Thankful Thursday: Cute Pet Pictures

I wanted to say I am truly thankful for cute pet pictures..they can make your day a lot less stressful.

Many thanks to Miss Brittany from Happiness Generator who wanted me to share a bit of happiness with all of you.

So click if you need a pick me up on this Thursday. Enjoy!

Author’s Note: I was in no way compensated for sharing Happiness Generator.

Happy Tails: Meet Sam & Lucy

How old are you, Sam & Lucy?

We are both 5 years old. Our 6th birthday is on the 12th September.

Sam with mum’s sneakers.Both about 18 weeks old.Lucy in the garden.

Where did your names come from?

Sam: My mum, Louise, was told I was a girl, so my original name was Kiara, which means “dark and little”. She said it suited me because I am black. But at the doctors she was told I was actually a boy. So she changed my name to Samuel (Sam) because she had always liked the name and it was a good name for someone so handsome. I usually get called Sam, unless I am being naughty then I get Samuel.

Lucy: My mum’s eldest niece, Gabriela, named me because I lived with them when I was a baby. Apparently my name means “light or bringer of light” which suits me because I am all white and very beautiful.

How did you come to live with your mom?

We will try to make a long story short.

Here goes:

Sam: My uncle, mum’s brother, worked at the Bridgestone tyre factory in Adelaide, South Australia, and our fur-parents thought it would be a good place to hang out because it was very warm in the Banbury (where the rubber was made for the tyres). But the workers, including my uncle, didn’t think it was very safe. They tried to move our fur-parents, but they keep coming back. After we were born, people from the Animal Welfare League, came and caught our fur-parents, but couldn’t find us. So they thought we had died. A day later one of the workers found as and took us to his house. There were 5 of us – 2 black, 1 white, and 2 black and white. We were about 1 ½ weeks old. My uncle told my mum about us and when I was 2 ½ weeks old she came and got me. And I started my new life with my mum, my big fur-sister Jessica, and my Nanna and Papa.

Lucy: My story is the same as Sam’s, except his uncle was my dad. I started my new life with my dad, mum, 2 older sisters and 2 older brothers (all human). I was closest to my dad and I loved it when he came home from work because I remember the smell from my birth place. When I was about 18 months old, I followed a black cat out of my yard and got lost. I found a nice lady, who feed me but wouldn’t let me in the house. After about 6 weeks, my mum and one of my sisters found me and brought me home. I stayed for 2 weeks, then I ran away again to the same place. When my parents found me again, my dad phoned my aunt (my new mum) and asked if I could come and live with her. She said yes and the rest is history. I will admit, I was very scared and angry when I first arrived at my new house, but my new mum was very patient with me and after a few weeks I was allowed out of the crate I had been living in. My brother (Sam) tried so hard to be my friend, but I was scared and I couldn’t understand what he wanted. He was so nice to me and I was mean to him. He tried to play with me but I didn’t know how too. Mum says I am much better now, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement, whatever that means!

Were you glad to have each other to play with?

Sam: I loved it when Lucy came, but she was really angry and mean when she came. She doesn’t really know how to play, but mum says it is because she lived alone for a while and didn’t really have time to play because she had to protect herself from other cats, dogs and some humans. So I keep trying, but I don’t know if she is willing.

Lucy: I would love to play with Sam, but I really don’t know how too. He plays a bit rough, and it scares me. Mum says that I am not Rajah, and that he needs to play quieter with me. I don’t think he knows how too, he is after all a boy.

This is about as close as Lucy and I get to each other (3years old).

What are you favorite toys?

Sam: My favourite toys are Da Bird, any pole toy, any small ball and medicine cups.

Lucy: My favourite toys are pole toys, balls of paper and the circuit toy.

Do you sleep near each other?

Sam: No. I sleep in a flat in our grand-parents backyard with our mum.

Lucy: No. I sleep in the house with our grand-parents.

What is your favorite thing to do?

• Sam: I love spending time with our mum, helping her in the garden, resting in the sun, and helping to make and looking after our mum’s reborn dolls.
• Lucy: I love spending time with our mum, helping mum and nanna with the cooking, resting, and looking beautiful. I don’t rest in the sun, because I will get burnt and mum says if I don’t get out of the sun she will put sunscreen on me and I hate that.

Sam helping in the garden.5 years oldLucy’s mediation stone in the garden

Do you live with other fursiblings?

• Sam: When I first came to live with my mum, my older fur-sister was here. Her name was Jessica, and she was 13 years old. She had been orphaned too, and came to live with mum when she was 6 weeks old. I loved Jessica, and I think she sort of loved me. I was very sad when she crossed to Rainbow Bridge just after I had turned 1. But she had lost one eye from a melanoma and then her liver stopped working properly. But a few weeks later my little fur-cousin, Rajah, came to live here because my uncle, auntie, and 4 cousins (humans) were staying here while their house was being fixed. Mum called Rajah and I the terrible two. He later went to live with my uncle and his family after their house was fixed up. I really missed him. My mum told me that after his 2nd birthday, he left for Rainbow Bridge after he was killed by a dog.

