Chance and the Vet Visit

Last Saturday Chance threw up his morning food while I was busy cleaning every room of my home. I didn't think much of it because Chance can sometimes have a sensitive stomach. I finished cleaning and went to the dog park with friends. I returned and, since it was dinnertime, I fed the cats.

Feeding time is normally a bit crazy. Every time, Chance acts as if he's never been fed before. It's bad enough that I have to put his food in the bathroom and then shut the door so he won't race through eating his and then go for Biscuit's food. I placed his food bowl down and he didn't do anything. He sniffed it and then walked away. He didn't even go after Biscuit's food.

Hmmm. Strange.

Chancey then threw up all Sunday, except he wasn't eating or drinking so all he was throwing up was stomach bile. He was sad and listless. Basically the opposite of how he is most of the time. It made me sad. And also slightly concerned.

I took him to the same vet that shaves Biscuit every year. They took his temperature (normal) and did an over-the-fur pat down (nothing out of the ordinary). They decided to give him a shot (which I later found out was anti-nausea medicine). Chance did not like it and I don't ever want to see that side of Chance again. They also gave me medicine to give to him. Since he's not eating, they also gave me a syringe to put the pills in - I was supposed to get it wet then shoot it down his throat twice a day.

I took him home, went back to work. I was a little frustrated because it seemed like Chance's symptoms were being  addressed, but not he reason why he was throwing up. He was good for about a day, but then he threw up again. Giving him the pills (which I later learned were antacids) was a major struggle, and by the third time he clenched his jaw shut.

I came home from work Wednesday night and he had thrown up on the couch (twice) and the floor. I was at my wit's end - frustrated, sad, upset, unsure. My dear friend Kevin Ann gave me the name of her vet. They called me back Thursday morning and said they could get him in - on Monday. Chance would not make it to Monday - he hadn't eaten anything since Saturday!

This was the moment I broke down a little. I was sitting in my office and cried just a little bit. Then I bucked up and called another vet. They asked about Chance, and knew he needed to come in right away. I rushed home, put him in his carrier, and drove to Southridge Animal Hospital.

I immediately felt at ease when I arrived. Chance and I were taken to a room, where a vet tech examined him. They knew it was bad that he was throwing up but not eating, so they immediately took him to get bloodwork and an x-ray. The x-ray showed that he had a foreign object in his stomach.

The main vet checked it out, too, and said Chance needed to get into surgery right now.

It was nice to finally know what was wrong with him. And to have a solution in place. I signed the paperwork, after getting a briefing on what it would cost (not cheap), while Chance was getting prepped for surgery.

I returned to work, and felt a lot of relief that Chance was finally on the road to being better. He made it through the surgery (and neutering!) like a champ, and had to spend the night there. When I picked him up on Friday after work, the workers at the vet asked if Chance was normally a good cat at home. It was a hard question to answer, because sometimes he is a pill. I usually chalk it up to him still being a kitten. Apparently, though, Chance was not a fan of being at the vet!

He has staples in this stomach, but he's basically back to normal. Thankfully he isn't scratching or licking his staples, since there was no way he was going to wear the collar they gave me.

I sure love this crazy cat of mine, who chooses to play with (and then swallow) random things on the floor even though I buy him lots of toys. I'm glad he's back home.

Big Tex

The Texas State Fair is a three week event that takes over the art deco buildings and facades of Fairpark fairgrounds in Dallas. I knew I wanted to attend when I read this list of "39 Things You Should See in Texas Before You Die."

It lasts for three weeks, and I found the time to finally go on the second to last day. decided to do the "Dr. Pepper Half Price after Five" deal - bring a can of Dr. Pepper any day and get in for half price starting at 5pm. This good idea also seemed like a good idea to a lot of other people, too.

I had to stand in line to first get a coupon in exchange for my empty can. And I use the term "line" very loosely, as it's really a mass of people moving towards the same point. Once I got the coupon, I had to enter another "line" to redeem that coupon for an actual ticket into the Fair.

I was finally in though, and sort of already wore out. I'd been there almost an hour but hadn't done anything yet. However, I had to stand in another line to purchase coupons for food and rides. I was glad a friend from work told me about this - the Fair does not accept cash or cards in exchange for food. Coupons/tickets must be bought, and everything is sold for a number of tickets. This line ended up being longer than it needed to be because one of the three person-less ticket-dispensing machines ran out of tickets, meaning that line needed to merge with another line.

