Author Archives: Sans Souci

Ice and Eyes

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  Last evening I visited Ampersand after a day of errands. The vets were going to close early due to the inclement weather but never got to leave early. When I arrived, Amp was eating his dinner. The cone was filthy but he wouldn’t let me near him to clean it and if I approached him he would back up and smack my hand; he was not a happy camper. I asked the technician to please help me (just like in a hospital we must advocate for the patient. Our presence makes a big difference in the patient’s treatment). The … Continue reading →

NYC Photo Journal: Food in Brooklyn: Chocolate and Pastrami

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You see me write about Brooklyn frequently. For those of you who are not New Yorkers, Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs of New York City, is a treasure trove of neighborhoods, culture, people, and food. Today was a great day to take advantage of the Super Bowl Sunday offer at the Mill Basin Kosher Deli in Mill Basin, (Brooklyn, for their world-famous pastrami: buy a pound (it’s about $29.00) get one free. [5823 Avenue T, Brooklyn, NY 11234] Warning: Never come to New York City for a pastrami or corned beef sandwich and ask for it on any other … Continue reading →

Full House

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Yesterday when I arrived at the vet all the cages were full and animals were being x-rayed, and many were on IV’s. I decided to bring a can of premium cat food with me for Ampersand as well as some fresh chicken. No sooner did I start feeding him, a bunch of kitty cronies (not sick but up for adoption) put in their orders, Of course Moo had to have some too. So, there I was, giving out chicken and hoping a few felines had a bright spot in their day. There were also many dogs: big ones, little ones, … Continue reading →

I’m Tired

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Lots going on under the skin: I am still worried, concerned about my mother who is seemingly doing well, is as feisty as ever and as critical as always. She said, in a recent chat at her apartment, that it is difficult to deal with some of the people at her residence as some display senility, and others are sometimes rude (don’t want to engage in conversation in the dining room or ask inappropriate questions). She now takes a book or magazine down when she eats. And then: I sent a text to the aide mentioning that I didn’t think … Continue reading →

Hoping For A Miracle

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  I am mortified; one of my cats survived cancer and lost a leg. His brother developed a bowel problem, went to the vet, returned home after three days and within two weeks got a mysterious eye infection. It initially looked innocuous, just a lot of tearing. It spread from one eye to the other, the eyes became inflamed then ceased producing tears. The membranes turned bright red. One eye looked horrendous. Ampersand has been at the vet for a month since this eye infection began. The vets have a terrible time cleaning him and medicating him. He went berserk … Continue reading →

Ya Gotta Have Friends

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The Pomeranian (my favorite dog) in the next cage he had a broken leg Saturday, January 18, 2014 It appears that Ampersand is improving slightly each day, but it will take weeks more of treatment at the vet; I can’t handle him, it takes one or two techs to treat him. The eye looks terrible but it is better than before.   After almost an hour of tickle-time and purring, Amp takes a break My experience with the sick pets who are away from home, frightened and upset, has led me to realize that caring and contact are essential to … Continue reading →

Hoping and Healing

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Dear friends, I can’t even begin to tell you how sad I feel for Ampersand. Here’s a guy who was never ill in all the nine years I’ve had him. He gets a bout of stomach issues, goes to the vet for a few days to get flushed out, returns home and a week later has a runny eye. The runny eye becomes two runny eyes, they begin to dry and the next thing I know they look infected. Back to the vet who tells me to administer drops and L-Lysine. Here is a cat I have never held; try … Continue reading →

Kitty is Still at the Vet

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  I have visited Ampersand at the vet yesterday and today. Initially when I arrived yesterday he was lying on his side, the cone around his neck filled with tears, the eye membrane still sew shut to aid healing. I was told that now he is getting penicillin daily. He looked miserable. I opened his cage and he growled. When he smelled my hand he began to relax. Having an eye ulceration can’t be fun; he’s been there for weeks and the treatment has been changing to address the non-healing. He hadn’t eaten but after I pet him for a … Continue reading →

What a Headache

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  I have suffered with headaches since I was a child. I have had sinus headaches that pounded at my face and teeth, cluster headaches that latched onto my head like a pit bull and that wouldn’t let go for days, tension headaches that made me feel like a tourniquet was going to twist so tightly I’d snap, migraines that made me want to jump off bridges. There were days when I would work in my dusty, Board of Education windowless and airless office and have to take six Extra Strength Bufferin in a day to survive. In later years … Continue reading →