Mum has fostered some kittens from time to time.

• Lucy: I didn’t live with any fursiblings until I came to my new home and ended up living with my litter sibling, Sam.

Sam with his big sister JessicaSam with is little cousin Rajah.

What are your favorite treats?

• Sam: My favourite treats are Tempters, vegemite, ham, and cheese. I like trying new foods, especially human foods except chocolate. Mum says I can’t have that.
• Lucy: My favourite treats are vegemite and sometimes cheese. I really don’t like treats.

What advice would you give to little orphaned kittens like yourself who are scared?

• Sam: When you are orphaned, like my sister and I were, you are bottle fed so you get lots of cuddles and special time with your human mum or dad. When my mum was feeding me, my fur-sister would sit on her lap. Sometimes my Nanna would feed me at night because my mum was at work. When you are bottle fed, you become very close to your human parent. I am very protective of my mum, because we are very close.
• Lucy: I think the same as Sam, except I had human brothers and sisters to feed me and play with me when I was little. I am very close to my new mum now, and she is the only one who can pick me up – although I don’t like being picked up.

Helping mum pack for her holiday.Sitting with one of mum’s reborn dolls.

Is there anything else you would like to add about yourselves?

Our mum will answer this question:

• Louise: Hand raising an orphaned kitten is a lot of hard work. It is really no different to raising a human baby: bottle feeding around the clock, helping them to wee and poo, cleaning them, making sure they get plenty of sleep, teaching them to use the litter tray, eating solid food and lapping water, washing themselves. The list goes on. The only difference is their learning only lasts a few weeks not years. So you need to make the most of this precious time, because it goes far too quickly so take lots of photos &/or videos.

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Author’s Notes: Many thanks to Miss Louise, Sam & Lucy for answering the questions.

Opt to Adopt: Miss Mittens

How old are you?

I’m almost a year old now.

Where did your name come from?

The lady that found me named me Mittens so the people at the shelter decided I should keep that.

What are you looking for in a home?

I REALLY likes other cats. I am respectful of the old man cats in my foster home but I like to wrestle with anyone interested, too. I would probably adjust to a cat friendly dog, too.

I don’t know what all she went through before she came to the shelter, but she’s very skeptical about new situations & of being hurt so it takes her awhile to accept the friendship of new people. I think she will always be more comfortable with other pets than people, but she has decided it’s not a bad thing to sleep in the bed at night 😉

Have you had your shots?

Yep. I’ve been wormed & I’m flea free, too.

Are you spayed?

Is there any other acceptable way to be?!?

Are there any conditions for your adoption (no declawing, indoor only, no dogs, no other cats, etc)?

Well, my foster mom feels very strongly about cats keeping their claws. She also says that it is a very painful surgery that would just confirm my fears about new people & would set me way back on adjusting to a new home.
I would like a quiet home so young kids or loud dogs would not be a good idea for me.
The shelter asks that their cats be adopted into a home that will keep them indoors but that’s okay with me because I don’t want to go out anyways.

** Most importantly no more than a half a day’s drive from Pet Guards Angels **

What food are you currently eating?

Any high quality food would be fine. I definitely prefer canned food but will eat some dry.

What do you like to do?

My favorite thing is to hang out on the enclosed porch & bird watch. I make this funny chattering noise when they tease me.
I like to wrestle & play with my foster sibs & play with wand toys with my foster mom. Right now I am charging through the house playing tag with my foster bro Harry.
Oh, I like to eat a LOT, too.

Where do you like to sleep?

Sometimes I sleep at the foot of my foster mom’s bed but mostly I sleep wherever I land. I used to hide to sleep but not anymore.

Is there anything else people should know about you?

I have impeccable house manners!
I have come so far with my trust issues but I still have growing to do. I need a home with someone that will patiently allow me to do that at my own pace. No one knows what kind of life I had before the woman that found me brought me to Pet Guards. She found me on her deck not moving in the bitter cold when I was about 5 months old.

Is there an adoption fee?

There is a $50 adoption fee for adult cats at Pet Guards shelter.

Who can they contact if interested in you?

Anyone interested in adopting me or getting more info about me can contact my foster mom, Diane, at petguardsangels@yahoo.com.

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Author’s Note: Many many thanks to the wonderful Miss Diane for letting me interview Miss Mittens so she can find her forever home. If you are interested in adopting her please email Diane at petguardsangels@yahoo.com.  If you can’t adopt her, please share the article you never know who might see it.  Pictures were used with permission and belong solely to Miss Diane.

If you are looking for other pets that needs homes, please go to the Opt to Adopt page or click on the link below.

Happy Tails: Meet Crazy Pumpkin

How old are you?

I will be 3 on Aug. 26th.

Where did your name come from?

 Mom already had a black cat named spook and she wanted to continue with the Halloween theme names and where i was orange Pumpkin fit!

How did you end up at your forever home?

Mom was looking for a friend for the cat she had named Spook and so she went on Craigslist to see if she could find anything. she was looking for a female but when she saw me she fell in love. the lady she got me from takes feral cats in and or takes them off the street she took my mom in and my mom had me in her hall closet after talking to mom i came home! mom still talks to her and her daughters we hope to get to go visit them soon!

