Days of the feline reunion

Daisy on a 'walk'

Monday, April 4th – Day One of Cat Reunion

Buster had his time out at the 'cat spa.' Dorah had her 8-day time out. Both came back relaxed. My blood pressure is down, as well. This is a good thing!

We're all back together. With the Polar Vortex dumping freezing cold temperatures, it's put us off a bit. Buster has been much calmer. He's been outside for a few hours in the night, and in the afternoon. Dorah sees Buster and growls like mad. He has just about ignored her. This may take time!

We have a plan.

• Both cats (Buster & Dorah) get their meds at dinnertime. 
• When the good weather comes, we encourage Buster (13 lbs.) to go out at night.
• Dinnertime is wet food, anything they want. 
• Forget dieting for Annie (10 lbs,) and Dorah (15 lbs.) 
• Daisy (7 lbs.) eats crunchies whenever. 
• Annabelle goes outside whilst the two eat and get their meds in.
• Separate forest walkies for Buster and Daisy.
• Dorah is a happy house cat. 

Day two Tuesday

Things have been strangely calm. Dorah doesn't like her crunchies, but hopefully we remain firm.  Buster was out in the night, but came in around 2:00 a.m., as it was -10 C., and Dorah remained on the bed.
I took Daisy down to the frog pond for a walk on Tuesday. When I turned around, I found Buster and no Daisy.

He was hungry, it was 5:00 p.m. and I was depressurizing from my afternoon with my client. I spotted two bullfrog tadpoles. Big one, ready to metaporphosize this year! We had a banner year for them last year. The Wood duck nesting box looks good, although I could add more tree shavings!

Back up at the house I sat in the warm sunshine. There were 5 or 6 turkey vultures doing slow circles overhead. And, yes, I must remember to clean my zoom lens! (Non-mental note!)

Days 3 

Things are calm. Dorah spent the day on the bed. The deer were about and a sure sign of spring, one yearling shows signs of sprouting his antlers. See the ground. No snow.


Happily, whilst all relaxed before the snowfall, I went down to see what the trailcam had on it. 

No sign of the muskrat, and there were spots on the pond where the ice had broken. I was curious as to who might have been visiting. I was very excited to see a photo of the male wood duck, as well as both McGregor Muskrat and Wood duck in the same frame!

Day 4 Wednesday

We had 6 cm snow during the course of the afternoon, and into the evening. I trimmed his toe nails, as well as Daisy's, while Dorah had dinner in bed.

Not a good day to get cats outside. Buster was mushy and spent the evening sitting on my lap while we watched American Idol. It was good to sit quietly and BE idle!

The artificiality of the show saddens me, the way they manipulate the performers, the performance and the audience. We see it as a free concert.



The robin looked so sad! City folks can feed them shopped grapes, apples, raisins, blueberries, putting them out on the ground. My robins are very happy with the sumac berries! One pair stayed all winter. Several others turned up when the snow melted.

We are wrestling with this problem, but I think we are making progress. I am giving a concerted effort to have Buster sit with me. I am taking him on solitary walks, too. Dorah, bless her feisty little heart. She's doing OK. I did her toe nails, which made her growly. So far, so good.

Buster tales saga update

Everyone has been so kind in our trials with Buster Brown. I thank you all.

Daisy

We took Dorah to the vet during March 15th, for three days, to begin her Rx ($19/day). We had Buster in Time Out at the Cat's Meow Inn, March 18 - 28th ($16.50/day!).  We have both he and Dorah on Prozac (flueoxetine) –him for bullying, her for twitchy terrors.

Step two

We bought Feliway, which you pop into an outlet and it puts calming pheromones into the air. It didn't calm Dorah, she began going after Annabelle. This is sort of good, since it shows she grew some ovaries and has shown some guts and glory. We're well over $500.

Step three

We decided we had to figure out if it would work on Buster. It takes a few days, they say. How to protect Dorah in the meantime? We swapped out Buster for Dorah at the 'spa', as we call it. She took off right away out the outside door of her cell. There is a bird feeder outside the enclosure and she happily watches the birds indoors, I think she will be happy watching the birds there.

In the meantime, Buster is happy to be home. He went out in the rain to check for mice friends. Annabelle kissed his face and smelled his bum!

Dorah in the sun: apricity.


He's been happy to be home. He's been affectionate with me. Calm in the house.
I took him for a walk after our trip to Wolfe Isl., going down to the frog pond.
He wouldn't follow me around the the pond, but sat on the dock. Daisy was hanging back, up at the driveway. She finally made her way down the path, anxious to come on the trip, and he promptly ran after Daisy in the forest. He wouldn't eat his wet food, with the pill, this morning. I resorted to shoving it down his throat. I am at my wit's end.

Buster Brown has left town

Here are some old photos of Buster with kittens, Daisy and Dorah when they first arrived. He used to groom them.

Buster has been a character. I love him. He's on Prozac (flueoxetine) to settle him down. It seems to have done so. There was a time when he was spraying in frustration, when we didn't let him out at night. That stopped. I found him 3km up the road once upon a time. He likes to travel. He has been 'doctored' as my 92-year-old client calls it! (I love her!)



He's been chasing the girls, Annie just whacks back at him, as does Daisy. Daize is 7 lbs, the other 3 are about 12+ and Dorah could stand up for herself, but she's just being a victim. I swear, I've seen this in my students. She is scared, got twitchies, and cowers in fear most of the time Buster is around. Daisy and Annabelle know how to read him, and understand when he is ready to battle or not.

Buster's been on Prozac (flueoxetine) for months and it does seem to calm him.
Buster is (I think) jealous of them. He trees them, when they are outdoors. But Daisy is jealous of him, too. I was grooming Buster, and she hopped down from a chair, and came right between us.

Dorah has been peeing upstairs, rather than downstairs in the litter box. She's afraid to go downstairs, where Buster sleeps in the day as he chases her.

She twitches, itches, and over grooms, and is very agitated.

Dorah from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Dorah, Daisy, Annie at play. This was in January.

Cat tails from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Buster was taken into the Cat's Meow for a week's respite. We dropped him off at the 'spa' as we call it. He was affectionate, loving with me, and David (the co-owner) we both picked him up and snuggled him. Buster knew what he was in for and paced the room. He won't be happy. He needs to roam. There is a door, where he can sit outside.



After 3 days in the vet hospital, Dorah came home. She's on Prozac now. She is much calmer. I don't know if it the meds, or just Buster's absence. She did cower under the bedside table for a few hours.
We'll have to figure out what to do. Buster's time out is for a week.

If we can keep Buster there for two weeks... in the hotel, maybe he'll calm down.
Dorah is managing her cystitis. She's still twitchy and I'm having trouble getting her to take her meds.
JB has bought over-the-counter Feliway  at the pet store. You plug it into the wall socket.

We'll try Buster back next week, with the pheromone spray after that. We shall see. I am trying not to cry, or think of it. One day at a time. This we plug into the wall. It works like an air freshener. We shall see.
 We're going to offer Buster for adoption to test the waters, if nothing changes. The pheromones should help the girls, as well. Daisy and Annie have some hearty debates!