Nova's Truce

Dawn sent me a photo of Bridget (dog) with Nova (cat) - after dark they have a truce going. Once daylight comes and humans are awake - all bets are off.

Look at my cute Nova - best kitty cat ever!

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Summer is Here!!

So Jazzmin had her dance recital on Sunday (Brenda will post video soon on youtube), Brenda and Dawn were also in attendance. Upon finding our seats for the show I found out the seating chart they showed me when choosing the seats was utterly wrong. I ended up in practically the same seats I had last year, seats I was trying to avoid. Why, you may ask? Because they are right in front of the speakers. Apparently the people producing the show don't feel the music is loud enough until the audience is bleeding out the ears. Fortunately I had forewarned Dawn of the potential noise and she brought ear plugs.

2 hours after the show started and just after intermission ended, Jazzmin's class finally came to the stage to perform. Jazzmin did very well - esp. considering they had made changes at the end of the routine a week before the show - and she was absent from that class. So she had to learn the new ending the day of the recital. Fortunately we were able to leave right after her performance and not be subjected to another 2+ hours of deafening music.

After the show it was a mad dash back to my apartment to pick up Jazzmin's suit case and my cat Nova. Nova is staying with Dawn for the summer (at the very least) and was taking the trip with them to NH. I sprayed a little Feliway spray on a paper towel and put it in the carrier, as I did when bringing Nova to the vet, and put him in. I felt confident that he'd be as calm and sedated as he was when I had to transport him to the vet while traveling to NH. But, sadly, that was not the case. Apparently his pupils got tiny and he left his mouth open in between meows. Brenda said she's never seen such a terrified cat. I felt so bad for Nova - poor thing.

When I called Dawn the next day I found out that Nova had taken refuge in his litter box and wasn't coming out. At least Jazzmin is there so he doesn't think he was completely abandoned. I'll call in a few days to see if he's doing any better.

My apt. feels so empty without Nova. He would always sit in the doorway of the bathroom when I was getting ready for work, etc., he'd always come up on the couch to get affection or lay on the back of the couch to hang out with me and every night (without fail) he'd come up on to the bed just as I layed own and gave me love paws. It was like a nice kitty cat massage for me.

Well, I hope it's all worth it and my asthma goes away with Nova gone. I already vaccumed the couch and my bed. This weekend I am going to wash all the floors and clean the air purifier filter so there are no residual cat hairs stored up there.

Next week the tae kwon do school is closed - but after that starts my intense workout schedule. I'll be at the school 5 days a week and taking about 7 classes. I am on a mission to lose weight. It's going to be hard motivating myself to do it but I am going to try my best. I just have to keep telling myself that it's only for 2 months.
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Nova's Not The Male He Used To Be

I brought Nova in to get neutered yesterday - so now there is no chance of baby making in his future. I gave him this new product, Feliway, it's first real test as far as keeping Nova calm in a stressful situation. I sprayed a paper towel once with the stuff and put it in his cat carrier. When he first got in his carrier he was circling around rapidly looking for an exit. Once he resolved that he was stuck there - he was meowing that loud, hollow meow cats have when they're stressed out. About 5 minutes later he was quiet and seemed OK with his journey. When it was time for him to be taken from me, his pupils were fully dilated - so he was lovin' life thanks to Feliway. I'm glad it worked - no need for him to stress out the whole ride there.

When I got to the vet they told me that he had to get a rabies shot and physical before they would even consider neutering him. So I had to fork over an extra $85 for them to do that in addition to the fee for the neutering. I'm just wondering where Nova would contract rabies stuck in my apartment and being the sole animal. Even with Arecibo and Azucar - they were shut ins too - so he couldn't catch rabies from them either. But whatever, thanks to the stimulus check - I had the money for the shots and physical.

I left Nova there for the day and picked him up at 5pm. He was still a little out of it on the way home - so he was feeling no stress. When we arrived at the apartment I just opened the cage and let him decide if he wants to get out or not. I thought maybe he might feel too weak to get out or something. But he got out - walking low to the ground and clearly having issues working his back legs. He made his way under my bed and stayed there until it was almost time for me to go to bed.

All last night he was sleeping with me, but switching positions regularly. First he slept on the my pillow - leaning on my head. Then he moved next to me, then between my legs - back to the pillow and the cycle starts again.

He seems like he's back to normal this morning. He's been very good about taking his antibiotics. So I think he'll be fine. Except for maybe a higher pitched meow - now that his manhood has been compromised.
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Feliway for a Calm Kitty

I was looking for a way to curb Nova's propensity to pee on anything with Jazzmin's scent attached to it. Actually, I thought he was spraying but it turns out he was not - spraying the lift leg, peeing crouching. So I found this product which is a product vet's tend to recommend. It has more then one purpose - it not only helps with urine marking but also with stressed out ::coughs Isis coughs:: cats - it's supposed to have a calming effect.

What it does is release friendly cat pheromones. Cats won't pee on something that has the pheromone smell on it. It comes in a diffuser and a spray. So I am going to get this for Nova. Nova needs it for stress anyway - he has been very unhappy since the other cats have gone. Poor thing. So this will not only help his urine issue but make him feel more calm.