What is your favorite thing to do?

Play fetch, Chase bugs, Hunt for mice, Sleep, Get and Give love, Keep mom and dad awake at night, Chase and pounce at mom’s leg.

What toys to you love to play with?

A toy mouse, string, cat nip toys, anything that moves.

I read you like to play fetch, did someone teach you how to fetch?

Mom and dad sewed one of my favorite toy mice to fishing line on a fishing pole. I ended up pulling all the line out and getting it all tangled up as well as the mouse off the line mol! so mom started throwing it for me and i bring it back when i feel like it….

What else would you like to share about yourself?

Iam very thankful to have as many furends on facebook i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Adventures of Harley and Salem, Geminites  and Tooga Tales and many other pages helping me get my page back after some mean man hacked mom’s facebook and shut my page down!

Crazy Pumpkin’s not that great at hide & seek

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Author’s Note: Many thanks to Crazy Pumpkin and his mom for allowing me to interview them. Please visit him on his new facebook page Crazy Pumpkin.

For more interviews on pets that have found their forever homes, please visit Happy Tails or click the image below.

Senior Pets Rock: Meet Coltrane

How old are you?

I am about 12 years old.

Where did your name come from?

I was named after John Coltrane, the jazz musician.

How did you come to your forever home?

I came to live with momma, after an ex-bf of momma’s who lived with her, moved out one day while she was at work, and left me behind.

Who do you snuggle the most?

I only live with momma, so I snuggle the most with her.

I read you have a girlfriend, may I see a picture of her?

Yes, her name is Cleo and she is much younger than me (8 yrs old, I think ) , but attached herself to me when she was just a kitten..

Coltrane giving Cleo kisses

What are your favorite toys?

We have a green fuzzy worm that I like to play with, a stuffed green mouse I kind of like, and I like milk rings.. probably the most..

Coltrane and his green worm

Where is your favorite spot to sleep?

Coltrane snoozing in his favorite spot

My fave spot to sleep is on one particular sofa cushion, it’s all squished down from where I lay on it, all the time..

Do you have any fursiblings you live with? If so, how many and who are they?

I have several siblings.. Cats are Lilly (who’s almost 21 yrs old) Lizzy, who is about my age, Marlowe, (he’s about 11) Cleo (8 yrs old) Buttons (8 yrs old) and our foster failure Ellie (about 3) and our foster kitty Jimmy, he’s only about 1 yrs old.. and we have a Doggie, Watson, a shitzu, who’s 12..

Lilly

What would you like to say to people who are worried about adopting an older pet?

Older kitties are great!! We aren’t as rambunctious as kittens, don’t get underfoot as much, we usually has more house manners than young cats.. we already know how to use the litter box(usually) and we like to snuggle more than play, sometimes.. I think we are also more laid back and less demanding than kittens or young cats.

Coltrane & Cleo snuggling

Here’s a pic of Cleo.. she’s also in the Coverphoto on my fb page with me.. all snuggled together..Momma says she is my kitty, not hers.. She pays much more attention to me than she ever does momma…

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Author’s Note: Many thanks to Coltrane and his mommy for answering the questions and sharing the wonderful story of Coltrane. You can visit him and the family on facebook. Pictures were used with permission.

This article is a part of the Senior Pets Rock theme. Please click on the image for more Senior Pet Interviews. This logo was made by the wonderful Miss Ann of Pawsitively Pets. Please check out her blog. 

Extra Love Needed: Meet Dutchess

Author’s Note: The pictures featured in this article may be a bit graphic for some people to see as this article is about a cat that is still recovering from burn wounds due to a house fire. I tried my best not to include the worst pictures, but they do tell her story and I did not want to omit the long journey Dutchess has made to get to this point. Many many thanks to all those who have been involved in her continued recovery.

How old is Dutchess?

Dutchess turned 1 year old on April 1st and was 6 months old at the time of the fire.

Do they know how the fire started?

The house fire started in an electrical outlet and spread quickly through the walls.

Was Dutchess the only one to survive?

Her original family was away from home except for one person, who was sleeping at the time of the fire. He was able to escape through a window in the bedroom with the aid of firefighters but was unable to attempt to rescue Dutchess or her brother Zeke, the family’s Pit-bull, because of the flames.

Dutchess showing signs of healing in October of 2012

What kind of surgery did she undergo?

She had her right rear foot operated on to remove some toes since there wasn’t enough room in her skin thus causing her to walk on basically a closed fist/knuckles. She then had to have a tuft of impacted fur removed from the pad of the same foot since it kept causing an ulcer of sorts. The skin healed around the burnt fur as she healed. She also had her right eye lid operated on to hopefully revert her eyelids to a more normal position so that she can close her eye better. She will have the other one done in the fall if all goes well with the right eye. We elected not to do the other feet unless absolutely necessary since she has a hard time healing with all of the scar tissue that she has.

How is her family doing?

