Happy Cat Family

Hi Furriends, Meowmy here!
At last I have some good news... all around! sounds like this is the beginning of a much deserved break for all of us here, finally!
Let's start with miss Gracie: She made a full recovery from her tooth surgery, and we were since she got here working on getting her on the right level of thyroid medication - she was for a long time off meds, then was way over-medicated. Finally her test last week showed she stabilized right where she needs to be: she is now taking 1/3 of the dosage she was taking when she first got here!
We were doing blood tests every 2-3 weeks, and I am sure glad she doesn't need to go through that anymore, as she had to be put under every time and that is always risky for an old gal like her. Let alone the stress of constant vet visits! But now she is doing great, and that is behind her - ahhhh relief!
Now Lucky: After her blockage she was put on a hairball formula, and is eating like a champ. She is still constipated from time to time, but I am managing it with hairball treats as needed. She is doing very well and happy! I am glad she turned that corner - those were some scary days of not eating and being completely blocked... I am watching her like a hawk!
Now our prince boy Bugsy!
I am sure you all remember the months and months of diarrhea ordeal Bugsy went through. All the meds he was given took a toll on his little body and affected his liver - his ALT level went way up and kept escalating so he had to be completely off drugs, even of his stomatitis treatment. Yesterday we went to the vet for his liver panel, and he checked all clear! All his numbers are good - ALT and enzymes -all good!
He is now back on his stomatitis meds and has a dental scheduled for Monday, as being off meds made his gums suffer and now we need to bring him up to date on that. But he will be a-ok.
He still has soft poop, but not diarrhea, and certainly not explosive liquid diarrhea like he was having before.
His vet examined his belly and said he could feel no gas and he showed no signs of pain - he was not jumpy like he was before during examination. Also, during his diarrhea he was rapidly losing weight, and he has gained some weight back - even though he is overweight, that is a very good sign given the circumstances - a sign that he is absorbing the nutrients better.
So, the vet said for now, no meds - just continue with the probiotics and change his fiber to pumpkin - he read some studies that pumpkin works better than psyllium.
Hope went for her annual/vaccinations and checked in with flying colors. The vet said he could not hear the murmur she was once diagnosed with. He even tried to listen with a pediatric stethoscope. His protocol is to do only the rabies annually and the distemper vaccine once every 3 years - I like that.
So furriends, there you have it - for once I have great news all around! whew! All I want is a healthy 2011!
Now if you can spare a few purrs for Bugsy's dental on Monday, that would be great - I am sure in my heart he is going to be just fine though.... He is my boy,the love of my life!
Thanks for reading and for being there for us!

Hi Furriends, Lucky Here!
It is a bit cold today, and since we have no heater in the house, we feel purry snugly. Well, let me explain that - we did have heat until last week.... But you see, we live in an old old building, so it is either heat or air conditioner; since it was warm for a while the landlady had turned the air on... Good old Texas turned the weather the day that happened. Go figure - meowmy say's it is some gentleman's fault, I think his name is Murphy, or somefing like that. She said he is a lawyer, or has a law...
It is ok though... Don't you guys like cuddling when it's a little cold? Humm... so cozy!
Have a wonderful, super-easy Sunday furriends!

Hello Furriends, Hope here!
Happy Valentines Day Furriends! We are so excited, our Fun-Raising Valentines Day Photo Contest has Started! Woohoo!! If we were going to submit a picture, it would be this one, what do you think? Yes, aside from Meowmy, the one I love the most in the WHOLE World is Lucky!! She is just my buddy, all the way! What about you? What picture are you entering the contest with?

Contest Rules:
Love is in the air... Send us a photo of what you love the most: It can be of your favorite hooman, your favorite fur-sibling, an activity you love, your favorite thing to eat, your favorite place to sleep, your favorite toy, etc.

• For a donation of $5.00 per photo your name will be put into a drawing. The winner will receive a personalized gift $20.00 for your pet!! (Prize donated by Gracie and paw picked out by KC)
• Make donation through the pay pal button. Put the name of your pet and your blog link.
• Send photo, no smaller than 1000 pixels in jpg to carolina (@) happycatfamily . net
• It would be great if you could tell us what you love when you send us the picture, so we can use it as a caption! Oh, and don't forget to send us a link for your Bloggie with it as well!
  
• You can enter as many times as you want but each photo must have a $5.00 donation.
• Contest Begins at February 13th 11:59pm, and ends February 20th at midnight.
  
• Winner will be announced on February 23th
• Good Luck!!
  

Hello furriends, Hope here!
It is so cold outside, you can't believe it! I think we are not in Texas anymore! I think a wind blew us away just like in the Wizard's movie and took us to the North Pole! My goodness furriends, Brrrrr... Brrrrr... With the wind it feels like 0F outside!
Thank Goodness we have a warm home with lots of blankets and each other to cuddle.... But I feel sorry for all the little furry critters out there, kitties and woofies... Furriends, let's purr and purr extra hard for them these cold days!
Hugs,
Hope~

P.S.: Meowmy wants to say happy birthday to her daddy! Happy purrfday grandpa Roberto!

