Miri Thank You 4 Helping Me

Thank you all for helping Miri! Here is a recent video to watch fur Sunny Day.

Thanks to Cat Blogger Auction, sweet Miri (short haired tabby) is doing better after antibiotics for bronchitis. Here she plays with brothers Toby (tuxie), Sammy (long-haired tabby) and my camera strap!

Miri is still coughing a little and still needs a followup visit with Cat Hospital of Wichita.

Her brothers have wacky, wavy and curly Rex like Furs.

Toby and Sammy have done a bit of growing, but are still small for their age. The lump underneath their ribs is hard to feel now... their bodies are in an awkward growing stage which is part of the picture. Still, enlarged liver is a sign of FeLV.

All the Kittens may have FeLV and will have to be tested.

Please keep purring for a forever home for these sweet guys. Toby, Sammy and Miri are all smaller than normal size kittens at five to six months old.

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Their harder to tame down brothers are bigger, yet making progress with understanding. Had a Helen Keller moment with Jordi (bi-color white) today. He finally connected the giver of chicken, my fingers and scratching his ears! He even smiled and relaxed his face. What a good boy!

Will get some more updates on the three wilder boys and new photos. I hope I can get the bigger boys neutered this coming week using vouchers from RETAIN.

Thank you all for your kind donations to Maggie's Kitten Fund. I know your purrs and support are going to make a big difference in six kitten's lives.

Purrz,
Katie Kat

Psalm 91

Miri to Vet in the Morning

Miri (in front) and Sammy (in back)

Miri's breathing has not improved enough with the antibiotics.

She is still chronically wheezy and hacking, just not as frequently.

Taking her in to Dr. Jones at The Cat Hospital 9:15 CST
Dr. Jones wants to run some more tests.

Please purr for Miri's trip and her tests.
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New auction info fur Miri of purrtraits of your fur babies.

Sketch Drawings Up For Bids!

Bidding on the sketches ends August 19 at 11:59 pm est.

OUR A NONNY MOUSE HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT AGAIN THEY WILL
MATCH ALL BIDS ON THIS WEEK'S FUND RAISING FOR MIRI!

Bidding update Friday August 13 5:50 pm est

$12.00 Ginger Jasper
$10.00 Alasandra
We are taking bids for the top ten highest!

This week we are offering sketch drawings by Katie Kat.

I am pitching in to help sweet Miri get some more $$$. One hundred percent of the money raised for Miri and her brothers goes for their expenses. Miri has improved but is still having trouble breathing. She is on her last round of antibiotics and will need a checkup and possibly prednisone as well as spaying. It is still unclear whether the only problem is infectious bronchitis versus chronic asthma as well. There are still vet visits to follow for all the kittens. The boys will also need to be tested for leukemia and be neutered.

There are a limited number of sketches offered so be the first to bid and keep checking to make sure you have one of the top ten highest bids to assure that you will receive one. If you have a winning bid you will be contacted after the auction has ended and at that time you can pay for your sketch.


To bids on a purrtrait, please go to
http://furriendsofthecb.blogspot.com/2010/08/sketch-drawings-up-for-bids.html

Hiya every purrson,
Our Mom am sooo grateful fur all dats u iz doing to helps hur wif dis overwhelming task of saving deze here kittens and dere Mom and all da expenses in doing dat.

- Katie Kitty Too

Will be capturing Maggie as soon as she can (Miri and her brother's Mom) to get her spayed and tested for leukemia.

Unknown how Maggie will react after capture. We am purring that Maggie will calm down and be able to be adopted versus going back outside as a homeless feral. Will try to get a better photo of her. She is a very pretty grey tortoise shell.

Purrz of thanks for all you are doing to help me with this ginormouse task of saving these sweethearts who deserve a chance. I know that Maggie in her own way asked me to take care of her babies after they were weaned. I promised to do my best.

Purrz,
Katie Kat

Miri's Vet Visit

Miri did really well at the Vet's.

And she did pretty good in the truck ride too.

She did start to get a bit fussy halfway through the ride and want out of the carrier.

The only purrblem was I had to drive across town to the east side. If the Cat Hospital had been closer, I don't think she would have fussed hardly at all.

Dr. Jones said Miri's four month old teeth were in, which means the kittens are definitely between four and five months old, but Miri is very small for her age. She only weighs 2.6 pounds! Such a gentle soul too. She let Dr. Jones take a blood sample with no problems at all.

Dr. Jones thinks that she may not have asthma or allergic bronchitis, but just plain bronchitis. She is on Clavamox now. Let's purr that she responds well to the antibiotics and won't need a steroid shot as well. She may still have allergies, but too soon to tell the difference.

