Woody has moved in

[Crewella]

I went to collect Woody the new foster cat this evening, and took him to the vets for a check-up and first vaccination. They reckon he's about 7/8, he's not chipped and he's an entire tom, so will need to go in for neutering next week sometime. He's underweight and his coat's pretty rough, so it looks like he's been going it alone for some time. He's very friendly, though, and has tested negative for FIV/FeLV.

He went straight for his dinner as soon as I put him in the pen, so I don't reckon he's going to take long to settle in! I've left him be, and will check on him later.

Here he is at the vets:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/ ... /woody.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[booktigger]

Fingers crossed he doesn't take long to get a new home

[bobbys girl]

He seems a nice little fella. A bit of TLC from you and he'll soon be ready for his forever home.

[nannymcfee]

Thank you for taking him in bless him he looks a very contented cat....and for naming him after me... ...

[lilynmitz]

He beautiful. What a lovely looking cat. I do hope he has a lovely forever home soon

[greenkitty]

Awww he's lovely x

[meriad]

Oh my he's adorable - what a gorgeous face x

[Crewella]

Poor Woody has taken a while to get used to using the catflap into his little house, but has sussed it at last. Poor soul spent the first couple of nights out in the run - I kept going out there and putting him in the house and flapping the door, but in the end had to leave the big door open to get him used to going in there at all, and I'd leave him a heat pad out on the platform where he sat just in case.

He's obviously had bad fleas for some time - if you stand directly above him you can see his skin through his coat right down his back, looks all thick and flaky. Still, he's been Broadlined, so should be free of critters now, and regular good grub should improve his coat no end. He's a nice friendly boy, I've got a soft spot for Woody Woodsman already.

[bobbys girl]

I've got a soft spot for Woody Woodsman already.

How soft a spot?

Joking aside, he is a sweetie.

[greenkitty]

Uh oh...

[JulieandBarney]

Anyone thinking what I am thinking ?

[Crewella]

Nope ..... I really can't - my poor boys are still getting used to Pugwash ('Puggy the thuggy') being around. He's a nice friendly boy, and with his lovely cartoon cat face I'm sure he'll find a good home. I'll stick to my rule of passing on the homeable ones and enjoy him while he's here, and seeing him get fatter and healthier whilst he is. I like taking on the ex-strays, it's lovely seeing them blossom.

Honest, I'll always be tempted, but NO.

[bobbys girl]

Oh yeh, we believe you.

[Camdengirl]

Ohhhh what a handsome boy! I so would, if I could!

And I like Pugwash's new nickname. Hops can be a bit of a thug too, sometimes when he tries to 'play' with Pip I think it's like watching a pensioner being mugged by a teenager...

[nannymcfee]

Crewella, you will need more willpower than me,( as Phoebe and Luca Montalbano will confirm) you all are brilliant who foster,i know i couldn't....

[Kate and Gang]

Oh, Helen ... He's beautiful! My late Aunt used to have a cat just like him - also called Woody (Woodstock was his full name!) ... Hope you and your crew are all okay .. I got your email - so sorry I've not replied yet but I will send you some pics this weekend, promise! xx

[Kate and Gang]

PS I'm on FB under Kate Shepherd, Wakefield if you are? Might be easier / quicker to see photos and catch up xx

[Crewella]

I am on FB but, be warned, I very rarely go there!

How funny, I had to name Woody in a hurry, sitting in the vets surgery while they filled in his details, looking at his cartoon cat face and trying to think of cartoon characters, and Woodstock is what came to mind!

[Crewella]

Woody's settling down nicely. He's still got that ex-stray cat food drive (he practically eats the bowl as well) but I think he's really rather enjoying his warm bed and room service.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/ ... 040394.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kay]

oh yes - paws firmly on the chair if not yet under the table

I reckon there's a feline Trip Advisor out there somewhere, with 5* ratings for your gaff, and a big queue forming - let's hope none of them make themselves deliberately homeless in the hope of getting a bed for the night

[Lilith]

That looks like one contented chap!

[Crewella]

Woody had an interesting day yesterday. I'd booked him in for neutering, so fed him early the night before and braved the traffic to get him to the vets early. We're doing his details and the nurse got him out of the carrier to check him over ..... and paused ....... "Erm ....... he appears to be missing something I'd expect to see in a tom cat booked in for neutering .....".

She called in a vet to have a look, and it turns out that the scrotal sac is empty, but he does have a couple of bumps in his groin area that could be undescended testicles or could be enlarged lymph nodes, which explains why the vet who checked him over originally had thought he would need neutering. Overall, and mainly because we don't want to put him through an invasive operation just to see, we've decided that he has been castrated. He doesn't look like a late-neutered tom, he doesn't spray or smell and none of my gang seems bothered by him when they go near him (nor does he) so I'm happy with an educated guess. His skin also shows signs of a mild flea allergy, which the vet said often goes together with enlarged lymph nodes (if I understood her correctly!).