I'll let you know if it works!
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I'm a Copy Cat - What Can I Say!?!

Hillary posted this on her blog and the video had me laughing out loud at my desk, making my co-workers think I've gone a little nutso (or maybe they already thought that??). So I am posting it on my blog, for those who don't read Hillary's blog (because they don't know her), and want a good laugh! Enjoy!!!! Watch it all the way through!

My Old Cats Listed on ASPCA Site

Azucar and Arecibo have been posted on the ASPCA site as "available for adoption". So that's good - at least they weren't considered unadoptable and put to sleep. I feel bad for them in a way. But if they find homes - then it was for the best.

They put them back with the names they originally had when I adopted them, Murphy and Domino. Ho-hum - such boring names. Oh well.
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Nova Adjusting to Being Sole Cat

Nova has been clinging to me since the other 2 cats have gone. He is always on the couch with me sleeping. Sometimes he'll lay right next to me trying to initiate a petting session. His new thing is he meows for me to go over to the scratching board to pet him. I guess he likes the combo of getting high on cat nip and massaged/scratched at the same time. Ahhh now that's the life!

What I never noticed about him due to the fact the other cats ate like pigs, is that he's not a major fan of wet cat food. He likes to lick the gravy off and some food might get eaten. But he doesn't eat much more then a teaspoon at a time, at best. If you give him more the rest will just get left there to dry and crust up. And if the wet food has no gravy at all - he'll have nothing to do with it.

I got him a few toys to play with to pass the time when I'm gone but he broke it the first day. I had this bird hanging from the doorway for him to at around. He loved it so much that he chews the elastic until the bird came off. But he does still play with the string that dangles there.

It's too early to tell if even having just one cat is going to be too problematic for me. We shall see. Hope I can keep him - he's a sweetheart.

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2 Cat's Down and 1 to STAY!

I dropped of Arecibo and Azucar yesterday. It was a relatively painless process - I didn't know what to expect but I expected something more involved then what was actually required of me. All I had to do was fill out a paper asking questions about the cats' behaviors, etc. and that was it. The most "difficult" part of the process was the long-ish train ride I had to take into Manhattan to do it. I was a little disappointed that I did not get a chance to tell them all I went through to try and keep them re: taking allergy shots, etc. So they would see that I didn't just irresponsibly adopt 2 cats and bring them back when it was inconvenient to have them.

When I got home, Nova wouldn't let me come near him for the first hour. I think he thought he was going to be the next to go. He seems to be adjusting to his role as sole cat pretty well. He's even started sleeping differently, normally he lays outstretched on his side but now he sleeps curled up in a ball looking happy and cozy.

A friend of mine was not too happy about my giving them to the ASPCA because they do eventually put cats to sleep if they don't get adopted after a while. But when you adopt from the ASPCA they require you return them to them if you decide not to keep them. Also, it doesn't bother me if cats are eventually put to sleep, as long as it'd done humanely and there is a real effort to get the cats adopted out. There are just so many cats who need homes - it's basically mission impossible to find homes for all of them. All you can do is try your best.

It feels wierd not to have them around - the apartments feels a little emptier. Jazzmin is already asking if we can get a second cat - 2 cats wouldn't bother me the way 3 did. But I did my darndest to squash any glimmer of hope that it would happen. Jazzmin is EXTREMELY persistant when she wants something.

I called the allergist today because the medicine samples she gave me were not working. I spoke with her assistant and am awaitng a call back. Hopefully the next meds she give me works! Would love to know what it's like to go to Tae Kwon Do and not have asthma be an obstacle to my doing well in class. As it stands now sitting in one place I am feeling the effects of asthma. It's crazy.
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Went to New Allergist Yesterday

So I went to a new allergist yesterday, since my old one wasn't properly addressing my asthma issues. The bad part is I was kept waiting for about an hour. The good part is I like doctor - I don't know why I went to a male doctor when there was a female one also near by. Blue Cross must've updated their website or something since I started seeing an allergist.

She gave me a breathing test and said that the results weren't really bad. Of course I was still on the Advair (daily asthma medicine) when I took the breathing test. So really it was just measuring the effects of asthma that Advair wasn't helping. With each test I coughed like crazy after the fact due to the asthma. My asthma has been super bad for the past week, I got out of breath just walking at a normal pace 3 blocks to the doctor's office.

She thinks that because I feel the effects of asthma even when I'm not near the cats, that maybe I just plain have asthma. And perhaps it was just a coincidence that I became symptomatic when I was dealing with the new allergies from the cats. But considering Brenda had similar symptoms to me when she had her other cat - and they went away when that cat left, I still think it's allergy related asthma.

I was given some free samples to try for 2 weeks to see if they work. I was given Singulair as my allergy pill because it also addresses asthma symptoms (which the one I'm taking now, Zertec, does not), I got a new daily inhaler which is an aerosol instead of powder and the emergency inhaler I need to use when I workout is a dry inhaler. That one is unique - you have to insert a capsule in the device, break it and then inhale. This one is supposed to help for 12 hours whereas most emergency inhalers only last 4-5 hours. So we'll see what happens. As it stands now - the Singulair is not doing a great job with my allergies. Have had slightly itchy eyes, itchy throat and sneezing today. Maybe the problem is she told me to take the Singular at night and the medication has since worn off? Maybe I'll start taking Singulair in the morning instead.

