Simply Sunday Morning...

Since we are away at a cat show (that's the clothes rack Teri made for our wardrobe) we made this video of us enjoying our CatCondo on Friday morning...we thought you would enjoy it (and be a little envious, too!)

Petfinder's Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable Pet Week

As a former breeder, I thought about how I should talk about adopting 'less adoptable' cats, knowing that one of my greatest fears is that one of the kittens I bring into the world will somehow end up in a shelter, dumped there without me knowing; turned over with no history, no explanation of any behavior or health issues so that even if it does get adopted, the new owners may not take care of it either...

In fact, that happened to me once but luckily the story has a happy ending, but part of it was because I pursued finding this kitty...The original owner had two kitties from me, a mother and her daughter. The daughter kitty developed a urinary tract disease called FIC (Feline Interstitial Cystitis). The owner kept in touch with me and cared for her cats well, with help and advice from me.

Then she suffered a series of nervous breakdowns and was hospitalized on occasion and eventually moved in with her son and daughter-in-law. Through all of this, she had friends take care of her cats when she was unable to.

But on the last time she was hospitalized, her son took the kitty with FIC to the shelter and just dumped her. He didn't tell them of the FIC or give them any information as to how to get in touch with me (as I would have arranged for them to come home to me).

When she got out of the hospital, she was devastated and afraid to call me as she knew how much my cats meant to me. But after many months, she got up the nerve to call me. She told me that the shelter had adopted her out, but of course they couldn't tell her to whom.

I was sad though could not be angry, except with her family, but fortunately in the town she lives in there was just one shelter. But it had been over a year since she was relinquished to the shelter and I wasn't even sure if she had really been adopted or if that was some story her son made up to make her feel better.

I wrote to everyone on the shelters contact list...AND one of the veterinary assistants at the shelter hospital had adopted her and she called me! My heart rested easier! We talked and talked, and she is happy and healthy and her new owner now knows how to get in touch with me should they have problems! And the other kitty this woman had from me, passed away a few months later from congestive heart failure, and in a way I was relieved, as I didn't have to worry about her any longer. She didn't have a easy life either...

...And the next two kitties could have just as easily ended up in a shelter, too, as their owner was having their home foreclosed on and was having to find someplace to live. But she contacted me, saying she was needed to give up her cats to be able to afford to live and finding a place that accepted pets was difficult.

She flew Skiddy and Trevor back to me and they were both older with health issues and I thought I would have them for the rest of their lives, as I couldn't ask someone to take on caring for their heart and asthma issues.

But a woman contacted me a year or so after they came back home to me, and she was looking to adopt a Cornish Rex through rescue and I told her about them, not really thinking she'd want 2 old cats with major health problems...

But she came to meet them and me and decided to adopt Trevor, but I was reluctant to let Skiddy go as she was frail and I thought Trevor could still have some good years left...As it turned out, about 6 months after she adopted him, he was diagnosed with nasal carcinoma (he had lived most of his life in a home with heavy smokers!) and had to be euthanized before a year had passed.

Skiddy remained with me and lived out her days in comfort and ease (she was painfully shy, so she was my 'guest bedroom kitty' and she was happy and content there).

SKIDDY

TREVOR

Then, everyone who has been following Curlz and Swirlz for a while knows of Nani...Nani, the first of my cats to don the Pink Kitty Wig and who will always be my 'Avatar'...


Nani has a rescue story of her own to tell, too. I did not bring her into this world but brought her into my home to be a future momcat. She was a very successful show cat but when she retired to become a mommy, we found out she had developed HCM, the inherited heart disease that took Pixie and Luxor and Kismet from us.

Her breeder did not accept responsibility for her, and so I spayed her and was fortunate to find a young man who was willing to adopt a second Cornish Rex and care for her health problems...but 12 years later I get a call from this man, now married to a woman with multiple dogs and cats and he said Nani was aggressive with the cats and he needed to give her up.