Her original family still mourns the loss of Zeke and all of their belongings. Unfortunately, they were not properly insured and had nothing except local donations to get them started again. We still keep in touch with the family and are friends on Facebook, but they are still in a rental home that does not allow pets. Although, the family has a few neighborhood stray kitties that manage to find meals waiting on the front porch.

Where can people donate to help cover some of Dutchess’ ongoing care?

We are not in need of any financial donations now, and we have an Amazon Wish List for anyone that wants to help Dutchess live a more pampered life. http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/C6M6O6WQ7GMT/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_o We only ask for financial donations for other kitties in need like Justin and other kitties that require emergency care due to burns or trauma. We also share stories of fire rescues and praise the firefighters and EMT’s that save them.

I read that her whiskers are growing curly and need to be trimmed, does anyone know why they are growing curly?

Dutchess’ whiskers have been growing in curly up until very recently, and we believe that it was a result of the scar tissue being very tight. Her skin is naturally stretching as she has grown over the 7 months with us, which is allowing the whiskers by her mouth to straighten out a bit. The whiskers around her eyes are still trimmed as to not interfere with her eyelids. We will see how they grow in after she is all done with her left eye surgery.

Dutchess playing with her ball in December of 2012

Is she on any special medications to alleviate any pain/discomfort?

She uses Artificial Tears 3-5 times a day and may always need eye lubrication. It is too early after her first eye surgery to know if the artificial tears will always be needed. We do administer beupenorphine, an opioid liquid, after surgeries or procedures to eliminate any discomfort, and she really seems to enjoy watching cartoons while on her pain medication.

Is she on a special diet right now?

Dutchess, like all of our other pets, is on a Grain-Free diet and loves her Weruva – Cats-In-The-Kitchen and Weruva – Best Feline Friend food pouches. She became very fond of the pouches when we first started visiting her weekly at the U of I on Sundays after the fire, and she still perks up the minute she sees a pouch in hand. We have to keep her on a calorie-restricted diet to maintain her current weight because her paws will have arthritis later in life and do not want her to carry too much weight, but we also like to spoil her rotten. Thankfully, she appears to have stopped gaining weight and is holding steady at 10.5 pounds.

Is there anything else you would like to add about her or her recovery or about those that have helped her recover?

Where do I begin? We are very thankful to everyone involved in recovery starting with the amazing students and faculty at the University of Illinois. There were students that were purchasing medical supplies and toys out of their own pockets to help offset her expenses, and Dutchess gained some great friends at the pharmacy and through the Small Animal Clinic. Her “Aunt” Lori can be seen in many pictures with her during her stay at the U of I, and spent every lunch hour walking the halls with Dutchess, playing with her and just talking to her, which provided the interaction that wasn’t medical and painful. Aunt Lori now watches Dutchess for us when we go out of town and her granddaughter has fallen in love with Dutchess too.

Dutchess in January of 2013

We have made wonderful friends like Lori along this journey with Dutchess. We are extremely thankful to everyone that helped us financially and that sent Dutchess gifts because we could never have been able to provide Dutchess with the care she needed without each donation. We already had 4 rescue kitties and 2 Shelties before Dutchess came into our lives and promised that we would not take in any additional family members, but Dutchess caused us to have a change of heart. We love all of Dutchess’ friends on Facebook that are like a part of our extended family from all over the world and appreciate the support that we received when others thought that she should have just been “put out of her misery”. We had some tough days and sleepless nights once she came home with us, and her physical therapy was not always fun. Her Facebook family helped keep us going, and that is what family is for.

Dutchess a photo from August of 2013

Thank you for taking the time to share Dutchess’ story. It has been a long year with many emotional and medical decisions, and we would not change a thing unless we could stop the fire from starting in the first place. Dutchess has changed both Toni and me while teaching many others compassion during her journey.

Thank you,

Christy, Toni & Dutchess Day

Dutchess before the fire

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Author’s Note: Many many thanks to Miss Christy, Toni & Dutchess Day, please follow Dutchess’ progress on her Facebook page. Check out the Amazon Wish List. Pictures were used with permission, please also check out the article about her in the Pet Columns section of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

This is a post is linked with other articles and pages about pets that need extra love.

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Extra Love Needed: Meet Georgie Hairlesson

How old are you Georgie?

I am 2 years old, I was born on August 7, 2011 at Destynys Sphynx in Maryland.

Where did your name come from?

When my human mom (Sharon) got me, she was looking at some of my ancestor’s names, my grandparents, great-grandparents, etc, and she wanted to pick something cute.  Mom wanted to give me a unique name, and I wanted a name that was cute but not stupid.  We both sat down and thought about it.  I have ancestor’s with cute names like O B Skinobi, Judy Jetskin, Baldylocks,  Velvetwrinkles, Wrinkle Wrinkle  Little Star, Skin Amon and Spice, Gidget Goes Naked, and my favorite is my very own Grandmother, who’s name is ‘This Lil Piggy Stayed Home’.  Grandma goes by the nickname “Piggy”.  My dad is ‘Destynys Gideon Guy’, and my Mom is ‘Citizenkat Phoebe of Destynys’.  Mom came from a home called Citizenkat.

