Kong Kickaroo Funtime

Tiger & Grey are nasty spoiled. Like every two weeks, a big box with littermaterial and food arrives (because the ones I and the cats prefer are usualy not sold in petstores, you know my cats eat beef, additive and derative free food only). But with every delivery, there is always some fun and toys for the cat on board.
For tiger the big box and filling materials are usualy a toy for itself, almost nothing pleases her more than the cardboard boxes piling up in my house by now. Only of course the kitchensink WITH running water can make her more happy.

The Kong Kickaroo (basicly a square shaped piece of cloth filled with catnip and stuffing with a fuzzy tail) was instantly a great succes. I have to keep Tiger more entertained because she feels a bit bored (how can she with so many toys...) she is ADHD cat, and when she has too less to do, she becomes naughty, scratches my couch, climb the curtains, attack Grey all day long... really a disaster in the house that makes me say: Cats??? Never again.... but I do realise, she is just the typical high energy & intelligent cat type. I choose for it. She IS the Abysinian I always admired but never wanted to own, because of their character and behaviour. But she teaches me that eventualy an Abisynian or the close related Mau, is a wonderfull cat breed. They just are a bit different :-) And I love things that are different.

Here is a photosession of their initial play with the Kong. Of course, Tiger steals the show. She is the one most available to picture, because when Grey has the Kong, he only has a few seconds before Tiger comes to claim HER kong. I have to buy another one if they keep being very happy with it. Luckily, despite of what I expected, these things are surprisingly 'cheap'. And, eventually easy to be made yourself if you are a little bit creative. I have to get my stitching machine fixed for once I guess... (waiting already 3 years for that moment haha!)

Just some pictures of Grey I took the same day

My pretty boy!

Grey is enjoying the Kong, but a predator is lurking out for his prey....

It's Tiger, coming to claim the kong she believes IS hers...

Grey is not willing to let his prey go this time....

A quick fight over the kong... of course, Tiger wins... Grey is smarter in hierarchy systems, which Tiger does not know a lot about...

Tiger is content with her catch....

The catnip seems to make her a bit snoozy.....

Then she places a bit to finish the life of her prey (hmms...)

And starts to snuggle it? What???! Snuggle a prey?

Yes snuggle it...

And keep snuggle it..... No people you're wrong, I am a constrictor....

Hmmsss Grey has something there... have to go check it out!

And just a dreamy picture of Tiger, to finish this photo report off :-)

Another Tiger blog, she keeps on discovering

Today was quite a horrible day. Like I wrote in my previous blog about her second acupuncture treatment, Tiger had lost trust in me. For me it was a terrible day and I am clueless about what to do now. I feel my decision to leave her be for today is still the right one. She was snuggling up with Grey earlier this evening, and it was adorable to see her laying next to her big 'brother'. Resulting in this cute pictures.

Later in the evening I was cleaning up in the kitchen, and Tiger was very very persistant about getting on the kitchen sink. I kept placing her back on the floor, and within a few seconds she made her way back. Thinking I would not noticing her walking behind my curtain... Because I am carefull with her now to not loose more trust, I decided for once to let her on the kitchensink to find out what it is that she is so devoted to get. And, it was the running water.

Tiger was early this morning also with me in the shower, she did not want to leave, She loves it to be in the corner, to lay on the floor, and it didn't matter to her that I was taking a shower, so she made attempts to go there anyway. I just let her in the shower because I expected her to leave as soon as the first drop would hit her skin. I was wrong... Tiger stayed and seemed fascinated by the water. But she did not let herself become too wet. Though when I turned off the water, she straight away went to her favorite spot in the corner and lay down on the soaking wet floor.... I had to laugh... Silly kitty!

So now she again showed her passion for water, when she was playing with the running water (a small stream of course because I don't like to spill too much water), tried to catch it, and was gazing with amazement to the drops that dripple down the sink. She even put her head in the stream! So I had a soaked kitty in no time, and the whole kitchen with it. How she LOVED the water! She played like for 15 minutes when I turned off the water, and kept waiting for one hour to have it come back. I could not attract her to anything else, she was very much focused on the tap. No food, no snacks could keep her away.

