Peeves

C OPD, government, California wildfires polluting the summer air,  because we don't practice decent forest husbandry in this state (government again) , and last but not least, untrustworthy, unaccountable people. 

King Darius

In February 2015 I became the care provider and happy subject of the orphaned Persian boy, Darius. He needed grooming the crazy cat lady said.  As soon as he settled in I was to take him to Sierra Veterinary clinic groomers to get a "Lion Cut"  and remove his mats.  Well, when I reached down to pet him as he strolled out of the carrier, I went into a major anxiety attack.  He was ONE BIG MAT, from his head to the base of his tail.  I took him for grooming the very next day, because I was afraid to touch him for fear of hurting him with all those mats!  i do not have a "before picture" but his appearance really did not reveal the extent of the matting anyway.  It was the feel that revealed that there was no part of his body where there were no mats!
 Here are some pictures of how he looked after  his trip to the groomers.  Note that the skin shows, not because they aren't good groomers but because that is how "deep" the matting went in those places.

Many mats went to the skin

Poor Darius had what was a modified Lion clip, since they could not leave a full mane.  The mats went clear up his head and ears.  Fortunately he grew out fairly quickly. And he adored being brushed gently at first and then as he grew out, a little more vigorously.
Here he is just 3 weeks later and before his big move from the cat house to the Main house and cat lanai. He is enjoying his brushing on my lap and showing off his legs that had less matting so could have a longer legging.  These pictures also show how gorgeous his tail was.  It also survived with little matting.



Soon after these pictures were taken Darius moved to the main house, and lived in the lanai but within days was integrating into the household.  I think my girls thought he was another Mika and not really a cat.
And finally there he is reclining on the  couch/throne overseeing all his kingdom, concubines and servant.

Moving in

Meeting the girls

In the cat bed on the desk

.

Waiting for a call on the desk next to Winnie in the bed

On the couch surveying his domain

Darius was my first experience with a Persian, and I was smitten.  Once he was displayed at Petco for adoptions he of course found a home right away.  It was a good thing, because if it had taken over a month I would have kept him.  If he is ever returned I am on the waiting list to adopt him.

Below is the picture and description that was posted on the bulletin board at Petco.

Darius

Darius is a beautiful 5 + year old Persian “king” whose person passed away.  Darius came to us with mats all over his body.  Now, with his “lion” cut provided by Sierra Vet Clinics’ talented and skilled staff he grooms himself and insists that his foster mom brush him twice a day.  He is loving, and would love to have his own purrsonal purrson to keep him groomed, fed, (he likes to be led to the food area and petted at the start of meals.)  He may get along with mellow dogs, but would do best as an only cat. Yes he is a high maintenance boy, as are most kings.  He is up to date on his shots, an indoor only cat, and will require periodic trips to the groomer to maintain his beautiful coat.  For more information on adoption or sponsoring Darius, please contact Marian at Crazicatladi@comcast.net or call at 209-401-4773.

Then in November crazy cat lady sent me this photo with the caption "guess who":

Darius in his new home

Looks happy so it is not likely he will be returned.  

Passions and Peeves 2014 and 2015 in review

January 1, 2016

Happy New Year.  2014 and 2015 have been some of the happiest years of my life except for a few rough spots.  Ron's cancer and surgery were distressing at the end of 2014, as was my own negative encounter with the medical profession when I had a bout of severe shortness of breath in May of 2014.  My doctor's hysterical response to my low pulse ox measure (which recovered easily but was not reported along with the low reading) sent her into implementing the "standard protocol", prescribing tons of unnecessary medication which I chose not to take, and stating if that kind of reading occurred again I was to go to the emergency room.  The positive outcome of it all was going to the respiratory therapist's class which included about an hour of  exercise twice a week which built my strength and stamina, and truly helped my breathing.  Through the year I learned that stress and anxiety which have been my lifelong companions are my worst enemies in dealing with my COPD.
In November of 2014, I joined In Shape and took personal training sessions to help me build my strength and stamina.  I have been pretty good about exercise and walking, until this last month or so.  I will get back to workouts and Yoga this year.   I also attended the COPD support group meetings once a month to stay informed and get more information from  the pulmonary specialist, Dr. Thornton, with whom i am in tune..
I have had a number of home improvement projects completed during these two years. New Anderson windows in the den.  They are wonderful!  They work! I can slide them open and enjoy fresh air when the weather is nice and I did enjoy them this summer. New den carpeting, green and very plush. It makes the most lived in room the continuation of the outdoors and I love that feel!
This summer I invested in drought resistant landscaping and an irrigation drip system for the front and back yards. It cost me mucho bucks, but I filed for and got a small rebate from Cal Water, which thrilled me.  I also love that I have an automatic and water efficient system to water.  I even enjoy the yard work required to pick up the walnuts and keep the weeds down in the front.
In November of 2014 I got a "roommate" at the cottage.  Making the situation right for her cost me almost 6 months of her rent payments to me, I had to do electrical repair, heating and air conditioning repair (which may have been an unnecessary expense due to an incompetent tech) and a new refrigerator.  We have finally reached our "angle of repose" and it is all good.

