JFAMILY

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

I BELIEVE...

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LOVE is…
When you have your compassionate eyes even on a small living creature,
Showering and sacrificing your love without any conditions,
Feeling joyful by giving them the best they should have,
And you would see love wherever you may be… Criz Lai



Tuesday, October 28, 2008

ALL WELL THAT NEVER ENDED WELL

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It seemed that even before Janice could come back into a virus free environment, everything started again. Is the Calici Virus as diagnosed by the vets so serious that it would take 10 months to a year plus to be totally wiped out? I’m lost for words and answers now. This time, it struck Justin very badly. He didn’t eat or drink anything for the last two days. He was panting real hard too. All the medications given to him had not shown any progress at all. He has lost all his energy to even stand up for a minute! I had to force some liquid food and water into him even though he had spitted out almost 90% of the food. I’m so sad, confused, stress and not knowing what to do next…



Saturday, October 25, 2008

PHOTO HUNTERS – SCARY

photohunters

This week’s theme is on SCARY.
It was definitely a SCARY and stressful period for me
during the past few weeks with so many of
the J Family Kitties falling sick at the same time.
I’m not going to repeat all those SCARY moments
I had to deal with weird illness, vomit, vet bills, etc.
Instead… just look at what Jeremy had to say…

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

JANICE CAN COME BACK SOON

Things seem to be better now in the J Family with Mama Jessica almost recovered. Yay! Janice can finally come home after I have settled her expenses for the 18 days of ordeal she had there… I hope. I missed her so much. I still can’t get use to her not cuddling by my pillow or between my legs each night. I hope I can get some good rest now without worrying about the health of the J Family Kitties…

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

BURNOUT

That’s exactly the word to describe me now. When I thought all the dilemmas I had for the past few weeks settled, another one crept up unexpectedly. How would you feel if you were to wake up on a Saturday and find this on the floor?

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I was even in a greater shock when I found these spots on a table in my living room.

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… with blood stains as well.

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After some inspections throughout the whole house, I found out that it was Mama Jessica vomiting furiously all over the house. Again… I think it was just my fate to get sick kitties during a weekend when I needed more time for a good rest. I guessed while taking care of Jeremy, she somehow got affected by his virus. She has been sleeping most of the time for the last few days without much food. With the medications I gave her, she is now recovering quite well.

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Anyway, everyone over here had recovered from the bad experiences they had earlier except that I have not brought Janice home yet. Haiz… I missed my girl…

Saturday, October 18, 2008

PHOTO HUNTERS – FAMILY

photohunters

This week’s theme is on FAMILY.
This shot was taken in early September when
Jolyn first came into the J FAMILY.
Unfortunately, Papa Jonathan ran away
from his FAMILY duties as usual.
You can see that Jolyn was under interrogation
for peeing outside the FAMILY litter box.

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Jeremy was acting as the future
Head of the FAMILY
by teaching Jolyn a lesson.

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LATEST UPDATE:
Jeremy – Getting better
Jimmy – No changes, still same problem
Mama Jessica – Vomited 6 times with reddish stains 3 hours ago
Here I go getting the whole place disinfected again!!!


Friday, October 17, 2008

ENSURING THE HEALTH OF THE J KITTIES

I wonder if my absence had been felt in the cat blogosphere as I have been MIA for days. One thing I have to say, I have been extremely busy ensuring the health of every kitties in the J Family are well looked into as well as mine. The whole week has been a hectic week with Justin, Joey, Jimmy and Jeremy getting themselves in and out of sicknesses. I won’t have to mention but I guessed you all would have known how tough it was to have a few purging kitties at home at the same time. By now with all the medications I had purchased from the vet, everyone except Jimmy and Jeremy had recovered.

Although Jimmy is still having some soft stools, at least those were not as watery and mucus filled as before. He should be cleared within the next few days. Jeremy was the one that made me concern the most. Constipation! That was something new to me in cats. He was down with fever ever since Sunday and I was praying hard that he would pull through. Not only fear was in his eyes. Mine too as I was in real panicky situation for the worst scenario.

