Tiger disciplines Tabs

There are days when things get out of hand, and even the tiniest thing seems insurmountable.

Yesterday afternoon was such a day.

Faster-than-lightning Supertabs had been escaping from the room every time we open the grille. She is so fast, there is no way to stop her. Then we have to go after her and take her back before she zips upstairs and gets up onto the roof.

Yesterday afternoon she did it again and I was very tired. So I brought her back and put her into the condo. No more escapades for you this afternoon, Tabs. I'm just too tired to go after you again and again. You stay in the condo.

 She made a racket.

She went down to the fishpad and started flipping it up and down, making a continuous disturbing sound.

Soon, Tiger came to her rescue and pleaded clemency by rubbing his face on my leg as I stood looking at her. Well okay, for Tiger's sake then, I freed the renegade, but with a stern warning.

The renegade was angry and sulked the whole afternoon.

Later in the evening, Tiger did something unexpected.

 We saw Tiger sitting facing this corner and he was swirling his tail menacingly round and round.

What are you doing, Tiger?

 Tiger had cornered the renegade and seemed to be disciplining her in his own way.

 You're not coming out until you behave.

 Cow came to check things out.

 But the very moment Tiger looked away, out zipped the renegade, faster than lightning!

 She's out!

 Tiger looks for her; but wrong direction, Tiger, she's behind you.

 Now you see me, now you don't.

 Lesson over.

Friends again.

The taming of the shrew

Yes, it certainly appears to be so, that our three girls would bring Shakespeare alive on "stage".

Every morning now, a little tree shrew comes into Bunny's Place...

 The two youngest ones are at the frontlines, of course. The shrew is one the shelf to the left. There are two of them and they live in the front garden, sharing it with a pair of toads who come out at night.

 Cleo guards the exit.

But as the Bard would say, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." Change that to "all the cats merely players" and maybe "nine ages" and this could very well be Act 1, Scene 1, remixed, feline version.

It's all a game for them.

The shrew exits each time, untamed.

Still untamed....

Two by two

 Mother and daughter (Pole and Cleo)

 Indy and Bunny

 Pole and Baggy

Come on up, Tabs.

 Lean on me, friend.

 Tiger has always been Bobby's best-friend. Maybe he remembers the time when he first came and was bullied by the three seniors (Cow, Bunny and Pole). It was Bobby who protected him.

 Best friends forever...

 The misunderstood one!

Pole takes back her condo

 Ever since Baggy fought for and established her "throne" in the garden...

 ...and took over this shelf,

 ...Pole reclaimed her condo!

 Yes, this is her favourite floor in her condo.

 She made sure she slept on all floors...a symbolic act of reclamation?

 Yes, Pole. It's yours again.

But Pole being the lady that she is, still allows Baggy to use this shelf to dine during meal times.

Good girl, Pole.

It was really very good of Pole to give up her condo for almost two months now, to let Baggy settle in. Now that Baggy has found her territory in the garden, we're glad Pole has reclaimed her condo.

I actually thought Pole had lost her condo for good, but no, it did not happen.

Patience comes to those who wait? 

Cats...you can't tell them what to do. They do what they want and we just have to let them work things out by themselves.

Bunny goes to the vet's

Bunny has been having this brownish eye discharge for more than 2 weeks now.  I had consulted the vet earlier and he did not think it warranted a visit, but until now, the discharge still flows every day. I thought I had better not take any chances.

So, yesterday afternoon, I managed to get an appointment and off we went to the vet's, Bunny and I.

Poor Bunny was having one of those 8-hour naps of his, so I had to wake him up.

 Huh? Why? Where are we going?

Poor Bunny...not only was he rudely woken from his nap, I had to stuff him into the carrier, which I'm sure, is quite a blow on our senior feline's dignity.

 Of course Tabs wanted to know what was going on.

Why is Bunny in the carrier, where are you taking him, and can I come along?

 There was the usual low-decibel-ed orchestra in the car.

The vet thought it was not anything serious at all, which was a relief. It could be due to the environment or just some non-specific minor problem. It could even be due to what he is eating, maybe some colouring in the food. I don't know if there is any colouring in Natural Balance and Feline Caviar but I doubt it. Most of the time, Bunny eats home-cooked food.

The vet said he could prescribe an eye-drop with steroids but steroids suppresses the immunity and it might reduce the eyes' natural ability to combat any infection. Best to leave it alone, he said. Of course I agreed. Natural is always the best. The least we interfere, the better, unless an interference is warranted.

So, instead of having anything done to his eyes, Bunny had his ears cleaned...!

I asked the vet about Bobby's seizures and he viewed it very seriously. Definitely more seriously than I thought it would be. The vet advised that should Bobby have another seizure, I'm to place him on a soft surface, and if I want, I could crush a tablet of Valium, mix it with water and pump it into his anus. That is supposed to relax him and hopefully, stop the seizure. And if it goes anything beyond 5 minutes, I'm to rush him to in to emergency and he should be put on IV. Any seizure longer than 5 minutes could very well be fatal, he said.

Oh my goodness, both Bobby's seizures were longer than 5 minutes for sure.

