Well, I'm happy to report that it turns out the cancer that was on Goosie's foot has gone away. Talk about a miracle. We have no idea why. But here's what we did:
1. Pray!
2. Swirl him in epsom salts water many, many times. There's a picture for you huh! We literally put warm epsom salts water in a bucket, held him over it and "dipped" and "swirled" his foot -- and often much of his body because he squirmed so much and had a general distaste for the procedure (LOL - surprise, surprise) -- in the water. We just held him up over the water and "swirled" and "twisted" him -- like the old dance!
He wasn't thrilled with any of it but he did put up with it and us. He's a good kitten. Always has been.
So... the place went away. He appears to be back to normal. Praise God! And now we consider him to be GooGoo, the Miracle Kitty! He's outlived so much more than most cats go through in his little life! What a cat!
;)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Goo-Goo Kitty
Well, one of our baby kittens, Goosie -- Gonzo, the Great Explorer, Goo-Goo Kitty -- has cancer. We just found this out recently -- about a week or so ago. He has this ... tumorous growth on his back heel that sprang up and has grown tremendously quickly.
Well, Goosie, Mr. Zetta Man is 20 - 21 years old now. So it's not like he's just a baby kitten. He's been around the block a time or two.
Crazy.
I can still remember him, as a baby kitten reaching out through his cage at me and going crazy, jumping and climbing all over his cage in his efforts to get to me. And reaching out just soooo hard to reach me. He's always been a sociable baby.
Fearlessness.
At one point, when he was not too many years, he climbed up to get into one of the puppy's foodbowls - a German Shepherd named Brutus. Mind you, Brutus was never rough; always the gentlest of pups. It was pure instinct that drove him to grab that cat right out of the the bowl and put him down. Unfortunately, the way he grabbed him, he broke through the skin, etc. Of course, it was a mess. Blood went everywhere. Mom & Dad grabbed Goosie up and rushed him to the vet. Three hundred dollars and more later, he was all patched up.
Of course, for many years later, he walked with a tilted head. He was very much like a stroke or head trauma patient.
However, Gonzie's lived with us again for many years now and over time, he's quit walking with a 90-degree tilt to his head. On most days anyway.
On some days, his more difficult days, he tends to walk with a tiny bit of a tilt. On those days, it's obviously harder for him -- in terms of how he walks, how he appears to approach things.
Smart.
Through all the years he's lived with us though, it's always been clear that he is an incredibly smart cat. He reasons things very clearly and appears to figure them out very quickly. He remembers things -- his memory is just incredible. Of course, some might say I'm just humanizing him.
Today.
So now we get to today. He has this huge tumor on his back foot/heel. It's oozing. When we went to the vet and he told us that Goosie had cancer, he said that it's likely the place has been growing for some time and that we just didn't notice. Cats are incredibly great at hiding their health problems. We've had 13 of them over the last 18 years or so and my goodness it's true. They are quite good at hiding their health problems.
Sadly, this tumor has grown tremendously. It's just amazing. It's almost doubled since we first discovered it. Worse? The skin has busted open -- which makes sense since there's no way skin growth could keep up with this rate of growth.
So now I'm incredibly sad. I think we're gonna have to take him to the vet and I believe the vet is gonna say that there's virtually nothing to be done. Goosie is loosing weight -- he's always been a pretty big cat. Not overweight .. just... solid. But the last few days, week or so ??? he seems smaller. I don't know what his weight is but at the very least, it's redistributing. I don't take that as a good sign.
When the vet told us about the cancer, he said that Goose was too old to undergo any surgery or chemo or anything like that... that old age would probably get him before the cancer did.
Today? I don't think so. I think the cancer is gonna get him first.
Sadness.
I'm very very sad. He's been my friend and my baby for so long. Lately his thing has been to go around the house yelling, "Hey!" "Heeeeey!" in this funny little low, slightly gravelly voice. As I said, he's very sociable and if he can't find you, he'll seek you out!
So there ya go. I'm just desperately sad.
Well, Goosie, Mr. Zetta Man is 20 - 21 years old now. So it's not like he's just a baby kitten. He's been around the block a time or two.
Crazy.
I can still remember him, as a baby kitten reaching out through his cage at me and going crazy, jumping and climbing all over his cage in his efforts to get to me. And reaching out just soooo hard to reach me. He's always been a sociable baby.