I fretted over a small and uncorrected pool leak, and air bubbles in the water flow into the pool.  Clyde at Goodwater,  has helped me not to fret, but today I detected a leak at the pool sweep pump. I will have to call him again.

The other major rough spot this year was the death of a new found friend, Hazel Hill.  She died after having a major hemorrhagic stroke deep in the brain.  Her husband, was devastated.  He is also a friend.  He and Hazel helped me during Ron's illness, and Jim and I shared volunteer work interests:he at the Stockton Animal Shelter, transporting, I, of course, fostering and cleaning and cuddling at Petco adoption site. She and I "passed in the night"  as I describe it for almost 25 years while I was teaching at Delta Community college.  She was Dean of the department that trained the psych techs at the developmental center and spearheaded the building and opening and operation of the Child development Center at the college which many of my students used when taking my classes, and some who learned skills there to use in there work. So while she taught, chaired and "deaned" during the days, I was teaching nights part time.  I sure wish I had known her then.  We met because she was Ron's rotary friend and buddy, and he and I and Jim and Hazel shared many special occasion dinners, ..birthdays Christmas, Thanksgiving, ..Labor Day and fourth of July.   I am happy to have shared the last few years with her and regret not having more time to spend in her company.
Here is a picture of Hazel and Jim at our mutual birthday celebration in April of this year.

 .

Another rough spot in the year was the loss of Sherri Menesian, a fellow volunteer at AFCHS.  She rescued and kept numerous cats, fed other ferals behind Walmart, and also had two dogs.  She lost a battle with cancer in May 2015.  I took four of her semi feral cats into the cat house, Oreo, a tuxedo female, Snickers, and Dorian Grey, Russian Blues and about 2 months later Loki, another Russian Blue.  Only Loki has tamed totally so that he follows me around in the cat house and supervises my work.  That occurred after I captured him and brushed out about a pound of grey coat.  He was thrilled to be groomed and started his love affair with me then.  Here is the only picture of the crew I have been able to get.  It is Loki.

Loki

Here is a picture of how much fur I took out of him...twice!!

The other fosters that came to live with me this year were Fiona:

Fiona

And Kiki aka Phoenix:

Phoenix

 Fiona had been living in the Cat House before I took in the Menesian crew.  I moved her into the cat Lanai when they came.  I tried to integrate her into the household with my girls,  but she stalked them, terrorized them  and generally made our lives hell so she got the lanai exclusively for herself  until Phoenix.

Phoenix was surrendered at West Lane veterinary Hospital by owners that could not afford the treatment she needed after 6 months of their failed efforts to treat a recurrent abscess that had resulted in massive skin atrophy and loss over her hip and leg.  See below .  Marian wanted me to help make the decision about whether we took her on or put her down.  The moment I met her I made the decision that she was so sweet and so "not in distress about her open wound, that she was worth saving.
We brought in a large cat condo to the lanai and I brought her home with a collar to protect her sutured wound.  Dr. Bajwa managed to gently stretch and pull the skin together over this massive open wound.  I dubbed him a miracle  worker.

I have searched and searched for the photo I took of her open wound, but must have deleted it.  Just as well.  Here is a picture of the side of the leg that was nothing but an open wound. Look at how beautifully it has healed and how gorgeous she is now.