So Bunny and I came home with three tablets of Valium, just in case Bobby needs it.

The senior cats have been keeping Bobby company every day.

After the acupuncture, Bobby definitely feels much better. His appetite has been really good. In fact, he could be eating too much. He goes for the cats' leftovers after they are done.

This evening, he did his horsey-rodeo jig, something he used to do whenever he got excited when he was young. It is like horses buckling during a rodeo. I had to restrain him as I was afraid he would exert himself again.

I suspect the seizures were brought on due to over-exertion the two days prior to it, but I cannot be sure. It could also be just a coincidence.

The "correct" thing to do, by western veterinary practice, is to get an MRI done on Bobby's brain. But as my vet always advises, do not simply do procedures unless you wish to follow-up after getting the results. So, what if there is something wrong in Bobby's brain? He is already 16 years old and I don't think there are any brain surgeons in the country. I wouldn't put Bobby through any procedure which requires anaesthesia at this age.

So, day by day, we shall just be thankful that Bobby has a good day.

Today, he's as normal as he can be and he ate four meals. He might have eaten six meals if I had not stopped him!

He's happy...

After eating the cats' leftovers.

I hope I don't have to use this....ever.

Bobby's car-ride to his acupuncture session

It was 2pm and time to leave the house to get to TTDI for Bobby's acupuncture session at 3pm.

 But everyone was having a nap, including Bobby.

 Tiger has been Bobby's constant companion since he had his seizures.

I had no choice but to scoop Bobby up. Tiger was very concerned and wondered why I was taking Bobby out of the room. Of course I told Tiger why, but I wondered if he understood. Sure breaks your heart to see that look of worry on Tiger's face and yet, there's nothing you could do about it except to hope that he understands that Bobby is not in any danger.

Bobby was very fidgety in the car because I had put him on the passenger seat. Finally at one point, he fell onto the leg space and there he sat until we reached. The traffic was quite merciful except for motorbikes that suddenly turn up from nowhere and zoom pass you despite you putting the indicator to turn. I drove very slowly as I did not want Bobby to get car-sick. It's been quite a while since he last rode in the car. Throughout his life, he would insist on sitting on my lap while in the car, except the time when he was too young to know anything. I recall the time when he was slightly bigger than my palm and I would take him in the car to fetch my son from kindergarten every day. Those were the days...16 years ago. How time flies...

 We reached Dr Susanna's place and I carried Bobby out.

 Dr Susanna took down the details of what happened before-during-after the seizure.

Bobby was very fidgety during the insertion of the needles and he "fought" as well. Dr S did his liver, kidney and gall bladder points. In Chinese medicine, Bobby's was a case of "heat rising from the liver" and kidney deficiency (not enough "yin" (cooling) energy from the kidneys). Ill-health is all about imbalances, if you go by Chinese medicine. And acupuncture aims to correct that imbalance as much as possible.

It took Bobby sometime, but he soon settled down and I think he fell asleep as well. Wow, it must be really comfortable for him.

Dr S said Bobby's seizures did not sound like the normal seizures as in those, the patient would be extremely "spent" and exhausted after it, but for Bobby, in both times, he was extra energetic after he came to. That was quite "abnormal".

Dr S said it's clear that Bobby has dementia. Yes, that, I do agree. He is slightly "off".  Dr S will do some reading up and maybe some western herbs may help him with his condition. His two seizures did not follow the typical classic seizure patterns, so maybe the seizures were one of the effects of the dementia. It is something like there was something tensed up in him, and it had to come out and right after that, he is back to normal.

So, we drove home and Bobby was calm throughout the journey.

When we reached home, the whole gang was in the room, waiting for Bobby.

It was a welcoming committee of eight alright.

Hey, even I don't get this kind of welcome when I come home from work....

 Cow represented everyone to nudge at Bobby.

 Everyone was here.

 

 You can see seven of them here. Cow is not in the picture as he was sitting beside Bobby.
Updates: Cow is there, beside the pink floormat! My eyes are really going to the dogs!

 Even Cleo, the normally nonchalant one, was here.

 Here's Bobby after dinner today. His appetite was good.

Bobby wants to thank Connie and Missy again, for giving him today's slot.

I do believe Bobby felt somewhat better after the session.

Thank you, Connie and Missy, and of course, Dr Susanna too.

Bobby hangs out in the garden

I suspect Bobby's seizures may have been triggered by over-exercise. Two days prior to the first seizure, we tried leaving him in the pantry instead of the room and he was not able to find a comfortable spot to rest, so he walked non-stop. Maybe that over-exertion caused the seizures?

Anyway, he has been fine today until this evening when he passed out pasty stools again. There was also streaks of blood in them. He seems fine otherwise, so I've given him Gentle Digest for now.

 I let him out for a short walk this evening and also to get some healing sunshine.

 Being the hot and dry season, the crossandras are in full bloom.

 

 Good ol' Bobs. He's nick-named "Loyal Dog" and rightly so!

I wonder, in his present Alzheimer-ish state, just how much he remembers and how much he knows...

Actually, it doesn't matter if he doesn't know me anymore.

I still know him.