UGH! HAIRBALLS!

It's been an uneventful day filled with mundane chores and mindless activities until a little while ago when I went into my bedroom. Annie was lying on the rug; Orphée was nowhere in sight and right in the middle of my bed was a smelly hairball. Ugh! Disgusting! Gross!

At first I thought it was a pile of poop which horrified me but after a brief closer look I determined (thankfully) this was not the case. What causes them? How to deal with them?

Hairballs are the byproduct of grooming. The more your cat grooms, the more he will regurgitate hairballs. There are a few ways to help him out:

• Provide grass for him to chew on this helps the cat upchuck or pass the hair easily.
• Give him some olive or sunflower oil with his meals to accomplish the same as the grass.
• Brush your cat every day.

Without a doubt the best way to minimize hairballs is to brush your cat on a regular basis. The more hair you remove the less hair your cat will ingest when he cleans himself. Remember, even if you are diligent about doing all three of my bullet points, you can still expect to come across a hairball from time to time. The major difference will be the time-frame and less is better than more in my opinion.

DECLAWING

Recently someone asked me if I would declaw Orphée because of his aggressiveness towards Annie. Orphée's attitude towards Annie has improved considerably since we took him in last December. Although he does occasionally chase, hiss or swipe at her, he barely does it at all now.  Sad to say, he did it enough that Annie is still very wary of him and I do make it a point to keep a watchful eye on his body language and facial expressions.

I would never declaw him. Most people do not realize that declawing involves removing not just the nail but part of the toe.  It's akin to removing the top of our fingers from the tip to the first joint. My choice is to work on behavior modification. That can be accomplished by a sharp "no!" a good aim and a stream of water from a squirt bottle. Orphée is getting the idea with just the verbal reprimand. I'll resort to the spray bottle if need be to finish the training.

In Orphée's case I've noticed his aggression towards Annie stems from two things - food protection and Artie ownership. Whenever Orphée thinks Annie is going to take his food he becomes aggressive. This is upsetting because Annie has always been exceptionally well behaved where food is concerned - she never takes anything she hasn't been given. The other evening Artie left a plate of ice cream unattended on the side table by my recliner where Annie routinely hangs out. She looked at the plate but didn't go near it. When Artie returned she sat silently by until he put a bit of it in her bowl. So this is all perception on Orphée's part.

The second reason - Artie ownership - is definitely territorial. Orphée bonded with Artie long before Artie picked him up, tossed him in the front hall and locked him in. It's part separation anxiety as well. Orphée sits at the door waiting for Artie when Artie leaves for any reason. If Artie goes out unexpectedly, Orphée seems to blame Annie and takes it out on her by hissing, chasing and swiping. I believe knowing the reasons is half the battle in solving the problem.

I never want to see Annie get hurt but I can't declaw Orphée since I consider it so inhumane. If you have a cat and are considering declawing, I urge you to read up on both sides of this issue and rethink your decision. The following links are good places to start:

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html

http://www.declawing.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychectomy

  

Look at that face! I could never bring myself to declaw him.

IT'S SATURDAY AND BROADWAY BARKS IS HERE!

Annie and Orphée have had their breakfast, water, hugs and kisses and I'm getting ready to head out to Manhattan and the Theatre District for Broadway Barks 2013.

I attend Broadway Barks every year.  It's a great feeling to visit the various rescue groups, make donations and talk with people passionate about pet rescue. My brother will meet me there to make his donations then the two of us will watch the auction and parade of adoptable pets.  When the event is over, we will treat ourselves to dinner out before heading home to Brooklyn and our two rescues.

Of course, I will take plenty of pictures and report on the proceedings in future posts.

A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!

Will we celebrate Independence Day today? You bet! And in more than one way.

All of a sudden everything fell into place - by everything I mean we are now functioning as a family. Orphée is almost 100% comfortable with all of us.  He is only slightly hesitant around Annie.  He no longer takes swipes or hisses at her. He now talks to us a little which is nice considering Buddy talked incessantly and I really miss that interaction. Orphée follows me around sometimes, runs away from me less than before and actually plays with me.