Black and White

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  Well, friends, I feel as though I work at the vet’s office. I’ve been there so many days–make that weeks— visiting one pet or another, that part of my routine is to visit the animals that aren’t mine.   Yesterday: Here is poor Ampersand. His left eye’s third membrane is sewn shut as an aid in the healing of his ulcerated cornea. The eye runs like a fountain. The other eye is said to be getting better but when I see this poor animal I feel terrible. He’s looking thin, all he can do is rest his head and … Continue reading →

Eye, Eye, Eye!

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    Ampersand was found, finally, to have a hole in the cornea of one eye. He must have been in terrible pain for weeks. No one knows how these things happen but he could have gotten hit by his mother (who is always bopping him on the head and face) or his brother. At any rate, he wasn’t healing and was very stressed dealing with being treated. It wasn’t until he was sedated and the eye looked at that the ulceration was found. They have patched the eye closed to help it heal. Poor little guy.       … Continue reading →

The Eyes Have It …

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Ampersand in his cage at the vet   Happy New Year, all. No big New Year’s Eve celebrations here. Sometimes quiet is welcome and observation of the hoopla is the key. Ampersand was brought back to the vet last Thursday and one vet said,” he’s going home on Saturday, he can’t stay here.” That was after the dry-eye diagnosis which seems to have been abandoned and we are back to the original: virus. (??) I just want to say that when Play was recuperating at the vet after his surgery, he came down with what seems to be the same … Continue reading →

It Continues

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  Just an update. Honestly, I never thought I’d be doing so many cat posts. I mean enough already. But the peculiar thing is that since Play’s major issue and subsequent surgery, the other two cats have been following with their own stuff. I thought by now I’d be back in poetry mode but I continue to be pulled back into kitty reports.     Caramel has taken her third pill for that strange limp. It is the final pill, non-steroid, and is supposed to work on inflammation. No such luck yet. Though she doesn’t seem to be in pain … Continue reading →

The Year Of The Cat

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Ampersand and his mother, Caramel A year ago I had rescued four kittens and their mother before hurricane Sandy. After a few months I was able to get the babies adopted. I trapped the mother and had her spayed. She was found to have cancer, was surgically treated and stayed at the vet until I could find a sanctuary that would take her–for a fee. My own rescues from 2004 were not a problem but as they aged their systems began changing: Play Up until now, kitty issues have been about Play. He’s the one with the bowel impactions, diabetes … Continue reading →

NYC Photo Journal: Artist Mike Kelley at MoMA/P.S. 1

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  PS 1 is one of the oldest public school buildings in New York City, from the late 1800’s It was underutilized and became an art center in 1971, founded by Alanna Heiss. Classrooms became studios. Gradually there were exhibitions and performance art. PS 1 (public studios 1) was incorporated into the Museum of Modern Art in 2000. Mike Kelley (1954-2012), born in Detroit, lived and worked in Los Angeles from the mid-1970’s until he died at age fifty-seven of suicide. His work is prolific, in every medium, and it resides in almost the entire museum. I found his oeuvre … Continue reading →

All I Want For Christmas Is a Bunch of Healthy Cats: Sick Kitty =^..^=

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  Ampersand was fine and then he wasn’t, just like that. He is eating and doing everything normally but about a week ago one eye started running. No symptoms of a respiratory problem, no other cats sick. I thought that his mom might have bopped him in the eye. The, junk began to appear. Gradually it began to look better but then the other eye started to do the same thing. Both eyes seem better from afar but when I went up close I could see the membrane was inflamed and I didn’t like the looks of it. Remember Little … Continue reading →

Part 73: Breaking Down, Building up

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  I have returned. I received a few notes from friends asking me when I was going to post, wondering if they were no longer on the subscribe list. I am still here and trying very hard to organize my thoughts before the auto-alert goes out and tells you: Sans Souci’s words of wisdom are out there. I have no idea what I will call this until the end. I have no idea where this is going but I feel compelled to write. It’s about cats and mothers and things falling apart and being fixed. Literally, figuratively.   The City … Continue reading →