Mia - Chapter 3

[Lilith]

Ouch! Poor chap!

I believe it's fairly common - I once heard of a cat who had lost one down his trouser leg ...

Let's hope the only harm is to your wallet, but he's young enough to bounce back, bless him. Fusses and love to him and to the rest of the gang.

[ThorpeDave]

Ouch! Poor chap!

I believe it's fairly common - I once heard of a cat who had lost one down his trouser leg ...

Let's hope the only harm is to your wallet, but he's young enough to bounce back, bless him. Fusses and love to him and to the rest of the gang.

It affects 1 or 2 in every 100 cats and could be serious if not dealt with - but it has!

Damage? £300 but that is nothing if it had not been dealt with

Regards

Dave

[Ruth B]

Poor lad, here's hoping he is soon back to running and jumping about, but not before it has had time to heal properly.

I have heard of one other cat that belonged to a friend (another tabby called Jasper) who at 5 months was sent home before surgery as only one had dropped, a month later it still wasn't showing and the vet had to go hunting for it.

One of the advantages of adopting them as adults, I haven't had to worry about that vet trip since i was a child, they have all come ready done.

[Mayday21]

Hi Dave this does happen. Sometimes a vet will wait, especially if the kitten’s around 8-12 weeks (personally I think this is too young for neutering, speying) to see if the testicle will drop. TC was around 12 mths when he was surrendered to Little Paws, with the folks who’d adopted Snow Girl, surrending both - TC a ring in this was discovered when he hadn’t been neutered. A day or so after the op he had a temp - 41degrees which went up over night. I raced him to the vet the next morning where he was saturated with wet towels to bring down his temp. He stayed overnight on fluids & abs. I noticed he hadn’t been shaved round the nether areas. Guess being a rescue, vet cut corners!!! I’m always wary of folks who post they had their fur babes done for this amount. Know on one occasion the fur babe had to be rushed to emergency. So guess what I’m saying be grateful your vet identified what was the problem, called you & Jasper’s ok. Fusses to the boy. Vivian & The Famous Four from Oz.

[ThorpeDave]

Had a really bad night with Jasper.

When we got home with him he was very weak and could not stand up properly. He had refused food at the vets.

After a small amount of food he started to pick up then had a larger meal later and he seemed OK but then got very agitated.

Normally when we put him in his crate and turn of the lights he settles down - but not last night!

When he failed to scream, chew and bash his way out he ripped his bed up, emptied the litter tray and food bowls and screamed at the top of his voice.

We let him out and he settled for about 30 minutes then he went on a mission to empty the other litter trays, food bowl and generally cause mayhem! He was very rough with Morgana and bit us several times. Even Hendrix went and hid under the stairs to get out of his way

Basically he did not sleep all night and was tearing around the place and we were unable to settle him at all.

He has had something to eat this morning and some Loxicon and he has finally settled down with Morgana on the cat tree. I am waiting for a phone call from the vet to discuss how he is. Most of his belly has been shaved which is obviously irritating him, but the wounds look clean and showing no signs of inflammation - quite surprisingly!

the vet says that he was operated on at the right time as he has become sexually mature and he was certainly showing considerable interest in his sister!

His second testicle was laying on his bladder which is, apparently, very rare and the most senior surgeon in the practice was called in to have a look and oversee the Op.

As mentioned elsewhere, Our vet is a well known TV Vet and we have the utmost confidence in them. They all love Jasper and Morgana and all want to see them when we take them.

Jasper is back for a check on Friday and Morgana will be going along too and they will both be wormed and thoroughly checked.

Regards

Dave

[Lilith]

Oh no, poor guy - and poor you.

I've no direct experience of this, but I've heard of cats reacting to anaesthetic/sedatives and becoming manic. I hope it's leaving his system now. Your vet sounds very thorough. But what dreadful luck on top of that worrying operation - hope things are calmer now and they all settle down. All the best.

[Ruth B]

Poor lad it seems he has been really put through the mill with it, hopefully he will be feeling more himself and calmer today.

