Baldy

It's PO'Monday!

April, 2019

Celestial Paddy O'Malley enjoyed the bright Spring sunshine.

It seemed that every year, The PO'M would have some injury.

In 2019, he'd licked a bare patch on his belly.

Other years, he'd scratched himself so much that he was covered in scabs, or have a large patch of fur missing.

Perhaps these were signs of the illness that later took him.

The couple of vet visits that we'd managed, as I had to trap him, proved fairly unhelpful.

Was told each time that he'd have probably healed on his own, so they gave him antibiotics, then patted both of our heads, to send us on our way.

After that, I used holistic and DIY injury care on The PO'M.

Let's face it...he did it his way.

❤️❤️❤️

Monday O'Malley

The PO'M is just too hilarious!

When I scratch his back just so, he licks his chest!

The money shot is the 4th image...what a goof!

Monday O'Malley

 The PO'M and I had a little love fest yesterday...

My armpit is a favorite hangout of The PO'M

Awww!

Happy lapkitty

But, his dismount needs some work...ouch!

***

THANK YOU!

Your comments on our Blogoversary post yesterday were touching!

💖💗💖

"I Was Here"

Patty O'Malley, showing off his handiwork

Sweetie prefers to use this post

Cats need to scratch, so they can exercise their bodies, remove nail sheaths, and mark their territory with scent glands in their paws.  We've wrapped sisal rope around a post on the deck, but Patty prefers the feeding station, and Sweetie likes the unwrapped post.

"I prefer if you'd get that camera away!", says Sweetie

 

O'Malley At The Vet

What's over there?

What's over here?

What's up there?

Gotta be something over there

Maybe down on the floor?

Patty inside trap, wrapped with old sheet, and in the car

Patty's back was a mass of sores under his fur.  So, I set up the drop trap, made an vet appointment, and took the day off from work.  I trapped him at 8:00 am on Friday, and we were home again by 9:30 am!  The vet said his scabs were infected, but one shot of Covenia antibiotic should take care of that. She also gave him a CapStar pill to kill any flea eggs, even though she did not find any fleas.  His ears were clean too.  She called him, "A Big Boy".  The best guess was that he had been infested with fleas once which made him itch.

Patty was such a good kitty; he allowed me to hold him the whole time, and even explored a little bit. When released afterward, he simply walked down the deck stairs to rub against my ankles!  

Once again, setting the drop trap up for days on end, did the trick.  The 'O' cats began to ignore it, so when I put food underneath in the morning, they just raced inside and I dropped it around them.  I opened the exit door so Sweetie could run out, then we coaxed Patty from the drop trap into the portable TruCatch trap.  I threw an old dark blue sheet over that, and away we went!

This morning, I did a quick check of his back, and he is better but clearly not completely healed.  I will make a calendula tincture, and rub the liquid into his fur when the outside temperatures are warm enough that I know I'm not freezing the poor kitty.  Calendula has natural antibiotic and healing qualities, and Patty will enjoy my ministrations as I massage his body.

Next on the Patty agenda: weight loss!

Let's Play, Chucky!

The trick is to get the long piece of fabric under the corrugated cardboard scratching bed, so Chucky can attack as the end peeks out the other side. The bed usually ends up being pushed across the floor! Ellen, see your crocheted toy in the corner of the photos?

Relaxed Patty

Patty, photobombing Sweetie...again

Patty's skin is better; he is no longer scratching so hard that he's making sores.  All this from changing his food.  I couldn't be happier, and much appreciation to M & P for helping me choose Plan B's (and for sending supplies!) if the food switch didn't work.

Look at these cuties:

Awwww, right?

Stunning photo

These last two photos were sent by my co-worker, who has a field across the street from her home, and she's discovered a mother cat and three kittens living there.  She and I are planning a TNR project, utilizing All About Animals Rescue.  However, before that, she and her family are trying to find adopters for the kittens.  You KNOW I would be first in line for that little black one, if we weren't already caring for four cats now. But...you never know...!  The mama cat is all black, and the third kitten is whitish beige. We don't know if they are male or female, but an expedition of discovery is set for this afternoon.

Enjoy your weekend, everybody!  Michigan is having such lovely weather, I'm heading outside and don't plan on coming back in until nightfall!  All week at the office, I dream of being OUT; so I'm gonna do it. 

A Case of Insanity...For a Case, or Two...

So, the nearby pet supplies store had Chucky and Angel's food on sale...$.40 off a can! That's a GREAT SALE!  And now that I've switched Sweetie and Patty to the same brand of food, in the hopes that it helps Patty's scratchy skin problem, I need more cases of that food too.  The photo above does not show ALL of the cases of food that I purchased; there are at least five more inside at this point.  Yes, I went a bit crazy, and when that credit card bill hits the mailbox, I'm gonna be sick!  But I saved a ton of $$, and there is now enough canned cat food in our house to feed a whole army of cats.  40 cents a can...c'mon now!  Crazy like a fox...right?

Chucky doesn't seem to mind one bit...either that I'm crazy, or that he's got plenty of food for the long haul.  That's my boy!

Patty Update: Hard to tell if the new food is making a difference with Patty, since it's only been ten days.  However, he seems to be scratching less around his neck and head.  I last dosed him with die-flea-die stuff on September 9, so I must wait for 30 days (early October) before I try again, either with the same stuff or something else.  I have a plan C too, if I am able to remain patient.

Chuck Update: Neither Chuck nor Angel like the wheat litter; they ignore it.  This morning, I poured their favorite box half with wheat, and half with clumping clay.  When I got home this afternoon, only the 1/2 with clay was used!  Ha!  Takes skill to step around teeny, tiny grains of wheat litter, but my cats did it!  They are quite talented, wouldn't you say?  And no, I didn't snap a photo...you'll just have to take my word for it.