Life Lately 11/20

To be honest, I am Just Not Feeling It this week. Despite the beautiful fall trees, I feel exhausted and bummed. Part of it is some bleah circumstances, part of it is just November (which is historically not a happy month for me). So I haven't had a lot to say here, but here are some things that have been going on.

Tiger basketball season started well last Thursday with a solid win over Austin Peay! But last night we were utterly humiliated by Oklahoma State on national television. November beatdowns are often par for the course for Tiger fans, but this was one of the worst I've ever seen. By the end of the game, most sports media had (unfairly, IMHO) kicked us out of the top 25 and written us off for the season. I'm distraught, and will remain so until the next victory.

 

Alanna and I ran the Meowathon 5K last Saturday for the House of Mews, a local cat shelter. It was really fun! We even saw a lady running with her cat in a baby sling. I didn't get a picture, but people were crowding around with their phone cameras like the cat was a celebrity. My time wasn't as good as the True Blue 5K a few weeks ago, but I did set a new personal record for fastest mile, so I was pleased.

In other kitty news, my Peach turned 9 last week! Given her ongoing health issues, I'm extra thankful for every birthday. Recently she started refusing the pill pocket treats she's happily eaten for a year. I've tried all kinds of alternatives with no success, but last night I ground up her pill and sprinkled it on some chicken, and she went for it. Let's pray that this continues to work.

A few months ago I bought new glasses from Warby Parker. I'd had the same frames since high school (no joke) and wanted glasses I could feel cute in if I needed to wear them. Good thing I made that purchase, because I've been having an extended series of eye problems. It peaked last week when I got an ulcer in my eye (something I didn't know was possible). Turns out it's kind of serious, and I'll be in glasses at least through Thanksgiving. Lacking peripheral vision, and having something on my face all the time, is annoying... and medication and office visits have eaten up my entire Christmas budget and then some. But, you know, my eye still works. :\

I had a clothing swap at my house on Sunday! A few friends brought clothes and accessories they didn't want anymore, and we went to town. I think everyone left with at least one new-to-them item. It was a small and well-behaved group, so I didn't impose any sort of system. I also kept a lot of the leftover items so we can have another swap in the spring. Oh and if you need an easy snacky dessert to bring to a party, Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies are a safe bet. I've already made them twice.

What's new with you?

How To Care For a Cat With IBS

If you're not brand new to this blog, you know that my younger cat, Peach, has feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It took over a year of distress and hundreds of dollars in vet bills to reach this conclusion (which, like most autoimmune disorders, is more a guess by elimination than a definitive diagnosis). I've written about her "journey" before, but today I want to talk about long-term treatment for an IBS cat. This post won't apply to many people, but I hope it really helps those who need the information!

Disclaimer: I am not a vet. The following is based on amateur research and LOTS of trial and error. What works for my cat might not work for yours. Also, some say that the proper term for chronic stomach upset in cats is Irritable Bowel Disease, but I'm sticking with IBS for simplicity, so please don't attack me on semantics.

Medication. The most crucial need of your IBS cat is a regular dose of prednisolone. The vet will start her on a fairly high dose to get the vomiting, etc. under control. Once she's eating and keeping food down consistently, you can slowly begin to scale back the dosage. The idea is to get her to the lowest dose that will keep her healthy. Peach was diagnosed in January and started on a whole pill twice a day. Over six-week intervals, I've cut that back to a quarter-pill twice a day. I'm currently trying to wean her to one daily dose instead of two, but I can tell she starts to feel puny around day three. So the experiment is ongoing. My vet says some animals only need medicine a few times a week, but it doesn't look like Peach is one of them. We'll see how it goes over time.

Happily, prednisolone is super cheap AND your vet can call it in to a regular pharmacy for convenience. I get mine at the corner CVS for $8 a bottle (which now lasts two or three months!). My first pickup there was hilarious: "Um, I'm picking up medicine for my cat?" Then I had to set up an account with her name and date of birth. It was fun for everyone.

I give Peach her medicine in a pill pocket treat and have never had any problems. She loves the treats and will actually remind me when it's time. The only kind I've found is Feline Greenies pill pockets, and they're fairly expensive – $10 for a bag of 45 (which lasts a month at most) – and only available at pet stores. I alternate the chicken and salmon flavors so she won't get bored. I also split the pills all at once and keep them in an old Tic Tac container. It's easier than digging the fragments out of a deep bottle.

I've read that natural enzyme supplements are good for even healthy cats' digestion. So most days, I sprinkle a little onto the cats' wet food. It dissolves and has no flavor. One large bottle costs about $10, and since you only need a tiny bit, it lasts forever (as in, probably years). I keep it in a salt shaker. The verdict is still out on whether it's really helping Peach, but it can't hurt.

