lillian13 | Entries tagged with cats

Um hey...been a while.

I'm mainly on tumblr..https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bylillian

So, I'm 51 today. Not feeling it--I've been kind of down lately, thinking about my sister who died just about 2 years ago. Now all I have as a direct relation is by brother, and we don't communicate.

ANYWAY. I've had some very good shows. SoonerCon was good and shows signs of being one of those cons that will get better the more often I am there. I have ArmadilloCon in a couple of weeks, and I do pretty well there too. I keep being asked to do one day pop up shows outdoors and I'm all NOPE. No more outdoor shows until the fall.

Spencer Cat got into something last night. I've been letting him out in the evenings; he usually runs around for a bit and then just lounges on top of my car. Last night he was coughing a little and today I can see scratches on his head and ears. He's kind of grumpily curled up in the smaller cat bed, but he did eat last night and he did come out to supervise the AC guy this morning. So I'll keep an eye on him.

Work is...work. I'm starting to sniff around in the job market, since I don't have a hope in hell of advancing much here and I'm really bored with the actual job. I've been here 15 years though, hard to break that habit.

Going to see Minions tonight with J & L. Will celebrate with the family after the World's Best Niece and Her Fabulous Finace (they're getting married next year!) come back from Comic Con. I am soooo jealous. I need to go back next year.

Current Mood: contemplative
Crossposts: http://lillian13.livejournal.com/173828.html

Last night we had Cat Drama. (i'm cutting and pasting from FB):

New cat toy called da Bird is a huge hit with the cats. (Flippy stick with big feather on the string.) Ripley got the string caught in one of her claws.

Well, she is polydactyl and has some claws that don't retract, so the claw just grows in a spiral. She is also absolutely PHOBIC about having her feet touched. So I already knew this would be a difficult removal.

Spencer, the annoying cat of annoyingness, has decided whenever Ripley is helpless (being held, for instance), she is open to ATTACK with tooth and claw. Cue mutual cat screaming and hissing.

I waited for Ripley to come out from under the cabinet, whereupon I snatched up Spencer and tossed him into the bathroom. Then I threw a towel over Ripley and, with her screaming and biting and scratching me, I finally managed to get the damn line out of her claw (taking a nice chunk of overgrown claw with it FTW).

Now both parties are sulking in their respective perches. I have some great scratches and a spot on my finger where I was chewed pretty hard (no skin broken there, yay!).

Just another night as a Cat Mom. *sigh*

Now the bottom joint of the finger on my right hand that was chewed on is all swollen. It's not hot or anything (no infection), just swollen from Ripley trying her best to bite it off.

I swear, I don't know what goes through Spencer's head in those situations. "Oh look, my roommate who is 1/3 my size is helpless. Let's beat the crap out of her!" When I move I'm making sure it's somewhere they can go outside and get away from each other. Plus I'll probably get them a kitten. :-)

Current Mood: cranky
Crossposts: http://lillian13.livejournal.com/161525.html

I haz a shiny (refurb) i4 sitting on my desk. But I cannot haz until I go to an AT&T store tomorrow and get another sim card. (I am using the upgrade on another line in our family plan and I can't activate this sim card without turning off the Nephew's phone. Which would be bad.)

Patience, I must learn me some.

Had a lovely evening with dremiel as we watched and catcalled the Oscars. I quite enjoyed Anne Hathaway, and I'm convinced James Franco was in his happy place but didn't want anyone to know. I adored Kirk Douglas and his suspense building and I think I would pay good money to see Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law co-host next year.

I have acquired shoulder bag from

wolfshark --thank you! And now I start looking for a purse to replace the one the World's Best Niece gave me for Christmas that developed a broken zipper pull, making the main compartment impossible to use.

Ripley the Wonder Cat has kind of forgiven me (honestly she's probably forgotten why she's mad at me, but she's staying annoyed for form's sake). My hand is covered with little scabs and scratches that I am faithfully cleaning and covering with antibiotic cream.

Current Mood: bouncy
Crossposts: http://lillian13.livejournal.com/126443.html

I was supposed to take Ripley the Wonder Cat and Spencer the Goober in to get their checkups and shots this morning. (I love using a 24 hour vet clinic...) Got the carriers in the house yesterday. Collected stool samples (ugh). Got all of Spencer's previous paperwork together. Got up too early for a Sunday, dressed, etc.

Went and picked up Ripley, who was Not Having It, but she never likes being picked up. Started to put her in the carrier and she freaked a little, but she always does. I chuckled and said something on the order of, "C'mon, sweetie"... and did my usual Shove the Seven Pound Tiny Cat in the Carrier Move.

She completely lost it. Hysterical, slashing, clawing, SCREAMING. My right hand looks like it's been through a war. Ripley then just launched herself at Spencer, who had come over to see what all the fuss was about. Growling, hissing, spitting, slashing ensued. Hair flew. I got them separated, and now Ripley is under the bed growling at everything that comes close and Spencer is still freaked out, since he's never seen her in complete Monster Mode before.