And, Tiger loved me for doing this. Tiger is getting normal towards me again. And just a look without touching her paw tells me her wound is closing again. The L-metridin honeycream works very very well. But the codliveroil in it makes her lick it off... It smells terrible so she notices it very soon that I am working with it :-( It is a pitty... but as long as it works well...

Tiger's Second Acupuncture treatment

On Thursday October 20th I had the second treatment for Tiger her paw. Today would be the decision day to continue the treatment or not. And to be honest I decided for myself to stop beforehand. Even if there was some progress.
But when the vet saw her walking she was so full of contentment, my sweet made a huge progress she expected to happen. I was focussed on her sense of feeling. But forgot about the fact that she is using her leg so much better than before. A person who sees her less frequent of course sees more than I do. And it is true, Tiger has a less lowered hock, she walkes on her paw now more than she walks on her whole lower leg. Also if you look from above, you see barely any difference between a left or right stride, since she is not sinking when she walks on the right side.

I told the vet that recently Tiger becomes furious when I put Bach Rescue cream on her skin. I know this cream is a little bit giving a burning sensation. I would not use it if I knew she is with feeling. But she reacts to it very very intense. While I can squeeze her paw, and possible even hit it with a hammer, and she would not feel. But it appears that she is sensing very light impulses directly on the skin.
The vet did a test with a needle, and I almost cried when Tiger withdraw her paw immidiately. The vet says this can be a sign feeling is returning. It starts with very small impulses. It is not to say feeling will return completely, but with the other progress it is quite possible her treatment is working.

Then the treatment started, and Tiger was not as relaxed as the last time. The vet wanted to put a needle in her back to calm her, but especially that one Tiger really really did not want. Like she was saying that she is calm enough to handle. The vet managed to get all the necessary needles in her paw, and tried once more the one in the back. But we respected Tigers decision she didn't want this one. Trying to proceed would cause the other needles to drop out. So we left it this way.
Then Tiger snuggled up with me, calming down, and we could make it the full 15 minutes to have the needles do their work. She did not move any at all. So she prooved us that no calming needle was needed.
Taking the needles out after was a different story, but there were less of them this time, and when they were taken out, she was free to walk and she came purring. But I have no clue how she will react when I take her for the third treatment. I think she is getting suspicious now about the times I take her out.

To my surprise a third treatment has been planned for 2 weeks later. It cost a hell lot of money but Tiger has a very long life (I hope) ahead of her, knowing that I expect her to be around for at least 12 more years, but 20 is also possible) I don't mind. In the 'worst' case she need orthopedic surgery, but I am lucky enough to be able to save some money for that one. It is no emergency that I have to scrape money for in just a little time. But I believe in the years ahead a lot can happen, and I still did not run out of other remedies that hopefully will be available for cats in the future. Like stemcell therapy, used quite frequently with horses that have nerve damage.

The day after the treatment I see clearly a progress in Tiger. It is not one I would prefer, but she is walking on her leg perfectly normal. But because she is now having the leg in normal position, she cannot place her paw flat anymore. Before the treatment, her moving was worse, but she placed the paw normal by chance for like 80% of the time. And now she walks normal but has her paw always folded, so she is always walking on the upside of her toes. Weird thing is that she only does when walking on carpet. On the vinyl floors she walks normal. But my house mainly has carpet... Now her skin is damaged again and bleeding. So I need to bandage her again. Also it worries me that her nails are now always out. They will grow and possible damage the skin later, by pinching in. I can only hope that she feels this when this happens, like the vet triggered her with a needle.

Though I agree with the vet, I think she is making good progress. I have the feeling that she is much more aware now when I do something to her paw. Sometimes she hissess and growls, and I don't even touch anything else, and when I do I always make sure she is not aware. Also, before she was without feeling from the hock all the way down. And I think she has got feeling back halfway her underleg now.

So that is the progres of Tiger so far. I continue with homeopathic medication (Phytonic Spine Comp) and I also got hands on Traumeel today at last. Because this one beholds the homeopathic remedies that I think would be helpfull. I am very very strong with the feeling she needs Hypericum. And that is because I also found Hypericum still blooming outside, and Hypericum, known as St Johnsworth is known to bloom around St Johns Day/Midsummer only. And it comes on my path all the time. It is one of the most valuable homeopathic medicine and especially for nerve damage. Let's hope my feeling is so right!

