P.S. This was NOT for Gracie. It was for Nora!
Two Vet visits in less than a week and TWO cats that
needed their Anal Glands "EXPRESSED" !!!!!

It's been a week since Gracie visited Dr. Rhodes. I began some of her treatment, while I wait for her Allergy Vaccine to arrive. She's locked in a room by herself. I hate doing this to her, but since she's so difficult to grab for that once-a-day pilling, I have to keep her where I can get my hands on her. She's in the room where I usually foster kittens. I realize that there will be no kittens here until Gracie's shots are down to once a week. It kills me. I miss the little ones so much, but I have to do what's best for Gracie now.

To keep Gracie from getting depressed, I've been inviting her daughter, Petunia to stay with her for, at least a few hours a day. If not Petunia, then Spencer seems to enjoy hanging out with her, as well. I fear that Gracie being away from the clutter, will make it difficult for her to return. I want the others to know she's around, so I do as much as I can to let them all know that Gracie has not left us.

(Petunia frets about her Mom, Gracie)

Yesterday, I noticed Gracie straining over her litter pan. She had the runs and she was crying, in obvious pain. Her rear end looked odd-inflammed and red. Even Petunia noticed something was going on.

(something doesn't smell quite right)

Since I'd gotten the call from Super-Deb that the meds were in for Gracie, I figured I'd have her take a look to make sure there wasn't something else going on. When we got to the office Deb went over the instructions for giving the shots. Talk about PAIN IN THE ASS!

Starting at intervals of every 4 days, Gracie needs to have a shot. She MUST be supervised at the Vet's office during these shots because she can have an allergic reaction that could be fatal. For the first ELEVEN shots, she'll be at the Vet for an hour. Oh yeah, this is going to kill any hope I have of having a few days out of town for months. I have no idea how I'm going to get this scheduled.

After the first ELEVEN shots, I'm on my own.

Once we finish talking about shots, I ask Super-Deb to look at Gracie's behind. Deb agreed it was something that "Maybe Larry should take a look at this?" (translation: I'm not gonna check out your cat's butt hole).

(Gracie waits for Super-Deb to start probing)

It's times like these when you know you're loved. While I didn't photograph the moment, it was the end of the day, last appointment. Everyone was tired and Dr. Larry just didn't want to probe Gracie's butt, so he made Sup-Deb do it since her fingers were smaller (yeah, right, good excuse). Deb slipped on a rubber glove with lube on it and went to work. Sure enough Gracie's anal glands were loaded and need to be "expressed." This was a first for me. I thought only dogs needed that treatment?

Gracie wriggled around while Deb poked and squeezed. She gave Gracie a nice wipe with a gauze pad, which revealed, hey, I'm not sayin'---you can imagine. Then she wisely suggested that Dr. Larry double check (so as to not allow Dr. Larry off the hook). With a sigh and a lubbed, gloved, finger, Dr. Larry did what he needed to do, then said; "You know, I really love doing an anal exam at the end of a long day. Really caps things off nicely."

Then I added how I'd love to learn how to do that, too (JOKE!), to which Dr Larry replied: "Any time you want to learn about Anal Sacks, we'll get a bottle of Scotch and I'll show you everything you want to know.

To which I replied. "Dr. Larry, it's Exit Only with me, sorry."

...as he sees Bob and Spencer reluctantly sharing the same cat bed. This is a first. Normally, both boys are too proud to share. Back to back, I can see it's not a friendly pairing, but more due to being stubborn alpha cats.

(Nicky: top, Spencer: Middle and Bob: bottom of photo)

FYI-there are about 18 other cat beds within a few feet of where this photo was taken.

Cats. Go figure.

...to find out. You did EVERYTHING you could to diagnose you're poor cat's allergy problem and the diagnosis remains the same: Milliary Dermatitis (rash of unknown origin).

Sure, there's more. I found out that Gracie had a sad convergence of events that basically blew out her immune system, leaving her open to a massive allergic reaction. Last November, she had a Dental Procedure, a tooth extraction, was treated for Bartonella, an ear infection, got an Upper Respiratory Infection and had to be treated for that, too. She had begun having the allergic reaction during this time. It may have started from the rugs I brought into the house a few weeks earlier or it may have had nothing to do with it. The ear infection had possibly been the harbinger of her problems to come. We'll never really know for sure.

