Clover the Catastrophe on Canada Day Weekend

June 29, 2019


Worst Canada Day weekend EVER!

Dropped off Darcy at Girl Guide camp last night and so began Date Weekend with Kevin. Our first romantic stop was the emergency room as Clover kindly removed a good chunk of my thumbnail and scratched me pretty badly on the other arm and hand. 
She got out and wasn’t too happy to be captured! 

Darcy and I were ready to leave to bring her to camp when the cat got out. Kevin and I had a weekend at the lake planned...alone. I did not want to leave the cat out, as I wouldn't be back for 2-3 days. I finally caught her half way up a tree.  I got her by the scruff and the back legs and pulled her off the tree. I can totally understand her being mad and afraid. 

The way I was holding her, unfortunately, my thumb was in strike range and she bit it. The best I can tell her top tooth/teeth went through my nail about 3/4 of the way down, her bottom teeth kind of went through on the side, resulting in her pulling a good section of the bottom of my nail partially out of the nail bed, including most of the part of the nail that is normally not seen, under the skin (the "root"). I'll spare you the picture.

 I got her safely inside and calmly asked Darcy to get her first aid kit (thank you Guides!). Keep in mind we need to leave for camp. Darcy didn't have the right stuff to wrap it and stop the bleeding, but she was kind and tried hard. I went to the neighbor's knowing one of them was a firefighter and that they have 5 kids - they will know what to do! She helped me and got it wrapped up, so I was comfortable. I was very happy with that and prepared to drive Darcy to camp and go HAVE MY DATE WEEKEND. She told me that I really should get antibiotics since it's a cat bite. I knew she was right.

This is a recent pic (2020) where she is yawning - but those teeth!

I drove Darcy to camp, met Kevin at home and went to ER. We waited until 1 am and I gave up. I think I might still be sitting there had I waited. I did at least get a tetanus shot at triage and was told getting antibiotics was a must.

We had an actual date for drinks at the Laurentian before heading home to sleep. 

In the morning we visited Grandmaman and then went to a different ER, hoping for faster service. Being a long weekend, the ER was much busier than usual. I was again told I needed antibitoics, so at least I knew the long wait wasn't for nothing. We had supper together, sort of. Kevin got us some A & W and we ate sitting in chairs across from each other in the waiting room. 

As we waited things got worse and I knew I was in the right place. It wasn't the bite, it was one of the scratches. Kevin had gone to sleep a bit in the car. I had a tank top on, so you could plainly see the red line creeping up my arm. I was very much aware of what it probably was, but trying to ignore it as I knew I would see a doctor soon. The man next to me looked at my arm at one point, and said "oh that's dangerous! If it goes much farther it could go into your heart!" Just what I needed to hear.  

I went to see the nurse. She put a note in my file and she put a cold cloth on my hand. The weight of the cloth was too painful. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and I was crying it hurt so much. As long as I had kind of ignored it, it was finem, but as soon as the flood gates opened...  I remember describing it to Kevin and Mom (by text) like a thousand wasps stinging my hand all over it, all the time. I was like that for about 2 hours, then I fell asleep for a little bit until I was sent to a different waiting room. I saw the doctor not long after. 

I was seen around 12:30 am, Sunday, so between the 2nd and 3rd pic. 

At the time I saw the doctor, there was redness going up my arm all the way to my shoulder. The doctor was concerned about sepsis. (Exactly what I was worried about.) He gave me antibiotics on the spot and sent me home with a prescription. He asked me to come back the next day so he could check on it.

I got my pills in the morning and took them as prescribed. I went for my appointment that afternoon. I was very glad to have that appointment as the pills weren't working.

My appointment was at 3:00 pm.

On the way to the hospital for appointment. You can see shape of my hand.

I was finally seen at about 5:00 pm. Doctor said he was treating me for the most common bacteria found the mouth of a cat, but clearly it wasn't working. If only he could give me penicillin, but I am allergic. He said he would change tactics and give me 2 antibiotics, in big doses, that would treat the most common bacteria found in a cat scratch (i.e. fecal matter!)...I had "cat scratch fever."

Doc got me started with some IV antibiotics to jump start the treatment.