My Gremlin photo from last year. I love making faces.

So, here we were (me & Sharon) trying to think of a name for me.  We looked on a forum board called Sphynx Lair, where Sphynx owners go to talk about us, how to take care of us, etc.  Someone on Sphynx Lair posted about good names for Sphynx, and George Hairlesson was one of the names.  Mom loved it because she likes someone named George Harrison, who was a “Beatle”, and she likes Beatles.  I thought she was talking about a bug, I didn’t want to be named after a bug, but then I found out that this Beatle named George Harrison was actually a person, so I was ok with the name.  My full name is ‘Destynys Little George Hairlesson”.  The breeder’s name, where a Sphynx is born, is always the first word of a cat’s name.  I came from Destyny Sphynx in Maryland, so the word Destynys is the first word in my name.

Do you go by any nicknames?

Yes, I do have a nickname, it is “Little Georgie”, that is Mom’s favorite name for me.  I also just go by the name “Georgie, or “George”, that is my grownup name.

Me stretching, I love to stretch.

How did you come to your forever home?

Whew, that is a great story.  When me & my siblings were about 8 weeks old we caught a terrible virus, an upper respiratory virus of some kind.

My first human mom, Carole, took care of us 24/7, she ran us to the vets office, gave us different medicines, and was putting hot/cold packs on our eyes to help with the swelling.  I don’t remember a lot about that time of my life, I don’t want to remember it, we were all so sick.  I stayed sick until January, about 3 months before I was well enough to go to a forever home.  My human Mom Sharon had been looking for a Sphynx for a few months.  She checked out different sphynx websites, breeders websites, to find out about us.    She happened to see Carole’s website, and she fell in love with my dad, Gideon Guy, who was featured on the front page.  She clicked and looked at all the pages on Carole’s website, and she just knew that Carole was someone that she wanted to get a kitten from.  So, she called Carole and found out that I was available.  On the phone the first time, Carole told Mom up front that I was a “Special Needs” kitty.  See, I had some eye damage from my illness.  Mom didn’t care, she told Carole that she could handle a “Special Needs” kitty because she has had cats for 30 years, and some of those cats have had ‘issues’.  So, Mom (Sharon) drove from Ohio to Maryland one January wintery day, and that’s how I came to be with my Mommy Sharon.

What type of sphynx are you? (I heard there were different kinds)

A back shot of me, showing my long back and markings.

I don’t know anything about that.  I’m only 2, and I don’t read much because of my bad eye, reading has never been my ‘forte’.

Do you require the house to be a certain temperature?

No, not really, but if it’s too cold you better have room for me under the covers.  LOL  I do sleep under the covers, and sometimes I wear a t-shirt.  Mom doesn’t buy me expensive Sphynx clothing, she just buys baby clothes from the store and that’s what I wear.  My clothing size is 6 months or 6-9 months in human baby clothes.

What special care do you require since you are hairless?

We do require a bath once a week.  I HATE this part of being a Sphynx.  I HATE BATH TIME, UGH!   We do require a bath once a week.  We do not require shampoo, since we are hairless.  I take my bath in Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash.  Mom fills the kitchen sink, and I have to stand there while she washes me with a wash cloth, washes my face, and all over.  Then, she cleans out my ears with a q-tip, and she has to clean my toes to get the gunk(little box poo) out from between my toes.  Since I have no hair between my toes, the gunk gets caught in the folds of skin that are around my toes.  I do have to say, it is gross, I do get little box gunk buildup, I wish I had cat hair between my toes so there wouldn’t be any room for the gunk.

A closeup of my ear, showing my longer hair. Mom says that it feels like toddler hair, the first hair that a baby gets.

Would people who have cat allergies be okay around you because you are hairless?

They might be ok around me because Mom bathes me once a week.  See, It’s not our hair that people are allergic to but the dander on our skin.  See, since I get a bath once a week, and I do clean myself every day, I think people with allergies might be better off with a Sphynx.

What are a few things you would like people to know about sphynx cats that they may not know?

We are just like everybody else, only naked!  We do have various stages of naked.  Some Sphynx are totally hairless, other sphynx have a thing coat of what Mom calls ‘Peach Fuzz’.  I do have some peach fuzz, and I have more on my feet, and on my ears than the rest of my body.  Also, different times of the year I lose my fuzz and then I’m totally naked again, but then the fuzz comes back.  When I had my eye removed, Mom noticed that I lost all my peach fuzz in the hospital.  My surgery was only a one day surgery, I came home that night, but from the stress of going to the hospital, I lost all my peach fuzz.  It’s starting to grow back right now.

A closeup of my front foot, showing my hairy foot.

Do you live with any fursiblings? If so, do you all get along?

I have 2 fursiblings.  I have J.R., a 12 year old black cat that Mommy adopted off the streets in Columbus, Ohio when he was a baby.  J.R. lived next to a dumpster, and fended for himself out of the dumpster.  J.R. was a feral cat that Mom adopted and tamed down.   Also, there is Zoey, a 4 year old Miniature Pincher.  Zoey belongs to Randy, my Dad.   We all get along great.  J.R. is old and grumpy, and I am friends with Zoey and we sleep together sometimes.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering getting a sphynx cat for the first time?

