Why yes!  We did kick out a cat with only one leg.  Hahahahaha!  Just kidding.

Meet McKenzie.  Mac is a male, NEUTERED, 5 year Siamese mix.  This frisky feline has been the star of quite a few blog posts.  From his issues with spraying urine on our lovely drapes, to finally being kicked out of the house, he’s quite the story source.  I must say Mac has adjusted quite nicely to the life of an outdoor kitty.  I often find him stretched out on a branch, lounging in the sun.

Did you know many individuals (especially bird enthusiast) are hard core believers that kitties should be indoor only?  I understand their thoughts…decreased/to no risk of disease, fights, car interaction, and of course no killing of the precious song birds. (Sorry if I seem callous…my bird loving mom is probably frowning.  Sorry mom!)

And really?  I think Mac’s heart was outside all along.

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This week my Wordless Wednesday documented a common sight in our house.  Mary James “loving on” one of the cats.

Annabelle is the cat receiving the baby pats.  She is the perfect kid-friendly-cat!  Anna-B is sweet as pie and more importantly she can’t hear a thing.  Yup, she’s your classic blue-eyed, white furred deaf kitty.

I told my husband we should totally breed Annabelle with another deaf white cat.  We’d have the perfect cats for kids!  Oh wait…just a slight problem…it’s completely UNETHICAL.  Oh well.

I do think Annabelle can hear some extraordinarily high pitched sounds.  Maybe.  She hasn’t had the BAER test (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) to know for sure what she can/cannot hear.  I was going to have her tested while I was in vet school.  But… A) There was no time and  B) She freaks out when she’s not at home.

And yes, she has recently been shaved/sheared.  I actually shave her myself.  Annabelle is not one for cleaning herself, and she tends to leave massive blobs of white fuzz everywhere.  Oh, and don’t you think she’s totally cute naked?!

As you can see by her elated expressions, Mary James totally LOVES the cats!  She babbles loudly at them and reaches to touch grab them.   And if they meow?  She kicks her little legs, pumps her arms, and squeals, like “Mom this is the bestest toy EVER!”

I hope this trend of calm kitties and one thrilled baby continues.  Hopefully, we won’t use up the kitties’ patience!

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My Wordless Wednesday post was some photos of our cat Bellatrix.

Yes, she was named after the witch in Harry Potter.  I know she is a “bad” character in the books, but I really loved the name and it seemed a good fit for a feisty orange kitten.  Also, it didn’t hurt that my husband and I were reading the final book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) when she first joined the family.

We rescued/adopted Bella in 2007.  She was dropped off at the animal clinic where I was working as an associate veterinarian.  A gentleman had found her at his work.  He said he heard a mewling sound just as he was getting ready to move some heavy machinery.  And as an admitted cat lover, he turned off the machine to go search for the source of the sound.

His efforts were rewarded with the appearance of an itty bitty orange ball of fluff.  He realized she must have ridden in the trailer of a semi that had just arrived from Alabama.  (This was kinda funny as I had just moved from Alabama, back to my “home state” of Tennessee.)  The man asked that we euthanize the kitten if we couldn’t find her a good home; I told him we would try our best to find her a home.

Little did I know it would be my own.

Bella has been sleeping at the foot of our bed for almost two years now.  She has blossomed into a skittish, yet extremely gentle cat.  She LOVES my seven month old daughter, and I must say the feeling is mutual!  Mary James has grabbed a handful of Bella’s hair, and instead of hissing or clawing the cat actually leans into her and the purring increases a notch.  MJ has even grabbed the cat’s tail (ooops!) and I’ve watched Bella simply swish her tail out of the clutch of my baby’s hands.

Don’t get me wrong….I’m definitely not encouraging my baby to grab the cat.  However, Bella insists on sitting right next to us, so these interactions are bound to happen.

In conclusion, Bellatrix has grown into a lovely, gentle, baby-loving feline.

Check out more Wordless Wednesday stories at Tell Me Thursday.

Today after church I had the grand plan to relax.  It’s quite cold and gray outside today, and I have a yucky cough; so, I was planning on lounging on the couch this afternoon while MJ took a nap.  Seeing as I vacuumed the couch yesterday, this seemed like a relatively simple plan.  Except for the fact that we have a rather fuzzy, twelve pound cat who thinks of our abode as her palace.  After all, Annabelle is the Queen.