The  other major serendipity of my medical encounter with my doctor  in 2014 was that my cousin and I are talking every day by phone.  She places a welfare call to me and some days it is just "how is everything there?" and "have a good day."  Other days we spend an hour or an hour + talking about our respective histories,  experiences practicing in mental health systems, politics, sociology, and male-female relationships and sexual differences.  We have found similarities in our emotional constitution, thought patterns that have led me to reconsider the relative contributions of nature and nurture to our  behavior and physiology.
I changed doctors  after the episode with Grey, but never met my new physician until their office called me to schedule after my colonoscopy this year.  He started the session with a Spireva inhaler in his hand,  argued with me about taking it, and only listened to my concerns about the bird mite problem I had during the previous month and the little spot on my back that I thought might be skin cancer.  He seemed insulted that I wanted a referral to Dr. Thornton, the pulmonary specialist, and I had to defend that request while assuring him that I was not doubting his expertise as an internist.  Now I have to decide whether to change again or try to work with him. Gia Grey will not take me back. That tells a story and confirms that I needed to leave her.

Catch up Continued

While still fostering Duke and Dune, Mammacita came to live in the Cat House.  She did not like the boys, and eagerly awaited the time when they went for Petsmart and Petco adoptions so she could have me all to herself and get belly rubs and lap  time.

.

Mammacita

She had been dumped at the sanctuary with her kittens and so she deserved the home she recently went to where she will be "The Queen".  Sweet Pea also found a purrmanent home where she doesn't have to share lap time with two other girls and won't have big old girls to stalk and corner in the bath as she did here with mild mannered Tinker Belle.  Sweet Pea was 6 pounds of Queen vying to take over at my house from the 12 pound queen Winnie and Princess Tinker.

Sweet Pea 

Living with Passion

Long time no post!  Too busy living my passions to blab or blog about it in the clouds.  However, there are some really good photos of foster cats and my girls that I want to display publicly but not necessarily on Facebook.  I also had a "Peeve" incident last May which I will blog later, that made me reorganize priorities and get back on the health and fitness track, so "blogging" as a journal like enterprise went away.  Also I know a "blog" should not be a journal, technically, but it  works for me  in that way for now.  I'll create a new blog when and if I turn to "web-logging" in the correct use of the term. Here I am with my Winnie  in November 2013  prior to my last birthday and here it is time for my next birthday .  Time does fly when you are having fun and enjoying life.

Foster catch up time now.  Health and fitness catch up later!!

Catch Up Passion and Peeve

Duke and Dune were adopted , separately.  Duke (aka Valentino) went first and I think I was sadder than Dune (Herby), because I had hoped they would go together.  Chuck, who had been adopted with Homer came back to me for a time when he proceeded to "mark"  his teenage boy's shirts for the laundry, much to boy's mom's distaste.  I would have found another solution. That is why I no longer practice clinically with people. As a learning theorist I believe people should be able to learn from experience and verbal tradition, (rules passed along verbally from person to person)  and counsel. Sometimes,  though, they are just not able to do so, and unlike animals one cannot  arrange the contingencies to facilitate learning as one can with animals.  People just go about their merry way making the same mistakes over and over and failing to try a different way!!  They also tend to treat pets and animals as objects to be disposed of if unsatisfactory.  In my old age I have become intolerant of that attitude.
On a positive note, though,  I like Animal Friends Connection Humane Society because their adoptive parents do abide by their request to return the unwanted or unworkable adoptees to the organization.
Chuck found himself a new home within a few weeks, and here he is with his new boy.  His new name is Sully.  His new family love him much.

Sully (formerly Chuck) with his new boy.

Duke and Doon (Dune) to Petsmart tomorrow!

Duke and Dune, pictured in my last post are going to Petsmart tomorrow for 2 weeks and hopefully will find a permanent home.  I got to thinking they would be the perfect cats for a person who works long shifts as I did when I was working.  They sleep most of the day coming out about  7 or 8 pm .  Dune heads for his wet food snack and Duke heads for a lap.  They are both very loving and after his snack, Dune comes looking for lap time too.  They will help the stress of a hard day just melt away for the person who is fortunate enough to give them a "purrmanent" home.