Zorro's Recent Challenges

Curry hasn't blogged in a while.  She's gotten caught up in my own busy schedule.  And lately, we've been dealing with a medical condition that Zorro developed.  He has anemia and has spent the last few weeks going back and forth to various veterninary appointments.  I'm happy to say that he's feeling better, but he still needs some help, and lots of love from his friends.  Curry will tell you more.

"Well, just like my mom said, Zorro has been having a tough time.  He went to our regular vet Ballston Animal Hospital for his annual check-up.  Mom was a little concerned that he had lost some weight and was drinking more water than normal.  They ran some bloodwork and found that he has anemia, and it is a pretty severe anemia.  So Zorro spent a couple weeks going back and forth between our regular vet and the specialists at SouthPaws.  He had more bloodwork, x-rays, an ultrasound of his abdomen (see his shaved belly in the photo), and some very thorough examinations.  The doctors couldn't determine the cause of his anemia, so the next test they wanted to do was a bone marrow biopsy.  Ouch!  Mom said that would have been a painful and expensive test.  She chose not to put Zorro through that, and I'm glad.  He was not up to that kind of invasive procedure because he already wasn't feeling well.  And the results of the test were not going to substantially change the course of his treatment, so no bone marrow test for Zorro.

The specialist veterinarian prescribed a sterioid for Zorro: Prednisone, a drug also used for humans.  But mom wasn't satisfied with just giving Zorro a steroid, so she took my brother back to Ballston Animal Hospital to see Dr. Morse.  She's a regular veterinarian, but she also practices holistic medicine.  She has an extra layer of knowledge about alternative treatments, and mom thought there might be some options for Zorro to help him get better.  Of course, I didn't go with Zorro to see Dr. Morse, but the way I understand it, she was very gentle with him and he was more at ease than we was for any of the other doctors.  Dr. Morse prescribed several supplements for Zorro.  He's on a Chinese herbal remedy that is supposed to help with his blood.  He's also taking an amino-vitamin B supplement, ginseng and probiotics.  Dr. Morse also said Zorro should have omega-3s, so she said he could have a fish oil supplment or he could eat sardines.  Mom doesn't eat sardines, so she never had them in the house.  She bought some sardines packed in water and gave them to us.  Yuck!  I hate sardines!  I like other seafood, but not sardines.  But the good news is that Zorro loves them (see below), so he can get his omega-3s and all the other good nutrients from sardines.  Willie and Grayson liked them too.  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.  Sardines are yucky little fish.

Zorro seems to be feeling a lot better with his steroid, his supplements, and the changes in his diet.  But the coolest thing Dr. Morse suggested was acupuncture.  Yes, acupuncture.  Mom took Zorro to see Dr. Morse yesterday for his first acupuncture treatment.  I guess he did OK.  Dr. Morse only used a few needles for the first treatment because she wanted to see how he did.  He was restless at first but then settled down.  Dr. Morse also did some energy work on him: something called reconnective healing.  I don't understand what it is, but we are all open to anything that might help my brother.  Zorro goes back for his second acupuncture treatment in a few days, and a few days after that they will do another blood test to check his anemia. 

We are all happy that Zorro is feeling somewhat better and mom and all of us are less stressed than we were a week ago before the treatments began.  I'm still concerned about Zorro because he's my favorite brother and he helped raise me.  Please, everyone, send Zorro and all of us some love because it definitely helps to know that people care!"

Once Again, Curry Gives "Props" to Dogs

"I don't know why humans think that it's always cats against dogs.  First of all, you guys can like both of us.  Secondly, we don't necessarily hate each other.  Even though I haven't had much exposure to dogs, I have plenty of respect for them (until their owners start dressing them up in silly little outfits...but then, I guess it's really my respect for the owners that goes out the window).  It's why I posted a blog about rescuing Boxers (I still think it's a good cause, so please foster or adopt if you can).  And it's why I'm going to give some credit where credit is due and commend some Denver-area Pit Bulls for protecting a Chihuahua.  Here's the story about the little Chihuahua named Buster who was attacked by a coyote and rescued by Pit Bulls. 