Again, I was glad he contacted me, instead of turning her into a shelter. I didn't bring her into this world, but I was there for her, this time paying for her flight home to me as he refused to accept that 'penance' for not giving her a furrever home.

When I got her back, she had multiple setbacks--she developed fatty liver disease and was difficult to treat due to her severe heart condition. But she pulled through that, and was happy taking 'Skiddy's' place as the guest bedroom cat, because yes, she would stalk and fight with my cats, too...but I wouldn't have given her up because of that!

As it turned out, a couple nearby that have a cat from me, had a friend who was looking to adopt a Cornish Rex, but because of her involvement with small dog rescue, she wanted one that no one else would adopt...

Oh my, could I let Nani go? Knowing her heart problem was so severe that she could succumb to it at any time. Could I feel ok about her living with kids and dogs and would she be happy?

But they lived close by, and they came to meet her and fell in love with her. I said ok, we'll give it a try, but that they would just be 'fostering' her and I would take care of her medical care. Nope, they wanted to take that on, too!!

They gave Nani a loving home for over a year, before her heart gave out, and they found her lifeless at the bottom of the stairs one morning. We all morn her loss, but we all feel glad that we 'made her acquaintance' and that she had a happy life in her 'golden years'...

Here's some links to posts about Nani, including her Memorial post:

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/fenway-nanjizal-bay-of-furrydance-july.html

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/help-nani-win-photo-contest-pleeze.html

http://furrydancecats.blogspot.com/2010/02/nanis-winner.html

So, there are my 'Rescue' stories on four kitties I accepted lifelong responsibility for. I kept my promise to be there for them their whole life. It is part of my contract that if for ANY reason, someone has to give up a Furrydance cat, that they contact me so I can bring her back to the home they were born in.

I think most people who have filled out my 4 page adoption application and waited many months for a kitten and I have gotten to know well BEFORE they get their cat, know how much my cats mean to me. But people change, lives change, divorce happens etc etc and oftentimes the pets come out on the losing end, too!

I have lost track of 2 cats due to divorce, and I still keep looking for them, googling names, searching facebook, calling the references they listed on their adoption applications...to no avail. But I will never stop thinking of them or checking on Petfinder and craigslist and stay active on all the Cornish Rex Yahoo groups just in case they show up there...but in 22 years of breeding cats, those have been the only 2...

I always get sad when I see Cornish Rex in rescue, because to me it often signifies that the breeder was not there for that cat, either because the person giving it up did not notify them, of they had no interest in taking the cat back, or did not keep in touch with the person they sold the cat. I have also been involved in rescuing 3 cats that I did not breed, because the breeders were not 'there' for their cat. And I was able to rehab and rehome all three and keep in touch with their families still!

Once I started looking around on Petfinder, looking for just one special needs kitty to talk about, one that kept being overlooked...it was pretty overwhelming how many kitties in need there are!

So, this year I narrowed my search to Sphynx, and found these two bonded girls, Franny and Zooey. Their profile said No dogs, No kids, No other cats. And they wanted them to go together. 

Those requirements certainly would make them 'Less Adoptable' so I picked them to 'present'  on here on my blog as so many of our followers are taken with this breed, and just because they are purebreds, doesn't make them any less needy of a furrever home.

If you think you might be interested in these Sphynx in need of a furrever home, here is the link to their Petfinder page:

CLICK HERE

Fashion Friday

As we are getting ready to go to a cat show, and therefore would have missed posting today, Teri 'dug' up one of our really old posts from 2009 that we thought you might enjoy!
This is Furrydance Brighton, all dressed up (to coordinate with the Cornish Rex Breed Display) in a purple suede and fake fur jacket, something Disco NoFurNo sported in his slimmer Show years...and here's a photo of the Display...

Thankful Thursday...

I call this photo Zen Cat. This is Furrydance Bossiney 1990-2005. He is my "Heart Cat", a kitty that came along in a special time in my life where I opened myself up to loving him completely and there has never been another one like him. You can read more about him on my cattery website at http://furrydancecattery.com/memorial.htm

Meow Like a Pirate Day, circa 2011

The dictionary calls this 'Reprising'...we call it a feeble excuse of 'Not Enough Time in the Day', but this is our PiRatTy Post from last year...