I reached the couch ready to the veg and realized it had a lovely covering of white fluff.  Fantastic.  Now I have to re-vaccum before I can relax.

Annabelle deary, the time is upon us again.  It’s Naked Kitty Time!  Yes folks, it’s that time of year again where we shave/shear the cat!

WARNING:  I would not recommend trying to shave your own cat without sedation.  Especially if you value your eyes.  But hey, if your idea of a nice getaway is spending a few days in your local hospital with a nasty cat bite, be my guest and shave your furry feline friend.  Unless your cat is deaf.  And then by all means, shave away!

So you may be asking yourself…”Why get a cat at all if you don’t like the fur?  Especially a long hair cat!”  Well, I originally adopted Annabelle in college, so I guess ignorance is bliss – at least on the owning a long hair cat part.   Also, Annabelle has especially fine fur that is hard to vacuum and always gets in my eyes.  Not to mention she’s not much on personal hygiene.  Heck, I can’t blame her.  Would you wanna lick yourself all day?  Blech!

A few years ago we found the solution to our furry problems was to shave said kitty.

BEFORE

Seriously.  Look at ALL THAT HAIR.  I can feel in my eyes now…

AFTER

Ah yes!  Much better.  These after pictures where taken at different times a few years ago.  And no, she really doesn’t mind the Hawaiian dress.

I feel horrible.  Guilty even.  But McKenzie has to go outside.  For good.

The urine spraying started before Mary James was born.  We thought it was stress.  I got one of those Feliway plug-ins thinking it would help suppress his new found form of expression.  We also started letting him out frequently so he could spray his little butt off.  Outside.  And in case you’re wondering, he is fixed/neutered/castrated.

Well, the pheromone plug-in has been dried up for a good two, even three cat-pee-free months.  The urine smell began again the last part of December.

Imagine coming downstairs in the morning, refreshed.  You’re ready for the day and excited about the holidays.  Then it hits you.   The stench assaults your nostrils.  Claws its way into your consciousness, past the thought of  “What’s that smell?”.

NO.  NO.  NO.  NOT AGAIN.

The curtains drenched with urine, and the carpet reeking.  New carpet actually.

I’ve lost count of how many times I have washed the curtains and cleaned the carpet.  We’ve given Mac plenty of chances.

Yes, I could force pills down my cat to try and “fix” his issues.  The meds usually do work.  If by work you mean that your cat is so totally tripped out he can’t spray, much less eat, poop, or meow.  Also, there is the little problem of pilling a cat.  Daily.

Not to mention Mary James will soon be mobile.  Call me crazy, but the last thing I want to worry about her getting into is cat urine.

So, McKenzie honey, we love you.  You have always loved the outdoors, so you’re sort of getting your way.  Sorry, but cat urine sucks.

This year I’ve been advised to enjoy my tree while Mary James isn’t walking.  Next year she will be 15 months old at Christmas and thus able to yank off ornaments, pull the tree on top of herself, yada yada.  Hey, on that principle, shouldn’t I enjoy life in general while she’s not walking and “messing up” everything?  Kidding people.  Only kidding.

So, Ben and I are trying to enjoy the last year of our delicate, loved tree…WAIT did I say delicate?  We have three cats and two dogs over 65 pounds in the house.  The last thing we need is a fragile, “don’t touch, just look” kinda tree.  We don’t have tons of fancy, breakable ornaments, and honestly I work be totally okay if the tree hit the ground.

One would think our two golden retrievers would be the furry havoc wreakers in the house.  Lucy’s tail alone can clear a coffee table, not to mention the damage she can cause with the other 85 lbs of her.  But alas, the dogs could care less about the tree and even the presents.  Our fuzzy, whiskered boarders “Da Cats” are the major stressors to our tree and decor.

Tree Climbing

Two out of our three cats are indoor only.  Our nature boy Mac (relegated outside after the spraying incident) is of course the tree climber.  In fact, when he was a kitten (5 years ago) I would find him asleep IN the tree; the poor branch bending precariously under his weight.  I still find blobs of cat fuzz on the branches when I put it up each year.

Fuzzy Paws the Bow thief

Annabelle’s favorite Christmas tradition is voraciously gnawing bows off the presents.  She collects her little, shiny “trophies” in her lair (or the food bowl/kitty litter room).  I like lair better, much more dramatic don’t you think?

