Transfer of cat from cage to carrier deserves a footnote. I tried to throw a blanket over her, but she was too close to the door. She shot out into the room but luckily headed for a corner where there were no obstacles. Another toss of the blanket on top of her and she escaped again. Then I grabbed her bare-handed in mid air as she tried to climb up the wall in the corner. There was a scuffle. A little blood was spilled (mine, not the cat's). Mission accomplished. It went very well, I think.
On top of everything else... So refresh my memory without me going back and reading. What's this visit for? ps: My older sister had a cat we believed to be a Korat or a Russian Blue (this is after she moved into her own apartment.) That cat was all muscle. You think you're gonna pick up the kitty and it's like lifting a sack of potatoes. For some reason, she liked to bring the cat with her when she came home to visit. When it came time to get the cat back into the car, I would put on the heaviest coat I had, pick up the cat, get it in the tightest bear hug I could, run to the car, and throw it in. She lived on an upper floor of the complex, and her cat would walk on the strip of the balcony on the other side of the railing to go a few apartments over where they had a dog (behind the patio door), just to sit there, clean itself, and mess with the dog.
The reason was two-fold: (1) figure out what to do about her mouth twitching, and (2) check how the steroids were doing. More blood tests. She is eating well, gaining weight, reasonable energy for a 15.5 yo cat, no more vomiting. Blood work looks good. They think she is responding well to the steroids. The kidney creatinine level is down to 1.6 (lower than even 2 years ago) and just within normal limits now. So whatever happened to the kidney was an acute injury, not chronic kidney disease. They think they should investigate the mouth issues also. Take more x-rays. She is good to go for anesthesia. But the first available appointment wasn't until February 23rd. {sigh} They prescribed an oral tranquilizer for just before the next vet visit (for the cat, not me).
First time making Mrs. Harvey's fruitcake. Only one substitution —lemon juice instead of lemon extract. Lemon rind smell/flavor belongs in household cleansers, not cakes, but that's just me. Two 9" loaf pans. A little over 2 hours in the stove oven. I remember now what I liked about it: (1) nothing in it tastes bitter; (2) not too sweet; (3) just the right ratio of fruit/nuts to cake, imo. Instead of dry, or gummy, the texture is crunchy because of all the pecans. I think the recipe needs just a little salt — 1/4 teaspoon. It's a little browner around the edges than it probably should be. Maybe in the oven too long, or a less than perfect 60-year-old thermostat. While there are still some ingredients left over, I think I'll make one more. Cut the recipe in half, add salt, use the toaster oven, try parchment paper, and reduce the baking time. See if it's better or worse. I've never used parchment paper before. My mother used waxed paper in the bottom of layer cakes to keep them from sticking. "They" say you cannot do that.
That looks good. The original recipe used a tube pan (I can't recall the last time I used one.) Did you bake by time or by testing for doneness?
Good question. It didn't seem like the usual methods, like sticking a toothpick in it, would work very well, so I went by time.
I wondered if that had something to do with the crispy crust. But I don't bake often enough to know how the change of pan type would impact things. I'm sure it's still fine...and that type of cake is fine with a little crunch to it. I'd eat it.
Dear Diary, Do you think this looks like a contented cat? Think again. This is a cat thinking about how she is going to avoid swallowing a pill, which she is convinced is meant to kill her (for sure this time).
That's a pretty cat. Tell her that the meds come in suppository form as well, and to be thankful for small blessings.
A small flock (5-6) of cedar waxwings has been hanging around the deck for about a week. Mostly drinking water and likely eating cedar berries. They are beautiful birds with a smooth soft look, like the mourning doves, and a funny little yellow spot on the tips of their tails. Some have red spots on their wings. They will head north in the spring.
I finally figured out what's causing the cat's current problem --- shaking her head, fidgeting with her mouth on the right side, refusal to eat any food that requires any chewing or mouth movement. The top canine tooth was removed, but not the bottom. Her upper lip is catching on the bottom canine. It is common enough to have a name: LIP ENTRAPMENT (see below). Obviously not my cat I don't see any sores yet. At least not visible enough to make it seriously painful. Just a nuisance to get her lip untrapped, so far. If they would take out that bottom canine tooth it should solve that problem. But what about both canines still present on the other side? Might things get lop-sided because of that? Maybe all 4 canine teeth should be gone? In fact, maybe all her teeth should be removed, like @Andrea Lindsey suggested. What if they keep resorbing or get more cavities? I asked the vet about how this might change the Feb 23rd appointment. She sounded skeptical. She still wants to take x-rays, and I do think that would be a good idea. At least to rule out the needle artifact, get a better look at the tooth fragment, and make sure there are no more cavities. The decision about what, if anything, to do next would best be made on the spot right after looking at the x-rays. It would avoid 2 separate appointments and procedures. As I've mentioned before, dog/cat vets don't seem to be very practical. They just go by the book. LIP ENTRAPMENT "A cat’s upper lips tend to be fairly tight to the face. ... The upper canine tooth then holds the lip out so that when the mouth closes, the lower canine tooth can slip up inside the upper lip without causing trauma. If a cat has to lose an upper canine tooth ... there is a tendency for the upper lip to sink in. Then the lower canine will bite/pinch/traumatize the upper lip each time the cat closes its mouth. Some cats seem to learn how to close their mouth without biting themselves, but many do not My approach is as follows. If the upper canine tooth is beyond repair and must come out, I carefully assess the ... lower canine tooth. If it has any pathology at all (periodontal disease, evidence of tooth resorption) I will remove it as well and thereby prevent it from causing trauma to the upper lip."
But that last paragraph still lets the issue of "missing upper canine/healthy lower canine" dangle with no remedy. And good for you for being a better diagnostician than the paid purrfeshunals.
True. You are very perceptive! I never thought about that. Because dog/cat vets are not very practical, and don't like it when you figure something out they didn't think of, I should expect trouble. And it will all happen at once on the 23rd, with spur of the moment decisions required. I hate spur of the moment decisions. Need to prepare a flowchart.