Patches

 

I originally published this post back in 2011.  Am re-posting and have brought it up to date.

My special sweet girl.

Patches is my oldest (11 1/2) and she is very sweet and talks to me all the time.  She is a silver and orange tabby.  She is also one of two Exotics who share our household.  She is doing very well now; although, it wasn’t always that way.

She had a chronic condition called feline lower urinary tract disease(FLUTD), and she hadn’t had a flare-up in a couple of years. Bob and I were so very grateful for that.  She used to be on medication for it and also on special food.  I wasn’t happy about that because the food was not a quality food; it had so much corn and poor protein.

The medication she was on was amitryptiline and it kept her so drugged that she had no will to play and she didn’t purr!!  I finally weaned her off that, because she only wanted to eat the food that the others ate, and it was a big problem trying to keep her away from their bowls.  I found that she did fine on the quality food the others were eating, so I just relaxed and let her enjoy.

Three days after the weaning from medication began, Bob and I heard her purr!  It was the first time in 2 years!  It was a miracle, and I am so glad I decided to wean her off all the “bad” things.  Even while on the medication and the special diet food, she still had bouts of the urinary problem, so I decided not to continue with the special food and medication.  It turned out to be a wise and happy decision.  🙂

Give Them a New Toy and See What Happens

 

What is this strange thing? Do you think it’s safe?

It looks like Rusty is the brave one. He’s always the first to examine anything.

Romeo: “Well, Rusty, what’s your take on it?”

Rusty has to take another look before getting closer. He’s being careful.

Rusty: “It looks OK to me, but I think I’ll wait just a minute longer.”

In the end, none of them went in.  It seems they had a conference, and decided not to venture into the tunnel.  So, it’s on the floor in the patio, awaiting the first cat to play explorer.  Maybe it’s the color red that’s putting them off?  I move it around to try to get them interested, but nothing’s working.  Oh well.  On to the next “adventure.”

“Ear-tipped”, “Ear-notched” …. FYI, cat people!!

When a feral cat is spayed or neutered, its right ear is given a small notch or tip. It’s a very minor medical procedure and a proud badge, demonstrating to neighbors, animal control officers, and animal shelters that this cat has a home and a caretaker.

It Is What It Is

~~July 13, 2014~~ 

Ear tipping cats in theory and in practice

“Trap, test, spay or neuter, vaccinate and release.”

How to Recognize a Fixed Feral

When a feral is spayed or neutered, its right ear is given a small notch or tip. It’s a very minor medical procedure and a proud badge, demonstrating to neighbors, animal control officers, and animal shelters that this cat has a home and a caretaker. As you can see from the photos below, the cat’s beauty and charm remain in full force!

The ear may be marked in one of three distinctive ways: Notch, Tip, or Top Notch.

~NOTCH~

A small, triangular notch may be made in the top third of the outer margin of the ear.

  

~TIP~

The tip of the ear may be removed in a straight line.

  

~TOP NOTCH~

The tip of the ear may be notched.

~~SOURCE~~

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Mr. Instigator, Rusty

Rusty is the most active of the three.  When something is going on, it’s always Rusty that Romeo follows; never the other way round.

For instance, the other day, there were some goings on out in the back of the house, and that got Rusty’s attention.

I opened up the verticals so Rusty could see better.

Patches pays no mind to all Rusty’s shenanigans!

She couldn’t care less.

This time, Romeo couldn’t care less, either.

Romeo couldn’t care less about Rusty’s antics, either. He’s got his world by the tail!

Romeo turned away from the camera-he’s in another world-his.

I found out what got Rusty all excited:

There’s the squirrel, running across the back and past the Common Morhens.

The poor Morhens didn’t know what happened. They seemed confused for a moment. It’s a good thing for that squirrel because Morhens are very territorial.

There is a pair of Common Morhens that appear every year in the beginning of the summer, and they usually make a nest for their little ones to be.  So far, I haven’t seen them building a nest, so we’ll have to wait it out.  They are easily recognized by their bright red stripe above the beak.  The stripe runs up to the top of their head.  These birds aren’t afraid of any other birds, no matter how big they may be.  I’ve seen these aggressive small birds chase away the Great White Egret, the Limpkin and even the Great Blue Heron!

Yesterday, I happened to walk into the master bathroom, looking for something, and my two boys were sitting in the corner of the tub.  I ran out to get my camera, hoping they will still be there.

Something’s up. They don’t usually sit in the corner of the tub.  They don’t look too innocent there.

Oh yeah. Rusty’s got something in his radar – but I never found out what it was.

They keep on getting my attention, for sure.