Slightly gobsmacked, I was just driving off when I remembered I had also wanted them to look at a cut on his leg which was still bleeding from time to time after two weeks, so I grabbed him and went back in. Turns out he's also older that we originally thought, and arthritic. Due to his arthritis and general muscle wastage he tends to walk on the back of his hind legs instead of up on his paws. This has caused sores on the back of his legs, one of which is not healing properly.

Poor Woody has suddenly gained about 5 years (probably nearer 10-12) and now has a big blue bandage on his back leg and some Metacam to see if we can help his movement.

[nannymcfee]

Now Crewella, 'cough cough' if that isn't more of an incentive to let Woody 'stay' a while longer, an older gentleman and arthritic.... if not he can come and stay here....

go on...go on...go on.....

[booktigger]

If there is no smell, it is unlikely to be undescended testicles, I've had two with that and both times you knew about it, and they were much younger than Woody. Let's hope his age doesn't make homing him harder

[Crewella]

Thanks Booktigger. Do you mean harder for me, or in general?

My gut feeling is that he's been 'done', as I said, there's nothing else that would make me think 'tomcat'. I did feel a bit sorry for the original vet, he's younger and relatively new to the practice .... I could hear quite a bit of joshing going on behind the scenes.

[bobbys girl]

We're doing his details and the nurse got him out of the carrier to check him over ..... and paused ....... "Erm ....... he appears to be missing something I'd expect to see in a tom cat booked in for neutering .....".

When Cassidy turned up in our garden she was wearing a pink collar. Obviously she belonged to someone. We took her to be scanned, not holding out much hope (cats are not usually chipped around here). When, after a few weeks, no one had claimed her and she had moved herself in, we decided to get her neutered.

We phoned the vet later that day to check on her progress. The receptionist said 'Oh you can pick him up any time'. 'Sorry, HIM?'

When they opened 'her' up there were no 'lady-bits' and no sign of a scar - neither was there any sign of 'dangly-bits'.

We were never quite sure what Cassidy was. But we loved him all the same.

At least you know that Woody is a boy!

Fusses to the little fella. I hope he finds his forever home soon. (if he has not found it already )

[Crewella]

We had one of those at the rescue last year, he came in as 'Timmy' and was referred to as 'Timmy/Tammy' after we discovered his secret, though we still refer to him as 'him' out of habit! Didn't seem to bother him - he was a lovely cat, though a bit shy, and is reported to have settled beautifully in his new home.

I took Woody in to have his bandage changed today. I feel a bit guilty as I opted to see another vet, though I was able to do it as though it was a matter of convenience rather than make a big thing of it. I do try to be understanding, and none of us is perfect, but I've lost faith a bit having been told he was a 6-8 year old entire tom when we now think he's 10-12 and neutered. My usual (and much trusted) vet wasn't there, but I saw another vet that I've seen before and who seems very good.

The sore patch on his leg looked OK but is still not healed, and they've done a blood test as he's not gained any weight since he's been with me, in spite of eating like a horse. He also seems to drink quite a lot of water, and as he's been prescribed Metacam for his arthritis it seemed like a good idea to look a bit deeper. I get the results on Wednesday, but in the meantime they also did a urine test and apparently he's not diabetic.

Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of Woody's problems, and even if he's not gained weight he is looking healthier and his coat looks, and feels, much better. And, a minor victory, today was the first time he's not pooed in his carrier on the way somewhere!

[Crewella]

Woody's blood test results have come back clear, no thyroid or kidney problems either, thankfully. They did show he might still have some worms in his system, so I'll worm him again - it's possible he had a bad infestation so we didn't get them all the first time.

We changed his bandage again today and the wound on his leg is healing nicely. We just want to make sure it's well and truly healed before removing the bandage altogether. I do think the Metacam is working, he does seem to be walking more up on his paws since he went on it.

So, he's now fully vaccinated and once we've had the all clear on his leg he can go up for rehoming. He's such a lovely friendly cat, there must be a home out there somewhere that needs a friendly, happy, easygoing but slightly decrepit old chap like him!

[nannymcfee]

quote, He's such a lovely friendly cat, there must be a home out there somewhere that needs a friendly, happy, easygoing but slightly decrepit old chap like him! [/quote]

Crewella if there wasn't 'cat' in that sentence, i thought you were been describing my hubby for a dating site , ( not so friendly if any more strays appear here though i bet! )

So Woody hasn't manage to put his little paws under your table..awww

Hmm worms can take quite a long while to eradicate, especially if he has had them in his tummy a long while.

Hope all goes well.

[bobbys girl]

Nanny,

Crewella if there wasn't 'cat' in that sentence, i thought you were been describing my hubby for a dating site , ( not so friendly if any more strays appear here though i bet! )

Hands up how many of us could describe our OH's in the same way? Trouble is, what does it say about us?