Tiger and her laptop obsession

Most of my blogs are about Tiger. That is because she is by far the most exploring and sometimes annoying (in a funny way!) of the two. If there is trouble, it is always Tiger coming to me purring and chittering with those innocent eyes either telling me "Look what I did!" or "Did I do something wrong?". Grey is just a whole lot more stable in his actions. While Tiger is the happy unspoiled youngster in the house, he is the happily snoozing on the couch cat.

Tiger on the day she arrived here.... One of the first pictures I took...

From the beginning on, Tiger had the weird habbit to always want to be on my laptop keyboard. Probably it is warm and cozy for her to be there. Personally I believe she wants to tell me to put the stupid thing away, because she knows very well how to close a laptop as well.

At this very moment, she is also hanging out here, trying to get on 'key'board. And, since I often fall asleep with my laptop beside me, I usually wake up with the terrible sound of the pressed key notification. Tiger seems used to it by now.
Another moment of her naughtyness action... In fact, she has been climbing up on the flycovering door AGAIN. And I had to get out of bed to remove them permanently because those can be hazard to the cat nails. Tiger found her way to the upper windowsil. And I put her back on the ground because she cannot go down from there by herself. No space to jump off, nor do I want her to do anyway with her leg. She is off now, doing something else. I am waiting... ;-)

But usualy when I wake up I find innocent changes to my computer. Sometimes she wrote a little bit, sometimes she changed color/brightness or sound or opened a window (yesterday the search query was London bombing. I have no clue how this came up as searching query, there must have been a link on the current page, because why should I and how can Tiger search for such nasty subjects?
Nothing to worry about, so I usualy let Tiger sleep on the laptop. But this morning something strange happened. The screen was all grey like pavement, not equal grey. And a huge arrow showed up. A bit of scrolling told me the screen has been zoomed to the maximum, I guess more than 10 times of original.

This is normaly just 1 x 1 cm of the screen, just the first cm of the toolbar

I tried to find back the application to change it back, because I know it works with 3 or 4 keys to enable and disable it. But which ones I had no clue. I was trying for a while, and Tiger just kept on trying to get on the keyboard as if I was not supposed to change it back. For her maybe it was the new wallpaper of her new 'sleepingroom'. She liked it sort of. But for me it was no question to be asked, this had to changed back. But how...

I went to my other computer to find out the code to change it back, and luckily that worked quite easily. But it was not the only thing. Tiger enabled another option for the disabled. With every action I got a message telling me what it is, what it does and how it works. Quite annoying, because I can read the icons and know what I am doing. And the horrible part is, that this was part of the voice over.  But Tiger has turned off the volume, LUCKILY or else I would have gone insane.

The laptop is back to original now, but there will be no more sleep for me. Her naughtyness is quite busy. I can just hope she will come back here any moment to snuggle up. But all she does is chirping that I took away her climbingthingie... I have to buy her a huge climbing construction soon. Thank Goddess it soon is my birthday!

Tiger got acupuncture today!

As you know, Tiger has arrived here with me with severe nerval injury on her paw. No one knows what has happened to her during her flight, but when she arrived, she just dragged her leg behind.
During the next 4 weeks, I have had several vet consults, but no vet really loved the challenge to really find out what is wrong with her paw. She is not in pain, there is no damage, no swellings, no fractures, no discomfort nothing. Only that she can't use her paw correct.

She made huge progress compared to the day of arrival due to homeopathic medication and lots of TLC, and, after 4 weeks, she is using her leg. Only her foot remains paralysed.

I now made an appointment for acupuncture, because it is clear her problem has to do with nerval damage. Acupuncture would be the first thing to think of to help her. So I did, and found amazingly a vet that is interested in acupuncture and works with cats as well. Because most only work with dogs and horses or feel cats are too difficult. I was too happy it was quite close by, and this vet felt really good in the way she responds to me and Tiger. Giving me this little bit of hope to possibly be able to help her.