A good vet is worth their weight in gold. When my parents retired and were looking to move and downsize it came down to a matter of they were willing to change doctors, dentist, whatever for themselves, but they wanted to be close enough to stay with the same vet. Last year we had a few problems with ours, we had used them for 20 years but the senior vet had left and things had changed, a few minor incidents, vets not calling back after they said they would, problems making appointments, surgeries running very late, that type of thing and I actually ended up mentioning to one of the vets that had been there a while, a quite, a none formal complaint, a few weeks later a questionnaire came up on their Facebook page, which i filled in. Since then I'm happy to say that things have improved a lot and we are still with them. I didn't want to change but another problem and I would have seriously considered it although I had no real complaint with the treatment any of the cats had received.

[ThorpeDave]

Oh no, poor guy - and poor you.

I've no direct experience of this, but I've heard of cats reacting to anaesthetic/sedatives and becoming manic. I hope it's leaving his system now. Your vet sounds very thorough. But what dreadful luck on top of that worrying operation - hope things are calmer now and they all settle down. All the best.

Spoken to the senior vet this afternoon who told me the op took 45 minutes and Jasper had to be given Opiates wo was probably as high as a kite and went a bit bonkers when he started to come down.

He has had some Loxicom this morning and he seems a lot better and his sleeping pasterns is more normal too.

Thankfully he decided to "kick some litter" around this afternoon and, as we all know, you feel a lot better when you have "been" !!!!

Been told I can take him back any time if we are concerned and I have 24 hour access to veterinary services.

Hopefully over the worst now - fingers crossed!

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Poor lad it seems he has been really put through the mill with it, hopefully he will be feeling more himself and calmer today.

A good vet is worth their weight in gold. When my parents retired and were looking to move and downsize it came down to a matter of they were

I think we are getting there now - lets see how he is tonight!

I agree, a good vet is worth their weight in gold.

the biggest complaint I hear about our vet is that it is normal to have to wait way past the appointment time. I have even seen people complain and walking out!

Yesterday we had to wait 40 minutes past the appointment time when collecting Jasper. Did I complain? nope! Our vets do not watch the clock and give the animal whatever time is required to assess and treat. Our 15 minute appointment turned into 30 minutes because the vet wanted to explain everything to us and I really appreciate that. It could have been shorter but she wanted to cuddle Jasper for as long as possible - as did the nurse and the receptionist !!!!

Regards

Dave

[Ruth B]

I can understand that sometimes you have to wait, there was one time when a dog was rushed in choking and had to go straight into emergency surgery and they had to call another vet in to cover. However the surgery used to run to time very well, I can only think they were very good as working out how long an appointment was going to need, it was rare to have to wait more then 10 minutes, and we often got seen early, but never felt rushed. Suddenly we were having to wait 30 minutes to an hour with no obvious reason, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the cat being caged up for that length of time, it didn't seem fair, particularly in a waiting room that was full of dogs. It was noticeable because it was such a change and on top of other issues.

[ThorpeDave]

I can understand that sometimes you have to wait, there was one time when a dog was rushed in choking and had to go straight into emergency surgery and they had to call another vet in to cover. However the surgery used to run to time very well, I can only think they were very good as working out how long an appointment was going to need, it was rare to have to wait more then 10 minutes, and we often got seen early, but never felt rushed. Suddenly we were having to wait 30 minutes to an hour with no obvious reason, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the cat being caged up for that length of time, it didn't seem fair, particularly in a waiting room that was full of dogs. It was noticeable because it was such a change and on top of other issues.

It was an emergency that caused our delay on Tuesday

To be fair, we were given the opportunity to see another vet but wanted to see the one that had operated on him so that we had "first hand" knowledge and they were thorough so we have no complaints

Jasper is much better this morning and had a "normal" kitten night and he jumped on me at 05:30 while Morgana went down the bed and bit my toe. He has had another dose of Loxicom this morning and has been out for 20 minutes and now resting.