Fearlessness.
At one point, when he was not too many years, he climbed up to get into one of the puppy's foodbowls - a German Shepherd named Brutus. Mind you, Brutus was never rough; always the gentlest of pups. It was pure instinct that drove him to grab that cat right out of the the bowl and put him down. Unfortunately, the way he grabbed him, he broke through the skin, etc. Of course, it was a mess. Blood went everywhere. Mom & Dad grabbed Goosie up and rushed him to the vet. Three hundred dollars and more later, he was all patched up.
Of course, for many years later, he walked with a tilted head. He was very much like a stroke or head trauma patient.
However, Gonzie's lived with us again for many years now and over time, he's quit walking with a 90-degree tilt to his head. On most days anyway.
On some days, his more difficult days, he tends to walk with a tiny bit of a tilt. On those days, it's obviously harder for him -- in terms of how he walks, how he appears to approach things.
Smart.
Through all the years he's lived with us though, it's always been clear that he is an incredibly smart cat. He reasons things very clearly and appears to figure them out very quickly. He remembers things -- his memory is just incredible. Of course, some might say I'm just humanizing him.
Today.
So now we get to today. He has this huge tumor on his back foot/heel. It's oozing. When we went to the vet and he told us that Goosie had cancer, he said that it's likely the place has been growing for some time and that we just didn't notice. Cats are incredibly great at hiding their health problems. We've had 13 of them over the last 18 years or so and my goodness it's true. They are quite good at hiding their health problems.
Sadly, this tumor has grown tremendously. It's just amazing. It's almost doubled since we first discovered it. Worse? The skin has busted open -- which makes sense since there's no way skin growth could keep up with this rate of growth.
So now I'm incredibly sad. I think we're gonna have to take him to the vet and I believe the vet is gonna say that there's virtually nothing to be done. Goosie is loosing weight -- he's always been a pretty big cat. Not overweight .. just... solid. But the last few days, week or so ??? he seems smaller. I don't know what his weight is but at the very least, it's redistributing. I don't take that as a good sign.
When the vet told us about the cancer, he said that Goose was too old to undergo any surgery or chemo or anything like that... that old age would probably get him before the cancer did.
Today? I don't think so. I think the cancer is gonna get him first.
Sadness.
I'm very very sad. He's been my friend and my baby for so long. Lately his thing has been to go around the house yelling, "Hey!" "Heeeeey!" in this funny little low, slightly gravelly voice. As I said, he's very sociable and if he can't find you, he'll seek you out!
So there ya go. I'm just desperately sad.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Today...
so it's a new day. I mostly feel like complete crap today. Body's just... giving me crap. Ah well. It's okay. It doesn't matter. I mean, it does of course. But it'll pass is the point. And what doesn't pass is... well... what it is!
So that's that & there ya go. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS-ME) and Fibromyalgia and the related crappo that goes along with it and that's why I feel yucky today. I slept kinda crappier than usual last night and that's probably why. As I said... it's okay. It's what it is... LOL
I believe in God and I don't know how I'd get through this crap if I didn't. It's my strength. But... I recognize people have different beliefs and that's okay. I just don't know how I would get through this junk if I didn't believe...
Come visit me sometime at one of my places on the web: Lori's Place, DFWCFIDS, or The AzleZoo! Drop me a line, etc.! I'm pretty much homebound but I'm pretty sociable so that part sucks of course but again, it is what it IS! LOL
Sending you hugs, prayers and good thoughts!
Lori
So that's that & there ya go. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS-ME) and Fibromyalgia and the related crappo that goes along with it and that's why I feel yucky today. I slept kinda crappier than usual last night and that's probably why. As I said... it's okay. It's what it is... LOL
I believe in God and I don't know how I'd get through this crap if I didn't. It's my strength. But... I recognize people have different beliefs and that's okay. I just don't know how I would get through this junk if I didn't believe...
Come visit me sometime at one of my places on the web: Lori's Place, DFWCFIDS, or The AzleZoo! Drop me a line, etc.! I'm pretty much homebound but I'm pretty sociable so that part sucks of course but again, it is what it IS! LOL
Sending you hugs, prayers and good thoughts!
Lori
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