A bunch of antibiotics, also meant a slew of side effects. Stomach ache, diarhea, sensitivity to sun, nausea, crankiness! I took probiotics to help, stayed out of the sun (boring!) and felt really sick for 2 weeks, but the swelling and infection went away!

More swelling the next day.

Still swollen, the heat wasn't helping.

Day 5, major improvement today. I am regaining use of my left hand and swelling is localized to my hand now. Phew!!!

3 days after 2nd visit to the doctor, swelling gone.

Meanwhile my bitten thumb healed quite well!

It took about a month from the incident to stop feeling the side effects of the pills. The whole month of July was affected by Clover's injury to me. 

I still love her, though.

Epilogue: June 2, 2020

I write the blog posts after the fact, so I rely on the photos, my facebook posts and in the summer months, my cottage log book to help me remember the details. This experience with the cat/injury/infection was just too much for me to write down last summer. I flipped to that date in my journal and found this:

blank pages. 

Eric's 19th birthday (May 1, 2019)

I hoped, but didn’t really believe this day would come. My beautiful fluffy Eric is 19 years old today!!

Tribute to Tigger (June 21, 2016)

Cancer sucks, even for pets! 

I noticed a sore on Tigger's lip mid-May.

I know he fights with his brother and gets little scabs, so I didn't think anything of it. He was acting normal. At that time I was really in end-of-the-school-year crunch. There were field trips to prepare for for both kids, Girl Guide outings, field trips for my own class, opening the cottage, my gardening clients to take care of, the closing ceremony movie to make for preschool, not to mention the daily grind of a family of 4 and my 2 normal jobs at school. So... by June 21, my last day of work at school, and Tigger was getting worse, I took him to the vet.

He looks perfectly adorable, but the left side of his face was slightly swollen.

The vet examined him and diagnosed the big C...cancer. Wide spread cancer. OMG! The vet and I agreed that for a 16 year old cat it did not make sense to do invasive and costly treatments.

To make matters worse, Darcy had not been feeling well when I finished preschool, so I picked her up and she was with me at the vet. She heard the diagnosis and the prognosis that without treatment Tigger has at best a few months to live. The poor child was devastated. I forced myself to be strong for her and managed to keep my tears at bay until later that day. 

On June 23 I brought Tiggie up to the lake, his favourite place. He was allowed to drink lake water out of the bathtub and roam around outside, with supervision. 

June 26, Danny and Tiggie

July 5, the swelling is more noticable.

You can see the raw-looking skin here. By this time I could feel lumps in his neck. The tumours were growing very quickly.

Brothers, July 10 (Kevin and my Anniversary, by the way. 9 years!). The bump is bigger and moving down his neck making his voice change.

July 12, Tiggie watching Darcy in HIS bathtub. He was not having a good day. I had to put his food bowl in the bathtub to get him to eat a bit. 

Tigger jumped off the living room chair to come and eat, but some how landed on or tripped on a doll stroller. Then he was mad at me, ran away from me with his mouth bleeding and refused to eat. He finally ate some cheese and some left over fish, which he loved. I was worried it would make him sick, but at this point I figured I might as well spoil him.

I sat on the couch and he came and lay down next to me and purred. I was so relieved he wasn't shying away anymore. I treasured the moment knowing there wouldn't be many more. 

It is so hard to have the responsibility to choose the day that will be his last. I knew it would be any day, but how would I pick a day?? Waiting too long meant letting him suffer, but what if I cut his life short? 

July 13: enjoying a drink in the tub.

July 13: you can really see his face is misshapen now. My poor baby. He stopped eating today and hid under the bed, which he never does. Both are signs the vet told me to watch for, signs of distress and failing health. I made the dreaded call today. 

I slept on the couch with Tigger when ever he wasn't in the bathtub. 

July 14: his last walk outside. 

Today is the day. Mom drove, I held Tigger on my lap. His last car ride was a good one for him. He was always a bad traveller, throwing up, drooling, pooping. Not today! He sat/lay on my lap and was quite content. So content I questioned my decision, but I knew it was only a matter of a day or two and I did not want him to suffer any more.

