Haven't written for a while...and this week's excuse is...
Last weekend was devoted entirely to planning and executing a fundraising yard sale for Bitey. Two of my cat loving friends from work who make up the Kitty Council came over on Sunday April 2nd with two full car loads of stuff.
It was of course the first day of daylight savings, so I got a late start, and the professional yard-salers were in my driveway picking through the jewelery and grabbing bag fulls of CDs.
Then people starting coming in two's and three's for the rest of the day, until about 2pm when traffic dropped off dramatically. I think that's the time that people start thinking about groceries and Sunday dinner.
The most amazing part was that all of my neighbors came by and bought something, all refusing change for their tens and twenties.
My friends also came by to see Bitey, who received visitors while wrapped in blanket on my bed. We've become so accustomed to seeing Bitey drag his behind around the house that I was suprised by their strong reaction to his new mode of transport.
We ended up making $340 which is a pretty good haul($20 of which went to a big pizza). An organized blogger would have taken pictures, but I, as you may have gleaned, am not so organized. So I'll leave you with a mental picture instead
Around 2pm as traffic began to slow, I wrapped Bitey in his blanket and brought him down the driveway to be the guest star of his own yard sale. He wasn't entirely comfortable so close to the street, and after a brief time struggled to get back to the house. I put him down on the driveway, grabbed his back legs, and ran, full speed, behind my cat who raced like a leopard back to the safety of the house. My friends were howling with laughter at the sight of me, bent full double trying to keep up with my speed demon cat.
I think Bitey was, while admittedly terrified, also exhilarated to be running that fast. I really need to get him a kitty cart...
Friday, March 31, 2006
Happy Anniversary (one day late)
Yesterday, March 30th, was the one month anniversary of Bitey's revised life expectancy. Of the four months he was given on February 28th, he has made it through one of them. Although in my heart I believe he can make it for longer, that clock continues to tick.
Bitey spent yesterday at the West LA Kitty Oncologist's. I have to drop him off by 7:30am in order to get to work on time. Then after work, I have to drive back, pick him up and fight hellacious traffic to get home. You may ask, where is Boyfriend in all of this? Well, in my head I'm "saving" him. My work occasionally demands that I jump on a plane with no notice and go somewhere for an indeterminate period of time. And then all the burdens of caring for Bitey end up on the boyfriend's shoulders. Which means I should really try to teach him bladder expression!
So the oncologist was again pleased with Bitey's progress. The cat seems to be making motions towards walking, and holding his own weight, although he can't do both at the same time.
I asked about Bitey's epic bout of drooling this past week. I would come home from work to find the cat's mouth and neck covered in an odorific slime. He said it was probably nausea, as Bitey's latest chemo drug was the toughest on cats. Bitey's on L-Asparagin this week, which is the first chemo drug he took last month. So hopefully the drool factory will close up shop.
I also asked another question, knowing full well that there was no real medical answer. Why did Bitey, who loved to hide under the covers and sleep there for hours, all of a sudden last Sunday reject being anywhere near the bed? If I picked him up and put him on the bed, he reacted as if I had put him in a wriggling mass of puppies. One of the main things keeping his parents going was the fact that he would curl up between us at night and purr as we scratched him behind his ears and rubbed his belly. Did he have a bad experience on the bed? Did he hate us because of all the medications we made him take? Or worst, had the cancer begun to eat into his brain, changing his behaviors?
The vet, while an accomplished kitty oncologist was not a kitty psychologist. He didn't have an answer for us in that department. I might have to settle for the fact that Bitey felt most comfortable sleeping in his cage, alone.
So, we drove home. I let Bitey out of his carrier for the hour plus drive back to Hollywood. He has gotten bolder in the car, and around Beverly Glen and Sunset hauled himself up onto the passenger seat and began looking out the window. I would worry about the safety factor, except we never go more than ten mph the whole way home...
So imagine the surprise of Mr. Rich Bald Guy in his Bentley, Little Miss Precious in her Beamer, and Mr. Macho Metrosexual in his tiny convertible with the top down, despite the frigid weather. They are chatting on cell, oblivious to the world, but turn their heads to check out the status of the car next to them. And what do they see? An orange and white kitty head staring quizzically at them from my car. Now that's something you don't see everyday, even in Los Angeles.