There were two major breakthroughs - now he licks Artie after a grooming session and he is spending part of the night sleeping on my bed with me and Annie.

From time to time Orphée will stop and smell Annie's face as he passes by her. For the most part, Annie is calmer around Orphée.  She no longer detours if he is in her path of travel and she simply turns her face if he walks past her instead of jumping up or running away.

All these changes have made for pure bliss.  It's so peaceful I can't believe I'm living in the same house. I feel positively liberated. So does Artie and I bet Annie and Orphée do too.

So today we celebrate - our nation's independence and our coming together as a family. Enjoy the holiday! We're going to enjoy ours.

Happy 4th of July!

SQUEEZING 48 HOURS INTO A 24 HOUR DAY

How does one manage to do that? I mean squeeze double what needs to be done into the amount of time at hand. I wish I knew.

With warmer weather here, Annie spends a good part of the day going in and out between the house and the back yard.  Already her tummy freckles are showing as she spends her mornings sunning herself. On the other hand, there's Orphée grappling with the dilemma of whether or not to venture outside once again. It's funny but he never wanted to come into the house. He would gaze in the front door but never quite venture too far. When he finally moved to the hallway, he designated my apartment off-limits and never looked back. To the outside that is. Now that he is part of the family, staking claim to his personal areas for food, water and play he's adapted very nicely to apartment living. Orphée will walk to the back door, crouch down, put his nose to the crack and smell the fresh air. After a few minutes he does an about face then runs off.

Another ritual he's developed is to follow me to the front door. Inevitably he gets underfoot; I have to be extra careful not to step on him and if I go out he lies down against the door until I come back. This isn't a jail-break as you might think because Orphée will look at me then scurry back into the apartment once he's satisfied I'm not heading back out again.

He's taken to lying around in main traffic areas, the end result is Annie is constantly doing an about face to stay out of his way. They now share my bed but still aren't to the point where they've become snuggle buddies. Unquestionably, Annie is still very wary of Orphée. Observing this reticence on her part to walk past him, I was determined to discover why. It didn't take long to get my answer.

Defending one's territory and food is a big deal in the wild - a primary issue of survival. Orphée chases Annie if she comes near his food and water. My big 40 pound dog runs from him like a scared rabbit! Artie has taken to refereeing all such incidents and we are seeing a bit of progress but all of this has blown away any house schedule we've had. All I know is no matter what's going on I'm needlessly interrupted.

Now if I could just invent a 48-hour day. If only...

Two excellent reasons for a 48-hour day.

NOW I NEED A PENSIEVE PART II

I knew solving Orphée's aggression issues would not be easy even if I had a Pensieve.

There has been definite progress but we are by no means there (there being a point in time where neither Artie nor I have to keep an eye on Orphée when he is around Annie). Trying to sort out the why, where and when of Orphée's unacceptable behavior requires quite a bit of effort on our part but we're doing it.

There's been some success but Annie is still wary of Orphée, hesitating to walk past him, run in his presence and detouring through another doorway into a different room depending on where he's lying. So where's the progress you wonder? They are sharing my bed, the couch even the recliner with Annie sleeping on the seat and Orphée resting on the back.

The area of contention has been narrowed down to Annie's bursts of unexpected running about the house which seem to really anger Orphée. Curiously, her barking sometimes scares him but the result generally is a deer-in-the-headlights look to his face never any aggression.

Besides Annie's bursts of running, Orphée goes on alert at mealtimes, keeping a sharp eye on Annie almost trying to herd her away from the area where his dishes are.  This is very odd to me since he showed no signs of aggression towards the other cats when he was outside.  Food is definitely the issue since we've moved his eating location from the floor to the top of a 2-draw cabinet. Now I'm trying to locate a much higher out-of-the-way place for his food in an attempt to change this behavior.