Darcy and Cameron came along, too. Cameron has had Tigger in his life since he was 3 - 9 years! For Darcy, she's had him her whole life. It was a hard day for all of us.

The vet reassured me that I was doing the right thing. I was with Tigger and they allowed Mom, Darcy, Cameron and I some time alone with him afterwards. Some time to collect ourselves before having to walk out through the waiting room. We brought Tigger straight to Bum's house where Cameron and Bum gave him a proper burial. I made a little marker out of stones. May he rest in peace and chase an endless string in heaven. 

The next day Darcy altered the note I always leave on the door:

I am writing this in September, more than 2 months later, and we really miss him. Darcy was sad to come back home from the cottage and not have Tigger to bring home. I was too! Even Kevin misses him in his way. Eric (his brother cat) is in mourning. He was always a meek, quiet cat and now he caterwauls many times a day. I figure he is calling out to Tigger, looking for him. He was already an affectionate cat, but he seeks even more attention now. We have adjusted to not having Tigger always on the back of the couch to pat as we walk by. Darcy and I have gotten used to not having Tigger join us for story time at bedtime. We have Ollie at the house, too. He is a good companion, too.

Here he is on his last walk outside:
https://youtu.be/zOP847qGRSQ

Poor mouse

Sept 7, 2016

He got a second one that day, too. 

Ollie update 2016

Ollie sleeping on the back of the chair. Yes he is inside, in fact he has been inside virtually every night since November, except the 2 nights he disappeared in January. Turns out he got into the basement from outside through the basement window and since we keep the door at the top of the basement stairs locked, he was trapped. He couldn't get back out the way he got in and he couldn't get upstairs. All of his attempts to get our attention were easily explained away by the other 2 cats. For example, I heard scratching, but when I went to look I saw Eric there, so figured it was him. Of course now I realize Eric and Ollie were probably communicating on either side of the door. Poor Ollie! (The basement window is fixed, now, so hopefully that won't happen again!)

Ollie's paw prints in the snow...waiting to be let in.

Ollie playing:

http://youtu.be/E7Ru9PAp7tA

Ollie sitting in the barn/garage window. It's getting to be the time of year when he won't even want to be let in. 

Ollie is not spoiled at all.

February 2015

We went to visit Charla and her feeder was full of cardinals!!

I made this doll as a birthday gift for one of Darcy's friends. 

Proof Ollie is in the house,

More proof...hierarchy also present. Not sure who thinks they are king, Ollie since he's higher up or Eric since he's closer to the food bowl! 

A rare pic of me! 

Whoa man, holy early 90's!!!

Tigger in a box with Cookie, Darcy's (toy) dog.

Handmade - homemade Christmas REVISED

I was spoiled rotten last year at Christmas, in fact so much so I was moved to tears. I wanted one thing, an iPad, and I got it (and lots of other things)!!! I love it and I use my iPad everyday! Plus, with my laptop on the fritz since August, I don't know how I would have survived without it, so it is not only desirable, but practical. I bank online, communicate with friends, family and colleagues by email, even get my jobs by internet.

At Christmas I love to surprise people (I would spoil everyone if I could!). I especially love to get things for the kids. Despite my joy with my own gifts and feeling good about doing everything I could to stretch a small budget, somehow managing to get the kids pretty much exactly what they wanted, I felt a little let down. The gifts seemed unappreciated (e.g. left aside, unopened i.e. still shrink wrapped for weeks, even months...)

It has come to my attention that in my attempt to be diplomatic and therefore fair to both children, I have inadvertently been unfair!! While trying not to point a finger, I may have generalized too much. 

Darcy (6) is a sweet, appreciative, kind little girl and she finds something wonderful in the most mundane of gifts. She'll put on that hat she just got or place a second hand item gingerly on the table so as not to break it. (Perhaps she actually prefers these one-of-a-kind gifts to the big box plastic toys and there is where I go wrong.) Christmas can be overwhelming and she sometimes appears to not care about those oh-so-hard-to-obtain gifts. However, in her day-to-day life she seems very disorganized, but she actually knows where everything is. With my "everything in its place" way of thinking, I think I overlook her system and see what I described, things appearing left aside, when in fact it is where she wants it to be.

