But after getting this involved I couldn’t just walk away.

I’m thinking of calling her Luna.