It proves to me that it's less about the breed of dog, and more about the training and love that its owners give it that really matters.  Clearly, those dogs were trained not to attack, but to protect.  They recognized that that little Buster, while smaller and more defenseless, was one of their own kind: a domesticated dog.  They not only chased off the coyote, but stayed with Buster to protect him.  Good dogs.  I hope if I'm ever out in the wild and find myself threatened by a larger animal, that a Pit Bull will rescue me.  But, who am I kidding?  I'm an indoor cat in a high-rise building.  The worst threat I face on a daily basis is Grayson, and I can take him.

A word about the coyote though.  The Buster situation was not his (or her) fault.  He is a wild dog and doesn't know better, so I don't blame him.  I do think it's too bad that many cities have been experiencing 'coyote problems.'  The coyotes need a place to live, too.  I'm glad that man quoted in the article mentioned this.  I'm afraid I don't have a solution to the coyote issue.  After all, I'm no expert on urban land use or wildlife control.  I do hope that the real experts can figure this out, with respect for the coyotes.

Little Buster, I wish you the very best wishes for your recovery.  Don't forget to thank those Pit Bulls for being so kind to you!  Now, to celebrate both cats and dogs, I think I'll ask my mom to sneak me into the movie theater so I can see 'Cats & Dogs: the Revenge of Kitty Galore' in 3D."

Wake up, mom!

"Our mom doesn't like to wake up in the morning.  Once she's up, she's fine, but getting her out of bed to feed us our breakfast can be a challenge.  Sometimes we need to start the process early.  Around three or four A.M. we start making noise and waking her up every hour on the hour.  This wears her down so that by six or seven she finally gets up and feeds us.  I used to have to do more of the work, but now that Grayson is here, he has taken over.  He runs around on the bed and attacks mom's feet.  I'm perfectly fine with this because that way I don't get in trouble.  That's not to say that I deserve no blame.  There are lots of things we cats can do to to wake our humans...without them even realizing it!  Just take a look at this video of Simon's Cat.  That Simon sure knows cat behavior (and his cat is very resourceful).  Just don't tell mom that we do stuff like this or she'll never buy us a baseball bat."

Willie's New Best Friend

"We had visitors for the recent 4th of July holiday weekend.  Mom's friends from Ohio, Nikki and Shelly, came to stay for a few days.  We've had adult human visitors before (and it was a repeat visit for both of these ladies), but this time there was something special.  Nikki's five year old daughter E came too!  I am the first to admit my lack of experience with human children.  Their strange habits puzzle me.  For example, why are their voices so loud and high-pitched?  Why do they sometimes run around erratically?  Why do they crawl on the ground and play with our cat toys?  I may never have the answers.  What I can do is tell you how well E fit in, or didn't fit in, with the feline crew.

First, the good news: Willie is in love with E!  The two of them became fast friends and Willie was continually amused by all the attention paid to him by E.  And in return, I think E was amused by Willie.  They're kind of on the same wavelength and maturity level.  The thing is, E will continue to learn and grow, but Willie is about as smart and mature as he's ever gonna get.  I've gotta give Willie props though.  He had more patience than I did when E picked him up (not an easy feat for her, because Willie needs to lose a couple pounds).  He never lashed out, clawed, bit, or otherwise showed aggression toward E.  Not even when she chased him.  Not even when she played patty-cakes with his paws (he just patty-caked her right back). 

On the other extreme of the feline spectrum, Grayson was scared witless by E's presence.  Poor Little Gray.  He's shy to begin with, and is very cautious around adult humans.  I think he just wasn't ready to be exposed to a human kid.  Grayson pretty much hid out in the bedroom, behind the bed, during E's waking hours.  He ventured out cautiously when she went down for afternoon naps, and after her bedtime.  But he had never met Nikki or Shelly, so he was timid around them too.  Mom felt bad that Grayson was so scared for four days.  I, on the other hand, think he got his just desserts for being such a pest to me over the last year.