In the meantime, how do I get a 42 lb. dog to stop running away from a 15 lb. cat? Damned if I know. My guess is this is going to take some work. Dumbledore where are you when I need you? If only I could borrow your Pensieve...

NOW I NEED A PENSIEVE...

I have to confess I'm a Harry Potter fan - working in children's publishing does that to you. Lately not only do I feel I need a Time Turner but I find myself wishing for a Pensieve as well. 

Harry Potter Wiki defines a Pensieve as "...an object used to review memories. It has the appearance of a shallow stone basin, into which are carved runes and strange symbols. It is filled with a silvery substance that appears to be a cloud-like liquid/gas; the collected memories of people who have siphoned their recollections into it. Memories can then be viewed from a non-participant, third-person point of view."

Dumbledore certainly made good use of his Pensieve; I would make good use of mine. Such a magical object would allow me to retrieve Orphee and Annie's memories allowing me a third-party view of the incident that derailed all the progress we made in dog-cat relations sending our peaceful household careening like a runaway Hogwarts Express.

There, in the depths of memory swirled in the Pensieve, I would understand why Annie is running away from Orphee.  A senario to explain why Annie won't walk past him or go into a room he's in would surface from the mist and I would finally understand.  

It all began last weekend when Artie and I took a break from our chores to go for brunch. We decided to leave Annie and Orphee in the same apartment instead of relegating him to the front hallway. We went locally, gone for less than an hour. Later that evening we noticed the dynamics of their relationship had changed for the worse. 

Now Orphee is aggressive - staring at Annie, blocking her path and practically stalking her. Both of us caught him swiping and hissing at her. We reprimanded him and the behavior has improved somewhat but not completely.

Diligence and a watchful eye will help me put an end to this bullying- and plenty of patience.

PET CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Cancer is an illness never far from my thoughts since Annie's Christmas and New Year surgeries. Do I consider my baby a cancer survivor? Now that we are approaching the post-surgery six-month mark, yes, most definitely I do consider her a survivor. Every day I wonder how much longer Artie and I will be fortunate to have her in our lives. She is our joy, our comfort and our unconditional love.

Yesterday I came across a few articles mentioning May as Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Current research figures indicate that approximately 30% of older pets succumb to cancer and it does not matter if they are pure bred or mixed breeds. That percentage is very shocking to me. I remember a day when the words 'cancer' and 'pet' were never spoken in the same sentence.

What causes cancer in pets? My guess would be the same things that cause them in humans. Do they come from the environment, cleaning products, additives in foods, exposure to the sun, a glitch in the reproduction of aging cells? The fact is we do not know.

Personally I feel cancer can come from all of these things and probably more. My concern is to try and prevent it from occurring in the human and animal members of my family. That is why I began a home cooking program for Annie and Buddy; to improve their health and give them longevity. 

I would consider Buddy a success with 2 years 9 months of renal failure made smooth sailing with home cooking and the proper medical protocols my little man had the best quality of life until the end. Buddy was also a cancer survivor, living almost 4 years after amputation of his tail. (The location of the growth did not leave enough area to obtain good margins.) Annie's urinary tract infections have been less frequent with home cooking. The cancer diagnosis was upsetting but if cancer is caused by what we eat, Annie has only had the benefit of home cooking for a few of her 10 years.

My cousin recently lost her 13 year old dog to cancer. We lost our dog Buster to Lymphoma just a few months shy of his sixth birthday. Devastating does not begin to describe Buster's loss to us. What we thought was a case of swollen glands swiftly became a cancer diagnosis that ended with his death 3 months later. The diagnosis was particularly hard on my father since Buster and my Dad were inseparable buddies. Buster's death was the only time I ever saw my Dad cry. That was more than 20 years ago. If Buster received the same diagnosis now, he would have a fighting chance with new medical advances.

