Only a quick post this morning, as Mum has to go to work and still has to iron her work shirt.
Excitement in the BFGC Household this morning as we just found out about Secret Paws 2011!!
All you kitties (and wooffies) can sign up here, so come and play!
BFGC
Firstly, many thanks to everyone who left comments, purrs and well wishes. The first lot of antibiotics didn't seem to do any good, so I had to go back to the Vet's yesterday where I got prodded, poked, had a very unpleasant encounter with that thermometer thingy and nearly got eaten by a big wet dog!! I've got some new antibiotics to try - the Vet said they were flavoured and I should just eat them, but I soon proved that theory wrong and they had to resort to spiking my prawns!. I've also had some extra strong wormy treatment, just in case.
Everything else is fine. I haven't lost any weight and am still demanding stinky goodness on a regular basis, and the business end at the back is all fine. It's just the cough. Mum says its like when you've got a cold and you wake up in the morning and just need to cough it all up - sorry, trying not to be too graphic there!!
The Vet's theories are:
a) Not asthma, as it would be very unusual to suddenly come on at my age.
b) Possibly lung worm - I've had some stuff for that.
c) Bit of a virus/chest infection - got some pink pills for that.
d) They are still not discounting something stuck in my nasal passages, even though they've had a good old rummage up there!
Apparently it's just a wait and see game! The good news is, however, that Mum was obviously feeling sorry for me so I got new toys!! She's such a pushover! They came this morning.
I had a good investigate of what was in the bag:
A good haul - two packets of Cosmic Puff Balls (my favourite and I've lost all the others), some crinkle balls, and, a Kong Duckie!! How cute is that?
It comes with a container of catnip, and you open the back and put the catnip in. Now, I'm oblivious to catnip - has no effect on me whatsoever after the first 2 seconds. I was really much more interested in the Kong Duckie before Mum took it out of the packet.
Anyway, she duly filled it with catnip, but it had no effect as you can see below. I really like the way Mum keeps putting her finger over the camera lens!
Don't worry Mum, Next Door Kitty will probably like it!
BFGC
Puss' Mum here. The BFGC has been a bit poorly, and I'd appreciate some advice.
The BFGC started coughing nearly 3 weeks ago. It's a sneezy chesty cough, which sounds different from the sound you get when a cat is being sick, which is more stomachy - if you know what I mean. He's never been a cat to cough up fur balls, which is surprising considering the amount of time he spends licking himself! This will come on for no apparent reason - one minute he will be asleep, and the next he will be coughing. I have filmed him doing it (that really made me feel bad!) mainly so I had something to show the Vet.
So, of course, we took him to the Vet. The first time (without the video), the Boy-Vet had a good prod and poke, but said he was inclined to leave things to see if it settled by itself. It didn't, so a week or so later we went back.
This time we took the video and showed it to the Lady-Vet. She said his chest, etc, sounded clear, but managed to get him to cough whilst he was there when she was feeling his neck. She thought that he might have a bit of grass or something similar stuck behind his soft palate - this is quite common, apparently.
So, the following day, he went back to the Vets and was sedated. They had a good look at his throat and up his nose, and took x-rays of his chest. Everything looks fine - the x-rays were clear, apart from the fact they thought there was a bit more mucus in his nasal passages than they would have expected, although this wasn't discoloured in any way.
The BFGC has come home with some antibiotics, although the only way we can get him to take them is by crushing them into powder and coating prawns with it. He has been taking these since Wednesday, but is still coughing and there doesn't seem to have been any real improvement as yet, although maybe it is still a bit early.
He has to go back again on Tuesday, but obviously we're worried about him, and the coughing is quite distressing. In himself, he seems fine. He's eating normally, the business end at the back is fine, and he's doing all the things he would do normally. He sleeps a lot but no more than he usually does. He hasn't lost any weight at all.
The Vet mentioned heart worm, but we don't think that's it. There isn't heart worm in the UK due to the weather, and although he has been abroad, that was nearly 3 years ago and we feel sure we would have seen some other symptoms before now.
Our current feeling is maybe asthma, but we would appreciate some advice from the Kitty Blogosphere. Video follows:
Thanks muchly in advance.
BFGC's Mum (and Dad!)
Finally, Mum got round to opening the new food the nice Sasha lady sent us. I got quite excited when the parcel arrived - after all, it's not often the BFGC gets post.
