AUGH!! Please remove the "cats taken in here" neon

[Tina B and crew]

I'm not allergic but when Gizmo left us Tim and I decided no more longhaired cats. They are beautiful but high maintenance. I just had to clean a clinger off his bottom today.

I've had some people tell me "why don't you just put him back out there and feed him on a regular basis"? Really? With coyotes howling in the field next door at night? I don't think so.

[slvrwhispr]

People just don't get it... if you want your cat to be around for as long as their natural life will allow, you keep them indoors. It's a no-brainer. Way, way too many dangers outside. Way too many ways you can keep them healthy and happy inside instead.

But I'm preaching to the choir here...

[Traci]

What's Wyoming's distance if you can get him into a loving home - can they meet you half-way?

I don't want to scare you unneccessarily, but you want to watch kitty extremely carefully since you just pulled ticks off of him - three tick diseases are serious, cytauxzoonosis, lyme and mycoplasma (hemobartonellosis). Signs to watch for with any of them: fever, pain, anorexia, muscle weakness, vomiting, vocalizing in pain, jaundice, anemia, difficulty breathing. Cytauxzoonosis has an incubation period of around 20 days or less, and any sign, and I mean any sign noted above, would require IMMEDIATE veterinary attention because this condition develops rapidly and is fatal if not treated immediately; treatment is about a 50/50 chance, the sooner the patient is taken in, the better. Lyme can be treated successfully with antibiotics and/or doxycycline. Mycoplasma can be treated successfully with tetracycline class drugs - all need to be treated immediately upon any symptom.

[Tina B and crew]

I was concerned about the ticks but I cannot vet this kitty due to financial constraints. that is the very reason I was reluctant to even take him on. I am tapped out Traci. It has nothing to do with lack of desire or caring, I just do not have the extra funds available. Doc still has 5 chemo treatments at about $150+ a pop plus ultrasounds and labs. Chunk has labs on Wed. Lucy is due for her annual in January. I still owe my vet $1200 and thankfully they are letting me pay it off bit by bit. I cannot ask them to float me any more. Unless someone locally wants to step up to the plate and help ( I am hoping the rescue group might) might hands are tied.

[Traci]

I know, Tina, just wanted to note you should keep an eye on him, 4 ticks was alot for a little kitty. Just watch him carefully, K?

[Tina B and crew]

That's about the extent of what I can do...if I notice any symptoms I will scream loudly at the top of my lungs and hope to God someone wants to help this kitty. I don't know how long the ticks had been there. The engorged ones were half the size of a pencil eraser. The tiny ones I didn't see until I put the big ones in the cup. I am guessing they were on the big ticks?

I hate feeling so helpless in my quest to help the furcritters. He just showed up at the worse possible time for me.

[Tina B and crew]

Great...the heat quit working on me today. It's propane and it is possible that the thank is just empty but we just filled it 4 days ago and hooked it up. Ugh. I don't need any more wrenches thrown into my life!!!

Oh...and did I tell you he was sneezing and had some goopy eyes?

[Traci]

Maybe residual dust (sneezing, etc)?

Not sure about your area right now, but we have really really cold nights lately, hope you can get the heat situation fixed.

Hang in there, Tina, things have to start getting better!

[Tina B and crew]

I don't know about the sneezing, hard to say.

It's been getting in the upper 20s to low 30s here at night. Tomorrow night is the coldest forecast this week, low 20s. So he should be OK after that. I have a small space heater in there but don't like to leave it unattended. It has a safety feature where if it is just slightly tipped it turns off and it has a thermostat but I still won't leave it on unless I'm available to check it often, which leaves overnight out of the picture.

It was the propane, the the truth is we can't keep filling it up every 4 days, not at $25 a pop. Just pray that someone will come forward to claim, adopt, or foster this cat soon.

He also has reminded me another reason why I don't want a longhair again...too many clingons to clean off his behind!

[Traci]

I agree, never leave a portable heater unattended, ever.

On the cold days, can he stay in your bathroom? The owner may not come forward soon enough.

Was that friend in WY serious?