Food. Your IBS cat should be on a high-protein, grain-free, varied diet. I actually switched both of my cats to grain-free food last fall, before I knew what was wrong with Peach, in case her problem was a grain allergy. That switch might have saved her life.

I provide dry food to my cats constantly (about half a cup in each dish per day) and give them each half a can of wet food in the evenings. I started with Nature's Variety Instinct wet and dry food, but after a few months, both cats refused to eat it anymore. I think it was too healthy. :) So now I get a variety of canned foods. They love Halo Spot's Stew, Canyon Creek Ranch, and Merrick Before Grain CAT (only certain flavors). Their current favorite canned brand is Avoderm, which has a lot of seafood options, but of course is the most expensive. For dry food, the cats like Innova, but I just found out it's been recalled. YIKES. So now I'm trying Blue Buffalo.

Again, I'm not a vet, but one key to feline IBS is to keep the stomach guessing. The more varied your cat's diet, the healthier she'll be. Your cat might be intolerant of certain common meats. I've noticed that beef and some brands of lamb make Peach sick instantly, but she does fine with chicken, especially in combination with other meats (like Before Grain's Quail and Chicken). She also eats fish, shellfish, and venison with no problem. If you're a hunter and have a lot of wild game on hand, giving some to your cat is a really healthy option!

A lot of cat owners swear by raw diets for managing or curing their cats' IBS, but I haven't tried it. If you're interested, there's plenty of information out there (and plenty of judgment, because people on the internet will rip each other to shreds over anything).

I wistfully remember my days of picking up a cheap bag of Purina One and a few cans of tuna while at Target. Now I make special trips to the pet store and spend around $75 monthly just on cat food. It's rough... but she's worth it! I recommend getting a loyalty card and sticking with one store for all your purchases. I chose Petco because it's closest to my house. They give me a $5 off coupon for every $50 I spend, and offer semi-regular 10% off deals on cans. Also, you can set up an order on their website and get automatic deliveries. That would make my life much easier, but they currently only offer canned food by the case. Petco, if you're listening, a mix-and-match option would be GREAT.


In summary, feline IBS isn't curable, but you can manage it easily with food and medication. Since Peach was SO sick for SO long, her quick response to treatment is still miraculous to me. I don't know how much weight she's gained since her all-time low of six pounds, but she started filling out immediately and looks much healthier. She may still have a shorter life, but it'll be of a higher quality than she had before. I'm thankful for every extra day of wellness!

Any questions?

His Eye Is On The Gato

At this time last week, I was waiting for the results of another test on my mysteriously sick cat. After months of digestive problems, Peach weighed six pounds. The vet had already ruled out the main cat diseases – diabetes, hyperthyroid, feline leukemia. This test was for pancreatitis. Aside from the fact that she couldn't keep food down, she was perplexingly healthy. With no diagnosis, she kept getting worse. It was my understanding that after this, there would be nothing else to do for her besides exploratory surgery. Cost aside, I didn't think she was strong enough to survive a surgery. She was clearly declining. I didn't feel optimistic about the test results, since none of the other tests had told me anything. So I started to accept that I was going to lose her, and probably soon. The only question was whether I would have to make the decision myself. I spent several nights last week crying next to her cat bed, praying for God to take her peacefully so she wouldn't have to be scared at the vet in her last moments.

I'd been praying for Peach every day for at least a year. I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to heal her or provide answers, but she kept getting sicker. Over time, it really started to mess with me spiritually. Sometimes I'd hear her getting sick in another room, and I'd think in despair, God, why won't you have mercy on one of your little creatures? Sometimes it devolved all the way to, Okay God, so it doesn't matter if I suffer, but how can you allow her suffering? Where's the purpose in that? I think this experience has given me a tiny window into how parents of severely ill children feel. It's awful to witness the distress of a creature who relies on you for care, and be unable to do anything else to help. I went through that for months and months. The only thing that comforted me last week was the certainty that one way or another, it was almost over. Either she'd get better, or she wouldn't make it. I didn't want to lose her, but I knew I was at a breaking point. I pretty much gave up and waited for bad news. God had said no, and I would just have to accept it and cope with it somehow.

 

Then, last Wednesday evening, the vet left me a voicemail. In the space of that voicemail, I did a total emotional 180 from grief to euphoria. The test results were in, and Peach didn't have pancreatitis. Not even close. BUT! He suspected she might have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS – just like humans get) and was willing to try treating her for that if I was okay with it. Immediately I was flooded with hope and relief. I didn't care that it wasn't a definitive diagnosis and the medicine might not even work. I was just thrilled that she had one more chance at life.

