This morning we packed Pandora into her travelling crate to go to the V.E.T. Her vet for the last eight years has been her precious 'Uncle' Tim, a lovely man and an extremely good vet who is fantastic with fractious cats - and Pandora defines fractious! He has also cared for Ambrose (who died in 2001) and Echo (who died in 2004) and currently, Charlie. But lately staffing changes have meant Pandora has had to get used to new vets. Auntie Elena is one of her favourites - a lovely Spanish lady from Madrid. Auntie Julie - she doesn't like her so much. And today Pandora met another new vet, Auntie Helen.
Helen was quick, gentle, understanding and dealt with us as well as Pandora (one of the reasons we still use this practice even though it is more expensive than others). She checked out the lump, then checked out Pandora's lymph nodes and certain specific parts of her anatomy.
As we hoped, it's unlikely to be cancer. It's more likely a lipoma, as I suspected. It's actually on her ribs and not on her shoulder. She's not 'sick', she doesn't limp, she is eating fine, sleeping well, using her tray properly and still leaping (albeit gently!) onto laps, chairs, tables and boxes. Not bad for an 18yr old cat - which translates roughly to 85-90yrs old! We politely refused unnecessary testing, figuring it would upset the old dear too much. We agreed to watch her carefully for the next couple of months and whip her back to the vet if she appears ill or in discomfort.
Once her claws were clipped she was crated back up for the trip home.
Of course, the old madam got her own back, managing to throw up and wee simultaneously on the way home while her crate was on my lap.
Pandora: we know your time here is not infinite but we will still keep you with us, healthy and content, as long as possible.
This is me and my little fur-iend Bengal. Mum doesn't know her real name, but we fink Bengal suits her - don't you? We talk through the window a lot. Bengal is a very noisy girl cat and yells a lot - Mum says she's on heat wiff hormones and fings......what are hormones, Mum?
Mum has said she's going to work out how to make 'screens' so we can have the windows open proper.....
Hi everyone, we know you've been worried, but Mum has trouble keeping her own blog up to date, let alone ours too.......Diva Kitty went to visit Mum's blog to see if we wuz ok.
Well, to bring you all up to date....I am fine - tomorrow is my 18th birthday (proper, after Mum miscounted last year!). I'm getting a bit creaky now, slowing down a bit. My hips hurt when I first get up, but I'm mostly good.I still smack the CharlieBoy around now and then, but he's tending to stay away from me now.
pandora
Hey, is mah dudes still out there? Mum has not been helping us to blog, and we haven't been online for ages. I'm, like, huge now.......way bigger than the Old BattleCat. I'm even too big for Mum's lap now...... I don't have the harness any more, I go into the garden on a collar 'n' lead.
Mum said to post this old picture, it's one of her favourites - me at a year old.
D'you know, it has rained here for weeeeeeeeeeeeks.......every day it rains. Mum says it's flooding up the motorway aways from us. I wonder if the floodies will come here.....hope not, I can't swim.......
A. Name four places you have lived 1. [charlie] My foster home after being found on the road. 2. [pandora] I have had a bacation at my gramma bean's house. 3. [pandora] Mum, Daddy and I have lived in a house in Oxfordshire. 4. [pandora] where I was born.
B. Four things I love to watch 1. [charlie] TV 2. [pandora] Mum and Daddy 3. [charlie] big ginger flooflie neighbour cat 4. [pandora] birdies
C. Four places I have been outside my home 1. [charlie] The V.E.T., uncle Tim. 2. [pandora] ooh lots of places when I used to go hunting. 3. [charlie] under the shed fing in the garden. 4. [pandora] To my nice cat holiday park, where they spoil me.
E. Four of my favourite foods. 1. [charlie] Go-Cat Indoor Cat biscuit 2. [pandora] anything the beans are eating. 3. [charlie] Felix Roasted Stinky Goodness. 4. [pandora] ooh, prawns (although I think there's medicine in there......)