I would have written about this yesterday, but I got home and fell asleep almost immediately at 6:31pm, woke up briefly around 11pm to realize that I hadn't expressed the cat or given him his prednisone and conked out again. So, on the one month anniversary of Bitey's prognosis, I treated myself to ELEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP.
And the best part of that sleep? Bitey spent seven of those hours in the bed with us. Boyfriend spent two hours with him on the couch, and then brought him into the bedroom around 11pm, just to see if he would stay. And stay he did. I was awoken at 5:31 this morning by the gentle track of claws across my face. Just enough claw to ensure I would wake up, but never enough to wound. That's my guy. Happy Anniversary Bitey Boo, let's hope there will be many more.
Bitey spent yesterday at the West LA Kitty Oncologist's. I have to drop him off by 7:30am in order to get to work on time. Then after work, I have to drive back, pick him up and fight hellacious traffic to get home. You may ask, where is Boyfriend in all of this? Well, in my head I'm "saving" him. My work occasionally demands that I jump on a plane with no notice and go somewhere for an indeterminate period of time. And then all the burdens of caring for Bitey end up on the boyfriend's shoulders. Which means I should really try to teach him bladder expression!
So the oncologist was again pleased with Bitey's progress. The cat seems to be making motions towards walking, and holding his own weight, although he can't do both at the same time.
I asked about Bitey's epic bout of drooling this past week. I would come home from work to find the cat's mouth and neck covered in an odorific slime. He said it was probably nausea, as Bitey's latest chemo drug was the toughest on cats. Bitey's on L-Asparagin this week, which is the first chemo drug he took last month. So hopefully the drool factory will close up shop.
I also asked another question, knowing full well that there was no real medical answer. Why did Bitey, who loved to hide under the covers and sleep there for hours, all of a sudden last Sunday reject being anywhere near the bed? If I picked him up and put him on the bed, he reacted as if I had put him in a wriggling mass of puppies. One of the main things keeping his parents going was the fact that he would curl up between us at night and purr as we scratched him behind his ears and rubbed his belly. Did he have a bad experience on the bed? Did he hate us because of all the medications we made him take? Or worst, had the cancer begun to eat into his brain, changing his behaviors?
The vet, while an accomplished kitty oncologist was not a kitty psychologist. He didn't have an answer for us in that department. I might have to settle for the fact that Bitey felt most comfortable sleeping in his cage, alone.
So, we drove home. I let Bitey out of his carrier for the hour plus drive back to Hollywood. He has gotten bolder in the car, and around Beverly Glen and Sunset hauled himself up onto the passenger seat and began looking out the window. I would worry about the safety factor, except we never go more than ten mph the whole way home...
So imagine the surprise of Mr. Rich Bald Guy in his Bentley, Little Miss Precious in her Beamer, and Mr. Macho Metrosexual in his tiny convertible with the top down, despite the frigid weather. They are chatting on cell, oblivious to the world, but turn their heads to check out the status of the car next to them. And what do they see? An orange and white kitty head staring quizzically at them from my car. Now that's something you don't see everyday, even in Los Angeles.
I would have written about this yesterday, but I got home and fell asleep almost immediately at 6:31pm, woke up briefly around 11pm to realize that I hadn't expressed the cat or given him his prednisone and conked out again. So, on the one month anniversary of Bitey's prognosis, I treated myself to ELEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP.
And the best part of that sleep? Bitey spent seven of those hours in the bed with us. Boyfriend spent two hours with him on the couch, and then brought him into the bedroom around 11pm, just to see if he would stay. And stay he did. I was awoken at 5:31 this morning by the gentle track of claws across my face. Just enough claw to ensure I would wake up, but never enough to wound. That's my guy. Happy Anniversary Bitey Boo, let's hope there will be many more.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
What Price Love?
2/11/06:
Visit to local vet to find out if cat's back legs are hurt several days after fall from tree:
$87.00
2/18/06:
Deposit for Bitey's hospitalization and diagnosis at Kitty Surgical Center: $2,000
2/21/06:
The balance for the rest of Bitey's diagnostic tests and hospital care at the Kitty Surgical Center:
$733.00 (See Invoice).
(FYI: The $2,733.00 total at the Kitty Surgical Center was discounted from $3,400 by the kindly doctor who cared for Bitey. I guess she knew what was coming.)