Great.  Not only do I have a deaf cat.  But I have a deaf cat who thinks she’s a raccoon.

The worst part is that when you actually catch her in the act, you can’t yell at her to stop.  Well, you can, and I still do, but she just happily continues chewing and yanking on the poor bow.  All the while staring at the crazy woman waving her arms.

At this point I realize my flailing is not working, so I then gather my senses and properly chunk something at her, a sock, burp cloth, brick, 10 lb weight, whatever is handy.  I mean why walk the 10 ft across the room when I can launch an object at her?  Although, this line of thinking usually backfires as I hit the Christmas tree instead, knocking off ornaments, while Annabelle runs away bow in mouth.

WWF: Tree Rumble ’08

This year the traditional game of “King of the Cat Bed” has been replaced with “Queen of the Christmas Tree.”  This game begins by Annabelle laying under the tree, while Mac and Bella run under the tree and smack her on the head until she gets mad enough to chase them away.  Super fun!  And they’ve found if you run fast enough under the tree, the whole thing shakes and rattles.  Really fantastic effects and you evidently get extra points for knocking off ornaments.

So much for enjoying our tree in peace.  Next year I guess we’ll tie the tree to the wall, and I’m thinking ribbon beats “re-bowing” all of my presents on Christmas Eve.

I think the feeding frenzy is slowing.  Finally.  Mary James actually went a whole four hours today without eating.  This is the longest stretch of no breastfeeding for three days.   Stupid me didn’t catch a nap during this period.  Oh right, I was meeting a friend’s new girlfriend.  I guess it would have been rude to sleep through dinner.  Man I’m so glad I don’t have to date.

I really thought I would be a D cup by the time she finished increasing my milk supply (I’m originally an A).  I guess it doesn’t work that way though.  Oh, well.  Not like they’re going to stay around anyway.

I can’t wait to see how much she weighs at her 4 month pediatrician visit.  She’s around 12 pounds right now.  I swear she should have a gained a pound this week.  She even started “wapping” (pounding my breast) while she ate, almost like a calf.

Man have you ever seen a calf eat?  They slam their hard, little heads repeatedly into their momma’s udder to encourage milk let down.  BAM! BAM! BAM!  And the cow just stands there, munching away like nothing is happening.  Again I’m glad I’m not a cow.

I wonder if Mary James’ hand pounding works the same way?

Man there are a ton of cat litter choices out there!  Choosing a litter at a pet store has become a daunting task.  Clumping or not?  Crystals?  Perfumed or no?  Litter that changes color?    My cats are not terribly picky when it comes to litter so I’ve tried a few to see what worked best for all of us.  From cleaning, to smell, texture (a big thing for many cats) and clumpability.  The following is my personal experience with a variety of cat litter — what worked (and failed) for me, may not work with your cat — but it might save you some money from trying the multitudes of litter out there.

1) Plain clay litter (non-clumping)

This litter is usually very dusty (I’ll admit some clumping litter can be dusty but not quite as bad in my experience).  Because the litter doesn’t clump it makes it difficult to clean out urine.  The urine usually settles in the bottom of the pan and you end up scraping out a ton of clean litter with the soiled litter.  However, some cats prefer the texture of clay litter on their toesies — you just have to know your cat.

2) Tidy Cat

I have used the regular, multi cat, immediate odor control, and long lasting odor control formulas.  This litter clumps okay but seems to break apart easily when you are scooping it.  It also seems to stick to the bottom of the box and become a concrete like paste, that’s nearly impossible to scrape out.

3) Tidy Cat Small Spaces

Compared to regular tidy cat the “small space” formula is at least $2-3 more for the same amount of litter.  It does seem to do pretty well on covering smells, but the clumps still break apart and again it turns to the grey paste in the corner of the box.  It also has a strong perfume odor, so if your cat doesn’t like perfumed litter (and alot cats don’t) this is not the litter for you.

4) Arm and Hammer Litter

I haven’t used this litter in a couple of years so I admit I’m a little hazy on it.  From what I remember, it took care of litterbox smells pretty well, but didn’t clump all that well.