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Jasper was back at the vets yesterday for his first check-up and they are happy with the wound and how it is healing. Jasper and Morgana were both also wormed.

His second and - hopefully - final check-up will be next Friday

They will be back in another month for worming and, probably, a pre-neutering check for Morgana as well as she should be well over 2kg by then.

The kittens are now free to roam at night and seem to settle down quite quickly. Morgana can usually be found sleeping on our feet while Jasper prefers to wrap himself round my head!

Regards

Dave

[Lilith]

Aww, so glad the lad's recovering

Morgana reminds me of my Molly and a Siamese I once had, known as 'the Annie-Mouser.' A mouse is a mouse even if it is a big toe. Ouch!

[ThorpeDave]

Well it certainly has been a long time since I last posted, for which I apologise.

To be honest there has not been a lot to report.

Morgana Violet has now also been spayed with, thankfully, no problems

MIA - continues to amaze. Not only is she more settled she is now playing with Nendrix and the 2 kittens. All 4 tend to spend the evening in the garden huntin bugs and playing tag. It is now quite normal to see Mia pouncing on Hendrix. It is such a joy to see her enjoying her life.

Mia has been well settled with Hendrix for quite some time and we can regularly find them asleep together. In the past week however, it is normal to see Mia and Jasper sleeping close together. Night time can be quite difficult as they all settle quite quickly at bed time and it is like picking your way through a mine field on those overnight trips to the bathroom! The bedroom doorway is normally blocked by Mia, Hendrix and Jasper while Morgana tends to sleep on my feet.

HENDRIX - Since the kittens have arrived, Hendrix has gone through a total transformation. Gone are his tantrum and frequent angry outburst. He no longer pounces on Mia and rarely raises a paw to her.

Hendrix has continued to grow but is having regular health checks and he is VERY fit healthy despite his size. Hendrix is fully settled with all the cats - just as we had hoped.

JASPER - Beautiful Jasper is going to be a big boy. Now 7 months old he has reached 3.5kg and still has a long way to go! He is agile and muscular but is also the calmest and most sociable. He is very laid back - although he still kikes to mix it with his little sister Morgana Violet.

Jasper has certainly become a lap cat and loves nothing better than curling up on my wife's lap. Jasper is now well settled with Mia, Hendrix and Morgana Violet.

MORGANA VIOLET - Originally christened Violet she was quickly given the nickname "Violence". She has certainly lived up to her nickname and remains a total fruitcake, plays rough but is also the most sweet lovable kitten you could want. Unlike Jasper, she will not sit on anyone's lap but at bed time I just have to tell her to go to bed and she is there waiting for me. Once in bed, Morgan curls up with me for a good fuss before settling on my feet - until 6am.

While the other 3 are as good as gold and wait for us to get up, Morgan has decided that at 6am I need my face washing while she demands some attention. Morgana literally throws herself down to be fussed and rolls all over you. She is far more dog like in many respects.

As yet, Morgana ha yet to cement a good relationship with Mia. There is still the occasional hissing session from Mia but Morgana is not showing any real dislike or aggression towards her. However, Morgana loves approaching Mia gently head buts her then punches her in the face and runs off. She is literally like a naughty school child! We love Morgana to bits - well we love them all to bits.

I am not sure if Morgana will ever grow up - sadly she probably will - but she is certainly most entertaining and, at times, quite a challenge.

Morgana remains very small at only 2.5kg but she is incredibly energetic and agile. Morgana adores Hendrix and they normally spend the day together while at night, it is normally Hendrix and Jasper together.

Basically, job done. the 2 kittens have certainly changed Hendrix's life and what we hoped for and we think they are all bonded. Morgana occasionally irritates Mia but there is no fighting or hiding. The only time Mia now disappears is when there is a stranger in the house. Other than that she is visible and relaxed which has always been our hope

Will there be a chapter 4. Probably not although we get messages weekly of a cat or cats that need new homes for one reason or another.