Ahoy thar mateys!


We come lookin' fer buried treasure 'n tasty lovely booty, Catnip 'n Cream t' be exact! 'n treats galore 'n feather beds, too!

Out o' t' way, ye bilge rats 'n scurvy dogs...our claws (cutlass) be unsheathed!

We'll pass on t' spiced grog, but a nice massage would be nice! We be land lubbers 'n we don't like rum much, but would sail t' Seven seven seas t' find some lovely booty!

Hidden Whisker Hump Wednesday

This is Beauregard (he's black) and Napoleon (he's orange) watching their favorite channel on "Cat TV" and glad they are inside, out of the chill and blustery wind! They share their home with Don and Bob in Secaucus, NJ.

Simply Sunday Night Already?!

Let's start out saying we are furry sorry we haven't been very good friends lately. It's been many weeks since we visited anyone, and we've missed out on some important celebrations, too, 
like Mo-Cats Day, Meow Like a Pirate Day, and a dozens of Blog Hops!

We haven't joined in on Glo Girly's Campaign for a Cause, or posted any Purrs Needed Badges on our blog (though we have been trying to get by all our friends blogs who need purrs right now to let them know we are thinking about them, and purrin', too).

So much has been happening around here that we no doubt have furgotten some of the details, but we will try and catch up our friends who have been asking about us... and so today, Teri set aside time to make one of our long, newsy posts and just got done, after about 2 hours and added the photos, and Poof, gone into cyberspace!

She has never had that happen before as it periodically saves as she writes... she blames it on the new blogger format---not so new and improved maybe?? So she took a deep breath (wasn't about to take her BP now!) opened up a bottle of Red Guitar Sangria, turned on the BBQ (yes, it's electric, hahameow) and put on some cilantro lime chicken thighs, and made up some mexican rice from some leftover chinese take away and back to blogging.

As you know, Disco has been sick now for over a month, but finally getting a diagnosis and then for our vet to come up with a treatment plan for him has Teri feeling like at least she is working towards a goal now, instead of just wait and see.

Disco has IBD and it's the lymphocytic-plasmacytic kind (very similar to what can cause stomatitis and gingivitis and pododermatitis and EGC, too). It is an allergic response, but we don't know to what.

For those of you who like to know the details, here's Disco's treatment plan:

Dr Ellison's treatment plan for Disco per Dr Michele Gaspar, McConnell

Imodium 1/2 tab bid, until stool firm?

Sulfasalazine 83-100mg sid long term?

Budesonide 2mg 1 sid, to start, may go to 1mg sid eventually?

Leukeran (chlorambucil) 2mg 1 sid x 3 days, 18 days off, repeat cycle

Stop Metronidazole when starting Budesonide and Leukeran (had been on 62.5mg bid since 8-7-12)

Stop Pancrezyme for now, as it's pork based

Sprinkle of Fortiflora bid

Continue B12, .25ml once a month (just finished the once a week for 6 wks cycle)

z/d canned and dry for 3-6 months. Can then try novel protein. Dr Gaspar likes Nature's Variety Raw medallions (3 medallions, microwave 10-15 seconds, top and bottom along with Fortiflora)

Teri has also been consulting with Dr Patrick Mahaney, a holistic veterinarian we met at BlogPaws and he has some recommendations, too. He said he's not a big fan of Purina FortiFlora as a probiotic, as it contains animal digest. He recommended Rx Vitamins for Pets Nutrigest. Besides pre-biotics and probiotic bacteria, it contains many beneficial substances that help to support digestive tract and immune system health, or Purina Proviable (capsules) - pure pre-/probiotic.

He agreed with Teri that any change should be made gradually and over the period of a week and one thing at a time, so that monitoring Disco for any problems would be easier. He started his chemo on Thursday and no problems with discontinuing the metronidazole or pancrezyme that she can tell.

