Meet little Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one of the most retiring, 'scaredy cats' I ever had.  He was the 'odd man out' in a way, the only kitten in his litter with his colouring.  Although at birth I thought he would become a little male mirror image of his mother, he does not have her 'marmalade' colouring, nor does he have any markings.  He is a uniform tawny colour.  Furthermore, his body and especially his paws have a delicacy that is not apparent in any of his family members.  His paws are tiny, quite different from the fat paws of the Himalayan/Persian.  He has the fabulous golden eyes of his brother, Temujin, but that is the only characteristic they share.

The first Puttikins were four in number: three were almost identical little white balls of fur with flame tips on their ears, paws and tails.  The fourth was Pumpkin who, as his name suggests was orange.  Cupid was one of the three flamepoints.  The other two were Leo, aka Scruffy Little Leo and Apollodoro.  Apollodoro appeared to be a girl at first and Freya named 'her' 'Dora the Explorer' because she was the most intrepid of the four, entirely without fear.  It was only months later that her male genitalia manifested, showing her to be quite definitely male.  I changed her name to Apollodoro, feeling that the name should be one containing the kernel of the original name in order not to confuse the poor Putti any more than necessary.

Freya still continues to assert that 'Dora' is a girl.  Apollodoro is the most handsome cat I ever saw actually but this piece is not about Apollodoro.  It is supposed to be an introduction to my darling little Pumpkin.

If there were 'Cat Angels', they would look like Pumpkin.  He has an extraordinary innocence to his face, a purity that almost breaks my heart.  It is very difficult to take a good photograph of him because he is so very shy.

If one can win his trust, however, Pumpkin's love is intensely rewarding.  He snuggles into my arms, burrowing beneath one arm, purring passionately.    I rather suspect he views me as his second mother and is trying to recreate the infant's sense of security when nursing.  He does not try to perform THAT action in any sense, but it is the way he moves that makes me feel he is dreaming of those days.  Cupid does the same thing on occasion but not with half the frequency of his brother.

When Pumpkin was a young kitten, he almost died.  He was being pushed out of the way by his more aggressive litter=mates and was not receiving enough milk from his Mum.    I had to feed him myself using a feeding syringe.  It gave him a special bond with me, I suspect.  Freya drew a wonderful sketch of Pumpkin lifting his little head to receive milk from the syringe.

Odd and Unexpected Feline Issues

I did know about feline urinary tract infections before Cupid ever was suspected of having one and it is possible that one can lower the probability that a cat will develop one by neutering him, but I have heard tales of Cats who were neutered at a very young age and still developed the infection.  Another possible culprit is the dry food that we feed our Cats.  Some Cats, including most of my Puttikins, actually prefer dry food to food in tins and there are reasons why a parent SHOULD give a Cat dry food on occasion.  It is good for the teeth for a start.

Both medical theory and feline fashion have changed the composition of dry food over the decades. For indoor cats, dry food is made that contains grass as it now is believed to be beneficial to cats to consume some grass on a regular basis.

The main problem with any dry food is the need for cats to have lots of liquids in their diet.  If they drink enough water, the dry food will not pose any health risks.  If they do not drink sufficient water, it is possible that they will develop problems similar to those that Cupid developed.  Urinary tract infections, concentrated urine as well as urines containing crystals all can be due to a lack of sufficient liquid.

I always fed the Puttikins tinned food twice weekly and made certain that there was plenty of water for every one and yet, evidently it was not sufficient for Cupid.  He is very fond of the dry food and will not be happy with the doctor's latest proclamation that he should be placed on a diet that does not include ANY dry food at all.

The urinary tract infections, crystals and so on can be fairly serious health problems.  They certainly can cause significant pain and discomfort in a Cat.

There is another problem that I have discovered in male cats that is simply rather peculiar.   Through the years, I have noticed that certain cats tend to have greasy tails.  The greasy area always develops in the same location, about an inch from the place where the tail meets the rump of the Cat.   It is possible that this is a difficult area to reach when a Cat is grooming himself.  Whatever the cause, the grease, if not washed off, can create an actual black tar-like substance on the skin that will be hidden by the cat's fur.  It is not enough to comb the Cat regularly either.  I always comb my Cats and yet, two of my Putti have this problem.    Cupid is one and Pumpkin is the other.

I imagine that bathing a Cat regularly would prevent this problem from occurring but recently there have not been many actual Puttikins baths even though I do groom every one and make certain their costs are clean and have no tangles.  Today, I gave Pumpkin a half-bath, washing his tail twice with shampoo.  The skin in the area that had been covered by the grease was red, although there was no rash or wound.  I shall have to be vigilant in future about the boy's little tail!