I canceled the appointment.

The only reasons I can think of is either she's afraid I'd either come back with another cat, or that I'm taking her to Kitty Death Camp, since Slinky (deceased) was the last cat I put in the larger carrier.

Since I'll be out of town next weekend for the North Texas Irish Bataan Death March, I'm just going to leave the carriers in the living room for now and hope she'll get used to them again, and try again in a couple of weeks. I'll clean them thoroughly too.

Anybody have further suggestions? I really need to take them in but I don't want to traumatize her any more if I can help it.

Current Mood: aggravated
Crossposts: http://lillian13.livejournal.com/126111.html

Today's chasing class was brought to you by the letters F and H--for the ridiculously big HOLE I managed to pound in my practice/exercise piece and my total FAIL in patching it. My instructor just handed it back to me and said, "Sometimes the hole wins". :-(

I am waiting on tenterhooks to find out if I get into the Blue Genie Christmas Bazaar. They claim they'll let everyone know on Friday. I also need to send in my application/photos to the Wheatsville holiday show; of course the deadline for application is the day before I hear from Blue Genie.

Spencer, the New Cat, continues to figure out his place. He's a very stubborn boy, but I think I've finally broken him of the habit of jumping up on the cabinets. At least he doesn't do it if I'm home. He makes up for a lot by sleeping on my feet when I'm stretched out on the couch; something I appreciate more now that we've had our first cool & dry front of the season. But I still have to fix the pretty shredded front blinds and block him every time the door opens, so we're still working on things. Ripley continues to be ambivalent about him.

Current Mood: cranky

The FNC (Spencer, so far), now has tentative freedom of the apartment. Ripley intermittently growls and hisses. (Sometimes she tries to do both at once and snorts. Hilarity ensues.)

Spencer is quite the passive-aggressive-never-really-gets-in-her-face kind of cat. He'll walk up, safely outside her "Kill All Cats!" bubble, and touch her toys. Or jump up on the couch with me. Or just lie on the floor, blatantly ignoring her. I mean, if he started something, it would be over pretty quick, since he's literally like three times her size. But he's working the whole "Hey, I'm harmless" schtick. We'll see if it has any results.

So far, he at least semi-acknowledges the name Spencer*. We'll work on it from there.

* What? He's solemn, not much for playing, investigates everything, he's tougher than he looks, and he's pretty. Don't judge me.

Current Mood: hopeful

It's been really busy at work, especially with the training I've been running and our company meeting and everything.

I had my last two classes in stonesetting. I can now gypsy set and make a decent stab at channel settings. However, I am very ready to be back in a class where I make things.

The lack of sleep because of the early-morning training has not helped at all.

As an added bonus, I got to watch Slinky, my enormous grey and white cat, slowly pass away for the last few days. He'd been declining for a while, of something unknown, and I really didn't want to stress him unduly by putting him in the car just to be poked at the vet's.

Because Slinky was so ill, it feels like everything has been on hold in a weird way this week--I didn't want to clean and bother him, I didn't want to turn on the TV, since he decided that the living room was where he wanted to be and he hated being in there with the TV on. I kept the ceiling fans on during the day to make him more comfortable.

He died this afternoon. I took his body to my veterinarian and they will have him cremated.

On the way back, I ate dinner, bought some CDs and then some amazing ice cream. It helped. Now I need to clean the house and get Ripley the Wonder Cat used to the idea of being a single cat, at least for a while. I'm sure some kitten will come into my life sooner or later, knowing my friends.

Here's hoping next week is better.

Current Mood: exhausted

Slinky, the Lumpen Sidekick $1000 Cat, has settled on the perfect revenge for taking him to the OMG VET and making him wear the OMG COLLAR.

He sleeps with me.

I don't know about where you are, but here in Central Texas, the only time it gets below 80F at night is for about 30 minutes at 4 am. I don't even want to think about my AC bill. So, sharing a bed with 20 pounds of long haired cat wearing an e-collar makes for an interesting evening.

It might be the pain meds he's on, or maybe he's just trying to guilt me, but he also follows me around. And he purrs. Loudly. (This is creepy, since he usually stays on the other side of the apartment from me, and rarely gives me a grudging purr when I'm grooming him.) The collar stays on for another week, but the pain meds end tomorrow. Should be interesting to see what happens when the happy pills wear off.

Ripley the Wonder Cat is still convinced that he was replaced by aliens ("He has a satellite dish on his head!"), and hisses whenever he comes near. She's the one hiding under the couch now. *sigh*

Current Mood: working

I still fail at posting over here. Can anyone point me to the crossposting stuff?

Currently having an expensive weekend, since Slinky the Lumpen Sidekick cat had a growth in his ear that had to be removed. *winces* Now he's in an e-collar, annoyed with the world, and freaking out the other cat. I hope my arrangements for the food and water dishes work, and I'm about to give him his first meds. Wish me luck...