He is still having diarrhea but it is no worse than before. So there is still the occasional 'Clean Up on Aisle #2, hahameow) but he is back to sleeping with us and happier for that! He is eating and active and doesn't seem uncomfortable, and his weight is stable. Teri said that she isn't in so much a rush to get him down to 12# now... in fact would be worried if he started dropping weight fast...

In between being a nurse's aid to Disco, Teri has been busy! She and Coco participated in a fashion show fund raiser at Posh Pets, and she power washed the house, and even had a couple of 'vet' visits herself. 

(Yes, those are shoes on Coco!)

She said getting old isn't for sissies and she needs some dental care now--a fractured tooth on a root canal tooth--that means extraction (Oct 5) then waiting 6 months and having an implant done. She is glad it's over time as she is going to put it all on CareCredit, the same thing she did for Coco's surgery back in January. She has a creaky back and is due for her mammo and bone density test, too (she has osteopurrosis) and she has some numbness in her feet so some worries but hopefully nothing serious.

In between all that, she has been shopping! Not for her...for us! Before you all get jealous, thinking that we got a shopping cart full of noms, or a case of furry mice, she has been shopping for Cat Couture! 

(ManCat Couture? More like Casual Friday, hahameow!)

Teri has to post a bunch of new photos on our Cat Walk page, but here's some of us at the Fashion Shoot this weekend:

(as you can see, Brighton says his ears are squashed!)

(something about a fat guy in a mesh tank, hahameow)

We are going to a cat show next weekend, our first in over a year, and we will be strutting our stuff in our new Couture (though Coco won't have to wear those pink shoes--Teri said they are just for taking photos in--like some human shoes, hahameow!)

Not that we are trying to talk your servants into dressing you up too, but maybe they would like to window shop where Teri shopped? Here's the links: 

http://www.pampered-pets-boutique.com/

http://www.foofoofido.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/NakedDogPJs 

http://www.zkcatcouture.com

www.sewdoggystyle.com

And the other big news is that Teri has opened up the Furry Dance B & B for Cats! It means our favorite room will be reserved for visiting cats from time to time. We are kinda bummed about that, but Teri said she has to be inventive when it comes to bringing in the green papers!

We used to pet sit some of our extended family when they would go on vacation but one family moved away, so it's been a while. Right now, we have an orangey kitty named Gizmo staying with us while his new home is being remodeled.

He was being boarded but his servant said the kennel didn't understand him (he has a bit of an attitude) and was in a small cage. So, now he has a sunny bedroom with fuzzy blankets and even a Sunny Seat to watch Cat TV from. It's a much happier holiday for him and he even gets playtime with his favorite toys before Teri turns out the light at night. 

Next month, we will have 2 kitties staying here while their servants house hunt in California and in November, 3 kitties will stay in our B & B so their servants can go on vacation--the first one they've taken in a couple of years as two of the kitties need daily medication.

And sometime soon, Teri will open up a Zazzle store with things that our fans might like--Sphynx and Cornish Rex related, of course! One of our friends who has 2 kitties from us has even donated some of her Cornish Rex artwork for us to use on things like mugs and totes and T-Shirts!

And even though we haven't be around visiting our friends very much either, we are thankful for the CB and ML for keeping us informed of our friends who need purrs--ML included as she had a bad bitey bite from one of her kitties! We heard from Kiril that she is moving out our way and heck, she may even be able to visit Coco again! That would be cool!

Well, now that Teri is done with dinner and has had 3 glasses of Sangria, she says she can't remember anything else that happened this past couple of weeks, hahameow. So we will leave you with a sunny Sunday thing that make all of us purr--window whiffin'...

WhiskerHump Wordless Wednesday...

Brighton has aerodynamic whisker humps, while Disco's have a wider stance... Disco says
'Wider is Better', hahameow!

Oh, and don't forget to Hop!

Disco's Biopsy Results...