5) Feline Pine

This litter looks like small sticks (kinda like pretzel sticks).  It dissolves, when it gets wet, into a saw-dust like material.  My main complaints about this litter is the smell — it smells like a pine tree (duh!) and then when you add urine and feces you get a funky litrine+forest smell.  Mmm…reminds me of Girl Scouts!  Not to mention alot of cats do NOT like loud smelling litter — its sort of a litterbox turn off.

Also, my cat seemed to collect the saw dust like particles in between her pads and then deposited them throughout the house.

On good notes, the litter is virtually dust free, contains no added chemicals or artificial fragrances.

6) Crystal litter

This litter basically dehydrates the urine.  However, to do its “magic” the litter makes a slight hissing sound when urine hits it.  As most cats don’t think hissing = happiness, many cats will not use this litter.  I guess its sort of like little kids and automatic flush toilets — they think the toilet is going to suck them in.  So I guess cats think the litter is angry at them.

7) Fresh Step UNSCENTED

I LOVE THIS LITTER!  The clumping factor of this litter is excellent and I love that it is unscented.  My cats seem to like how it feels on their toes.  It also controls litter box smells pretty well (hey…no litter is perfect).

Helpful Hint:

Ben gets the credit for this one:  If you have a deep enough litterbox, put about 5 inches of litter in the box.  This seems like a huge amount (its about 1 box of litter).  However,  it makes it so the urine clumps on top instead of allowing it to flow to the bottom, and then soak in the plastic.  It makes cleaning out the litterbox much easier and it gives the cat more litter to paw through.  (That’s if you have a kitty that actually covers their poop — must be nice!)

So, I think maybe I’m stressing out the animals.  I mean I’m super excited about the baby coming, but also a little nervous about doing everything right and having everything ready…which I know is impossible.  There is no room for perfectionism with a new baby.  I’m trying to become a little more go with the flow, okay a lot more.  My new mantra is from my mom – “Is it really going to matter in a year (or a day or heck in a few minutes)?”  :)  So maybe I am stressing the pets, or Bentley and McKenzie were both just having a bad week–a VERY bad week.  I will post on the bad Bentley saga later.

It started as I was sitting on the couch watching the Olympics.  There I was cheering on the U.S., when out of the corner of my eye I see McKenzie with his butt up against the fireplace screen.  I then see his tail vibrating rapidly like a pom pom.  It took my brain a second to comprehend that yes, your precious, sweet, does nothing wrong kitty, is SPRAYING URINE on the fireplace screen.

It would be an understatement to say I was furious…  So I did what any good cat owner would do…right?  Not quite.  I then proceeded to do pretty much everything you’re not supposed to do for a cat with behavior problems.  I first screamed at him — which in turn freaked him out so he went flying upstairs.  So, of course I quickly hauled my 9 month pregnant self upstairs, still screaming a variety of colorful things at a cat who only knows the word “sit.”  I pinned him in the bedroom and then (again breaking the rules of engagement of cat ownership) I scruffed him and carried him downstairs, all the while telling what a horrible kitty he was.  I even showed him where he sprayed (NO I didn’t rub his nose in it) and told him that spraying was very, very bad.  This was SO to make me feel better, as he was petrified by this point, and seemed to be pondering why I had suddenly become a psychotic madwoman.  Well, being pregnant certainly didn’t help the situation, as I kept thinking, we are having a baby in less than a month and he just CANNOT start this now!

As for the spraying, if you look at the veterinary scientific research it has shown if you neuter male cats before 6 months of age, 90% will never spray (= marking their territory with urine).  Mac was neutered at around 5 months.  GREAT!  So I have a freak cat that falls in the 10% category of kitties that have behavior problems that shouldn’t.

There are gobs and gobs of outdoor cats in our neighborhood.  Big, howling male cats.  When Ben and I walk around the block at night, there is literally a cat in almost every other yard.  So, I’m sure there are cats that meander into our backyard, which freaks out McKenzie because they are in HIS territory.  FYI:  the fireplace screen is 5 feet from the french doors that lead out to our backyard.  Territorial kitties often spray on objects near a window where they have see other cats.

We of course used an enzymatic cleaner to clean the urine off the fire screen.  I also installed a Feliway electric diffuser.  This little device looks like a plug in air freshener, but instead of giving off perfume it sends out synthetic cat pheromones that are supposed to relax your cat.  It’s used for urine marking, furniture scratching, anorexia, stress from changes (moving, vet visit, new pet), etc.  I have heard a mix of reviews from clients who have used this product, so I thought I would give it try.  Also, since we are adding a new baby to the crew very, very soon I figured we could all use some calm kitties.