Update: Darcy LOVES her hand made clothes, her sock bear and her purse and I couldn't be happier.

Cameron (10) is a thoughtful and sensitive boy, despite his often blank expression. Still waters run deep. When he is particularly thrilled about something you know it and it's wonderful to see him smile, be happy and rejoice. By the same token I think he shows his disappointment or disinterest in something by simply saying nothing. Perhaps it is an attempt to be polite. (If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing...) Yes, he does tend to put things aside and not give them a second glance for weeks, even months sometimes, and that is what frustrates me, but I must remind myself that a month to me is really only 2 weeks to him, as he is only here 50% of the time.) 

Update: Cameron was thrilled with his handmade Minecraft quilt!!! 

I think in my vagueness, I made an undeserved blanket statement. I just wanted to set that straight..

I know they are young children and I don't expect them to understand our choices and our financial struggles, nor do I think it should be their concern, but I do think they should have some appreciation for their gifts. Even if the gift is not what you wanted, or turns out not to be what you thought it would be, thank you's should be said and they should at least be put away, not left lying on living room floor for x amount of time.

So I vowed that the next Christmas would be about the true spirit of Christmas, not about cold, hard, expensive pieces of plastic.

This year I had an even smaller budget than last year, so that combined with my thoughts from Christmas past, I decided to spend a lot of TIME on my gifts this year, not a lot of MONEY. 

I made quilts, rugs, purses, pouches, teddy bears, a wreath, votive candle holders, cookies, dresses, toques, Christmas decorations, an elf, a book, and framed artwork and photos. I also provided some services, like fixing a phone. Yes, I bought some things, I can't make everything! 

I barely slept from Halloween to Christmas, but I enjoyed designing, researching, learning and making the items. I was how they would be received, but I have had great feedback. Personally I LOVE handmade things and love receiving them as gifts, but not everyone is like me. I was worried they would be seen as cheap, not cool, old fashioned...instead of thoughtful and unique.

My helper

I realized I had my own perceptions of DIY / homemade things despite often making things. Let me dispel some notions:

DIY is not easy. 

First you have to come up with the idea or identify a want or need you are trying to fill and figure out how to do that. Once you have the idea, you have to figure out how to make it. I spent hours online and reading books and magazines researching techniques, looking for patterns and troubleshooting. As an added difficulty, since I don't have a computer anymore I can't print anything, so I had to trace patterns off the ipad, which made them quite inaccurate. The zipper pouches, although small and a simple design, proved to be very difficult.

DIY is not cheap.

For some items I was able to re-use, or upcycle, old items and sometimes that was the point, like the sweater purses. I was also able to re-use 2nd-hand items for most of the quilts, but I still had to go out and buy the 2nd-hand t-shirts, jeans, hoodies, and sweaters to use for material, the thread (don't sew with old thread!) the needles (I broke some), the pins (I bent a lot) and the batting. I also had to wash all the 2nd-hand material. Some projects, like the pom-pom rugs took way more materials than I expected and at a higher cost than I expected! Even glue sticks for the hot glue gun add up fast!

DIY takes a lot more time than you think

Quilts take about the equivalent of the average work week to create. (25-35 hours)

Pom-pom rugs...I lost count of the hours.  I spent days and days and days making pom-poms, attached them all to the base, realized I didn't have enough and spent another couple of days making pom-poms! 

Sock teddy bears take about 2 hours each.

Elf: 4.5 hours.

Sweater purses: a few hours for the felting process, including wait times, only about 30 minutes to actually make the purse, then about 2-3 hours cutting, sewing and attaching decorative flowers.

Tuques: After felting process, fast! :-) 

Dresses: about 6 hours

Hand-made doesn't have to be old-fashioned!

Cam's quilt has characters from his favorite video game on it!

Somethings, like a teddy bear, are just timeless :-)

I've gone through just a few spools of thread...

DIY is messy!!!

Everything made a mess...LOL!!!

Rexy, you were in and out of my life like a flash

After school one day a darling, affectionate gray cat appeared at our house, apparently lost or abandoned.