Our furry family members need what our human family members need to prevent cancer - for all of us to be aware and to work towards a common goal of eradicating cancer in our lifetimes.  Start educating yourself about cancer in pets by following this link to The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation website:

http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/canine-cancer/

Also, The Magic Bullet Fund website, an organization dedicated to educating people about pet cancers and providing assistance is a good source of information as well: http://www.themagicbulletfund.org/

The ASPCA has information on cancer in cats and a corresponding page on cancer in dogs: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cancer.aspx

A BAD TURN

Four-legged relationships in our home have taken a bad turn. Orphée is trying to exert his clout over Annie. He apparently feels the time is right to move up in his new colony's hierarchy.

That's not gonna happen! Artie and I have noticed Annie making wide detours around him.  The situation has now gotten to the point where she does an about face if he's in a doorway or a room taking a different route entirely in order not to walk past him. She has given up running and playing in her own home.  Her exuberance is gone. I've caught him chasing her away if he perceives she's too close to him. 

Artie was walking through the living room when Orphée overtook him, heading straight for the furniture.  All of a sudden, he jumped on the recliner, pushed between Annie and the recliner arm then laid down crowding her for more space.  It didn't take long for Annie to relinquish her spot on the recliner.  Apparently this scenario is intensifying because a few weeks ago they would both lay on the bed or couch at opposite ends but now whenever Orphée comes along Annie vacates the bed or couch going into another room entirely. 

This is a real problem. We do not leave them alone together for any length of time. I've been intervening by reprimanding Orphée when I catch him bullying Annie. I don't know how effective this will be. I'll need to surf the web, to read up on this problem. And I sure could use some suggestions.

In the meantime, I feel so sorry for my little girl. Since Buddy died, she's been so lonely. All she wants is another four-legged companion but it doesn't look like Orphée will fill that need. Hopefully we can change this dynamic.

NOW THAT THE NICE WEATHER IS HERE...

Yesterday was a day for some "spring cleaning" of sorts. Annie, Orphée and I spent it sorting through news articles and old magazines.  More to the point, I sorted through news articles and old magazines while Annie and Orphée kept me company.

By the end of the day Orphée was coughing a bit. This morning I woke up with a bit of a headache because old magazines collect dust and I am allergic to dust. Orph must be sensitive to it as well.

Spring is a time of change and renewal; a time for coming out of winter hibernation and it is a time of increased activity for our furry friends. Annie has begun her usual "in again, out again Finnegan" ritual of going in and out to patrol, sit and sun herself on the back porch. This also means longer walks to make up for the restrictions of winter. Especially now, at Annie's age, she needs her exercise. Once summer is here, the schedule will have to change back to shorter, earlier walks to avoid the hottest part of the day.

And with spring come allergies. Annie, I believe, has food allergies but that is another issue entirely. Orphée may have dust allergies so what does that mean? It means a new diligence in keeping the house clean. Also, I will have to be very mindful of his reaction to the environment once the pollen count shows up in our daily weather reports.

What can you do for seasonal allergies? Brush your furry family members everyday to remove pollen, dust, dirt and grime from their coats. Licking and ingestion of pollutants goes hand-in-hand; you want to do whatever you can to prevent it. A bath for my canine sweetie is a good idea; I won't try that with Orphée since cats generally do not take to water. If your pet has real issues such as itching and watery eyes, a visit to the veterinarian is in order. Keep the house cleaner, keep the windows shut during the morning when the pollen count is highest, defer walks until later in the day, continue daily brushing and if the veterinarian prescribes medicine for your pet's allergies, make sure to administer it according to instructions. If you are inclined, checking holistic solutions might be a good course for you to take.

Spring brings the highest pollen levels as grasses start to grow and plants and trees start to flower. Rain drops the pollen levels - I always envision the rain washing the pollen from the air; dry, windy weather exacerbates the problem.  Remember there are plants that pollinate all year long so your pet (or you) might experience year-round allergy symptoms.

Follow some or all of these suggestions and I know you and your furry friends will enjoy an allergy-free spring! 

CAN I HAVE A TIME TURNER?