Cupid under the Knife

I took Cupid to the veterinarian early this morning to undergo the procedure that will remove his masculine pride in the hope that it will improve his health and disposition.  Male cats who have not been neutered tend to be more prone to urinary tract infections and Cupid has been suffering from one.  I have been treating him with antibiotics and painkillers given by the doctor but his negative behaviour has continued.  After the procedure, he will have to be isolated from the other Puttikins temporarily.  Oddly enough, when he has been alone in the kitchen, he has used the litter box for everything but when he is here downstairs with his family, he pisses on the floor morning and night, using the litter box only for the solid 'waste'.  Obviously, although urination is causing him great pain because of the crystals that have formed and its alkaline, concentrated nature (possibly giving him a burning sensation), the action of pissing on the floor must be deemed slightly antisocial or a 'red flag' aimed at his brothers, an attempt to show himself to be the dominant male. 

I am heartily tired of it, whatever the psychological reasons for it.  I love all my Puttikins and hate to see them all miserable, stinking of piss as if they were homeless vagrants without any lavatories when in fact they have lovely covered litter boxes and every one uses them except Cupid!  Even Cupid never, ever failed to use a litter box until recently.

Well, my purpose here is not to moan about it but to ask that every one remember Cupid in their prayers today.  I hope I will receive positive news late this afternoon from the vet.  Meanwhile, I am anxious for his sake, as he always has been the most delicate of all my feline children.

Update on Cupid

First I want to thank all those who have remembered little Cupid in their prayers and who care about his progress.  It warms my heart to know that there are people who do care.

Until his visit to the vet on Friday, he never had left the house in his entire life  As one of the Puttikins, he had been allowed on the deck wearing a harness but that actually frightened him last summer, although he had been quite happy the previous year to explore the few feet of timbers that comprise the deck.

In any case, I was prepared for utter terror at the vet, and his eyes were as big as saucers and he hurled forth a couple of unearthly howls before he decided to 'go with the flow' as it were.  Unfortunately, we were surrounded by DOGS.  Not a cat in sight or in hearing distance.

I liked the vet immediately.  I explained the entire Puttikins situation and the fact that I have no regular form of transportation and very little money.  She told me that, if any infection were indicated, she would give the medications to me immediately rather than making me return after all the tests were completed.

Poor Cupid has a rather severe urinary tract infection with crystals in his urine that make things extremely painful for him.  Furthermore, the urine is very concentrated which is one reason for the terrible stench.

She gave me antibiotics and painkillers as well as giving him all the usual injections we had been able to avoid throughout his life so far on the basis that he NEVER was exposed to any Cats apart from his own Clan members.

He has an appointment to be neutered on Wednesday.  When she rang with all the test results on Saturday, we discussed the situation.  Ideally, it would be better if he could be entirely recovered from the infection before any procedure were to take place but I need to be here for him and that won't be possible later.  So unless he takes a turn for the worse, he will be going to the vet again early Wednesday morning.

In all honesty, part of the problem appears to be those pesky 'balls' because he still is leaving puddles all over the floor in the Putti room although he will use the box when he is allowed to be alone in the kitchen.  The kitchen is not MY space in this house, so he is on sufferance temporarily up there.  One mishap, however, and that would end.  We are not dealing with a real cat lover and there is only so much sympathy that will be extended even to a Putti who is ill

So please keep Cupid in your prayers.  He disdains the chicken broth that the vet suggested I give him and eats only a tiny amount of the gourmet cat food I bought to entice him.  He wants his beloved Goodlife dry food but he mustn't have it at this point in time.  He needs liquids, liquids and more liquids to help pass those painful crystals.  So far, he does not appear to comprehend the need and is being quite stubborn.  He does appear to feel much better after the pain medications kick in!  He actually plays with his toys for a bit and becomes very affectionate...

Will continue to update this site.  Thank you again, dear fellow feline fanciers and friends for your prayers and thoughts.  I am utterly exhausted, so please forgive lack of emails.  I haven't had a decent night of sleep or any rest for days,  I cannot sit without pain ever, so sitting in the kitchen with Cupid for long periods of time has not helped me, although it is important for him.

Prayers Please for Cupid

My darling Cupid is ill and I hope that all my fellow feline fanciers will say a little prayer for his recovery.  He has an appointment with the vet on Friday morning.  At first I thought he was bedeviled by springtime surges in his masculine urges but now I believe he may have an infection.  I hope it is no more serious than a condition that can be remedied with medication.