Nov 30 I posted this on FB:

He's great with kids! Please...someone must have room in their home for this sweet kitty! It's getting colder, he needs warm shelter. For now he's sleeping in my fleece vest, but without a source of heat. I'm sure he's used to being indoors...he won't last long outside. I already have 3 cats!!

Here is video of Rexy at his finest, most earnest self:

http://youtu.be/HGBZe4tzvNE

Dec 3:

Update on Rexy: after having potential interest from 2 people who would give Rexy a wonderful life, he has become quite ill.

He has been inside with us since yesterday after school, vomiting repeatedly, not eating or drinking, at least not while I was looking. He has used the litter box.

From the chatty, rushing little cat to a lethargic barely audible one in about 24 hours, make me wonder if he ate something he should not have. Until he either gets better or succumbs, he's staying with us unless there is some wealthy angel that wishes to pay for veterinary care.

Dec 4:

I am at a loss for words. I have phrased and rephrased what I want to say, but now I am at a loss. 

I came home to a much worse kitty. Thanks to my mom for good, insistent advice in a time of confusion, and her generous offer to pay, I took Rexy to the vet.

Remember, this is not my cat. He's been a guest here for just a few days, unasked for by us; not my responsibility. However, his vivacious catonality really got to me.

The prognosis was not good, possible poisoning or a foreign object in the abdomen. The estimate for the vet in the hundreds for tests over a couple of days and up to 4 digits with prolonged hospitalization, without guarantees. With encouragement from Mom, and knowing he was suffering, I knew the right thing to do. Rexy was put down around 3:00 today.

To err on the side of caution, the vet recommended that I clean anywhere the cat was with bleach and check Tigger and Eric's vaccination records. I have a grieving child, a house that smells like a hospital, an up-coming bill at the vet for vaccines and a broken heart.

All because of some asshole (I am really holding back here) who A) abandoned their cat and/or B) poisoned a pet!!!! Believe me if I ever find out who it was or see someone mistreating an animal they are going to wish they were treated as well as that animal!!!

Epilogue

Thanks to Uncle Brent Rexy was given a proper burial in the family's pet cemetery. I could not give him the forever home he should have had, but we gave him love and affection and the most humane "home" we could. RIP Rexy

After much thought about the dear little guy, I suspect he drank anti-freeze or something similar that would leak out of a car, as there is a huge, busy parking lot just the other side of the fence in our back yard. Since there is an alley nearby with many strays I initially suspected someone was trying to poison the strays, but I have seen the same familiar cats all fall, so I have ruled that out. 

Labour Day weekend 2014

Preparing for back to school, Kevin style

http://youtu.be/0N1LnUnco6A

Later that day we packed and moved back to our house.

We were reunited with Ollie-cat :-)

Ollie brought his friend!!

Hello Stinker!

Ollie knows when to be patient! 

August 1 and 2, 2014

Lisa and Brent canoeing. Lisa also took Darcy kayaking and Brent went for a boat ride with the rest of us. 

We will be going to Gaspe, to visit Kevin's family, in a few days. Since we don't have a washer and dryer at the lake, I have been packing the things we will need as they get washed. Looks like someone wants to come with us!

After supper tonight we had a nice bonfire until the wee hours of the morning. 

Aug 2, 2014

Today would have been Ron and Cecile's 45th weddig anniversary. 

I attended the lake committee meeting for 2 hours, with both kids. Kevin was busy and my mom was attending a reunion. They were bored, they were either too hot or too cold (we were sitting u der the A/C),  but they were so good!!!! They actually got compliments as we were leaving for being so quiet and patient. So proud of them!!!

Jeff, Jacob and Marina cams to visit. The kids all went out in the pedal boat, Jacob was captain! 

Nice little fire by the lake with the kids tonight. 

Tigger Cat Escapes

Video of escaped Tigger:

http://youtu.be/_y_2iTuhTnI

Crafting chaos

May 16, 2013

 

My crafting companion.

My poor Tigger...For the last few days I noticed he has not been sleeping in his usual spot. 

He always sleeps on myside of the bed, near the foot of the bed, but he's been sleeping on Kevin's side. This is weird, since Kevin is soooo not a cat person.

Also, he meowed - no howled - at his precious Darcy the other day when she touched him.