The work week has gotten away from me as so many of my work weeks do.  There's never enough time for everything that needs to be done or everyone that needs my attention. Grateful as I am that Annie is healthy once again, Orphée is adjusting nicely and the outside gang keeps showing up regularly for meals the reality is tending to all their needs takes up quite a bit of time.

The remainder of my time is taken up with all the other chores one needs to tackle in life - cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, paying bills as well as projects we set for ourselves such as organizing paperwork, eliminating clutter and re-organizing our living space for efficiency's sake. None of these items are easy tasks nor are they accomplished in a short amount of time. So is it any wonder that I generally fall asleep in front of the TV while watching the news or a movie? Or worse yet, while reading a book? Sometimes I yearn for Hermione Granger's Time Turner so I can cram 48 hours into 24.

On the furry front we have had some definite progress. Orphée isn't hissing at Annie anymore nor is he taking any swipes at her. Yesterday evening was a definite milestone. While Annie was sprawled out on the couch, Orphée sniffed her, jumped up, settled down and used her forearm as a pillow. Annie decided to curl up when Orphée got up re-positioning himself by backing his butt into Annie's butt. They both fell asleep in that position. Neither of them pay attention to any food bowls except their own although they do sneak an occasional drink from the other's water.

The biggest breakthrough happened a few days ago when Annie started to play and broke out into a run. She ran right up to Orphée stopping dead in her tracks. Orphée held his ground; they both leaned in to smell each other's noses and that was it! Annie's bursts of energy are no longer an issue for Orphée.

This is great progress although Orphée has a long way to go before he's completely acclimated. There are many strange, unnerving sights and sounds that are part of indoor living. Just when I think we are on an even keel, something unexpected scares poor Orphée and I'm left to wonder what's going on. But those incidents are the subject of another post.

WE'RE OFF TO AN UNUSUAL START

It's a beautiful Monday morning. Brooklyn is experiencing spring! The meteorologist is promising temperatures in the mid-60s and we have a cloudless bright blue sky. Everyone's spirits seem to be uplifted by the wonderful weather.

Annie's energy levels are back in force. She's happy, energetic and playful. For the first time I can see she is back to her old self. Orphée is so adorable. His personality emerges more each day as he becomes accustomed to life as part of an indoor family.

The big surprise of the day occurred when I woke up to find Orphée sprawled out at the foot of my bed. All four paws in the air, belly exposed and looking for all the world like a discarded stuffed toy there he was sound asleep. This is a momentous event as anyone who has taken in a outside cat will attest. Orphée is letting down his guard, becoming more comfortable with both me and Annie.

At the moment the pecking order on Orphée's likability scale is as follows:

Artie

Barbara

Annie 

Artie is definitely Number 1 in Orphée's estimation. When Artie's around Orphée follows him like a faithful puppy. When Artie comes home from work, Orphée runs to the door to greet him. Me? Forget me, when I approach Orphée to pick him up he runs away. He talks constantly to Artie. When Artie's not here, he talks out the window to the ferals; he doesn't talk to me unless of course it's time to eat or his food dish is empty. At those moments of great concern he will seek me out, talk a bit then sit patiently watching to make sure I do his bidding.

Poor Annie loves Orphée desperately and is doing her best to make friends. She misses Buddy. They were pals playing together, eating together, sharing food and water bowls, sleeping together. Buddy would let her sniff him; Annie would let Buddy lick her face. I know my sweet girl misses him very much. Orphée's having none of this. He eyes her suspiciously, when she runs around he hisses and swipes at her. A few times we thought he was getting ready to chase her in a bid for domination; we broke it up. We've also had to break up the occasional staring match.

So where do we stand? Annie has learned to give Orphée a wide berth, she will change direction instead of trying to get him to move out of her way. I'm not happy with this but for now we're working with it. Both of us will continue to work with Orphée until he learns to tolerate Annie, staying calm when she runs or barks. Don't get me wrong there is a definite improvement in Orphée's behavior since we took him in but we're only half way there and I can't wait until we have a totally normal fully integrated household again whatever that is!