Sure enough, Peach has been on meds for almost a week now and hasn't gotten sick ONCE! She obviously feels better, is eating heartily, and has more energy. Feline IBS isn't curable, but it's manageable with prednisone. She's on a pretty high dose right now, but once things are under control, we'll scale back to the lowest dose that will keep her healthy. Added bonus: prednisone is cheap, I can even pick it up at a regular pharmacy, and she takes the pills happily in a pill pocket treat. I'm very hopeful that I'll get to see her healthy and plump again. :) Also, cats with IBS should be on a high-protein, low-grain diet. I switched both cats to grain-free food back in September in case Peach's problem was a food allergy. That switch might have saved her life.

Regardless of how things unfold from here, I have a renewed assurance of God's providence and care. I'm sure this whole story seems melodramatic and laughable to some because, you know, "it's just a cat." But 1) that cat is part of my family, and 2) this experience has been about much more than a pet. A lot of the emotional byproducts haven't been new to me. I already know what it's like to pray long-term for healing and restoration, to give it everything I have, only to watch what I love fall apart and die. It's been rough to go through that process again in any capacity. I'm also slowly losing hope that some of those losses will be redeemed. But God pulled off an eleventh-hour miracle with my cat when I seriously had no hope left. I had already given her up for dead, and He gave her back to me. He was there the whole time. He heard me. He had compassion on both of us. It's not a guarantee. But it's definitely something.

Tough Times

Peach in 2011

I haven't had much heart for blogging this week because my cat, Peach, is very sick. For about a year now, she's had trouble keeping food down and has lost more and more weight. I switched her to premium grain-free food, in case she had an allergy or something, but it didn't help much. In November, I suddenly realized that she was way too skinny and took her to the vet. Since then, she's had multiple tests and even X-rays, and we're no closer to discovering the problem. We've ruled out the typical cat diseases. She is now down to six pounds. :( I'm waiting for more test results from another vet visit yesterday, but I'm not optimistic that they'll reveal anything. In the meantime, despite some shot-in-the-dark treatment, Peach seems to be going downhill fast. It's emotionally exhausting to know that your pet is suffering and there's probably not much more you can do for her (short of going broke on specialists and increasingly expensive tests that might not even help). Especially when she's such a sweet cat, and only eight years old. This limbo period is terrible. I feel anxious and sad about her all the time. I also feel prepared for parenthood after some of the messes I've had to clean up in recent weeks. I'm still praying for a breakthrough, but it doesn't look good.

Thankfully my other cat, Gandalf, is still as healthy as a horse (and almost as big as one too). And I'm finally starting to feel good again myself after being sick for months! But I'm very upset about my Peachy.

Parsons Chair Slipcover

It took me almost three months, but I finally finished sewing a slipcover for the parsons chair in my office/craft room! I used this tutorial. Technically, I didn't even finish it myself - my mom added the "skirt" piece for me after I sewed it on wrong TWICE. The skirt also came out too short. But the slipcover is done and on and it's good enough for me, so...

I bought the parsons chair on sale a couple of years ago, and my cat Peach quickly made it her personal scratching post. At first I tried to stop her, but I'm already vigilantly protecting all my other furniture from her claws, and honestly, I gave up on this one. Besides, I figured I would want to change the look later anyway. This fabric is from the outdoor section at Hancock and I think it's perfect for the room!

My other cat, Gandalf (who prefers clawing carpet over furniture), loves to hang out with me while I sew. He came right over to give the newly re-covered chair a head-butt of approval. ♥

After taking these pictures, I had to cover the chair in clear contact paper to stop the cycle of destruction. It still looks fine, but isn't the most fun to sit on. I'll probably replace the contact paper with vinyl or something. Fellow pet owners, any better furniture-protecting ideas?

One more project done. Yay! :)

A Cat Lady Moment

(all photos by my brother)

I took my cats to the vet yesterday for a checkup. Wrangling both of them by myself is usually I-need-a-drink exhausting, but it turned out to be the easiest vet visit ever. No one needed shots this year... and Gandalf was howling and hissing like a banshee, so the vet and I agreed he didn't really need to be examined after all. LOL! (Gandalf is high-strung, so he can get murderous when anyone or anything disturbs his space uninvited. It's too bad that no one really gets what a wonderful cat he is alone with me.)