We were very close to taking on a young Bengal who was in rescue and had lost a lot of weight and had a problem of some description with his back legs. I was given 2 stories about his mobility issues. One was that he had been caged for long periods while the other was a birth defect.

We eventual came to the conclusion that we would take him on but the time we took to decide, someone else adopted him.

Cat proofing our garden has allowed all the cats to play freely and safely and they seem to know this. They realized quickly that other cats and neighbors dogs cannot get to them and they play freely without inhibitions. It was for this reason we seriously considered the Bengal as he desperately needed space to rebuild his muscles. It was not to be.

[Lilith]

Hi there Dave, sorry I've not been about much owing to personal chaos but the cats are fine. Good to hear about your guys. Any photos? I'm curious about Morgana's coat pattern - did those tabby markings persist?

Fusses to her, and Hendrix and beautiful Mia too

[Mollycat]

My knowledge of genetics is limited - very limited but I find it odd that they both have the same markings while Jasper, his sister Dolly and his Mum Mabel are identical coloring with Morgana being the odd one.

Ok, we know that a female can give birth to kittens with different fathers - and of course we do not know who the father is but, with mum and all 3 kittens having the same markings isn't it unlikely that they have different fathers ???

I few days after they were born I also discovered that another 5 kittens were taken into rescue which looked exactly like these from within a mile of where Mabel was rescued from - Hmmm.

As you say - as did the vet today - it is common for cats to have tabby marking which disappear and become "black" - Hendrix was one such cat.

However when Morgana arrived she was black with the tabby markings only visible under infra red lights. As the weeks have passed she has become lighter rather than darker so we are hoping that this continues. Brushing her coat backwards reveal even lighter furr!

My understanding is that kittens lose their "kitten coat" at about 6 months to reveal their final coloring. We are obviously keeping a very close eye on her!

Feline genetics are a huge and fascinating subject, and I mean the natural genetics not even touching on the breeding side of things. For a start the red/black colour genes are carried on the X chromosome only so girls can be tortie and boys can't (unless they have an extra X making them sterile) - and there are three different whites so a cat can be black with a white masking gene and white markings and look just plain white but actually be any other colour genetically. Talking of orientals, the Siamese points are a form of albino, temperature sensitive albino to be precise. The cooler that part of the body, the darker the fur. If you bandage a paw, on removing the bandage the fur will be paler. As they age they cool so they get darker, so full colour is not developed until 2 years old or more. If these little snippets don't tickle your interest enough to get reading, nothing will.

And now here's a real freakout fact - the final markings also depend on conditions in utero. Remember the cloned kitten a few years back that looked completely different to its mother? Yet is was genetically identical. A clone that showed different markings. Easiest way to explain is a Tortie that has in every cell one gene for red and one gene for black. Which of the two shows in any one hair is random. In theory it's possible to have an all black cat that is in fact a tortie where randomly every gene has the black activated, though so unlikely it's almost impossible.

[ThorpeDave]

Hi there Dave, sorry I've not been about much owing to personal chaos but the cats are fine. Good to hear about your guys. Any photos? I'm curious about Morgana's coat pattern - did those tabby markings persist?

Fusses to her, and Hendrix and beautiful Mia too

Morgana's marking are certainly still there but a little darker than they were.

When she was spayed you could said the different skin pigmentation but quite faintly.

I will sort out some pictures soon - actually ding a calendar for the family

She has changed little in all respects. she is still tiny, has an amazing personality and as crazy as ever. I really hope she never grows up!

Morgana has continued to poke at Mia and will occasionally go for her tail and today she ran past and slapped her on the head and carried on! Mia however is no longer complaining too much and just accepts her as a silly little girl

Jasper is so gorgeous and a real lap cat. They all seem happy together in all respects which is exactly what we hoped for

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Mamma Mia

[ThorpeDave]

Jasper

[ThorpeDave]

(Killer Queen) Morgana Violet

[ThorpeDave]

Hendrix & Jasper

[ThorpeDave]

Mia, Hendrix & Jasper