IT'S TIME TO TAKE A BREAK AND PARTY!

And with that thought in mind, I decided to join the 2013 Ultimate Blog Party hosted for the seventh year in a row by 5 Minutes for Mom.com blog. A great idea for bloggers and readers-of-blogs to find other sites in the blogosphere to visit, I came across UBP 2013 while reading a post at DogTipper.com a blog I follow faithfully.

Let me introduce myself. I'm Barbara - Brooklyn Pet Mom. There are plenty of Moms in the world only some of us have kids with paws and tails. That's what my blog 8 Paws and 2 Tails is all about - my experiences as a pet mom and all the trials, tribulations and unconditional love that come with having pets for kids.

Let me tell you about my kids. When I started blogging it was with the intention to share my experiences caring for my Maine Coon Tabby mix, Buddy, a cat with a chronic disease (renal failure). Since that time the blog has expanded to include my dog Annie's recurring urinary tract infections and her recent cancer surgeries.

Along the way, I've added any news article or information I've found interesting, useful or just plain fun - all animal related of course.  With the loss of Buddy, the blog expanded again to include my experiences with managing Buddy's illness during his terminal stage, dealing with euthanasia, cremation and the stages of grief. 

Currently 8 Paws and 2 Tails chronicles my brother Artie's and my decision to join Neighborhood Cats, become TNR certified, our experiences managing a feral colony of 6 and our decision to rescue one of the colony by making him the newest member of our indoor family. Christened Orphée, this 15-pound Main Coon mix upstart has been diagnosed as FIV+ and we are slowly getting him house, people and Annie-acclimated.

So welcome to my site! If you like what you read, visit with us awhile or better yet follow us! Leave a comment - let me know what you like, what you don't like and what you'd like to read about. And check out the UBP for other great blogs.

Buddy & Annie, definitely not the partying type.

Orphée, happy to join the party!

BLOODWORK

As I mentioned in my takeaway blog, Annie's medical issues were by no means over. After much battling, we finished her course of antibiotics and a mere 2 and 1/2 days later there was blood in her urine.

Artie and I were very concerned that a recurrence of her urinary tract infection happened so quickly. Then again, I was concerned the recurrence was an indication of cancer elsewhere in her body. To think Annie went through all she did only to find she wasn't cancer-free was too much to bear.

We called emergency to tell them we were bringing Annie in for a recurrence and to find out  if we could also meet with the Oncologist a week early. If we could get to emergency by 4 PM, the Oncologist would see her for her 3-month visit and another doctor would see her for the blood in the urine recurrence.

Off the 3 of us went. A few hours later, we were home after meeting with 3 doctors, 2 examinations, 3 x-rays, a sonogram, drawing of urine and a 14-day round of a new antibiotic. Now we were very apprehensive - the x-rays turned up several calcifications on Annie's lungs, a sometimes marker of metastatic cancer. Now we had to wait not only for the results of a urine culture but for results from a Radiologist reading of the x-rays.

Easter was about a week away - another holiday spent wondering what was going to happen. In the meantime, life with Orphée was definitely developing in new, interesting directions. The trick was to get through to the diagnosis without undue stress for Annie (or ourselves) and continue to integrate Orphée into the routine of family life.

ONE YEAR

Today is April 2 - one year since Buddy lost his battle with renal failure. With Annie's health issues and Orphée's rescue, neuter and FIV+ status, I neglected to mark Buddy's March anniversary.

It's been an unbelievable year.  Who would have thought a scant 12 months later we would rescue another cat only to have to deal with FIV or that Annie would undergo two cancer surgeries? Did I think I would be taking care of a feral colony or that I would even consider doing so?

Many changes in such a short time. One thing will never change - how much I miss Buddy. I was not a lover of cats before my little man came into my life. He really exhibited the best of feline qualities. I miss conversing with him. For every sentence I uttered he had an answering meow. He was extremely generous with his kisses and he loved to cuddle. Our games of 'Tip-your-head-give-me-a-kiss' I truly miss. Being a cat, he was demanding but in a decidedly non-annoying way.