Disco will be wearing his Super Sphynx Cat Muscle Shirt to confront this disease! Go Disco!
Disco's biopsies are back with no sign of lymphoma (cancer) currently, but with the manageable diagnosis of IBD, but with proprial round cells--a precursor of cancer? Teri will have to ask her vet tomorrow as these results didn't come in until after they closed. She didn't want to read ANYTHING about round cells!

IBD can always turn into cancer due to the chronic inflammation, but I am hoping we found this early enough to manage the disease for a long, long time!

For those who want the details, here's the report:
Small intestine: Mild to moderate lymphoplasmacytic mucosal enteritis.
Colon: Mild lymphoplasmacytic mucosal colitis with fibrosis.
Pancreas: Mild multifocal lymphoplasmacytic interstitial inflammation.

The histologic changes, in combination with the clinical suggestive of a clinical diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel disease is a clinical syndrome for which difficult to develop a valid, objective histologic counterpart. This case, histologic findings are compatible with a clinical diagnosis of this syndrome. The etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is not understood in any animal species.

The nature of the inflammatory infiltrate suggests that intolerance to dietary antigens or antigens produced by the enteric implicated. Histologic changes may be the side effects of T-mediated activity in the mucosa. An immunophenotypic inflammatory bowel disease in cats demonstrated outcomes with dysregulation of immunoinflammatory events.

Major histocompatibility complex class II expression by proprial round cells in affected sites was also more pronounced. Additionally, lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory bowel disease may progress to alimentary lymphoma in some cases.

The inflammation noted within the pancreatic interstitium is mild and may not be of clinical significance.

Here's some links to info on IBD:

http://bit.ly/NbCR9H

http://bit.ly/UqDZ9L

http://bit.ly/ON9RmB (Warning: Photos of intestines)

But then again, maybe Disco looks tougher in his hoodie, what do you think?

Our Review of FrostyBowlz-A Cool New Pet Dish...

For a bowl that is kinda dog-sized, we give this product our Paw-of-Approval!!

Way back in July, our furriend Ashley, the PR person from Matrix Partners, emailed us to see if we would be interested in doing a test and review of the product that won "Best in Show" from BlogPaws at the Global Pet Expo 2012.

Teri knows we like fresh cold water, most often right from the faucet and she's not sure if it's because it's colder or fresher or tastes like the pipes...hahameow, but since we also eat a little raw diet, Teri wondered if the Frosty Bowl might not keep it colder and fresher, too, though she doesn't leave it down for more than 30 minutes.

We have quite a few water options--a Drinkwell 360 and 2 Sink Drinks, but anything that would encourage water consumption especially for Brighton, who had a urinary blockage 2 years ago, is something Teri said she'd would love to try.

According to PetMD.com, consuming the adequate amount of water aids in the digestion of food, helps the body absorb nutrients and also serves to cool the body while helping maintain a normal temperature. Understanding the important role water plays in keeping pets happy, healthy and well hydrated, the Talega^® team developed FrostyBowlz^®.

Unlike adding ice cubes to your pets water dish, something that almost half of pet owners already do, FrostyBowlz^® keeps pets’ water refreshingly cold all day long, even in direct sunlight. The secret to FrostyBowlz^® is in the FrostyCore^™ technology. Filled with a non-toxic freezable gel, the FrostyCore^™ fits between the custom designed, stainless steel bowl and its non-skid bottom tray. 

You put the FrostyCore^™in the freezer overnight and in the morning place it in the bowl to instantly upgrade your pets’ drinking experience. The FrostyBowlz^® temperature control lasts between 12 and 16 hours – keeping the water cold as much as 6x longer than other methods.

Teri thinks we prefer our food at room temperature, but thinks the FrostyBowlz^® would keep our stinky goodness (aka wet food) fresher longer. And then she had another great idea! Since we now spend time out in our Condo out on the deck, Teri was worried how hot our water would get out there in the sun.