Read up about us, and look on the internet to get us from a reputable breeder.  There are a lot of good breeders who are trying to breed healthy sphynx, and they always try to find good homes for their kittens.

Anything else you would like to share about yourself?

Yes, I have my own Facebook page, here’s the link:    https://www.facebook.com/GeorgieTheSphynx?ref=hl

I am trying to get 200 likes, I have 170 right now.  I have friends all over the world, most of my friends outside the USA are other Sphynx’s or their owners.

I love talking to my friends on Facebook.

ALSO,  I recently had my left eye removed.  I had an ulcer on my cornea, and some other eye issues.  Mom had been treating it with ointment & steroid drops, but it didn’t get any better.  It hurt, and was very annoying.  It always felt like I had something in my eye, and my inner eyelid was usually ½ way over my eye.  It actually made it harder for me to see. It hurt to have my eye removed, but my vet gave me plenty of pain medication.  That first night was rough, I just stayed with Mom and slept in her bed. The 2^nd day I felt much better, and it’s been a upward climb since then.  You wouldn’t believe how I run, and jump on my cat tree.  I caught my first fly just a few days ago, I tracked that sucker down with my good eye, and caught me some flying meat. Yum Yum.  I got my stitches out on Saturday, Aug 17^th, and we will post photos on my Facebook page.

A side shot of my good side, my right side, and showing the long hair on my ears.

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Author’s Note: Thank you to Georgie and his mom for letting me pester them with questions, you can visit Georgie on Facebook and check out many more pictures of his handsomeness. . Photos for this article were used with permission. This article is a part of the extra love needed theme. Please click the below image for more extra love needed articles.

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Extra Love Needed: Mike the liver shunt cat

How old are you?

I am just about 2 years old.  We are not sure of my age as I was found in the garden 4 days after Christmas.  I had a bad wound on my back and the vet thought I was about 5 months old.  I could have been older though because liver shunts can stunt your growth

Where did your name come from?

When I was found my mum thought I looked like a cat she had as a child that was called Minnie.  When my grandparents got Minnie they had asked for a boy cat and named him Mickey after Mickey mouse and when he gave birth to 4 kittens they renamed him Minnie.  My mum said we should call him Mickey but my dad said that Mike sounded cooler.  I get called Michael when I am in trouble.

How did your human find out you had liver shunt?

I was quiet and unlike a kitten from the word go.  The vet thought I had an infection and gave me antibiotics and I came round a little bit.  I would be very aggressive after eating and would drool to the point of dehydration.  The vet had to put me on a drip at one point.  The vet said he thought I had cat aids and that I should be put to sleep but mum had looked up the symptoms and they didn’t fit.  I have beautiful copper eyes so she googled copper eyes and drooling in cats and found Newt’s liver shunt site.  Newt and the other fur baby mums on the site helped mum out she went to the vets armed with her findings.  The vet then tested me and rang us to say that I did have a liver shunt and that if they brought me back to the clinic that evening he would euthanize me.  Mum and dad decided that they would try to medically manage my condition with diet. The vet now is really proud of me and my parents and is glad that we decided to give it a go

What is liver shunt?

http://www.cat-world.com.au/portosystemic-shunts-in-cats

Also known as liver or hepatic shunt, a portosystemic shunt (PSS) is caused by an abnormal connection between the portal vein (a blood vessel which carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver)  and the systemic circulation.  Blood vessels usually go from the intestines to the liver where toxins are removed from the blood, but in the case of a portosystemic shunt, the liver is bypassed. Due to the lack of normal detoxification of blood performed by the liver, toxins build up within the body.

Portosystemic shunts may be congenital (present at birth) or acquired (occurring as a result of secondary liver conditions), almost all shunts in cats are congenital and cats demonstrate clinical signs within 12 months of age. Persians, Himalayans and Siamese are over-represented and it is seen more commonly in males. Shunts may be intrahepatic or extrahepatic. Intrahepatic shunts are located within the liver, extrahepatic shunts are located on the outside of the liver.

Symptoms of portosystemic shunts in cats:

Central nervous system disorders are commonly seen in cats with a portosystemic shunt. Common clinical signs include:

• Poor/stunted growth.
• Drooling.
• Lack of appetite.
• Seizures.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Tremors.
• Intermittent blindness.
• Mental and neurological abnormalities such as sudden aggression, mental dullness, pressing head against objects
• Straining to urinate due to ammonium biurate bladder stone formation.
• Blood in urine due to ammonium biurate bladder stones.
• Copper coloured irises.

How is it managed?

Mine is managed by a low protein diet ( home cooked I don’t like prescription diet).  I have lactulose and sylunox (antibiotics) on my food twice a day.  If I have an hepatic episode – this is where I drool become withdrawn and can even have fits, I get given lactulose directly and am hydrated with diuralyte which is an over the counter hydration medicine given to babies who have had gastric conditions.

