The darkness this time of year is always hard on me, and the yucky weather we've had for the past 3 weeks or so hasn't helped. Generally Colorado winters are stormy but sunny. A big storm will blow through and dump a pile of snow on us (which is exciting in its own right) and the next day the sun comes out and it's just beautiful. Usually it melts off in a day or two.
This is what Colorado winters usually look like |
And then there's Princess. She's doing well, but having a sick cat is stressful, and I fret over every little detail like if she's eating enough, and getting all the supplemental treatment she needs. I just want to will her to get better.
Last week she decided to put her paw down and refused to let me give her fluids. Seriously, as soon as I'd pick her up and head toward the bathroom she'd go feral on me and turn into a snarling beast.
So we gave it a rest for a few days until I came up with a better idea. Princess can be quite opinionated when awake, but she also is a very sound sleeper and it generally takes her a few minutes to wake up - so I've changed up the system, and now I wait until she's completely zonked out, then I set up the fluids right by her little bed so I can quickly grab her.
Today I grabbed her, set her in my lap and we had the whole thing over and done with before she really even woke up. Seriously, she didn't even notice the needle or the fluids going it! Woo Hoo!!!
Plus, she ate like a little horse - even gobbled up a bowl of prescription cat food without my having to lace it with something yummy!
And to put the topper on my day, Mother Nature came through with sunshine and temps in the 50's! It was soooo fabulous that I spent the day trimming random branches in the yard (well, the sunny spots where the snow had melted) and took a quick bike ride to the store on mostly ice-free streets.
Yay!!! I feel about a zillion times better!
So tell me... how was your day?
One of my cats had to have medicine dabbed on her belly because of allergies. Nothing invasive at all, however she didn't like it. Usually my son would hold her, and I would dab on the medicine. She started to hide from us, so we decided the cure was worse than the problem. We haven't treated her for several years, but anytime my son comes home and we're both in the same room she runs and hides. And I guess the whole point of this story is that I understand that cats will go to great lengths to avoid things. I'm glad that Princess is such a great sleeper and you can give her fluids then. I never had a cat that we could do that with. We had a whole thing rigged up on the dining room table. I hope improvements continue.
ReplyDeleteOh my... when dabbing something on the belly becomes impossible, you know you're in trouble! I'm hoping that this little trick will continue to work, but I'm under no illusions. It didn't go too well today - she flinched at the needle stick and that generally doesn't bode well, so we only got a little bit in her. But my new philosophy is not to push it and to stop the minute she gets antsy, because the wrestling match just isn't worth it (for me or for her!)
DeleteI hope you have more opportunities to get out on your bike soon, Cat! We all need to have something we do that helps us cope through difficult times or seasons.
ReplyDeleteAnd for me (living where the sun goes away for long stretches at a time) I've spent a lot of energy trying to figure how to get through the long dark months.
I got out for another short ride today, which felt great! I'm sure the endorphin release is part of it, but just getting outside helps me to gain perspective. I still think your scented baths sound wonderful!
DeleteI think if I lived where you do I'd be tempted to get myself one of those crazy light visors that they prescribe for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder!
We've had gray skies too. I've missed walking by the river because the windchill is sub-zero and the wind speeds are really high. I am bummed by that since I'm going back to work next week! Well, I'm happy to have a job, but wish I had better weather to spend more time outside before I started back again!
ReplyDeleteCats become very adept and guessing when fluid time is coming near. One thing that might make it a little less unpleasant is to also make sure the bag of water is a little bit warmer than room temperature. It can be a shock going in cold!
Oh yes... the bag is heated to exactly kitty body temperature, we've got the thin-walled needles, and there's only one brand of fluids that she'll even tolerate. But here's the thing - when I took her to the vet and had the vet techs give me a demo on her just to be sure I wasn't doing something wrong, she just sat there like a little angel! Didn't flinch or move or anything! Apparently she knows that mom is a pushover! :-)
DeleteThose of us who live in overcast areas are cranky. Very, very cranky.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I get crabby as much as I have this plodding, gotta-get-through-the-day feeling. The good thing is, when we DO get sunshine, we really appreciate it--everyone is practically giddy. Getting outside in grey weather, even for a little bit, is helpful (except last week when our temps were single digits and we got a ton of snow and driving winds--then it's best just to hunker down and wait it out). Our house has a working fireplace and that's a treat in the bleak midwinter (hey, isn't that a song??). I force myself to do some sort of exercise. I bake ... a lot ... and drink a lot of tea ...