Of course, I love Orphée but it's not the same. Orphée is not Buddy; he's Orphée a distinct personality and we are still feeling our way towards a relaxed relationship.

So Buddy I mark your one-year anniversary with a sense of loss and sadness but I turn towards the next year with hope that I can do for Annie and Orphée what I did for you; give them both long, healthy lives in spite of their health issues.

Buddy in his favorite spot.

EASTER SUNDAY

It's just a quiet Easter Sunday. Annie is sleeping in and even Orphée is quiet. We will spend a peaceful day off enjoying a good book and each other's company.

To all my readers I send wishes for a very Happy Easter and a Happy Passover. As I go forward with this blog there will be updates for Annie, some surprising developments with Orphée and final comments concerning Buddy.

Enjoy whichever holiday you celebrate and have a happy spring!

TAKEWAYS POST SURGERY

What did I learn from this experience with Annie?

• If the consequences of the medical issue can be profound, always get a second opinion even if you agree with the diagnosis. We should have done this from the very first time the subject of the lump was discussed. An earlier surgery would have translated into less anxiety and worry for us, less of an ordeal for Annie and probably lower medical expenses.
• Don't lose sight of the bigger picture. I convinced myself everything would be OK, losing sight of the worst case scenario. I'm not advocating doom and gloom here, I'm just saying that hoping for the best but preparing for the worst might be the best course of action.
• Ask questions, ask questions, ask questions. And did I say ask questions? Ask 'em until you're blue in the face; ask 'em until you have satisfactory answers you can live with and enough information to make intelligent decisions.
• Stay calm and carry on. The British motto from the days of the blitz holds true when dealing with medical emergencies. The stress of a major medical crisis is the same as being under siege. If you don't stay calm you won't think clearly, act rationally or make solid decisions.
• If you're uncomfortable with any aspect of diagnosis, treatment, etc. talk it over and talk it out until you are comfortable.
• Above all, love your animal and try not to communicate your negative feelings. Our pets really do sense what we feel. You want to stay positive, calm and loving so your pet won't be stressed any more than necessary by their medical emergency.
• Finally, don't spend time beating yourself up. You are only human after all, there is only so much you can do and as long as you are doing the best you can be easy on yourself.

Annie's saga is by no means over. Our little family will  have to relive the possibility of another cancer diagnosis with every 3-month Oncologist visit. Another medical emergency came back in force and it will be the subject of the next post.

ANNIE'S CANCER POST SURGERY

After all the sweating, worrying, waiting and praying we received a call January 13th from the surgeon letting us know they'd obtained clean margins. Annie's office appointment 3 days later brought more good news - no radiation needed. Her stitches were removed but from now on Annie needed to see the Oncologist every 3 months for a checkup starting from the date of her 2nd surgery.

The surgery site was healing nicely. I checked her incision every few days gratified to see and feel the hard ridge of the incision receding nicely. It seemed a bit odd but both ends of the incision were still hard and lumpy. I surmised the reason to be extra dissolving stitches at the ends but didn't know for sure since I'm not a doctor or surgeon.

Meanwhile, Annie seemed to continue to be a bit uncomfortable when lying down on the surgery site although it happened less and less as time passed. My January 30th examination of her incision turned up a stitch protruding from the end of the surgery. We made a special trip to emergency to have it removed and were told if any more came up we could cut them ourselves.

So Annie continued on the path to a full recovery. For the first time Artie and I felt she had a good shot at a full recovery and we had an opportunity to have Annie in our lives for a few more years at least. Dare I hope I could consider my sweet Annie a cancer survivor? I toyed with the idea of doing a monthly count of her progress but decided to put that idea on hold until after Buddy's one-year anniversary. Little did we know Annie would face more medical issues.

And my list of takeaways from this experience? The lessons learned will be outlined in my next post.