Current Mood: aggravated

I brought home the $1000 Cat today. Ripley the Wonder Cat has been sulking, not eating, for the entire time he's been gone. And when he shows up in an e-collar, she runs away, completely freaked out. (This is the cat, who, when she sees Slinky through the window or the screen door, growls, because that is not the same cat, damnit! She's such a little freak.)

I am watching Slinky get used to the e-collar. He'll have to have it on for TEN DAYS. I have to dose him with pain meds for 3 days and give him ear drops for the nice yeast infection he had going in the ear with the growth for TEN DAYS as well. This will be annoying for both of us, as he is most emphatically not a touchy-feely-friendly cat at all. Just as well I'd decided not to go anywhere for the 4th...

I had to take the cover off of the cat box and I've put food and water on top of risers, and I just moved the bed away from the headboard by almost a foot so he can get back there and "hide" in his comfort zone. *sigh* i'm such a pushover.

Good news? The growth was barely held on with a little bit of skin, and they have held the surgical site together with a cautery/styptic pencil. I should hear about the growth itself in a few days; but since his bloodwork was normal and I haven't noticed any change in behavior as to eating, etc., I am optimistic. Annoyed as hell at the expense, but optimistic.

And how was your weekend?

Last night, while grooming him, I noticed a big lump inside Slinky the Lumpen Sidekick's ear, along with some blood. Oh crap, an abscess. I called my clinic (yay 24 hour vet offices!) and made an appointment for this morning. I got him into the carrier with a minimum of fuss and got him to the vet in a minimum amount of time. Great! Well, not so much.

The hairball has managed to gain 3 pounds, even on Senior Science Diet.

And it's a growth, not an abscess. Growths mean surgery, and $1000+ bills. I handed over the credit card (almost paid off, alas) and left him there. If there aren't any complications, I'll hear from them tomorrow. Then I get to pill him. Oh, joy.

Damnit. I'm worried about him and pissed off that he's costing me 1/3 the price of a scooter. He's not even my favorite cat--he tolerates me OK, but that's it. If if were Ripley the Wonder Cat, I would have gladly handed the money over and then asked them if they needed blood too. I would never not get my cats treated. But I'm pissed off about it. Does this make me a terrible person?

Now I'm all depressed and angry. *sigh*

Current Mood: depressed
Current Location: home

We had our company meeting today. This is more interesting than it seems, as we get told what's going on and where we're going, plus we got reassured that, "You know, six months ago Wall Street kept bugging us about having all this cash. Wanted us to get rid of it. They aren't now...." There was also the Ritual Hazing of the new Vice Presidents. This year they made a video with the premise that they were a boy band that was getting back together for a reunion tour, and were...rehearsing. Watching a bunch of nerdy white management guys try to dance (in unison!) is actually insanely funny.

So I left, got my motor mounts for the car ($213, thank you bonus check!). Then on to PetSmart to get cat stuff. I of course had to stop and make faces at the kittens. The volunteer looked up and said "Come on in!"

Bad move.

I spent almost 30 minutes playing with the kittens. There's one in particular...she's a skinny little grey tabby with those long, wispy hairs floating out of her coat. (They had nicknamed her Einstein, because it looks a little like the wild Einstein hair.) She purrs as soon as you pet her and is a massive love bug. Only the knowlege that my apartment is nowhere near kitten-proof kept me from taking her home right then--I liked her that much. She just got spayed and has had all her shots. Adoption is $125. (Remember the bonus check?)

Having a third cat isn't a problem. My apartment management looks the other way on extra animals, and Ripley the Talking Cat could use a roommate who would actually interact with her.

But should I get one from the rescue group?
Should I "shop around" to the Humane Society, or call Mr. Pegasus to see if they have any kittens available?
Should I hold off and use that money to pay off debt--you know, the responsible thing? (After all, there will always be adorable kittens out there.)

I was going to do a poll, but it wasn't making poll-boxes for me. Let me know!

Current Mood: pensive

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lillian13

by Lillian

September 2019

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Page Summary

(no subject)
Ow.
The phone, it taunts me...
In which my cats are insane
Grumble.
Cat Integration 2010 continues...
Well, folks, it's been a helluva week.
Nobody does passive-agressive like a cat
Posting fail
Some cats are never satisfied.
Sometimes, having a pet is a pain in the ass
If I'm not careful, I'm going to wind up with another cat

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Entries tagged with cats

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(no subject)

Ow.

The phone, it taunts me...

In which my cats are insane

Grumble.

Cat Integration 2010 continues...

Well, folks, it's been a helluva week.

Nobody does passive-agressive like a cat

Posting fail

Some cats are never satisfied.

Sometimes, having a pet is a pain in the ass

If I'm not careful, I'm going to wind up with another cat