Mac was already going out in the backyard periodically to sit on the deck, so we have now been letting him out whenever he wants, to do his spraying outside.  So far, we have not had anymore spraying incidents and he is content to sit on the deck railing and defend “his” house.

So, I’ve only been a licensed veterinarian for a little over a year, but man am I already sick of hearing excuses for why people don’t want to “fix”, spay, neuter, castrate, sterilize, “take away manhood/motherhood”, etc.  And no I’m not talking about breeding animals.  Men definitely have a harder time with acceptance of neutering their male dog, than spaying their female.  Usually, it’s just a matter of cost with the spay, versus some sort of testicular reverence when it comes to male dogs.  I always discuss the benefits (health, behavior, population control) of spaying/neutering a pet.  It’s not like I enter the exam room, then laugh maniacally and insists on taking away a dog’s manhood because I’m a feminist or some crap.  Please.

Some of my favorite statements/questions:

“He (the dog) was put on this earth for the same reason I was…” said a young man.

Oh, I could take this so many ways.  I’m assuming he means to have sex and produce young.  Or is it to be an ignorant, macho, egocentric male?  I’m thinking the dog doesn’t really care either way.  Not to mention this guy thinks his only purpose in this world is to “spread his seed” — yes I know we are programmed by mother nature to want to procreate — but geez.  I mean you would think I recommended sterilizing him (which might not be such a bad idea). 

“Won’t he miss having…you know…I mean doing “it”?

Again, dogs are not people.  (I can already hear my family giving me grief about that statement –> “…don’t your dogs live inside?”)  They are not men, they do not sit and dream about sex (and no I don’t think all men sit and dream about sex).  I’m not saying it may not enjoyable to them (I’ve never gotten a straight answer from a dog ), but they are animals.  Not to mention, is the dog in a steady relationship with another canine in the neighborhood?  I mean unless this is a breeding dog, what “action” is your dog missing?  The neighbor’s dog that gets out of the fence occasionally?

“Female dogs that have at least one litter of puppies are more nurturing, calm, and have a better disposition.”

Considering some mothers eat their young, or accidentally suffocate them by sitting on them, I don’t really believe that having a litter of puppies changes a dog’s baseline personality.

“It’s healthier to let my bitch have one heat cycle before I get her spayded<sic>.”

“Spaying my dog will make her fat.”

WE make our pets fat by feeding them too much, and not giving them enough exercise — the same way we make ourselves fat.

REASONS TO SPAY

Spay = surgery that prevents a female dog/cat from having offspring by removal of reproductive organs

Decreased risk of:

Ovarian or Uterine cancers

Uterine infections

Vaginal prolapse

Breast cancer

Close to 50% of breast tumors in dogs are malignant/ Close to 90% of breast tumors are malignant in cats

Occurs more commonly in dogs/cats than in humans

A dog spayed before her first heat cycle has almost no risk of developing breast cancer   (First heat cycle around 6 months of age)

A  cat spayed before 2 years of age, has a 7 times decreased risk of breast tumors

REASONS TO NEUTER

Neuter = surgery that prevents a male dog/cat from impregnating a female by removal of reproductive organs (i.e. testicles)

HEALTH (neutering decreases the risk of the following):

Testicular cancer

Prostate disease

Hernias

Tumors around the anus

BEHAVIOR:

Neutering often reduces roaming, aggression, and scent marking

#1 Reason to Spay/Neuter is to decrease the enormous number of dogs, cats, kittens and puppies at animal shelters/humane societies that have to be euthanized.  If people who are completely against spaying/neutering had to witness the incredible number of animals that are “put down” due to overcrowding at shelters it would give them a different perspective.  The worst part of being a veterinarian is euthanizing healthy animals (litters of kittens, etc.).  It infuriates me!

Some people would chastise me for owning a pure bred Golden Retriever instead of adopting an animal from the shelter (all of my other animals are shelter goodies).  Their point being, that by owning a pure bred I am denying a shelter animal a home.  Well, we wouldn’t have the majority of shelter animals if people would spay and neuter their pets, instead of letting intact males/females roam freely, now would we??