Previous Capers

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Floyd's Being Floyd


The last several weeks with Floyd have been rather taxing - and expensive. To start, a week ago yesterday, Floyd managed to escape outside. I was at my Arlington house when this happened so this is Roland's excuse...eh, account.

We've been giving Floyd a little laxative with his wet food to help things along. That Monday morning, Roland came out into the living room to check on Floyd who was in his crate parked on the sofa. A strong odor hit Roland in the face and when he looked inside the crate, Floyd had had a blow out and was covered with poo. In fact the whole crate got it. So, in the shower went Floyd for a good cleaning. Afterwords, Roland wrapped him in a towel and placed in him the kitty curl in a sun spot in front of the screen door.

Roland then went out to his car to get some cleaning supplies and when he opened the door to come back in, Floyd shot out. Apparently, he was healed enough to run like hell, as he climbed into the large wood pile shed along the side of the house, nowhere to be found.
I figured he had had enough humiliation for one of his 9 lives. First came crapping all over himself, next came a bath. He figured that the bladder squeeze was next so thought, "I'm outa here!" He was out all night without having his bladder extracted since that morning, and we were worried sick that he was in dire straights. As it turned out, the next morning Roland found Floyd sunning himself and upon seeing Roland coming for him, ran under the greenhouse deck. Roland finally caught him with cat treat persuasion and brought him back in.

Floyd seemed fine, so we let him stay in the bedroom with a litter box and have found out that he is able to use it. So, hallelujah!
However, last Saturday morning, Roland found Floyd passed out in the litter box (I always seem to be out of town when these things happen). Roland rushed Floyd back to the emergency vet (again!). He had no discernible blood pressure and a very low temperature reading. X-rays and blood work didn't reveal anything except some liver issues, so the vets at the hospital weren't sure what happened to him. They were thinking that he had a stroke or a hypoglycemic reaction (We declined the $600 ultra-sound test - enough is enough already). They stabilized him and got his temperature and blood pressure back up. After 2 days and more on the tab, Floyd was up and walking around being Floyd again like nothing ever happened. He's home now, back in the bedroom and back to using his litter box.

We are planning a trip to visit my folks on San Juan Island this month. Of course we'll take Floyd. I told Roland that if something happens with him, he'll just have to be helivaced to the emergency hopital in Lake city. No comment from Roland.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Purple Sprouting Entropy

Entropy: The second law of thermodynamics in that nature tends to take things from order to disorder in isolated systems.

The law of entropy can be applied to the vegetable garden. You see, I had good intentions of planting everything in nice, neat rows all labeled, but alas, entropy took over and as a 'piler' it wholeheartedly sought me out.

Right now, we have Purple Sprouting entropy. As I've stated in a previous post, this particular type of broccoli is meant to be planted in the fall to winter over as it takes 8 months until harvest. We planted ours last April from seed and thinned to around 18" apart. It isn't due to be harvested until this December according to the books. Meanwhile it has grown to gigantic proportions - over 5 1/2 feet tall with the raised bed - while occasionally spitting out flower heads the size of golf balls. And since the weather is getting cooler, it should get really happy and get even bigger; leaves that is. It's taken over almost the entire 4x8 foot bed and shows no sign of stopping. I haven't given it any fertilizer for months. I can't find the labels, but obviously don't need them as you can't mistake what it is.

I think this PS broccoli crop would make great inspiration for a Stephen King horror novel such as, "The Plant: Purple Sprouter" or a campy B grad movie, "Attack of the Killer Broccoli."


I also think that the physicist who came up with the entropy law was a piler.




Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Poop Scoop

I grew up with a firm belief instilled in me on the importance of a good bowel movement. Since Floyd came home last week, he hadn't produced a poo for several days which had me concerned. He was also starting to get a little belligerent about the whole pee extraction thing, so we took him into the vet last Sunday to get another lesson on how to pee him, to pick up some more pain meds and to ask the vet about bowel movements. Floyd ended up getting an enema. Roland and I also got a lesson on how to give Floyd an enema and were plied with a bunch of rubber gloves, syringes and a long tube to take home. After Feline Enema 101, we took our care package and Floyd up to the front reception desk for another financial enema. I told Roland that we should have that poop bronzed.

During the visit, the vet assistant asked us if we'd be interested in having our cats come in and donate to the blood bank in exchange for certain veterinary care. I asked her that since we had 9 cats, did she think we could get $3200 worth of credit for Floyd. I think vets should offer punch cards for certain cats, sort of like espresso stands - 10 visits and the 11th is free. Floyd would certainly qualify for that program. We were debating on whether to change his name to Crystal Cruise.

Upon the prospect of shoving a tub of goo up Floyd's back side, and the fact that the vet told us that increasing the amount of laxative wouldn't hurt him, we proceeded to add larger amounts into his wet food. He is also eating more now, so his laxative amount has increased with that development.

Floyd went in this morning for an official follow-up visit with the surgeon, who managed to remove several hard poops out of him. Well, that must have popped the cork because when I came home and checked on him this afternoon, he was covered from head to toe. The only thing he didn't do was paint with it on the wall. (He could then get published in Why Cats Paint II.) Thank got for the lid on the crate! He had that pathetic look cats get on their faces after they've been humiliated and it's your fault. After putting the rubber gloves to good use and using up around 20 moist towelettes, I gave up and carried him into the bathtub for a hose down. He wasn't too happy about that and I could tell he was getting stronger as he tried to launch himself from my grasp several times. A careful good suds and rinse did the job. Now, at least he has something to do in his crate (no, not poop endlessly) as he is diligently cleaning his wet fur. However, if this is a sign of things to come (out), he may end up being the cleanest cat in the neighborhood before too long.

I think we can back off on the Metamucil now.