However when she was tested for FIV, Heartworms and Leukemia (the test checks all three), there was a mild positive for Leukemia. Which means that their four legged Mommy most likely has Leukemia. So now all the kittens should be tested for sure and then tested again in about three months.

I am having a big sad right now. Miri and her curly haired brothers are so sweet, and the other three are slowly getting used to being inside. Please pray for these babies that I find their new Mommies soon who are willing to give them all the love they need for what may be a very short life, up to two years.

Love and Purrz,
Katie Kat.

Auction Fur Miri

Speshul Delivery: Wordless Wednesday on Thursday....
(Sammy in the box and Toby)

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Thank you all sooo much for helping me help sweet Miri and her brothers and Maggie, their Mommy.

https://furriendsofthecb.blogspot.com/

May God richly bless you as you have blessed these little ones.


Matthew 10:42
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Miri's first vet appointment is today and 12:30 CST. I will update this post when we get back.

Please check out the auction and see if you like anything!

Items 16 and 17 in the auction are ACEOs that I have donated: ACEO stand for Artist Certified Edition Originals.

ACEO's are small pieces of art that are only 2 1/2 x 3 1/2. They will be signed on the back in gold pen and placed in purrtektive covering...










Purrz,
Katie Kat and the Katz Gang

Miri is a Sweet Baby

Hiya... It is now 2:22 am CST. Miri had a eucalyptus treatment this morning which helped. She started breathing easier. She doesn't seem to mind having a towel over her head and breathing in the vapors from a cereal bowl, as long as she is in my lap at the time.

She needed another treatment this evening, but her breathing didn't improve afterward.

Had to use the albuterol inhaler with the funnel I had made out of a water bottle. I sprayed the inhaler into the wide part of the "funnel" first and then placed the mouth of the bottle over her nose while she was wrapped up in a towel.

What a sweet baby! As long as she didn't hear the noise of the inhaler, she didn't mind breathing from the funnel.
After about six breathes, she was "done," and moved her head. (The vet had me count to ten with Sandy... but he was a big boy.) I held her with her upright in my arms and her breathing finally calmed. She slept in my arms for over an hour.


I just put her the bathroom with her curly haired brothers a few minutes ago. Toby and Sammy are such a silly handful. I am still amazed at their quick adaption to two-legged Mommies.



Gotta go check on her other brothers before I call it a night. They would rather huddle together in a hidey place like a carrier or a big box. They're still not sure what "Indoor World" is all about, but they do love chicken, which is helping their adjustment to two-legged Moms.

The white boys, Jordi (Blue eye, Yellow eye) and Jazpurr (the big baby) are calming down and getting used to being held, but Justin, the other black kitty is a furry little fighter. He is going to take longer to socialize. Good thing I'm used to strong willed kitties! Just wish Maggie their four-legged Mom had brought them to us the same time as the first three.

Love n Purrz,
Katie Kat

Update on Miri's condition

Miri is such a sweet baby.

This afternoon, had to tried another bit of albuterol sulfate. I used a water bottle with the bottom cut off. I put the spout on her nose and sprayed the dose into the open back of the bottle. She didn't like it, but still breathed in a small amount, which was all she needed. She took off after the inhalation dose (my towel wasn't snug enough.) She went to her pillow on the chair and I loved her and snuggled her into a bigger towel.

I put a bit of Mentholatum on her upper lip. In a few minutes, her breathing calmed down to where I had to put my ear to her chest to hear her. The Mentholatum was the biggest help, since she took off after the inhaler made a noise and didn't get much of the dose, which was okay. (Albuterol can make the heart race, so only a tiny amount for little lungs.)

I found out that Eucalyptus oil is okay for cats to breathe who have asthmatic symptoms. I'm going to get a small bottle from Whole Foods Association, a local health food store. (not related to the large Whole Foods Market Chain) I also read that Marshmallow and something called Inula helenium (elecampane) is okay for cats too and helps in calming the lungs. Whole Foods Association carries marshmallow, but I have no idea about elecampane.

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Last 3 Kittens and Miri has Asthma

Been a long week! Sorry so late in this update
Caught the last three kittens last Sunday night!!

Keeping these three bigger babies quarantined for now in an extra large dog crate. Sure are a handful to tame down for "Inside Land," but progressing surprising well. I wrap them in a towel and pet them and scratch their ears, making lovey talk. They are now just mild hissy babies, versus LET ME OUT OF HERE!!! lol...

Had to treat them for fleas and worms. Thanks to Jane in England... was able to give them worm meds and flea applications on Tuesday. Since Frontline costs 40.00 for three doses, I tried the generic "Tri-Force," for only 20.00. Works slowly. Still a lethargic flea on one of them yesterday!

Here is a photo of my big scaredy kittens:

Our Three J's... or 3 Cat-skateerz.