All parcels need inspecting closely, of course.
I knows there is something good in here.
The bag smells good, if nothing else.
I mean, it smells really good!
Mum was trying to do one of those product placement shots, but I kept getting in the way. Then she took the food out of the bad, but I was really disappointed as she wouldn't let me open it. If only I had thumbs!
Then, after all that, she took it away. I had to go and have a lie down to get over the disappointment.
I will find where she's hidden it, eventually.
BFGC
Apologies for no pics today - Mum's posting from her laptop via the dongle thingy!
First, the bad news. Yesterday, the BFGC got taken to the V-E-T. Mum was a bit worried as I'd been coughing. Well, not really coughing, but that's the only word she can think of to describe it. Like, you know when you're going to chuck up, you know you're going to chuck up, but this sounded like it was chesty.
So, I got bundled into the PTU and put into the boot of the car. Then, the indignity of it all. Strange boy VET prodded and poked, looked down my throat, and then did something most unpleasant with a thermometer. BFGC was not a happy kitty, especially as I'd pretty much stopped coughing by then. Anyway, the boy vet doesn't think it's anything serious and probably just a bit of fur ball action, but Mum's going to keep a close eye on me for the next few days.
The good news is that the Nutricat arrived from the nice Sasha lady. There was a bag of food, some info, and all in a nice little bag. I was very interested in the parcel - Mum has got some opening pictures for later (she's been a bit slack and not bought the camera) - and I had a good sniff, although Mum wouldn't let me open it. I am quite excited about trying it, especially as the boy Vet said I was too fat!! The cheek of it. However, I am slightly compensated by the fact that the nice Sasha lady thinks I'm cute - of course, I knew that already!!
The nice Sasha lady has also left a comment on the previous post, saying that if anyone else wants to try the new food, they should get their Mum's to get in touch. I won't put her e-mail address here - wouldn't want the nice Sasha lady to get inundated by spam e-mails for the rest of her life - but you know where to find it.
I would mention, though, that I am the only Big Fat Ginger Food Critic Cat round here!
Purrs & Headbutts
BFGC
We are very excited in the BFGC Household, as it seems the BFGC is on his way to being famous! I have received an e-mail from a very nice lady called Sasha, who wanted to know if I would trial a new cat food.
Of course, I said I would, as food is one of my most favourite things. Mum and Sasha have been conspiring, and it seems I am going to try the Light variety, as allegedly I am a bit bigger than I really should be, and Mums says it is difficult to get light cat food where we live, as there isn't much choice. I have tried Iams, which I liked, but apparently it really makes me stink!!
The nice Sasha lady is going to send me some, and I will report back. In the meantime, you can all read about Nutricat here - http://www.nutricat.com/. I've never been asked to try anything before, so am quite excited.
So, after all the excitement, BFGC is going for a lie down in the nearest sun puddle.
BFGC
So, Mum got a new phone which takes videos, which probably isn't very good news for the BFGC. So, this morning she took the first one, and after 3 goes managed to get it to show the right way up! It's then taken a further hour to figure out how to get the video off the phone and onto the computer, and then upload it. BFGC is wondering if it is really worth it.
So here I am, in all my glory, purring and getting some chinny scratches live on camera. You can tell she's waving her hand about to make it a bit more interesting, not that the BFGC in all his glory isn't interesting, of course!
BFGC needs a lay down!
So, after a short, but nonetheless, enforced stay at the Kitty Spa, I am home again! Actually, I've been home for ages, but Mum's been a bit slack! I sulked for the required amount of time, and now everything is back to normal.
The banging has stopped, and Dad's made this.
I can't see any benefit for a BFGC, especially now they've blocked up the bit at the side I was using to get to the kitty door to the wild outside. In fact, I'm a bit concerned that I could get stuck out there, but Mum has been very good and has been leaving the door ajar. Kind of defeats the object a bit!
Still, It's a good game in the mornings. Sit by the door and complain. Dad comes along, opens the door - in fact, now he has to open two doors to let me out, as the BFGC won't use the kitty flap in the mornings. Wait till he's opened both doors, then I decide I don't want to go out at all, and stroll back inside. I usually get two or three goes at this before he give up!
Of course, I kept an eye on the proceedings, except when the big red sucky monster came out.
BFGC