Is there a cure for it?

There is surgery, it is very expensive and risky as we do not react well to anaesthetics.

Are you on a special diet? If so, what is that diet?

I have plain chicken twice a day and tuna, salmon or white fish for lunch.  I like cheese for a treat

How are you doing now?

I am very well and healthy at the moment.  I am on holiday.  Because I cannot go out on my own my family taught me how to walk with a leash so they take me on holiday with them.  I really enjoy the new experiences as I am very inquisitive

What are your favorite things to do?

Mike the livershunt cat playing with his toy

I like snuggles I love my cat nip toys.  I love to play out in the garden and love to eat things that are not food

Do you have any fursiblings?

No

What advice would your human give to other humans who have cats that may have liver shunt?

Don’t give up, your vet may not have experience of the condition as it is very rare in cats.  If your vet won’t help you then find another one.  Buy your lactulose over the counter as it is cheaper and ask your vet for a 6 month prescription for your meds and buy them online as they work out cheaper.  Join this grouphttp://catlivershunt.com/ they are great and they saved Mike’s life.

Anything else you and your human would like to add?

It can be quite upsetting when Mike is ill and it is not cheap to look after him but it is worth every tear and every penny

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Author’s Note: Many many thanks to Mike & his mom for letting me interview him and answering the questions, you can visit him on his Facebook page, Mike the Liver Shunt Cat . Photos for this article were used with permission. This article is a part of the extra love needed theme. Please click the below image for more extra love needed articles.

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Pet Product Reviews: Friskies Crispies Cat Treats

Friskies Crispies Cat Treats

 

My deaf white cat, Neptune, absolutely loves Friskies Crispies. Cheese is his favorite flavor, although these tasty little morsels come in a variety of yummy flavors.

 

 I have found Crispies at Target for $1.37 a bag, while PetSmart carries them for 1.52 a bag. Target carries two flavors, neither of which is cheese flavored. Both PetSmart and PetCo carry more of a selection, both of which include Cheese.

 

 I found a few stores online selling them for $1 a bag, but by the time I pay shipping, Target is still my best buy. I found the best deal to be from Wal-Mart offering bags at $1, so if you live near or shop at Wal-Mart, this is the cheapest place to get a bag of Crispies. I don’t have this option.

 

Crispies comes in 4 flavors: Cheese, chicken, milk and salmon. Neptune, my deaf cat will eat the salmon, but only if he’s out of Cheese. Neptune is addicted to cheese flavored Crispies. He doesn’t care for the chicken at all, and we’ve never even seen or tried the milk flavor, though I bet he’ll like it. I’ll have to look for a bag of milk flavored Crispies!!!

 

 The two best features of Crispies are their price and the fact that Friskies workers’ fill the bag up the the point where they barely seal closed. I like getting a lot of cat snacks for an affordable price, especially when its from a proven company, like Friskies.

 

 A portion of the bag is clear, so you can see the product. Of course the best way to know if your cat will like them is for your cat to go shopping with you, and let it sniff the different flavors. I take both my dog and my deaf cat pet shopping with me, and they pick out their toys and treats, by themselves, as if they were kids. It’s much easier and cheaper than me picking things out for them, and having them never get played with or eaten.

 

Neptune gives Crispies RAVE reviews as well as 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Author’s Note: First and foremost I want to thank the wonderful Miss Sharon for the article and secondly thank the readers. My sincerest apologizes for not having anything posted the past week, a vicious cold struck me down and I was out on the couch for 3 days. I am slowly and steadily getting over this and returning to being a functioning member of the blogging community again. Thank you all so much for reading, commenting and liking. Please check out Miss Sharon’s other reviews, You can read more of her reviews here, also her cat Neptune is the subject of a book that was just written, you can purchase the book here or you can follow Neptune & Mr. Moo & the rest of the furry family on facebook here.

Extra Love Needed: Meet Hitch

Good Evening Mr. Hitch sir,

Thank you for letting me pester you with some interview questions.AWWW SHUCKZ! I CANT EVEN BLEEV DAT U WANTS 2 INTERVIEW LIL OL ME!! *blushing*  I habs tew admits I’m bery nerbous but BERY excited!!  A lot of peeple finkies us black cats are bads lucks and twy tew stays away, but it’s jus nawt twu.  Okay okay *breathes deeeeep* I’m weady tew be interviewed….

How old are you?

We beliebes I’m awound 4 years old.  Hold on lemme go check…

*runs to his Momma*

*Whispers in her ear*

*Runs Back* 

Momma saids I turned 4 August 1st!! I was tew young to wemember when I was borned… But I finkies hers is right.

Where did your name come from?

MOL, cause I might habbed been a hitchhicker…. MOL!!!!!!

Can you tell us how you came to be with your furever family?

Oh YES!! I wood lubs tew!!! 