2/21/06:
Cage and sick kitty care items at Petco:
$136.34
2/22/06:
First (and least expensive) visit to the lovely Orange County kitty neurologist: $79.00
2/27/06:
Kitty MRI, including anesthesia, as ordered by lovely OC kitty neurologist, and performed by Kitty Medical Imagining Center (also in the OC):
$1,169.95 (See Invoice).
3/1/06:
Re-check and first dose of Kitty Chemo at Orange County Neurologist's: $249.00
3/2/06
Consultation, chemo, and first radiation treatment (including anesthesia) from West LA Kitty Oncologist:
$796.27
3/2/06
Another visit to Petco for wee-wee pads, kitty wipes, and kitty diapers:
$65.91
3/9/06
2nd radiation treatment, chemo etc at West LA Oncologist:
$393.62
3/13/06
Total costs for all hospitalization, bladder expression ($10 per squeeze), medication, and loving care at local vet's office for several weeks (and I'm almost positive there was a big "kitty pity" discount somewhere in here:
$423.00
3/16/06
3rd radiation treatment and chemo at West LA Oncologist:
$388.90
3/20/06
Bitey's stay at local vet while his parent's take brief pre-scheduled weekend vacation in San Diego for World Baseball Classic (and come home early b/c they miss their sick kitty:
$105
3/23/06
Chemo, recheck and blood count at West LA Oncologist:
$226.98
3/30/06
Re-Check, Blood Count, Kitty Chemo at West LA Oncologist:
$279.44
So, without bothering to factor in gas prices all the drives to the O.C. and West LA, the grand total comes to:
(Drumroll please)
$7,133.41
This Picture?
And This?
And This?
Priceless.
(Okay, has the priceless thing been done enough? Yes. But I charged this all to my Mastercard, so I earned it!)
Speaking of which, here are my favorite invoices:
Visit to local vet to find out if cat's back legs are hurt several days after fall from tree:
$87.00
2/18/06:
Deposit for Bitey's hospitalization and diagnosis at Kitty Surgical Center: $2,000
2/21/06:
The balance for the rest of Bitey's diagnostic tests and hospital care at the Kitty Surgical Center:
$733.00 (See Invoice).
(FYI: The $2,733.00 total at the Kitty Surgical Center was discounted from $3,400 by the kindly doctor who cared for Bitey. I guess she knew what was coming.)
2/21/06:
Cage and sick kitty care items at Petco:
$136.34
2/22/06:
First (and least expensive) visit to the lovely Orange County kitty neurologist: $79.00
2/27/06:
Kitty MRI, including anesthesia, as ordered by lovely OC kitty neurologist, and performed by Kitty Medical Imagining Center (also in the OC):
$1,169.95 (See Invoice).
3/1/06:
Re-check and first dose of Kitty Chemo at Orange County Neurologist's: $249.00
3/2/06
Consultation, chemo, and first radiation treatment (including anesthesia) from West LA Kitty Oncologist:
$796.27
3/2/06
Another visit to Petco for wee-wee pads, kitty wipes, and kitty diapers:
$65.91
3/9/06
2nd radiation treatment, chemo etc at West LA Oncologist:
$393.62
3/13/06
Total costs for all hospitalization, bladder expression ($10 per squeeze), medication, and loving care at local vet's office for several weeks (and I'm almost positive there was a big "kitty pity" discount somewhere in here:
$423.00
3/16/06
3rd radiation treatment and chemo at West LA Oncologist:
$388.90
3/20/06
Bitey's stay at local vet while his parent's take brief pre-scheduled weekend vacation in San Diego for World Baseball Classic (and come home early b/c they miss their sick kitty:
$105
3/23/06
Chemo, recheck and blood count at West LA Oncologist:
$226.98
3/30/06
Re-Check, Blood Count, Kitty Chemo at West LA Oncologist:
$279.44
So, without bothering to factor in gas prices all the drives to the O.C. and West LA, the grand total comes to:
(Drumroll please)
$7,133.41
This Picture?
And This?
And This?
Priceless.
(Okay, has the priceless thing been done enough? Yes. But I charged this all to my Mastercard, so I earned it!)
Speaking of which, here are my favorite invoices:
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