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I had to manually feed him with some wet food and water every few hours before giving him his medications. On top of that, I had to wipe him clean with a damp towel occasionally to try to keep his temperature down. You should just look at his eyes in tears. I could even feel his pain in trying to recover from his sickness. Even Mama Jessica was trying hard to comfort him at all times. I got even more heartache when I found out that he had lost some much weight considering that I always like to call him a fatty. He’s so skinny now!

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I was relieved barely an hour ago when he gave out his first “mess”. Although it was in my living room, it was a sign that got me in tears. He was fighting to recover and he was up moving about purring and rubbing against my legs for more food! I hope his worst would be over soon.

Janice on the other hand is still at the vet, doing quite well after a minor surgery to remove that “horn” of hers. Although she was still crying for my presence, I have no other choice but to keep her there to ensure that her wound would heal properly without getting infected by the remaining sick kitties in the house. Whicky Wuudler, Oliver, Angel O'Cakes and Gerry’s Mum, Jane, was right about the Calici Virus that has been affecting Janice. I just got this information from her last night although I would love to have known it earlier without proceeding to surgery which had just cost me a bomb. From the symptoms that were described in her email, it was exactly what happened to Janice (and maybe the rest). Luckily, I forced myself to push Janice to the vet at the right time, although reluctantly due to some circumstances.

With this useful information given, it did help the vets to narrow down the assumption on what was happening to Janice. Out of curiosity, I did ask them on why they have no knowledge on such an existence of the virus. I know I was not in a position to question their expertise in treating Janice but I had to know. To my surprise, they answered me very well with a sense of humor as well. “Not all doctors would know everything unless they were specialized in a specific sickness. What Janice was experiencing was never seen before in our entire 30 years plus of involvement in the veterinary services throughout the world.” I was dumbfounded with the last statement and did not wish to ask any further.

I would like to quote what Jane had emailed me, just in case any of the kitties out there is experiencing the same symptom as Janice.

The Merck Veterinary Manual: According to this book (reference textbook as used by veterinary surgeons) Nasopharyngeal Polyps can often be caused by Calici Virus. This is an upper respiratory virus that is common in cat colonies and is easily spread. The symptoms for Calici Virus fit perfectly (I'd bet exactly) with the symptoms you described that Janice had as an adjunct to the polyps and also your other cats. The rate of spread within your cat family fits too.

A viral swab is easily done by your vet to establish if it is Calici virus causing the polyps and other symptoms. Not every cat will get the polyps but Calici virus, whilst as a virus is not directly treatable, the symptoms CAN be treated successfully with a range of antibiotics. Once a cat has Calici Virus, it will always have it (and shed it too) and acute episodes (which can last from 7 to 10 days) can be caused by stress, which is common in multi cats household. Vaccines are available for it, but obviously this is of no use to an already infected feline.

I have a cat with Calici, Gerry - he has had one of the worst cases of Calici my vet had ever seen. 100% ulcerated mouth, oral abscesses, vomiting, extreme diarrhea, dehydration, inappetance, sneezes, coughing, depression and generalized pain. There's also a form of Calici called Limping Calici Virus (but he did not have this) and it took 9 months to stabilize him and control the episodes. Initially we tried 6 weekly injections of Depomedron (a steroid) to control it, but the effect just did not last for the interval between doses. What has worked (in the last year he's had only one episode of Calici - due to a fight with the neighbor’s cat) is Interferon. This is available from the vet in solution form - the approved brand is Virbagen Omega and it's administered once a day orally, not with food but by syringe. Interferon in contact with the cat's throat causes the immune system to work harder in that area and keep the virus at bay. For Gerry this has been a life saver and once Janice and the others have recovered (if of course it is Calici causing their illness) it may work for them too.”

Anyway, I should be real thankful to Jane for endlessly trying to help in getting Janice out from her misery. THANK YOU JANE!


Sunday, October 12, 2008

NOSEMAPHOBIA

That’s what I’m having now - the fear of illness. Things have not been fine over here in the J Family. It is really chaotic and stressful with one after another getting sick. I had always wanted to write more but I could not due to the situations and lethargy. Here’s the latest development of everyone.

