Tag Archives: cats

Carry On

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

Next stop on the migraine trail was, at the recommendation of the neurologist, a visit to an opthal-neurologist who declared my optic nerves were fine. He was a busy doctor of stature, serious, maybe too serious. I wanted him to smile, to make light of it all, to tell me he had the key. He didn’t. No smile, no key. A healthy optic nerve is a good thing, we know that. So the migraine story continues and hits the wall. There are two kinds of ocular migraines going on and there is from what I can see, read, learn about: … Continue reading →

The Return Home

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

The plan was to remove the cone at the beginning of the week and make sure that Ampersand wasn’t rubbing his eye. By Wednesday evening it was time. The eye was as good as it was going to be for a while, not perfect, still healing. It looks strange from some angles and normal from others. The miraculous thing is that he can see and his eye is no longer bizarrely red yet the lens is a little cloudy in the center. At any rate, the eye is the beautiful green again. We couldn’t just take the cat, we had … Continue reading →

More Snow, More Ice, Another Day at the Vet

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

Baby Bulldog had a pneumonia relapse Yesterday was another day of chores. I made sure that I had a few thousand back-up cans of kitty food so a visit to the pet food store was in order. Speaking of kitties, I hadn’t seen Ampersand because I was ill, but I made sure I got there yesterday (knowing today would be out of the question because of terrible weather). Ampersand looks better each day but his eye is still red and the eye lens is still healing. He was happy to see me and rolled around and purred. In the meantime … Continue reading →

Ice and Eyes

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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 →

Full House

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

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 →

Hoping For A Miracle

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

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

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

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

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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 →

Black and White

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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!

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

    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 …

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

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

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

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 →

Part 73: Breaking Down, Building up

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

  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 →

Well Kitty At Home: The First Few Days

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

    Since Tuedsay night, Play has spent many hours in isolation; hiding in closets where it is dark and quiet. I’ve been pulling him out of a box in my closet and letting him curl up on a blanket on a down comforter on the bed where he rests for hours and is happy to greet visitors. I left a bowl of water and a litter box nearby should he need them. I haven’t seen him drink which is likely a good sign as his insulin dose has been lowered. I was getting apprehensive about his not using the … Continue reading →

Well Kitty Update 17: 12/3/13: He’s Home But Where’d He Go?

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

He’s home, yes, home. Here’s how today’s visit went. The usual late afternoon arrival and visits to the gang in the back room. The kitties come and go, some get adopted, some wait for years for a home. I was amazed that this vet has taken in so many animals over the years. The cat that had the leg amputation yesterday is likely going home tomorrow. That shows how horrendous diabetes is: Play took five times longer to be well enough to go home.   It was decided that Play was well enough to leave yesterday but I wasn’t officially … Continue reading →

Sick Kitties Update 15, 16: 11/30/13, 12/2/13: In and Out

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

Ampersand was released on Saturday   I had a long wait to get in to see Play today. The operating room was busy and the patients were being brought in to the cages around him: a small dog had an eye issue and was barking and thrashing and beating his head against the cage floor trying to get the cone off; a huge red eyed bull dog was under Play making a barking racket. A little dog was spayed and sat quietly in the first upper cage. Next to Play was a sad black cat who had had a massive … Continue reading →

Sick KittieS Update 14: And Then There Were Two: 11/27/13

Cerebral Jukebox Magazine Posted on by

Ampersand, Play’s brother and litter mate, has tummy troubles Ampersand has not been back to a vet since he was a kitten. He’s been healthy all these nine years, but seems to have a familial problem of intestinal blockage. Imagine: he has never been held, picked up, weighed. He is huge and very shy so we just let him be and he comes around in his own time. The vets were able to handle him with no problem. He weighed 16.6 pounds (I put him on a diet when Play got diabetes and he’s lost weight). Thank goodness he had … Continue reading →