He howled and ran away - very strange, as he really loved Darcy. I figured she had leaned a little too hard on him or something. 

Tonight he meowed and meowed and meowed despite fresh food, freh water, pets on the head, everything I thought he could want. Finally I picked him up and cuddled him. He stopped meowing. I sat down on the couch with him and put him on my lap. He stood there with his bum toward me and I saw it... A BIG OPEN BLOODY WOUND ON HIS BEHIND. 

MY POOR BABY!!!

Preparing for the Tea/Sale in Lakefield on May 4. 

Dec 6, 2011: Sick Tigger

Sunday, Dec 4, the same day we went to Cookies with Santa, Tigger meowed very loudly at me as I walked by him perched on the back of the couch. I gave him a good scratch behind the ears and thought nothing of it. Then I went to pick him up in the kitchen and he howled when I touched his behind. He held up one back leg when I put him down, so I figured he hurt his leg - poor kitty, but not an emergency. I thought, "I'll call the vet in the morning and make him an appointment."

Kevin left for a trip to Cuba with his Symtech crew directly from Cookies with Santa, so that night Tigger and I had the bed to ourselves. I arranged myself to sleep so that I could be hear Tigger, as his condition seemed to have worsened during the day. He was still eating and drinking, so I brought his bowls upstairs so he wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs with a sore leg.

He meowed a bit unusually off and on, from the pain, I figured.  One of his meows woke me up and as I opened my eyes he was standing up and yellow drops where coming out of his behind. I looked around and there were a few little yellow stains on the bed. "Oh no! Urinary issues!" I thought. He was still eating and drinking, but I could't tell if he was using the litter, as I have 2 cats and well, which pee-pee is which?

First thing in the morning I brought him to the vet. Following an exam and an X-ray it was determined that he had no stones or blockages, but a urine sample would be needed to determine the exact cause of the pee'ing issue. I took home a special litter kit to collect his sample from, secluded him alone in my room with his favorite bed, food, water and the kit. I checked on him hourly until bed time. All that time there was NO PEE. It didn't look like he had eaten anything or drank much either. He was lethargic - lifting only his head to look at me when I entered the room, then puttin it back down. I was worried. That he got up and walked a bit on the bed and where he had been lying with this BIG RED STAIN. 

"OMG! HE'S PEEING BLOOD!" I thought with panic. Then I saw some smaller red stains on his bed. I went over to check his litter kit and there were only a few drops of pee. Then I saw what frightened me the most - it looked like someone had squirted ketchup on my shawls, but it was blood. Blood from Tigger - I assumed from his urine, as when I moved everything to clean up, there was a yellowish fluid on the floor, too.

 

At this point I figured he's dying. I paced the hallway. It was 2 am now - there's no 911 for cats...I opened the bedroom to allow Tigger and Eric to be together. I really thought this would be Tigger's last night. I brought him to the vet in the morning, explained everything and left him there for the day to be observed and for them to collect a urine sample.

Finally at 3 pm when I hadn't heard anything I called. I re-explained everything directly to a different vet (who happens to be a friend of my mom's, too) and she decided she would examine him, and give him an injection of antibiotics and I should come pick him up at 5:00.

Darcy and I went to get him at 5:00. There was a lot to explain to Darcy as this was her first trip to the animal hospital. GOOD NEWS!!!!! It wasn't a urinary problem at all - he had an abcess on him bum! It would clear up with the antibiotics and keeping it clean. The yellow spots and drops I saw were puss, not pee! I could already see that he was more frisky than in the morning. He's going back for a follow-up this week, but I'm so happy to say that he's back to normal! 

In my head I was not only worried and saddened about Tigger being sick, but I thought, "Now I'm going to have to break the news to Darcy and Cameron..."  Tigger is Cameron's favorite cat, and well, Darcy seems to be Tigger's favorite human (after me...of course). :-P

Maybe it's a good thing Kevin was away when all of this happened! Tigger was on the mend and everything was all cleaned up before he got back...including our bank account...this abcess cost over $200!

January 12, 2012

Tigger is well!

Tigger has fully recovered from his abcess!!!

I couldn't decide which edit I liked best, so I put them all!