Today was the appointment, and there I was with a cat walking through a shoppingmall. Because the vet is situated there. Tiger looked her eyes out. She was quite relaxed. And when it was our turn to be supervised, she was still the lovable little kitty as she always is. She is a perfect vet cat. She seems to know it is helping her, because she is going in her crate so easily, and handled without any fuzz.

The vet was very clear to me that her progress possibly comes to an end here, as she now really has no feeling at all in her paw. Last visit there was still a very little bit of reaction. Tiger failed now on all reflex tests below the knee (that one works perfect). And that makes the prognosis very very weak.
But... the vet told me, there is not at all need to take the leg of, since she is using the leg. And she like me still believes in the small chance she has. She will treat her 3 times, and after the third time it is final diagnosis. This is because nerval damage can take up to 3 months to heal, it usually lasts 6 weeks before feeling comes back. So it is not too late yet. And seeing Tigers progress we can keep fingers crossed.

Tiger got 12 needles in, most of course in the affected leg, one in her hip, her front paw and spine. She was quite calm for the 10 minutes it should last. Cats are usually quite impatient, but she was doing quite well. Lost a few needles, but the most important ones stayed in. And I amazed myself that she was not at all stressed. She wanted to get off, but not very scratchy or devoted to have it happen.

I am curious to the result, but since we got home, Tiger is very calm and quiet. Something is working within her body, and I hope it is good. I give it a rest for now. But happiness can say that she has been walking a lot of steps without a folded toe.

Even if I know her chances are so small (or well she will be perfectly fine of course, but her paw) I keep on hoping for this miracle to happen to her. Because from the first moment on, I have this feeling she will be allright.

I got new medication for her as well, since the one I use now is almost finished, and it is more for acute trauma. Now I got a medication that is for nerve damage. I beg for a miracle...  The vet warned me most cats hate this medication and it is quite hard to give it, but Tiger takes it so far with the same ease as the one she had so far. She is a wonderfull kitty, and I am sure she knows what is best for her. She is very smart :-)

TIGER and the autumn leaves

Tiger has a weird fetish for plastic bags. She absolutely goes bonkers when she sees or finds one and you cant make her more happy than to have a few of them piled up. Many times I have found her in a bag, with a bag on her head (dangerous I know...) or caught her cleaning out my own stock of plastic bags. And you won't even need to be mentioned how it looks like when I did some shopping and arrive home with plastic bags. She loves especially the noisy ones and garbage bags, the last even more when in use.

Last year I had a collection of wonderfull autumn leaves, that perfectly kept color. I stored those leaves to use them as not always you have a chance to find leaves this beautifull. And when I was cleaning out some closets I found back this bag, not yet fully aware of this new awaken 'fetish' of Tiger.
So yesterday night when I was preparing to construct the bookcase I bought and it is quite a heavy one, Tiger was of course by my side to assist me in her own special way. But the bag of leaves was also here, and it didn't take long before she found out.

Very devoted as if there were thousands of mice in it, she hunted it like prey, ripping it apart, take the 'intestine' out, all in total extacy. I don't know what she was thinking, but for over half an hour she was in heaven with this bag of surprises. Her eyes even bigger than they already are. Playfight with beech nuts, tearing the leaves to pieces and stripping the twigs. My precious beechnuts, because they are from my favorite Glastonbury Copper beech. And they have the seeds firmly tugged in their velvet 'skins'. But for this time I let Tiger play.

Tiger has been naughty the last days, really she is a handfull and I have been saying 'no!' a lot, kept her away, chased her away and she is getting a little fed up with me now. The last days she isn't snuggling with me, not purring a lot, not wanting attention like she used to. She walks away, does not sleep besides me. She is sort of ignoring me now. I have to have her something she can be playing with instead of forbid her whatever she chooses. It is of course a female, it can be her moodswings, but I need to keep her mentaly healthy. Which is hard, because the only things she is interested in, are the things that are not meant for the cats. Her cat toys she leaves aside. Only if Grey is playing, she gets jealous and wants to have it. She is ohso typical female... if it could she would walk on high heels and black latex. Bitch of the house. But well... she is very lovable and adorable before you may think she is evil. Haha, but she has a very strong own will, and has no rules to obbey (she thinks). She has a head on as we would say in Holland.