Hello Furriends, Hope here!
It's been a long time furriends! With all the health problems with Bugsy and Gracie, sometimes I feel sister Lucky and I are a bit in the background around here... So, today I decided to take over the compooter to give their health updates and also leave you with a picture of me, so you don't forget who I am!
Here are the updates, let's start with Gracie:
Meowmy got the results for the T-4 tests we ran Saturday...
She always thought she was way over-medicated - Her old vet, who we left and never looked back, put her on 3 (THREE!!!!!) Methimazole pills a day; at the time she was just 7lbs!
Because she was steadily gaining weight, which she needed, and doing well, and also because meowmy was pretty kinda broke with all Bugsy's issues and her surgery, she waited until this past weekend to have the test done - of course she had discussed with the new vet waiting and as long as she was eating and doing well, the V-E-T thought it would be ok to wait.
This week however, her appetite started slowing down, which is completely out of the ordinary for her. She went from being a great eater to being finicky even with Fancy feast. When looking at the side effects of Methimazole, one of the first ones is Lack of Appetite - Bingo. Her mouth has been checked, so it is not it. She doesn't have diarrhea... She is not stressed, or lethargic... Her thyroid numbers, below, can shed a light:
T-4 NG/DL Range 0.7 - 2.6 Gracie: 0.3
Free T-4 TMOL/L Range 9.0 - 33.5 Gracie: 3.9
T-4 Overall Range 0.8 - 4.7 Gracie: 0.8
Below, on the back, there was a note that said something along the lines of "Numbers below the range in cats almost always represent over-medication".
The V-E-T called meowmy and told her to immediately lower her medication to 2 pills a day, one in the morning and one at night, and that her appetite should increase in a few days time. Since she is not eating well, we should take her to the V-E-T for an appetite stimulant on Friday too... She will also have her blood stolen for another test in two weeks to see if her medication needs more adjusting.

Now onto Bugsy:
Bugsy felt nauseated last night furriends, I thought he was going to throw up all over the bed! Luckily he didn't, Yuck! The V-E-T called for a follow up and told us with this news and the results of the blood test, it is time to wean him off of the Sulfasalazine. So, from Wednesday through Saturday he will take 1/2 dosage, Sunday he has a day off, and Monday if he still has the runs he starts the new Steroid Treatment.
Then in a couple or few weeks he goes back to the V-E-T for more testing.
Whew! Thank Goodness at least Sister Lucky and I are healthy furriends, I tell ya, if just dictating the updates makes me tired, imagine taking care of those two high maintenance babies! (Meowmy says shosh Hope they are your brother and sister!)
Have a wonderful Thursday Furriends!

Hello furriends, meowmy here!
Today I am going to be reviewing the KatKabin, an outdoor cat house cute enough to also be used inside of any household!
Without further ado, here are our impressions of it:
The KatKabin arrives in a BIG box - the box is impressive, but surprisingly, it is pretty light... The whole thing probably weighted a little over 12lbs or so. When I opened the box, I was immediately wow'ed by the beautiful bright pink color. I am not too into bright colors myself, but the shade of the pink was just SO cute!!
There is no padding on the box, and the KatKabin just comes wrapped in a plastic, as seen below - there was no damage at all, the design of the product itself makes it perfect for shipping without requiring any extra padding...

Inside of the box, you find the KatKabin, an insulating cushion pad with a removable washable cover, and a front cover flap as pictured below. Also note the cute cat-face design - the KatKabin even has cute ears and whiskers!!!

As you can see below the entrance is not flat, there is an indentation of several inches, so the front entry is covered, which protects the inside chamber from the rain, sun, wind and snow.

The KatKabin also features an aerodynamic design with oval sides allowing the wind to go through it without turning it or carrying it away. The Front, back, and connecting middle strip also completely cover the plastic joints, making it further weather-proof.

The cat flap is thick, sturdy and very clear. It is also quite easy to install. The only assembly required on this product is inserting the cushion and the cat flap. I suggest using the KatKabin without the flap for a few days until the kitty is used to the unit, then installing it on. I can definitely see how it would help to protect the kitty from the hash elements, especially during the winter.

The KatKabin is elevated from the ground to keep the kitty protected from the cold and heat, and the feet has holes on it to make it easy to securing it to the ground, front porch, etc. If you live in an extremely windy area, this feature will come quite handy for you.

There are ventilation holes on the back, so the air circulates nicely throughout.

Now the very important part: the kitties' impressions: Since the moment I took it out of the box and put it in my living room yesterday, the KatKabin has been occupied non-stop by my three cats. If they could form a line to use it, the would! As I type this review, no joking - Lucky is laying inside of it, and Hope is trying to get into it... She looks quite disappointed that Lucky took her place! It has been a huge success.
Earlier today it was in my bedroom and I went to pick it up to move to the living room... As soon as I tried to lift it, I felt it pretty heavy... Out jumps Bugsy! The KatKabin has been used 100% of the time by all of them, no exception - this has never happened with any other cat bed in the house, aside from the cat tree, but then that doesn't qualify as a bed.