Anyway, glad you had mild temps and sunshine. Enjoy!
You are soooo right - going outside even in crummy weather helps. I actually felt better when we got a few big snowstorms because at least I had an excuse to get out and shovel! Perhaps I should take that message to heart and make a point to get outside even when it looks yucky out there.
DeleteI am soooo jealous of the fireplace! I would totally love to have one. Of course, my inner pyromaniac would love it too - and for that reason it's probably a really bad idea! Just think what my stress level would be if I burnt the house down! :-)
I, too, opt to shovel snow just to get myself outside.
DeleteLast year we tried snowshoeing and liked it, so we bought snowshoes. I went today and it felt soooo good to be outside. Plus, I'm not exactly coordinated and I can manage to snowshoe without falling over. Just a thought if you live in an area that gets snow every year.
I've always wanted to try snowshoes - but honestly I don't think we get enough snow here in town to use them except on very rare occasions. Still sounds fun though...
DeleteI can sympathize with both of your problems. I too can get depressed during the cold months, last year was really bad, our winter seemed to go on forever. I started taking Vitamin D and I don't know if that's what has helped this year, but I'm just glad something has. I hope you can get some bike-able weather.
ReplyDeleteWith Princess...all we can do is, do our best. I had a kitty in the same predicament and Melle and I really tired of the continuous care.
I'm glad to hear that Princess has improved.
Marieann
Thanks Marieann - maybe I should up my vitamin D supplement in the winter, I hadn't thought of that - I'll have to do some research on what safe levels are.
DeleteYou know, I'm starting to realize that unless you're willing to euthanize at the first sign of trouble, long-term care is really the rule rather than the exception with cats. At least that seems to be how it's going with mine. I've had a total of 6 cats as an adult - three are still with me. Of the three that have gone, one went suddenly, but the other two were in kitty hospice care for about a year each.
I dunno, but the odds are making me think good and hard about whether or not I want to keep adding to the brood. I suppose the fact that they're all rescued strays exposed to who knows how many years of who knows what doesn't help. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how I feel about it the next time a hungry kitty appears on my doorstep.
Well Miss Cat Lady, I know exactly what you'll do the next time a hungry kitty appears on your doorstep
DeleteOh, what unhappy twist of fate
Has brought you, homeless to my gate?
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth and food.
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny
While he, with purr and velvet paw
Became within my house the Law
He scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed
He ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day he died.
So if you really think, oh cat
I'd willingly relive all that
Because you came forlorn and thin,
Well......don't just stand there, come on in
Marieann
OK... that totally made me cry.
DeleteI'm glad your kitty is doing well, and hope she continues to get better. It was sunny (if somewhat windy) in Denver today - saw lots of bicyclists. Hope you were able to get out and enjoy a ride in the sun.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lian. I'm currently jumping for joy because Princess let me do fluids again today - scooped her into my lap and she didn't even notice. Then she scarfed up a whole bowl of prescription cat food. Yay!
DeleteAnyhow, CatMan and I went for a 28 mile ride today and it was wonderful, though the wind was a bit brisk in spots! I even put a bit of SPF 30 on my nose just for good measure! :-)
I get the same way you do with all the gray and darkness this time of year. Last year was really bad for me and the extreme cold for more than a month straight was too much. Add to that the lousy plowing done by my landlords and I was stuck inside with no ability to get any fresh air for weeks at at time and I'd had enough. This year isn't as bad. Yes it's been gloomy and we've had spurts of the super cold temps but my new town has seen less than 5 inches of snow so far which means I can get outside and at least breathe some fresh air.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found a way to medicate Princess. Your trials remind me of my oldest son who from the earliest age refused medications of any kind and would in his own way go feral. :-) I used to have to pin his head between my legs and wrap my legs over his body being sure to trap his arms then plug his nose as I squeezed the liquid into his mouth so he had to swallow it to breathe. I hated doing it and was thankful he was rarely sick.
We finally reached 48 degrees one day last week. I was so excited I headed outside with a book. Sure lifted my spirits.
OMG - I can't imagine having to do that with a child, sounds horrible!
DeleteFortunately the weather has improved a bit and CatMan & I were able to get out for a couple of rides. We're expecting 4 more inches tonight, but hopefully it will melt off fairly quickly - fingers crossed!