Zorro was shy with E too.  That wasn't any surprise.  He's always shy with strange humans.  He kept his distance, but wasn't nearly as freaked out as Grayson.  The thing about Zorro is that he loves everyone...he just hates sudden noises or movements.  Zorro and I had no problem hanging out with E while she was sleeping, as you can see from this picture. 

Like Zorro, I think I prefer my human kids asleep.  But I do make exceptions.  E was very willing to play with me and Willie and our favorite dangly toys.  Mine is the Cat Dancer, and Willie's is a 'fishing pole' toy with metallic plastic streamers.  E could use some work on her technique with these toys, but she more than made up for it in enthusiasm and endurance.  Mom never plays with us for quite as long as E, who never seemed to tire.

So, was it worth it to have guests for the long weekend?  Yes, if you ask Willie and me.  (Willie definitely missed E after she left, and I was sad that this sociological experiment had to end.)  No, if you ask Grayson or Zorro.  (Actually, Zorro was kinda neutral about the visit, but Grayson breathed a huge sigh of relief when the weekend was over and he could go back to his normal routine.)  There you have it.  Our first experience with a human kid, and with mixed results.  E, you're welcome to come back anytime, just don't expect Grayson to be quite as welcoming as your best bud Willie!"

Products Curry Does Not Endorse

"Dear readers, I have recently learned about two absolutely ridiculous, humiliating feline products.  Only humans could come up with ideas so bad.  What do you guys do - spend all your waking thoughts figuring out how to embarass us, and solve some unimportant problem, for a profit?  I'm all for free enterprise, but this stuff is just crazy!  Here are two things I will never wear (and neither will Zorro or Grayson, but I can't speak for Willie):

#1 Humiliating Product: The CatBib

According to the website, the CatBib 'prevents your cat from catching and killing wildbirds.'  Okay, I think they've got a point there, because it 'interferes with your cat's hunting skills.'  But get this, they also say: 'without interfering with any other kitty activities.'  What?  You've got to be kidding me!  Have you seen this thing? By all means, it interferes with other kitty activities, namely with maintaining our air of dignity!  They also say it is 'comfortable and safe for your cat to wear.'  How on earth can that be?  What if you had some goofy neoprene bib hanging from your collar?  Would that feel good?  Would that make you happy, dear humans?  I think not.  In summary, the CatBib probably does do its job of saving the lives of a few poor little birdies, but at what expense?  Your cat will get beat up by all the other neighborhood felines.  And it will be your fault!

#2 Humiliating Product: Kitty Twitter

No, I'm not talking about cats like me who have our own Twitter accounts.  This is a bit different.  It's a prototype device that cats wear around their necks.  Once again, what IS it with humans strapping crap to our necks?  How would you like to wear a choker all the time?  Well, this Kitty Twitter concept might just be worse than the CatBib.  I like to call it 'Animal Farm Big Brother.'  This is for humans who just have to know what their cats are doing at all times.  It takes the nanny cam to a new level.  The Kitty Twitter would record your cat's every movement (by camera and GPS) when you are not home, and then broadcast said movements via Twitter.  It's the mastermind of Sony.  Of course, leave it to the Japanese to come up with something like this.  Remember, this is the country that gave us electronic pets (remember Tamagotchi?).  Well, I think the concept of Kitty Twitter is an invasion of privacy.  When we felines are home alone, that's our only time to be free of our over-protective humans.  I'm a grown up and I don't want my mom to know everything I do when she's not home.  Would you?  No!  It's not that I'm hiding anything, but c'mon, I'm a good cat, so grant me a measure of privacy now and then.  No wonder the photo shows a toy cat wearing the device.  No self-respecting feline would go for this.  Of course, my brother Willie might wear it, but I never said he was self-respecting.

So, there are two products that good cat lovers should never, ever buy!  Please, do us all a favor and steer clear of these horrible wastes of your hard-earned money.  Instead, buy more catnip, and give your cat more love and attention.  Don't, I beg of you, make your cat the laughingstock of your neighborhood."

Lions are Not Food!