*pauses* 

I JUST SHOWED UP!!!! MOL, and I neber left!!! I twyed tew come rite in da howse but Momma sed NOOOOO!  Ok, ok, one day I showed up and saw my Daddums and I walked ober and started talking tew hims and rubbin on hims while he was dewing yard stuffs… and he went insides and told Momma bout me…. hers came outside and sat on the step and I got right on her lap….  They got a good look at my face and it was all bloody and snotty and crusty (sowy nawt twying tew be nasty but it’s da twoof) and I herd dem say it looked likes I gots throwed frum a car or sumfing and landed on ma face…  At first dey thawt part ob my face habbed been bwoken.  They cleaned me up and make me a comfy place in da garage to sleep and gabbed me food and waters.  They alweady had Spam, Jack & Bella and didn’t finkies dat they cood habbed anuver kitty, but figured they’d twy tew helps me owt…  Welps a week or so wents by and I’m still hanging owt and one day I showed up wif my face all swollen and puncture woonds on my chin and below my eye.  So Momma and Daddums got antibacterial stuff they habbed used before on Jack and warm wet washcloths and held it on ma face.  Then Daddums barely put pressure on the swollen area and it blew up it was soooooooo gwoss.  It literally shot 1/2 across da garage.  It was a bad infection.  But I sat rite dere and let em squeeze owt da yuckies…  So dey decided dat I wood move intew the enclosed porch, where I’d be safer, while I healed.  Momma was able tew gets some kitty antibiotics and started to gib dem tew me.  Shew I’m glad too cause it was killing me.  Well another week goes by and I’m doing muchies better so they make a veggie appointment for me, tew make sure I don’t habbed anyfing contagious, and I didn’t!! Nawt eben earmites. So then I was allowed tew moob inside.  That was when the veggie wealized… yes trama habbed happened tew ma face… but nothing was bwoken… I HABBED A CLEF LIP an 3 nostrils MOL!!!!!!!

Did you have to have any surgeries?

Da veggie checked me all owt and sed hers didn’t finkies I needed tew hab surgery.  As long as it wasn’t affecting my bweathing tew muchies and my eating and dwinking, it would be best left alone. *whispers* da onlee surgery I had was tew get nuetered but dats nawt manly tew say so thats best left between us….

Are you able to eat and drink okay now?

Yepps I dwink my water a little funny and stuffs and sumtimes it dwips outta my nose but dats ok, I jus sneeze it owt!! Foodies I hab NO pwoblem wif!!

I heard you have bad allergies, do you have to have any medication for them?Yeah I habbed environmental allergies and my nose get dwippy and my eyes get dwippy and that’s when Momma calls me her “Mucky Monster” and I sneeze like 20 times in a row ….  My ears get all yucky and Momma has tew clean them, it tickles A LOT but I twy to be vewy still, but it’s hard!!  I started taking Zyrtec and it’s helped me soooooooo much!!  There hab been a few times (before I started taking Zyrtec) that I habbed sinus infections and my face got all puffy and stuff but I gots antibodies (antibiotics) and they mades me all better.

Does anyone else in the fur family have allergies?

Yep Spam & Jack do. Spams only deal with hims ears but Jack habbs all sorts of heart issues and stuff so he takes Zyrtec too cause hims can’t be getting all sneezy and habbing a hard tyme bweething.  Dat causes too muchies stwess on hims heart.

What would your momma like to say to those people scared of adopting cats that need extra love & attention?

Lemme go gets her

*runs off* 

*Momma and Hitch return* 

Hi thanks for including me in the interview I would love to say a few words.PATIENCE is the key.  Since kitties can’t technically tell us whats wrong, be willing to investigate all their symptoms.  I’m definately not saying treat them without your vets approval though.  Vets are people too and might not always have the answers right away so sometimes have suggestions helps immencely.  The reason I found out about the Zyrtec for Hitch and Jack was through their friend Junipurr.  My vet looked into it and was astonished and excited to learn that this was a great way to treat pets with allergies (not food allergies) but allergies that deal with the bronchular tubes, etc.  I never thought I’d be pilling cats or having to give injections but it’s part of all of our lives and I want them around and healthy so I do what is necessary.  I don’t believe in giving animals up because of a sickness.  I wouldn’t want someone to give me up or give up on me because I have physical issues, LOL.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?

*Hitch clears his throat*
Yes mam.  I like tew plays da fetch.  I love wheat bread cwust.  Katikorn is ma bestest sisfur.  I finkies I am a panfur.  I am missing my pinkie toe claw.  I hab 3 nostrils.  I over heat bery easily.  I lus tew be picked up and danced wif.  And if I plays tew rough and ma nose gets hit I hab really bad sneezing fits.

May I use pictures of you for the article?

I will state they were used with permission.
Yes mam pwease feel fwee tew use any picture yew want of us ❤ (HUGGIES)

*Runs off to play with Katikorn*

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Author’s Note: Many many thanks to Hitch & his mom for letting me interview him and answering the questions. You can visit Hitch and the rest of the furry family at Spamuel M. Meemo’s facebook page. Photos for this article  were used with permission. This article is a part of the extra love needed theme. Please click the below image for more extra love needed articles.

This is a post is linked with other articles and pages about pets that need extra love.

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