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You must be wondering what were those blue black red yellow spots on my back right? I’m still suffering from acute neck and back pain. I could barely sit or bend for a long time. I have seen many doctors and tried many products but all did not work. That’s the results of undergoing chiropathy and acupressure. Those may look sore at first but eventually the pain would go away and it did for my lower back problems earlier.

With all sickness around now affecting all of us, things have been very rough. While I have been taking care of my own sickness, the kitties had their medical needs to be taken care of too. The Furriends of the Cat Blogosphere had offered to assist me, Moki and Cody with a raffle. This time it’s a Pearl White Sony Boombox which is also iPod compatible. Please drop by to help us by buying some raffle tickets for the better of our needy kitties. Thanks ML for helping out. I appreciate it a lot during this rough time.

I sincerely hope that someone would help out in my dilemma over here as caring for 9 kitties and many strays around the neighborhood has never been easy, especially when most of my kitties fell sick at the same time… please do click on any of my Nuffnang Ads (if they are showing something) or feel free to donate (at my left side bar) if you feel like showing more generosity. Thank you.

Latest Update 3.00pm: Argh!!! Joey was affected now with vomit and diarrhea even after all the precautions taken to separate all of them.

Friday, October 10, 2008

PHOTO HUNTERS – LAZY

photohunters

This week’s theme is on LAZY.
It's not that I have been too LAZY to hop around,
it’s because my baby, Janice has been at the vet since Sunday.
I was so tired running around that I’m
too LAZY to shot some new photos today.
I would just show you some LAZY shots of Janice
two weeks before she was struck with this weird sickness.

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Sometimes, I felt that Janice could be real
demanding when she gets too LAZY!

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But I’m feeling rather lonely without her
lazing next to me now…

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Thursday, October 9, 2008

I WANT TO GO HOME!

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FOUR DAYS! That’s one too many days Janice has been away from home. My girl is crying foul play now. What else could I do then? Nothing! I have been sitting down in daze and cleaning up the whole place all the time to keep my mind occupied from thinking all the worst things that might happen for Janice. One call from the vet this morning changed the whole moods in the J Family. Janice was cured from her bowel problems and has been eating quite constantly. It’s great news for all but… she has to stay back a few days more to monitor her “horns” problem. Again, I stumbled onto my chair. “What? She has to stay for another few days? That would be terrible, not only for her but for me!” Haiz…

Before I realized what I was doing, I was already half way down to the vet’s. When I was in the room, Janice was already on the table for more tests. You can feel what she was feeling then by the look on her face… fear… stress… and more. Even with my presence, there wasn’t a smile on her face. She just wanted to go home but I could not allow that. She has to be cleared of whatever that has been bugging her.

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The vets did some tissue tests but found no infections or whatsoever that could have caused Janice to be sick. It’s still a puzzle there. The “horns” were nothing more than some pinkish flesh popping out on her head without any reasons. They have also tried using many types of skin creams to treat the “horns”. There were some hiccups there. The cream that they had used for her left ear managed to reduce the lump slowly but it had no effect on her right ear.

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Her right ear “horn” was still big and red. In fact, the other one on the other side was getting a bit bigger each day. It does not look good at all. I’m still waiting for the vet’s advice if it’s advisable to perform some surgeries on that. I hope not as it would be painful for Janice as well as for my pocket. Haiz!

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Now how am I going to face Janice when she eventually gets to go home?

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Note: Jeremy has recovered but Justin is still purging all over the house now not at one spot but many spots, even on top of my cupboards. :(

Monday, October 6, 2008

WE MISSES JANICE

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Janice was away from home ever since yesterday. Everyone missed her so much, especially me. I have no choice but to hospitalize her yesterday as she has grown weaker each day. She is now still on IV Drip as she has dehydrated from nonstop of loose bowel problems for the last one week. I thought the medication given by the vet would work but somehow it did not help her a bit. Moreover, her “horns” now maintained fleshy pink but they did not grow any bigger. It is still a mystery for all of us on what would have caused the lumps. Moki’s Mum did suspect that it might be due to Nasopharyngeal Polyps but the vets were not certain as Janice showed more symptoms than those listed in the information. Whicky Wuudler, Oliver, Angel O'Cakes and Gerry’s Mum thought it could be due to bug bites. The vets ruled that out as there were only 5 fleshy lumps and they only appeared on her head and no where else.