"Nor are any cats, if you ask me.  I can't tell you how angry I am about the restaurant in Arizona that is serving lion meat in honor of the World Cup.  (Granted, they're probably not the only ones.)  They think THIS is the right way to honor one of Africa's great animals?  C'mon!  I'm a carnivore myself, but that is just WRONG!  Not only is the lion a beautiful, majestic animal, a symbol of raw power and strength, but a lion is a CAT!  It's not right to serve cat burgers!  No way, no how.  I weep for my lion brethren who are cruelly slaughtered for a mere hamburger.  Do these people not have cats as pets?  Do they not see the connection?  What's next, and should I be scared?  I know one thing, if I see anyone with a knife or a gun, I'm running!

So, let me take this opportunity to celebrate my beautiful cousins, the lions of Africa.  My words can't do these magnificent creatures justice, so I'll let this video speak for me.  (Wow, kudos to that one lion cub who showed no fear in the face of his daddy's fury!)  And to all you humans out there considering a lion burger, shame on you!"

The Bionic Cat

Several people have brought to my attention the recent story of the cat with bionic feet.  Click here for a link to a story about this British cat, Oscar, who is lucky to have his life.  And click here for a link to a video in which Oscar first tries out his bionic feet.  Of course, Curry thought this was an interesting story, and wanted to blog about it.  One of the reasons for her interest hits us close to home.  I'll let her explain.

"I'm glad that there are veterinarians who care so much about us cats that they would make bionic paws.  Oscar, the poor cat in the story, may not have been allowed to live, had he not received these bionic paws.  I know that I would be very traumatized without two of my feet.  It would be very hard to get around, and I wouldn't have the freedom to do all the things I like to do, like running and jumping, and exploring on my own, without needing my mom right there all the time.  Oscar was lucky, indeed.  He won't be able to get around exactly the same as before, but once he gets used to his new paws, it will be pretty close to normal.  Thank you, humans, for helping him! 

Stumpy, Grayson's Mother

After hearing Oscar's story, mom and I immediately thought of Grayson's mom, Stumpy.  (Let me explain right now that neither of us named her...that's Uncle John's 'clever' moniker for her.)  You see, Stumpy is missing the bottom half of one of her hind legs.  She was like this when John rescued her, a pregnant (with Grayson & company) stray.  Stumpy actually gets around very well.  She has learned to compensate for the loss of one leg.  She had no problems during her pregnancy or the raising of her litter (Grayson and the other kittens turned out just fine).  But, what would it be like for Stumpy if Uncle John bought her a bionic paw?  I asked Uncle John, and his response was 'that would cost more than my car.'  So, I guess that Stumpy will not be the second cat to benefit from a bionic paw.  Oh well, she's managing just fine as it is.  I'm still happy for Oscar, and I'm happy that those scientists and vets are thinking of us felines in their very important endeavors." 

Happy 1st Birthday to Grayson!

"It was my brother Grayson's birthday on Sunday, June 20th.  He's one year old.  Technically, we're considering him an adult, but you know how it is (just think of human 18 year olds).  He still has some growing and maturing to do before I will grant him the respect that an adult cat deserves.  We had a party for Grayson.  Mom has been getting into celebrating our birthdays lately.  She never used to do this, but then again, I never used to blog.  There's a time to start new habits, I guess.  So, Grayson's First Birthday party was quite a bit more involved than the little family get-togethers we had to celebrate Willie's Birthday or My Birthday.  Mom sent an invitation to several humans through Evite.  I was surprised that so many people wanted to come over and celebrate Grayson's birthday, but they did.  Just look at them in the photo.  I guess humans will go for any excuse to have wine and cheese.  Mom told me she would like me to thank our guests Jan, Nicole, Angela, Christine, Adam, Kim, Tina, Phyllis, Sheri, Mike and Marcia.  There were even more people who wanted to come, but couldn't make it, including our cat sitters Carlos and Deb, and our Uncle John who lives out of state.  It would seem that Grayson has a lot of friends, but since he hid in the bedroom for most of the party, I know they were really here to see me.