If there is a 'higher Power', and I firmly believe there is, a cat's life must be as precious and valuable as that of any human being.  If we as humans have more power on this earth than other creatures, it is for the purpose of caring for those who are weaker and less able to change their circumstances.   The Bible declares that God knows when even a tiny sparrow falls from the sky and cares about all creatures.  The Holy Qur'an declares that mankind was placed upon this earth and give the power to act as guardians and caretakers for all other creatures.

I pray that I can care for my little Puttikins as they deserve!

Meet Ashleigh Attila, my Pater Familias

This is Ashleigh Attila, a quintessential bluepoint Himalayan and father of all the Puttikins.  He wasn't meant to be the head of quite such a LARGE clan, but nature slipped two litters into the equation in the space of four months and that was that.

What I have discovered, much to my surprise and consternation, is that there is a prejudice AGAINST long-haired and pedigreed cats now.  They do require more grooming, although short-haired cats should be combed regularly as well.  What disturbs me, however, is the idea that pedigreed cats do not need to be rescued and that one always should go to a shelter when looking for a feline companion.

Ashleigh Attila and Beauty both are pedigreed cats but they definitely needed to be rescued.  When I acquired them, they both were infested with fleas and ear mites.  It was a disgrace.  The owner was breeding the cats entirely without being able to give them proper care and she was charging an arm and a leg for the kittens, even though they were neglected.  She was a widow whose husband had been the original breeder.  When he died, I surmise that she felt she could earn a little extra money by continuing to breed them.   I did telephone her a couple of times after I took the two home to offer to help her eradicate the fleas and the ear mites that plagued the remaining cats in her house but she was not interested.  What does one do in such a situation?  If one reports the person, it could be worse for the animals as they could be euthanised.

In any case, my darling Puttikins may be purebred but it is wrong for people to tell me I should have adopted cats from a shelter.  I admit I have a fondness for Himmys as my original cat clan was Himalayan.  They died ultimately of old age and without leaving a new generation for me to love.  When I saw the photo of Ash, he looked as though he could be the progeny of my original Ashley and Anastasia, two of my original Cats.  I fell in love with him instantly and vowed to bring him home.

Unfortunately, I think the woman sensed my determination and her price was a bit outrageous.  Nonetheless, I never could regret the impulse that took me to her door to adopt Ash and Beauty.

When Beauty had her first litter, I discovered that most people were unwilling to adopt long-haired purebred kittens.  It has become a political point rather than a matter of simple love of animals.  What was truly shocking was the fact that Beauty became pregnant again while still nursing her first litter.  She was very young and I never imagined she would have ONE litter at her age, let alone two.

She was so exhausted when the second litter was born that I had to feed the babies myself.  It took her a fortnight to recover from the ordeal and much to my dismay, I found that she was nursing the OLDER Putti!  I was furious with them but at the same time, slightly amused.  It was quite a busy time for me, as there were four new Putti to raise.  I continued to hand-feed the 'Tiny Babies' as I could not persuade Beauty to concentrate on them.  She was bonded to the first litter, it appeared, and spent hours nursing and grooming THEM, even though they were quite capable of feeding themselves by this time.

I made certain there would be no new Puttikins after that, although the experience of any birth, and especially cat births, is utterly magical to me.  It was so exciting to anticipate the next kitten to be born, to speculate as to its colour and gender.  It felt rather like unwrapping Christmas gifts!

That is the history of the Puttikins, all of whom are the children of Beauty and Ashleigh Attila.  Beauty, by the way, is a gorgeous marmalade Persian/Himalayan.  Many of her children are flamepoints, carrying her colouring in their 'points' with their father's characteristic colourpoint markings.

Easter for the Puttikins

Here are Cupid and Temujin with their Easter Basket.  The original Easter Basket containing their Easter Eggs and gifts that was placed on the Easter Table by the Easter Bunny was far more elegant but this basket is one with which they can play.  It contains three felt mice and some plastic eggs filled with catnip treats.

Cats love plastic Easter Eggs.  I always have given them Eggs filled with treats at Easter.  The treats rattle in a satisfying fashion and given the slightest nudge, will roll along the ground.  Most of the new ones have tiny holes in them, allowing any enticing odour of catnip or whatever else is in the treat to reach the curious Putti's nose.  Opening the Egg is another game for them.

The three mice actually were part of a packet of mice I bought at Christmas.  Each was a different colour.  I immediately thought that the yellow, purple and green mice would be perfect for an Easter basket so set those aside.  Oddly enough, Cupid favoured the plain grey mouse above the gaily coloured ones in the Putti Christmas stocking.  Realism could not be the reason, as they never have encountered a live mouse.