 

Peach did need an exam, though. She's lost a lot of weight, and for a month or so I've sensed that she doesn't feel good. For reasons that already seem silly to me, I was convinced that she had feline diabetes. I got myself all worked up figuring out how to cope with the situation. Thankfully, it's not that serious. Her mouth is rejecting her two front teeth for some mysterious reason, so the vet recommended removing them. Apparently this is somewhat common in cats. I feel sad to think of her losing her teeth, but the vet assured me that her quality of life won't suffer and will probably even improve. So we'll get that done in a couple of weeks.

I know you're all waiting with bated breath for a follow-up about my air conditioner. Well, it was dead, and I had to replace the entire outside unit (the tower thing with the fan) to the tune of A LOT. But I have now replaced every major appliance and electrical-type thing in my house, so I should be entering a period of peace.

Wild on Wednesday: Miscellaneous

Here are some things I'm currently wild about:

I've gotten some good mail over the last week or so! My friend AJ, who lives in Belgium, sent me this bright scarf that happened to match the shirt I was wearing that day:

She also knitted me a little rabbit! It's actually the second one she's sent me - the first still lives on my nightstand. Now he has a friend.

Last February I visited Jessica in Oregon for a women's conference. I couldn't go this year, which was a bummer because Carolyn Custis James was the keynote speaker. But Jessica sent me a surprise copy of the latest book, Half the Church, signed by the author herself!

She even included a picture of CCJ signing the book. How thoughtful is that? :)

In other news, I found the perfect orange bag at TJ Maxx!

It's roomy but not too large, structured but not too fussy, well-made, and has a TON of pockets. But what pushed me over the edge was the matching umbrella in a special pocket at the bottom of the purse. I've been getting by with one falling-apart umbrella for several months, so since I needed a new umbrella anyway, why not get a bag too? ;)

I haven't found any orange or yellow flats, not even at DSW, but this dose of orange ought to satiate me for a while.

Finally, my cats were especially cute last weekend:

 

 
On Sunday afternoon I realized I hadn't seen Gandalf in a while, so I went looking for him and found this:

 What an adorable weirdo.

Grace For The Good Girl (etc.)

One of my favorite blogs is Chatting at the Sky. I'm not exaggerating when I say I want to "star" or link to everything Emily posts. Her blog mostly focuses on two concepts: living life in light of God's grace, and finding the artist within and setting her free. Needless to say, those are currently major guideposts in my own life, so I really benefit from her thoughts.

I pre-ordered Emily's book, Grace For The Good Girl, and was thrilled to find it in my mailbox yesterday. I am definitely the target audience for this book and can't wait to start reading and highlighting. I admire her for having the courage to share the message God placed in her heart, even though she didn't feel "qualified" to do it. I hope that someday, I'll have the guts and the right words to do the same.

***

In other, around-the-house news, it was Gandalf's birthday yesterday. He turned nine. :)

And I finally found a place for my house's nameplate! It'll be replaced soon by a fall wreath I'm planning to make, but I'm glad to have it up temporarily.

And I'm seriously considering painting all my hallway picture frames white, a la Young House Love. My house is otherwise devoid of black, and I feel like it makes the hall seem darker. But I can't decide. Thoughts?

Baked Peaches Alaska

One of my favorite summer treats is Peach Surprise. I made it many times last summer (usually on Thursday nights after yoga, for some reason), and while it was always delicious, it never looked like it was supposed to. The meringue didn't brown, the ice cream leaked out, and I was as messy as a toddler when I finished eating it.

While making my first Peach Surprise of 2011 last week, the peach turned to mush when I pitted it. Rather than get frustrated at myself, I just decided that trying to produce a photo-worthy result was pointless, and there had to be a better way. So I present my adaptation:

Baked Peaches Alaska
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
2 large peaches, pitted
2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
½ cup vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1. Place 2-4 large ramekins in the freezer for at least 10 minutes (though you can obviously do this way ahead of time).

2. Preheat oven to 450° F.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on medium until foamy. Increase speed to high. Gradually add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the almond extract.

4. Place a whole peach (if serving two) or half a peach (if serving four)* into each ramekin. The state of the peach (whole, sliced, etc.) is up to your preference and its willingness to cooperate. :) Spoon the ice cream on top of the peach, or into the cavity if you have halves. Mound the meringue on top, being sure to enclose the ice cream.

5. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake until the meringue is golden brown, 2-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

* = The original recipe indicates one peach half per person, but I have to believe that's just for aesthetics. If you want a whole peach, by all means have it. I refuse to feel piggy about eating an entire fruit. :)

As you can see, my meringue still didn't brown (but it was still delicious). Anyone know what I might be doing wrong? Maybe it's my 33-year-old oven?

PS: I must include a picture of the real Peach in my life: :)

Safe Plants for Cats

Loving my (outdoor) daffodils!