The party went down like this.  People started arriving, and Grayson and Zorro started hiding.  Willie and I had a good time because we are much more social cats.  Willie got to run out into the hall a couple times, so that made him happy.  I got to be petted on my head, so that made me happy.  Some of the silly humans brought birthday presents for Grayson.  Willie got first dibs on some cool catnip mice, because he couldn't keep his nose out of the bag.  Willie also got to try on Grayson's new Harley Davidson collar from Jan.  He didn't like it.  Grayson looked good in it though, as you can see from the photo.

The humans ate a lot of cheese and grapes and drank a lot of wine.  They also talked a lot.  Hey, I'm a Siamese cat, and I talk a lot.  If I think a human is talking a lot, it must be so.  These people wouldn't shut up.  But it's completely OK, because they are my mom's friends and they were all good to me.  While the humans were talking, drinking and eating, mom brought out Grayson's birthday cake.  Don't worry, I have no stories to share of goofy human traditions like wearing hats, lighting candles and singing.  The cake was presented to us in a very causal way, and we just ate.  It was a two-layer cake crafted from three cans of Fancy Feast and Laughing Cow cheese that mom tried to squeeze through a Ziploc, pastry bag style.  Mom's decorating skills leave a lot to be desired.  However, Willie (upper right corner of cake photo), Grayson and I ate.  Zorro was still playing shy boy at this point in the party, so no cake for him. 

After a while, some of the guests had to leave, so the party got a little more quiet, and Grayson and Zorro spent more time socializing.  Mom opened Grayson's presents, and we played with them a little bit (check out Zorro and  Grayson trying to get into the foam balls).  In addition to the Harley collar and the catnip mice, Grayson got a new dangly toy (fun!), a chirping chickadee toy, Temptations treats, and some other assorted goodies.  Mom's friends were very generous and all of us cats benefited! 

As the party started to wind down, I collected my thoughts.  (I'm happy to be a big sister to Grayson, even if he is still a bit of a pest.  I'm thinking that in a few more months he'll be fully grown and hopefully pestering me less.  I'm also happy mom has so many nice friends who pet me, talk to me, and let me smell their hair.)  When the last guests left, mom gave Grayson a big hug and told him how much she loves him.  She tells us this all the time, but it's always nice to hear it.  So, happy birthday to Grayson.  The next birthday is in July, and it's Zorro's 8th.  After that, no more cat birthdays until April!"

The Grayson-ator Strikes Again

Dear readers, I must once again apologize for my lag in posting Curry's blogs.  There's no excuse really, other than feeling a little busy since returning from vacation.  Curry has been hounding me (if cats can "hound") to post her blogs.  Then something happened last night that neither of us could ignore.  Little Grayson gave Curry another reason to blog.  Here, she tells the story.

"I'm getting tired of complaining when my mom is too busy to type up my blogs, so I'll just let it go in the future.  This is the last time I will tell her how frustrating it is to have blog material and no one to type it for me.  I promise, this is the last time I will figuratively roll my eyes at my mom's defense of being 'busy.'  So, with that, yes, mom's right, that Grayson is a character.  You'll recall my May 26th blog ('The Flying Grayson') that described Grayson's little adventure getting stuck behind the bookcases.  Mom was really worried that he'd do it again while she was in Costa Rica, and that he'd be trapped back there for hours at a time.  Grayson proved her wrong.  He didn't do it again that week, nor the week that mom returned.  But then a couple nights ago mom woke up to the sound of Grayson scratching and crying, and he had done it again. At 1:00 AM mom had to, once again, remove the books from the bookshelf, pull it out from the wall, and release my crazy little brother.  I was asleep in the bed at the time, so I didn't see him do it.  I heard him do it though, and I didn't care.  I didn't even get up when mom went to check on him.  Apparently Willie did though.  Mom said that Willie was sitting on the desk chair staring at the bookcases where Grayson was trapped.