There are still running tests on her when I visited her this morning. The vet managed to control her purging although her stools were still semi soft. She was crying softly to be taken out of that foreign place. She wanted to be taken home to be with her family. I was deeply sad with her cries but she has to be there in order to get well. With all the facilities there, she should get well right? I hope so. Janice would have to be there for a week or more depending on how fast she is accepting the treatments. The vets would have to get her up and going before they could perform any surgery on her. She’s just too weak now.

I’m very exhausted mentally and physically with all the running to and fro from the vet’s. Nothing gets in or out from my brain now. I’m totally in daze most of the time. At least she’s getting the best treatment now to recover from this ordeal. I hope she would stay positive all the way. I believe in her. I believed that she would not give up hope so easily. Sob~

Adding to this nightmare, both Jeremy and Justin were also affected by mild purging problems. Although milder than what Janice had experienced, I’m on full alert on any possible outbreak here. I’m still puzzled. All of them have been eating the same food and getting the same clean, filtered and boiled water and they can still get affected? There would be more monitoring and sanitizing every hour of the day now. I hope their problems were not related to Janice’s illness as it only happened the day I brought Janice to the vet. I guessed I would have to take more days of leave to take care of the kitties now…

Friday, October 3, 2008

PHOTO HUNTERS – SAD

photohunters

This week’s theme is on SAD.
What a coincidence the theme depicts how I’m feeling now!
Yup! I’m feeling SAD!
My baby, Janice has not been getting well
ever since she was struck with a mysterious illness.
There are full of SADNESS in J Family
seeing Janice looking SAD all the time.

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Jayson was the one who would spend all
his time looking after Janice.
He is real SAD!

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Joey tries not to show her SADNESS in front of her sister
but rather to share her little warmth with her.

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I feel SAD and it hurts a lot looking at
Janice’s little weak body.
Now I feel worst knowing that
she’s about to have a fever.

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I MIGHT BE BUSY RESPONDING THIS WEEK
DUE TO FATIGUE TAKING CARE OF JANICE.
I HOPE YOU ALL DOESN’T MIND MY ABSENCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND VISIT!



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Thank you and have a Nice Weekend!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

GLOOMY WEATHER

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The weather here is rather gloomy, so am I. It was rather tiring to be up most of the time to take care of Janice. She has improved a bit but rather slowly. For the past 3 days, she practically slept most of the time without much movement. On and off I have been feeding her with some warm water and soaked cat food. At least she has been eating more than before. I just hope she would be her usual playful self soon…

Can you imagine how hurt I am to see her going through this way for the last 3 days plus? I have done my best… It’s now up to God’s hands to see her pull through this trauma…



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

WHAT IS GOING ON?

I’m still panicking… It has been more than 60 hours and Janice is still showing signs of being real weak. I called the vet and she assured me that it was the side effect of her medication that made her drowsy and sleepy. I hope that is true because it’s stressing me a lot seeing her so soft and fragile. Moreover, I’m suspecting that those mysterious “horns” are the cause of her being so sickly. The vet wasn’t sure as well as she did not perform any test yet as Janice was still too weak to be mobile.

I hope the rain would stop too. I thought it would after few hours of rain free weather last night but it just poured furiously after that until now. It’s freezing cold out there, so am I over here. I’m feeling the chilling pain on my spine too. Maybe I would just cuddle Janice up again as I did before the whole of yesterday. If her condition did not improve over the next few hours, I might have to get the vet over for a house call… I hope… I can.

My twins Joey and Jimmy very rarely sleep together with their sister but they are doing exactly the opposite now… Jimmy looked as worried too… I'll need more prayers here please......

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