The KatKabin is a great product for both outside and inside kitties. It provides shelter, safety, and it protects the kitties from the elements. The design is quite cool, the colors are awesome, and it is definitely kitty approved. The body plastic is not very thick, but it is no doubt quality plastic; I do not see it getting damaged easily, especially considering the oval design. One thing I would recommend for those living in very cold weather who would be using this outside, is getting the extra insulating liner they sell on their site, the Winter Warmer for KatKabin DezRez. That way the kitty would be completely protected, cozy and warm during the coldest of the winters. I think the standard is enough for rain, wind, sun, and a mild winter, but not insulated enough for harsh, colder winters... In those cases you will need extra insulation. But that is not a big deal, as they do have that available... Just make sure to get it if that is your case!
The Overall dimensions are: L: 22"  x W: 16" x H: 13"

And exciting news Furriends! The good folks at KatKabin offered us to donate a KatKabin in Divine Purple to a Cat Blogosphere Auction!!! KC will be announcing that soon.... Oh, it is SO pretty! You can see it, and read about it in here.

*Disclaimer - KatKabin gave me a free KatKabin DezRez for reviewing purposes.

Hi furriends, Lucky here!
After 10 days in the bathroom, meowmy thought Gracie was ready to explore the house and meet us face to face.... WRONG! It was a hiss fest!
We are all doing better with her here, but furriends, we got to admit, we like her better in the bathroom, thank you very much!
Meowmy even put some stinky stuff under our chins to make things easier - some cake baking stuff called vanilla or something like that... She sprayed the house with Feliway.......... and out Gracie comes... to OUR house!
The whole thing lasted about 5-10 minutes or so and luckily Gracie seems to have some common sense (apparently unlike meowmy); she went back to the bathroom on her own...
Meowmy says she is going to take it slowly... let her out a little everyday.... Thank goodness!
You know, Gracie can be a sweet thing, but gee, her hiss is reeeeaaaalllyy scary!
The video of her first explorations is below -
Happy Friday furriends!

Hi Furriends!
Lucky here to report TROUBLE! I am the one posting today, since I am the only one who can seem to be able to say anything nice about this situation.
This little "lady" below (meowmy calls sweetie), is Gracie... She has moved into our bathroom last Monday, and has been there ever since.
See, her old meowmy can no longer take care of her due to Alzheimers and Gracie was doing very poorly outside... Gracie has lived in our building for the last 12 years (she is 12) as an inside/outside kitty, but she has been outside lately without her much needed thyroid medication.... Apparently our meowmy got softy and couldn't see Gracie doing badly any longer... So.... Long story short, here she is, in our bathroom since Monday.
Meowmy says that aside from the thyroid, she is doing fine... She is just very very thin... She lost 1.8lbs since April, last time she took her meds.
She also came in covered with fleas (ok, THAT is not cool), so Meowmy took her today to the groomers!
Let me tell you one thing furriends, I don't know how the groomers survived... This girl is MEAN! She hisses like no kitty - she sounds like a LIONESS! HHHHIIIIISSSSS! Even meowmy is afraid of her - you can believe it furriends, it is true!
She hisses hisses hisses.... Very scary.... I hope we all survive this thing called introduction...
Anyways, here is the lean mean eating Gracie machine! :)
<edit by Meowmy> Gracie is a sweetheart with me, lets me pet her, and everything... She is sure appreciating love, plenty of food, a warm bed, her meds, and the safety of a home... She doesn't seem depressed at all - I was very afraid of that, since she seemed to love outside so much. She is hissing less and less, but still hisses when I touch her in the wrong places, or try to put her in the carrier - or when I am with her and she sees the kitties. Like Lucky described, her hiss is scary, super scary actually :) something I have never seen before, specially considering she is tiny - but she doesn't show claws or anything like that. She gets her point across though, LOL. I am taking the introduction very slowly and will let her out of the bathroom only when she is comfortable with the kitties, as I don't want her to be stressed out and I want this to work - I want her to be happy here... I want her to have a pampered, sheltered and happy life forever and ever... She is a special little lady!

Hello Furriends, Bugsy here!
This was a scary weekend furriends! We had lots of thunders, rain, and to make matters worst, the lady with the vacuum monster came over again!  Definitely the best place to nom nom on some tasty stinky goodness this weekend was under mewomy's bed! Gotta say, meowmy did a pretty god job catering to us during this frightening times... I wonder if we should make that a habit!
By the way, I am doing really well! I am starting to love my stinky goodness with that cranberry thing meowmy is mixing in it and happy to say this Saturday marked two weeks since my UTI scare - I am peeing like a champ! Meowmy is watching me really close and even though I miss some dry food, if that's what it takes to make me be healthy, I will keep on eating food from the can... It is not too bad after all... I am still pooping kind of weird, but meowmy is not too worried about it, since I am eating well, drinking, playing, and very very happy - she doesn't want to give me any more meds, thank goodness! She thinks it is from the antibiotics I took for the UTI and the C/D food I tried, combined with my IBD - bad combo! Slowly but surely I am getting all better!
As humans like to say, one day at a time...
Happy Monday furriends!