HOW I CAME TO LOVE CATS - PHYLLIS' STORY

Recently, I've been talking with my friend Phyllis about cats - our cats, our love of cats and our initial dislike of cats. I, for one, was never a big fan of cats until I met and fell in love with Buddy.

Neither was Phyllis who graciously agreed to be a guest blogger for 8 Paws and 2 Tails. Here is her story... 

How I came to love cats

For almost my entire life I had a real fear of cats. I’m not sure why. The only unsettling, yet infrequent experience I had was with two cats who lived in Massachusetts, Spooky and Thunder. These cats were aged, wise and loved to pounce on me. They so enjoyed seeing me jump.

Flash forward many years later

A dear friend was dying from cancer. She displayed so much courage in her fight. As a final request a notice went out to see if someone could care for her aged and cantankerous cat, Annie. No one was able to take Annie, so, because of how I felt about my friend I took her cat.  Annie came to me on a Saturday and spent the next three weeks under the bed in the guest room. She had come from a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan and now she was in a house.

 I cleaned her litter box and gave her food.  She gave me dirty looks. She was eating and loved running up and down the steps. We were not connecting and I felt so sad because I could not explain to her what had happened.

Then, according to her time frame, we met on the landing.  She put her paw on my hand. At last she had come to feel comfortable in her new home.  I moved her bed onto my landing and we became best friends. She always greeted me when I came home and loved when I sang to her. Her song was Annie Fa-fannie, I love my beautiful Annie. Her tail moved like a metronome.

All was well until she developed a severe case of pancreatitis. After six days in the hospital she recovered. Her very skinny legs had been shaved for some medical procedures and she looked like a poodle. I had her for another six months and then she really got sick. Although it was a very difficult decision, the vets encouraged me to put her down. Since they had been tending to her since I first got her (bless their hearts, they even made house calls!) I knew that they were right. After her passing I got a personal letter about her from each of the employees of the Vet hospital. I had Annie Fafannie 20 months. And, I grew to love her because she was so brave. feisty, independent. Not overtly loving but always happy that I was there.

Today

Currently I am in the process of removing the carpeting that Annie got sick on, and although I suffer from cat allergies, I know that there is another cat in my future.

Annie Fafannie

THE CANCER SAGA CONTINUES

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were as depressing as Christmas. I was nervous over the different possible outcomes of the surgery; I hoped for the best but I was expecting the worst. Artie, on the other hand, was extremely angry about how this played out; the possibility of losing Annie so soon after losing Buddy was very distressing. Both of us were upset that by trying to avoid any surgery Annie now had to go through not one but two operations.

Friday, January 4, 2013, the day of the follow-up surgery arrived. Annie's appointment was for 7:30 AM. Her surgery was scheduled for morning. I received a call during the afternoon from Dr. Cherrone, the surgeon who performed the operation. She sounded very upbeat as she reported Annie went through the surgery successfully and was recovering nicely, however, we would have to wait for the biopsy results to determine if the margins were clean and whether or not we had to go forward with radiation therapy.

Both Artie and I were emotionally totaled, counting the hours until Annie could come home. 6 PM Saturday we were at VERG waiting to collect Annie, get post-op instructions and leave for what we hoped would be an uneventful evening at home. When Annie entered the exam room, we were stunned to see her acting completely normal. The only evidence of surgery was the big bandage wrapping her entire midsection. She was alert, thrilled to see us and busily exploring the room, smelling the floor and furniture and, as always, begging for attention from the Veterinary Technician and us.

Annie was on medicine and we needed to keep the bandages on for awhile until we were sure any residual bleeding or oozing from the wound stopped. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to pick up Frankenweenie but that is exactly what Annie looked like with her long scar closed by staples! The pictures below were taken about two weeks after the surgery. A significant amount of swelling at the surgical site had already gone down and her hair was starting to grow back.

My next post will continue with our post-surgery experiences.

Annie resting prior to our daily exam of her sutures.

The second surgery incision was twice the length of the first surgery.

Close-up of staples; you can see swelling especially at both ends of the incision.

Another close-up of Annie's surgery.