F. Four places I would rather be right now 1. [charlie] I'm just fine here on Daddy's lap. 2. [pandora] Daddy lap would be nice. 3. [charlie] Out in the garden. 4. [pandora] Outside, anywhere outside.
G. Four toys I have owned and played with 1. [charlie] Fevver onna stick - it's called Stick. 2. [pandora] Toys? I don't got no toys. 3. [charlie] Rattling mouse wif stretching tail - it's called Mouse. 4. [pandora] I stole a little stuffed woofie off Mum, he sleeps in my upstairs bed and is called Bojangles.
H. Four nicknames people call me 1. [charlie] Charles P Pusscat 2. [pandora] Pandora P Pusscat 3. [charlie] Handsome 4. [pandora] Beautiful
I. Regarding catnip Love it It's nice Could take it or leave it Don't like it or can't have it X
J. Regarding cat grass Love it It's nice Could take it or leave it X Don't like it or can't have it
K. First things I buy after winning the lottery 1. [charlie] lots of toys 2. [pandora] I would give Mum money so she could stay home from the work-thingy all day. 3. [charlie] Lots of nice treatsies. 4. [pandora] a big covered garden.
L. Four things I do besides eat, sleep and litter box 1. [charlie] Chase and tackle Pandora. 2. [pandora] Watch the birdies. 3. [charlie] Catch Pandora's tail. 4. [pandora] Fight with Charlie
M. Four things I want to do this summer 1. [charlie] Go in the garden more 2. [pandora] Sleep in the shade. 3. [charlie] Get a playmate. 4. [pandora] Sleep in the sun.
N. My four most prized possessions that have limited value to anyone else 1. [charlie] Stick (see above). 2. [pandora] Bojangles 3. [charlie] Mousie 4. [pandora] My Daddy
O. What I am going to do before tomorrow 1. [charlie] Finish this - MUM!! 2. [pandora] Sleep 3. [charlie] Midnight sprints 4. [pandora] Finish my dinner.
P.Which of the following is your favorite place to hide and play paper bags plastic bags boxes X Other (explain)
Q. Four other pets that Mum and Dad have had with me 1. [pandora] My beloved best friend Ambrose (went to the Bridge a few years ago). 2. [pandora] Echo, a little female upstart kitty who went to the Bridge when still only a kitten. 3. [charlie] No other pets since I arrived, I am all my Mum and Dad can manage!!
Mum is at home from the work-thing.......she says she has taken a couple of days off.
This means we got to sit on her lap all day long. She's not going to the work-thingy on Monday either, so we'll get to sit on her lap all day long then as well.
I had to go to the stabby place yesterday. Luckily Mama has found us a nice V.E.T. and Uncle Tim has been looking after me for 9 years now, since I was a spry kitty.
Now Uncle Tim has to share us with Auntie Elena. She's ever so nice and kind and pretty, and talks like our Spanish Furiend Luna. Mama says she's from Spain. Anyway, I saw Auntie Elena yesterday and she was ever so gentle. She stabbied me (I didn't like that at all!!) and checked my tummy and my eyes. Mama and Daddy call it a MOT, like when they have their cars checked! Then Mama asked if she would trim my claws and I did need a clawicure. But I had to keep my reputation intact so I hissed and spat and tried to bite them, while Mama held me and Auntie Elena clipped my claws.
I got a clean bill of health, Auntie Elena says I look fantastic for my age and am very well. They even weighed me. Being an elderly feline I am naturally modest, but I was weighed at 3.5kg, that's 7½lbs, apparently I have lost 200 grammes - whatever they are!
Do you all like your V.E.T.s and get to choose who you see or do you have to take whoever is on duty?
I'm Queen of the Crazies living somewhere in the UK with my CrazieCats and my non-Crazie Much Beloved. I volunteer at the Donkey Sanctuary and take part in Viking re-enactment when I can.