Grey also came to pay a visit, but Tiger only gave him a few affectionate licks on the head and continued her own business. And Grey as man of the house did not understand this weird hobby of Tiger and took off to have a sleep elsewhere. He is not as destructive. Or well... Grey has a couch fetish. Either to sleep on, or to molestate... Cats... They bring so much joy, but also a lot of garbage...

The result after 30 minutes:

Tiger & Grey's first holiday

Or well, they didn't choose for it to be on holiday, but had to since I was out to my annual trip to England.
Tiger and Grey stayed with my parents. And because I had a busy schedule and would depart at midnight, they allready got at their holiday place the day before. My parents are in the middle of a movement, so they have rooms that are unused. They prepared a small room next to my old room, where they could watch the sea, the beach, the gulls, people walking by. Just the things they love to watch. But Tiger was not too happy with her holiday residence. She missed me, and the change was a bit too rushy, and in the afternoon of course my niece and nephew visited them, and especially my niece is one energybomb. A bit too much for the cats who are not used to all this. Tiger didn't eat for a while. Both cats dugged away in their crates, staring out with big eyes. And as Tiger already has huge eyes, she even more looked like an alien than she already does.

After some time they settled in, and started to eat again too. Tiger kept missing me, but they obviously had enjoyed their seaview residence, until after 5 days their (and mine) holiday was over.

When I arrived back from England 5 days later, my parents had allready dropped them off at my home, so they welcomed me. And that felt so wonderfull, they were both stroking my legs and purring, being happy I came back. I called my parents the other day, and they had a good stay with them. Tiger was a bit unsocial and Grey was the affective one. Nah Grey is more stable in his social interaction, he loves everyone equally, whilst Tiger is absolutely a one person kitty and she choose me. Luckily because it would have broken my heart if she didn't want to bond with me, seemingly to be in the wrong place. But happily I can say, both Tiger and Grey have to be here in my life, our life.

Tigers paw is doing little better too. I need to change her bandage one of these days however as it is loosing fixation. She is using her paw most of the time, but yet is is not the right time to have the bandage off all the time. I have to find a way to just have her paw protected from deskinning.
I am not loosing hope with her leg at all. I will go for a check up with the vet within a few weeks, because what I think she broke a toe, and that toe might be damaged or even died. It looks different than the others. She showed me what might have happened during their transport to my parents, as Tiger got very outragious, she was sticking out her paw all the time. And I think that during her flight she got stuck with her leg in the door and foodbox. The crew had to open the box to cut loose the legs. In worse case the crate may have fallen somewhere. Because the crate was damaged.

But, both cats feel more content here since our holiday. Tiger even started to groom Grey once in a while, and I saw them eat together from the same foodsource. They are getting more and more along. Grey has still this passive look in his eyes, knowing that Tiger will always be the queen around. He just has a very big heart my Grey! They changed roles as well, Grey is getting more well fed now. He was quite boney (but surely not underweighted) when he arrived, and now he has more proportion giving him a well done masculine look. He really it getting a charming male cat. I know I have to control his appetite, because I guess he has some Russian blue ancestors (or has the genepole that created the Russian Blue and or Chartreux) which are notorious for their weightgain. I bought them a Pipolino feeder, and Grey uses it very well. But he just eats what he likes, so my whole floor is covered with food he doesn't fancy. It better gets time the food that will be theirs will be choosen. But I am trying to find out if I can feed them natural, since I did some research in commercial petfood. That simply is adapted more to our ease than the cats wellbeing. They will only get food with pure flesh (preferably at least 70% of one or 2 proteine sources), by-products free and of course without preservatives and chemical additions. It is a pitty they don't fancy Orijen food. Now they have Applaws, which they looove but is not biological/holistic. Got to make a choice here... At least it is not from any giant petfood supplier. I ordered a cats cookbook. Because I believe it is simple and easy to give the cats the same as I eat. Or well, buy some meat or fresh fish for them with a little bit of veggies and fruit, herbs, egg and mayb a little added nutrients.