So this got mom worried.  Would Grayson keep doing this?  Would he get hurt doing it?  Would he do it if she left for an overnight trip?  Well, the answer is: yes.  Grayson had every intention of continuing to jump into the hole and trap himself at the bottom of the six-foot tall bookcases.  He kept trying to jump down there last night while mom was home and watching him.  She would tell him 'no, Grayson!' and get out the water spray bottle to deter him.  It worked for a while, but that boy was determined.  He started easing the front of his body down the side of the bookcase, and just as mom yelled her final 'Grayson, no!' he went over the edge, sliding down six feet into the pit.  For about 30 seconds he said nothing, and mom kept calling to him to make sure he wasn't hurt.  Finally, he responded with his little meow, and we knew he was OK.  He was playing a game with mom.

Once more, mom removed the books, and scooted the bookcase out from the wall.  This time, she didn't put everything back the same way.  She moved the bookcase down a few inches.  It doesn't look quite as nice as the old right-angle set-up in the corner, but now there is a way to escape, should Grayson continue to play this game.  My guess is that he will soon lose interest in the game, since mom doesn't need to react to it anymore.  I have to say, at first I thought my brother was being a little bit stupid in continuing to jump into the hole, but now that I've seen the pattern (that he only did it when mom was home, that he never got hurt, that he was really just fishing for attention), I have a new-found respect for the little guy.  He's still not my favorite brother, but I think I'll let him live to his first birthday (which is in three days...mom's throwing a party)."

Costa Rican Beach Cat

"Hello again, everyone!  Mom stifled me for a week.  She took off on vacation to Costa Rica.  That meant that not only would the boys and I need to be alone for a week, but it also meant that I had no blog secretary.  Thus, no blog posts for a whole week!  Just for that, I'm not going to tell mom about all the fun we had with our cat sitter Carlos.  I'm not going to tell her that even though we missed her, we enjoyed a week of freedom with nobody telling us what we couldn't do!


When mom came home, she told us that she met a cat on the beach in Costa Rica.  At first I was a little jealous, but then I grew to pity this poor little guy.  Mom said that he was young and very skinny (she could see his ribs) and had some open wounds, possibly from fighting, or just from living in the wild.  Even though the bartender at the beach bar told her that this cat had a home, mom wasn't really sure about that.  How could anyone have a cat and take such poor care of him?  There was one thing that may indicate that he does have a home: mom said he was a real sweetheart around her and the other humans she was hanging out with.  So, he knew how to give and receive love.  And his affection may have been entirely genuine, or it was a strategy to get some of mom's lunch away from her.  She gave him a small bite of bread, and when he gobbled it up without chewing, she have him a whole slice.  We cats don't usually eat bread (nothing against it, but it's not meat), so if this guy was chowing down on the bread, you know he had to be hungry.  Mom soaked a second slice of bread in cheese sauce from her pasta, and the cat ate that up too.  Mom said she felt so sorry for this guy, but other than giving him some hearty food, she couldn't do much else.  After a while, he left.

Mom hopes, and I hope too, that this little cat really did have a home and that his people will treat his wounds and feed him better, but we're not so sure.  Mom said she saw a lot of cats in Costa Rica, and all of them were thin.  Some of them clearly did have homes, but just weren't as fat as us spoiled American cats.  Others were strays, and mom's heart went out to them as she thought about me and my brothers here at home, and how much she missed us.  There were lots of dogs in Costa Rica too, including on the beach, mom said.  Again, they were thinner than American dogs, and some appeared to be strays.  It was often hard for mom to tell the strays from the dogs with homes, because there didn't seem to be any kind of leash laws, and many dogs ran around without collars.  There were good dog sightings, mom said, like the happy dogs playing near the surf, and the ones running on the path with their humans.  But mom's experience with cats and dogs in Costa Rica was overwhelmingly sad.  She wished the animals were better cared for, but with many people just making ends meet, animals were not their top priority.  Stories like these remind me how lucky Zorro, Willie, Grayson and I really are.  We have a happy home with lots of love, food, toys, and comfortable places to sleep, and we get good veterinary care.  I may complain about my brothers sometimes, and I may seem aloof as if I don't care about things, but I do, and I'm proud to be my mom's Siamese girl."