This may sound super complainy, and I guess it is. I'm just used to other Fair experiences. And a lot of it was of my own doing, as I chose to go on the second to last day at 5pm. Next year I think I'll take a half day from work and check out the Fair with more time.


I did get to see Pig Racing and other animals on display, which is my favorite part of any Fair. And ate a lot of fried food, including deep fried pecan pie (which I don't recommend....it's a little too much!)

And, I took the train to the Fair, which was a win-win choice: I didn't have to bother with finding parking/dealing with traffic; and was able to read a large chunk of a very great book, Station Eleven. Transit reading is the best.

Fat Cat

My cat Biscuit had been a little wheezy lately. One night she actually woke me up with her wheezing. I decided to take her to the vet just to make sure everything was okay. The vet was very nice and helpful, and after listening to her heart and lungs and weighing her, he said nothing was really wrong with her.

Just that she weighs too much and probably has asthma. Which is better than having a respiratory problem or heart disease. I felt like one of those new moms who calls the pediatrician for every little thing her baby does, and in the end nothing is wrong.

So less food for my kitty. She needs to lose at least 4 pounds...

The Best Thing

Finding Biscuit has been the best thing to have in my life. I've had her for just three weeks and already I can't imagine life without her. She brightens my day, she makes me happy, she makes me smile. She really is the best cat (just like parents, I'm convinced my cat is the bestest, cutest thing on this world).

Cats sometimes get a bad wrap, perceived as being the opposite of cuddly, loving dogs. Biscuit may not be as cuddly as a dog, but she's just as loving and she loves being petted and rubbed under her chin. The other day she settled on my stomach and purred as I watched Newshour. Every night she sleeps on the corner of my bed. If I wake up in the middle of the night I can hear her breathing deeply and making little cat noises like she's dreaming. And I just love it.

Every night about this time she gets a little rambunctious. I think she's anticipating bedtime coming and wants to get it all out.

She's made it pretty clear, though, that she does not like my dancing or my singing. I don't like her smelly poop or when she misses the littler box completely with her deposits. Although it does beat having to take her out in the elements, morning and night, to do the deed. :)

Biscuit: My Free Cat

This is Biscuit, my free cat from the local Humane Society. I went in there just to look when I was bored last Friday, but when I saw her I just fell in love with her. Since she is already spayed and has had her shots (her previous owners moved weren't able to take her) she was free! That pretty much sealed the deal that she was supposed to be mine. 

She's already taken over my life. I imagine it's a bit like what new parents go through, adjusting their lives and furniture to a new being. It's awfully nice to have her waiting for me when I come home.

She has a stubby little tail. :)

Old Foto Friday

My family had a dog when I was growing up. Max was a part of my life from when I was 7 to 19. I have a lot of pictures of him. I came across this one when finding the pictures for last week. This was Spring '98.

Captain Buddy

My friend Pam and her husband went away for the weekend (to the Utah Shakespearean Festival) and were in need of someone to watch their dog, Captain Buddy. I used to  also watch their chocolate lab, Bo, when they were out of town. Captain Buddy, however, is a cute little malti-poo so I was able to bring him to my house for the weekend. I've wanted a dog for a long time, but currently cannot have dogs at my place (my landlord just left for six months to Uruguay to set up an eco-park, in case you're wondering how I was able to have him for the weekend).

Captain Buddy was rescued by a co-worker of Pam's husband, and after getting him cleaned up and neutered they offered him to Pam. After the (very sad) death of Bo, they asked their four-year-old if he wanted a small dog or big dog, and when he said small dog they jumped at the chance to take on Captain Buddy. His name was Buddy, but four-year-old Dutchie wanted to call him Captain so a compromise was struck to name him Captain Buddy (but he responds entirely to Captain now).

I LOVED having Captain with me. He immediately loved me as only dogs can. He is very cuddly and always wanted to be up in my business. We went on walks morning and night. He went to my sister's with me to carve pumpkins (Emily loved him too). I would look forward to coming home because I knew he'd be waiting for me. Honestly, a dog is the best thing for a single gal!