As the "owner" of two cats, I sometimes get frustrated that I can't have plants in the house. Aside from the destruction factor, there's the constant worry that a plant might be poisonous. Several years ago I brought home an Easter lily, unaware of how lethal it was, and ended up panicking in the kitty ER. (Thankfully, the cats had only taken one tiny nibble before I caught them, and were fine.) After that I banned all indoor plants to avoid repeating the experience.

However! To encourage myself and other cat keepers, here's a list of common plants that are officially NOT poisonous to cats. Bring them into the house with abandon! :)

African violet

Aster

Bachelor's buttons

Bamboo

Begonia

Camellia

Canna

Christmas cactus

Coleus

Cornflower

Crepe myrtle

Daisies

Ferns

Gardenia

Gloxinia

Hens-and-chicks

Hollyhock

Jasmine

Magnolia

Marigold

Orchids

Palm tree

Pampas grass

Petunia

Pitcher plant

Prayer plant

Rubber tree

Silver tree

Snapdragon

Spider Plant

Sunflower

Sweet William

Umbrella Plant

Venus flytrap

Wandering Jew

Zebra Plant

Zinnia

If you like unusual plants and/or know their scientific names, you can find a more complete list at the ASPCA. :)

Gandykins

(extremely cheesy effects brought to you by Picnik)

Gandalf turns 8 today! I'll gift him with a can of tuna tonight. If I had a pointy birthday hat at home, I'd put it on him for photos, but he'd probably bat it right off anyway.

Things I love about my first-ever cat:

♥ He sleeps next to me almost every night. Last winter I made him a special fleece cushion for this purpose, but now he prefers to take up an entire body pillow.

♥ He is "talkative." For a while after we brought Peach home, he was quiet, and I was afraid I'd never hear his conversational meowing again. But he got his voice back!

♥ He requires that strangers allow him to sniff them before trying to get close to him. After approval, he sort of bows and presents his head for petting, which caused Debra to give him the nickname "Sultan."

♥ At mealtimes, he enjoys sitting at the table like a person. If I forget to pull out his chair, he makes his displeasure known.

♥ When I'm upset, he senses it and comes to be with me right away.

♥ He spends part of each morning basking in the sun, even in the middle of summer, even though he's a black cat.

♥ He loves cheese. Milk holds no interest for him, but when I open a bag of shredded cheese, I have to practically stand in the refrigerator and avoid eye contact to keep him from noticing.

I know this makes me sound like a crazy cat person, but I'm thankful for Gandalf and hope for at least another 8 years with him! :)

Home Update

My new couches arrived yesterday! :D They're VERY comfortable and look great!






I have to say, the giraffe pillows seem much less giraffey than in the store! Each couch came with four pillows, but we removed one so people could actually sit.

My mom also suggested a square coffee table instead of another rectangular one. I was resistant at first, because I want one with a shelf and baskets underneath, but I think she may be right. I'm planning to visit the Ashley furniture outlet this weekend in addition to my usual Craigslist stalking.


Current mantel arrangement, with my new Nell Hill's birthday vases from Stefanie and Kevin. I'm still tweaking it, since I have no eye for these things...all I know is that the "trophy" should be in the middle. Looking at the full effect of everything, I started thinking that the living room might look great painted the lightest color of that fake plant. Like a really pale celery. Would it be crazy to repaint my living room around a fake plant? I love it - the hanging greenery reminds me of Savannah.

I bought a pack of Sticky Paws strips to keep the cats from clawing the backs of the new couches, but after applying a few, I realized it wasn't going to be enough protection. So I looked into the SP full sheets. They were only available online and prices/shipping were ridiculous. In the end, my mom offered to go to Hancock's today and pick up some clear vinyl to put over the entire backs of the couches. It's pretty depressing to have (partially) vinyl-covered furniture just like my grandma, but it's my only real option. Hopefully it'll work! :\

Peachy The Driving Cat

My two cats have always been interested in roaming around in my garage. But until recently, the floor was covered with glass and metal shards and who knew what else, and it was too dangerous and dirty for them. Now, thanks to my dad and brother, the garage is clean and organized with a freshly-washed floor, and the cats are OBSESSED with going in there. This morning, I let them out for a few minutes of playtime, and when I went to check on them, Peach was almost on top of my car. I was worried that she'd fall through the sunroof (which I had left open), so I lifted her down and opened the door for her. She happily explored the whole car and I had to drag her out so I could go to work.

I've been trying to get them interested in a laser pointer (which I'd been told was a failproof cat toy), but they watch my hand the whole time instead of the red dot. Chasing a laser? Eh, boring. Hanging out in a Lexus? Yes please. My cats are bizarre.