So she tried the it out there and MeWowZa! The first thing we do when get get in the condo, it take a drink! And the water stays chilly all day, so even though we aren't out there whiffin' the breeze all day, sometimes on the weekends, we get to go out a few times a day and Teri doesn't have to put out fresh, cold water every time when using the FrostyBowlz^®

FrostyBowlz^® is made from stainless steel and is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. And when the bowl’s bottom plate is filled with a little water, the tray acts as a reservoir to keep pesky ants away, too. It's a great design and we are even thinking of ordering another FrostyCore^™ so we always have a frozen one at the ready! In fact, if you order one from their website, you can get a 2nd FrostyCore^™ for free!

For more information on FrostyBowlz^® visit their website to get the scoop on the bowl that serves pets better, www.FrostyBowlz.com

Disclaimer: We are happy to be a part of this product review, and we did receive a free FrostyBowlz® from Talego Products to use and review, and keep! However, all of the opinions about the product are ours and not dictated in any way by the company.

ManCat Monday-Disco Edition

It's been a busy week at our house this past week, full of some worries and also some smiles, too. I have been too distracted to put together a blog post, and have been keeping our friends who are on Facebook updated with short clips of news and photos...

But I know not all of our friends are on Facebook and so I thought I better be filling you all in, too, but I'll take the easy way out and cut and paste everything from Facebook!

Wednesday 8/29
Too tired to write a blog post tonight, but wanted everyone to know Disco made it through his exploratory surgery, with numerous biopsies taken-pancreas, ileum, colon. Pancreas not looking good, colon lacking 'tone', LN's looked ok...one paw in front of the other til the results come back in a few days. I love him so, and while there's always a risk with anesthesia, I just had to do the biopsies so I would know how to treat whatever he has, so he can share many more of his nine lives with me! Here's a photo of him in his warming blanket in recovery.

Thursday 8/30
I kept Disco confined in the library Wednesday night, with his bed and heating pad on the floor and close by the litter boxes. I left the light on for him. He was feeling pretty sore and slow and so he went into work with me so I could monitor him closely. By mid-afternoon, he wanted to come out of his cage and I brought in the last of the catnip we grow outside the hospital and spread it around on the carpet he loves to roll around on...except when he tried, his tummy hurt so he just did a half-roll and was happy for the nip!

Friday 8/31
Disco was feeling better today, after scaring me last night when he wouldn't eat anything I offered him and I had to syringe feed him. I missed sleeping with him, but confined him to the library again so he could rest and I took him into work with me again--I am sooo fortunate to be able to do that and it eases my mind to have him with me.
 

Saturday 9/1
Disco was doing much better! He slept with me last night and seems comfortable again. He is eating, moving around more and his incision looks great...he hasn't bothered it at all. I think I will be able to stop his pain meds tomorrow. One of the side effects of buprenex is that it can cause ileus (a disruption of the normal propulsive ability of the gastrointestinal tract) and I really would like to see him poop so I know his guts are working ok.

While he was recuperating, I power washing my townhouse! When I add up the 8 hours spent, and how much water I used, I could have paid someone $185 to do it, but it looks nice and now I'll know next year what's involved with doing it myself!

Sunday 9/2
I still haven't actually seen Disco poop, but he is eating well and urinating so I am thinking that his deposits must now look like the other cats...which is a vast improvement! With it being a holiday weekend and the lab being closed on Monday, it will probably be Wednesday before we get the biopsy results back...waiting is hard, but in a way blissful ignorance, too.
 

And today, all the kitties got to spend some time outside in their Condo and I was able to catch up with a few things I was way behind on, like a test and review, which will post tomorrow, and talking with a reporter who wanted to know about leash training cats, and visiting a few CB friends, too! Oh, and adding to the kitties wardrobe for the next BlogPaws---hope I can keep a secret that long! Oh...here's just a peek.


I want everyone to know how very much their well wishes and purrs and sweet thoughts they have been sending Disco's way mean to me. It gives me strength to keep positive and feel your support to handle any diagnosis that comes, but always hoping for the best--something manageable.