Pam and Dutchie picked him up yesterday, and it was so cute to see Dutchie love Captain and have Captain love him right back. They missed each other, I think. I missed Captain this morning as I got ready, and coming home for school wasn't as exciting.

Old Foto Friday

This pic is from our first house in Pocatello, the yellow one at the end of the street on Ardella. I'm probably 8ish in the pic. Max was our dog and Milo was our cat.

Day 6: A Pet

I'm supposed to put up a picture of an animal I'd like to have as a pet. In a world not constrained by size or location, I would love nothing more than having an elephant for a pet. Or at least as a mode of transportation. Since I live in Salt Lake City, where there isn't exactly an abundance of elephants, I guess I'll settle for the stuffed elephant I've had since I was little.

My picture in my last post is me with my cat, Rambo. I got him from my friend Holli when her cat had kittens. I named him Rambo because he was so rambunctious as a kitten. I hadn't had him too long before I had to leave for college. It was sad to leave him, but I'm sure he could care less (you know how cats are). Through a series of sad and unfortunate events, Rambo was lost. It was too sad to continue looking for him at the Human Society in Pocatello, so I just accepted that he was gone and hopefully living it up somewhere else.

When I was growing up we had a dog named Max. I still get a little sad when I think about him. We found him at the Humane Society when we were living in Bountiful. My sister claims she's the one who found him, but I know it was me. We named him after the dog, Max, in The Little Mermaid. My family had Max for over ten years. I loved him, and the day we put him down was one of the saddest days of my life. I cried all day.

Pets are awesome, and I look forward to the day when I can have one again.

Beware of Wildlife

Yesterday I got this e-mail at work.

Dear tenants and visitors to the Williams Building,

Building management has recently noticed unusual wildlife activities around the Williams Building property. Specifically several mountain lions have been sighted in and around the parking deck. Building management is working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources with regard to this activity however we want to make you aware of the following guidelines from Wildlife Resources should you encounter a mountain lion when entering or leaving the facility:

• Do not panic. Most lions will try to avoid confrontation.
• Raise your arms to make yourself appear as large as possible. Lions prefer smaller prey.
• Slowly back away. Never run and never turn your back toward the cougar. Yell at the lion and wave your arms as you back away.
• Do not make direct eye contact. Lions perceive eye contact as aggressive behavior.
• If you are attacked, fight back. Try to prevent the lion from getting behind you.

Just thought I would share the guidelines with you, in case you ever find yourself in contact with a mountain lion.

What I Learned at the State Fair

Pigs are awesome, and not just because they give us bacon, ham, and hot dogs, but because they also help save lives,

have cute little piglets,

and sleep like this.

I also learned that in Utah they call their scones Elephant Ears (in Idaho they're Tiger Ears), even though the worlds smallest woman has no bones and is part snake she will still talk to you, 4H girls and boys can do amazing things, cow auctions are very interesting, and if you want an imminent storm to somehow not produce rain go with someone who is experiencing their very first Fair.

An Idaho Girl

I have a bag that I've been using for my school books and such this year. It's this little tote bag that I got oh, probably ten years ago, that says "Idaho Girls State," with a picture of the Gem State. I found it in a box at my mom's house and knew that I wanted to use it. I like to find ways to advertise that I'm from Idaho, and this bag seemed like the perfect way. And now, on two separate occasions in one week, it's been a way for me to talk to strangers. A girl today saw my bag while we were giving blood, and it turned out that we both lived in Pocatello and went to the same high school (albeit different years)! We talked for about ten minutes about teachers we had that were the same and people we might both know. Last week a guy in my institute class saw it and said he went to Idaho Boys State! I always love finding people who are from Idaho, and hope that this little bag of mine will continue to facilitate that.

A Mini-Dose of Joy

Last night, after almost watching, at the recommendation of a trusted source, a British Comedy on PBS/KUED, I settled in to a long overdue viewing of Conan. He was hilarious, as always, and never more so as when he gave the audience a "Mini-Dose of Joy"--in the form of Puppies dressed as Cats:



My life has been crazy and full of a drama the past couple weeks, so thank you, Conan, for giving me that little dose of joy.