White kitty in the back is Jordi with one yellow eye and blue left eye. (or Geordi for Lt. LaForge on Star Trek). Probably partially deaf.

White kitty Jazpurr in front is the biggest baby.

Fiesty little black bear kitty is Justin (Justin Case he settles down! He is a furry little fighter!).

Yesterday, their tamer brothers and sister came to visit with supervision from outside the crate. The boys calmed down and recognized their littermates. Still a bit of mild hissing and large "personal space" going on. Jordi got bold and started playing with a rope hanging from the crate top, while the other two just laid down and closed their eyes to let smaller Sammy and Toby know they were "cool" with them hanging around.

v6666666666666tayyyyyy Sa78mmy i t8888888h is typing! - okay Sammy, off the keyboard now, gotta talk about your sister.

Sweet Miri has Asthma.



She is in my lap right now, wheezing. Mildly, thank God.

She was having some milder symptoms several times this past week, but they sounded like hacking from a fur ball. And since she has a sensitive tummy, just watched her closely. But she never threw anything up.

Then Thursday, she was hacking fairly bad and I put my ear to her chest and heard the trachea clicking, a sign that Sandy Red Tigger (1990-2006) made when he had trouble breathing. Still thought something was stuck in her throat, since she just ate something. Sandy never hacked when he had an asthma attack.

Then last night after vigorously playing with Toby, she had a full blown wheezing attack. Sandy took Albuterol Sulfate as an adult, the same as me. Normally you use a tube and a small mask to administer, but didn't have it. I took a risk and opened her mouth to spray some in. The sound scared her, but she breathed in some of the med and began breathing better, but not too much for her little body. I'm going to monitor this weekend and search for herbal remedies online. Hopefully won't have to use emergency vet.

Hopefully will be able to make an appointment with the Cat Hospital where Dr. Jones can run tests to check for allergies, a collapsing trachea or heart worms. I hope to God it isn't a symptom of heart worms. I'm going to ask ML if we can have an auction for her. She is only 4-5 months old and soo young to be having so much trouble breathing.

And all the boys should be tested for FLV and Leukemia and get their shots before neutering. As long as they all test negative, then I can use my free voucher to get them neutered at the the low cost clinic. Miri will need to be tested as well and may need monitoring when spayed. May not be able to use the free voucher for her, because the low-cost clinic doesn't have the equipment, plus have to wait and find out if this is asthma or something else.

From an article on feline asthma: http://cats.about.com/od/respiratorydisease/a/felineasthma.htm
A full-blown asthma attack may at first resemble a cat trying to cough up a hairball, or possibly choking on food. However, the body posture is somewhat different. With asthma, the cat's body will be hunched lower to the ground and his neck and head will be extended out and down in an effort to clear the airway of mucous. The "gagging" may also be accompanied by a typical coughing sound, and possibly sneezing. The cat may or may not expel foamy mucous... These serious attacks may not happen frequently, which makes it easy to write them off as just a hairball.

Actually, they can be life-threatening, and a cat in a full-blown attack should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Even a cat showing one or two of the early symptoms should be examined. Once diagnosed, there are things you can do to help your cat during one of these attacks.

Other diseases share many of the same symptoms as feline asthma, including Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease, a serious disease in itself. Your veterinarian will use several diagnostic tests to eliminate those conditions.

Most common diagnostic tools are:

• Blood Tests. These are the quickest and easiest, and will detect infection, which often accompanies asthmatic bronchitis. They will detect macrophages, esoinophils, neutrophils, and mast cells, which are types of blood cells that help constitute the immune system. And blood work is also useful in eliminating other diseases with the same symptoms.
• Chest XRay. Also called a thoracic, xray, will disclose abnormalities, such as areas of chronic irritation, as caused by infection, a flattened diaphragm, or unusual fluid accumulation. Evidence of heart disease may also be seen. This would not necessarily eliminate asthma, as the two sometimes go hand-in-hand. Your veterinarian may want to send the xray to a specialist for consultation.
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage. This is an extremely useful procedure and in itself, perfectly safe. BAL, as it is called, is performed by inserting an endotracheal tube into the trachea under general anasthesia, then fluids present in the airways of the lungs are extracted through this tube for examination. Aside from asthma, the BAL may diagnose other conditions of the lungs. In a study done in Barcelona of 26 cats, two were found to have Toxoplasma gondii cysts, two showed evidence of carcinoma, and 18 were determined to be related to asthma or infectious bronchitis. The down side of BAL is that it requires a general anesthesia, counter-indicated in a cat with severe respiratory distress

Please keep Miri in your purrz and prayerz, especially this weekend. Will update if I have to take her to the emergency vet.

Katie Kat