I spoke with Dawn last night and she said that if getting rid of 2 of my cats doesn't help my asthma that she'd take Nova. If I still have issues without Nova there then we know it's not him and I will take him back. If it turns out I get better without him there - then Dawn generously offered to keep Nova. It was super nice of her to offer that! So at least if I can't keep Nova - I can still visit him. He is a really great cat - very easy going, loving, patient and playful. I've never seen him hiss (even when being hissed at) or do anything remotely aggressive. Hopefully he's a keeper. ;)
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I Made the Call to the ASPCA

I made the call to the ASPCA this morning regarding returning 2 of my cats (Arecibo and Azucar) and they said that since I got the cats from the ASPCA I could drop them off at any time. Otherwise, they only take new cats on Tuesdays. So I am going to drop them off on Sunday.

I feel bad about returning them because there are so many cats in need of homes and these cats will have a hard time being placed. I am going to tell the ASPCA that Arecibo really shouldn't be adopted out - he is to traumatized by humans and everything makes him nervous. He'd be happiest staying in the ASPCA. He likes small rooms and no contact with children. Azucar has her trust issues but she is perfectly adoptable. She loves to get pet while she eats (which makes me think she was in the shelter for a long time), she'll let you pet her (but on her terms) and she likes to sit on a human's lap once she's established a certain amount of trust. Though she'll never be OK with being held.

I am going to be so happy to only have one cat. I hope that my allergies calm down and am able to keep Nova. Crossing fingers!
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2 Dodos and the One I Actually Like

Just felt like showing of some cute photos of my cat Nova - aka the 'normal' cat, the one my daughter and I like. I adopted him when he was 7 weeks old and now he is almost 2 years old.

I had previously adopted 2 cats from the ASPCA named Azucar and Arecibo. I thought it'd be good to adopt 2 cats so the could keep each other company. Being that the ASPCA was requiring Azucar & Arecibo go to the same household - we chose them. Figuring I was doing the 'right thing' and adopting cats that were going to be harder for the ASPCA to place. We were not told that they had any particular emotional problems, etc.

But I soon found out that they have profound trust issues and must've been abused in prior households. Arecibo (cat in foreground of photo below) is uber-afraid of everybody and stayed under my bed while I was home for the first year I had him. The only time I saw him is when he'd come out from under my bed after I had turned out the lights to go to sleep. My daughter and I would tactically get him out from under the bed to pet him. He'd fight us like his life depended on it. But once you get him into a small room, like the bathroom, he is still scared but happy to let you pet him. Purring and all. But that's the only time he feels comfortable being held or pet. I will say, though, ever since we got Nova he's been a lot more social... in his own way. As long as we don't have any guests at our house - he doesn't go under the bed. But he hangs out a good 15 ft. away from me. When he feels that Jazzmin (my daughter) is not likely to show up - then he'll get closer and hang out 2-5 ft away from me. And he'll give me loving, happy expressions.

Then there is the "queen" of the household, Azucar (left w/Nova trying to get her to play). She won't ever let you pick her up - no matter what room. She loves to get pet while she's eating - she will devise strategies just to get you to go to the food bowl so she can be pet there. But away from the food bowl she has major issues. She'll let you pet her - but only when she feels like being pet. Being the true diva - it has to be on her terms. She has this funny idiosyncrasy of drooling out the sides of her mouth when she's particularly happy about being pet. She also was positively affected once I adopted Nova. She finally learned what the cat toys were for. Before she wouldn't have anything to do with them, but was happy to play with a piece of scrap paper on the floor. But after Nova came she figured out the toy situation and now likes to play with the toys. She and Nova also have developed an affinity for wrestling with each other. But Nova has to be in the submissive position for Azucar to play - otherwise she can't be bothered. As soon as it appears Nova has gotten the upper hand - she runs off under the couch. It's at that point the game stops being fun for her. But Nova is always happy to oblige - so it's usually not a problem.

I kinda regret getting Azucar and Arecibo because it's like having all the work and expense of the pet but none of the actual enjoyment. That's why I opted to adopt Nova (even at the risk of looking like 'the cat lady'), because I wanted at least one normal cat that wasn't emotionally damaged by previous owners. Nova was also a rescue cat - he was one of a litter of kittens found abandoned on the streets of Brooklyn. He has been a delight from the very beginning. He's loving, sweet, playful and trusting. If I could get rid of my other 2 cats, I'd do it in a heart beat. then I'd get 1 other cat just to keep Nova company.

Sometimes I feel like bringing Azucar and Arecibo back to the ASPCA but I don't want to go in there looking like a schmuck for taking on the cats and then returning them. sigh. And I know it's not very charitable of me to not be understanding of the fact that Azucar and Arecibo have likely had hard lives. Ah well. At least I have Nova - he's such a sweetheart!