Bottom line-Gracie is going to be put on Cyclosporin for a month. It's the same drug used to keep transplanted organs from being rejected. Why use this drug? Because it may keep Gracie from reacting to the allergens in her environment AND we will NOT BE USING ANY MORE STEROIDS. This is KEY to treating Gracie without risking the harm of steroid use. Gracie also received an injection of Convenia, a new antibiotic that lasts about a week, just one dose. My Vet hasn't used this before and has wanted a reason to try it, so he has his reason. Lastly, what I dreaded, Gracie will begin a series of Allergy "Vaccine" shots. It will take between six months and a year before we'll know if she's on the road to recovery.

I'm very glad we saw Dr. Rhodes. She really had her finger on the latest treatments and I felt, that although her diagnosis was barely different than my own Vets, it was good to have a more focused treatment option. Dr. Larry was spot on, but his approach was slightly different. Would it end with the same results? Perhaps. I think, though, that this possibility of using the Cyclosporin may be the one factor that will really help and that was Dr. Rhodes determination. That said-there are MANDATORY blood tests to be performed on Gracie in six months. Why? Because this drug may cause liver damage-moreso in dogs than cats, but this is still a new use for the drug. My heart sinks to consider that with all this effort, her treatment could do her more harm, than good.

I packed Gracie up and forked over my Am Ex, which whined when Meeehhhhagaann swiped it through the card reader. I loaded Gracie back into the car while the cold rain revived me. My tummy rumbled again, but now I was officially too broke to eat. I turned on the GPS and pressed the "HOME" button. We drove the crowded highway in relative silence, other than when Betty, my GPS's voice, interrupted with directions. Gracie was quiet, and I was simply resigned-to get us home soon and to get Gracie healthy again.

Meeehhhagggan escorted us into a waiting room. This practice is solely run by Dr. Rhodes, yet there seemed to be quite a few waiting rooms, an open area where some odd medical devices were placed next to another large flat screen TV. There wasn't a soul around. It was kinda creepy.

We were settled into a small room with an absolutely tiny, marble topped exam table. Meeeeehhagggan took some basic history and added to the information I had brought along, including some printouts of relevant BLOG posts! I even brought labels off Gracie's food and the boxes from all her medications. I wanted to make sure they had every bit of info they could-including her Heska test results (which if you recall showed Gracie was allergic to DUST MITES, some molds, some grasses and beef!) and her Vet records. Meeeehhaaggannn typed away into a fairly new iMac (KA-CHING! Up goes the Vet Bill!). I kept wondering; "Where is Dr. Rhodes?"

Meeeeehgggannn stepped out, assuring me that Dr. Rhodes would be with me shortly. Now, I had been told that Dr. Rhodes was amazing and brilliant and even beautiful! Oh boy. I prepared myself. No matter how insignificant I might feel, this woman was going to change Gracie's life. The door opened and in walked Dr. Rhodes.

She was tiny. I'm only 5'5" and I towered over her. She was striking, with raven black hair that was perfectly coiffed. I was surprised that she was much older than I expected. Finally, I had one thing on her! (I know, I'm a loser!).

We chattted about Gracie and reviewed her files—again. Dr. Rhodes didn't make much eye contact and I felt a bit awkward. Finally her attention turned to Gracie. She began at Gracie's head and looked over every inch of Gracie's bady, including looking at her paws and claws. She made quick, detailed notes which Meeeehhhhaagggan typed up on the there-goes-my-Vet-bill iMac. Gracie hadn't had ANY medications or soothing bath for over two weeks and her skin was a angry eruption of crusts and pustules. I could barely touch her.

Dr. Rhodes took further skin scrapings, then asked me to bring Gracie into the next room. I sat on a stool and held Gracie firmly. I was seated next to the big flat screen tv and an odd looking apparatus. We were going to watch a movie? "What You Should Know About Creeping Cat Crud" or "Is Your Bitch, Itchy?" and of course, "Don't Scratch That, It Will Get Infected!"

No movie. Instead, Dr. Rhodes inserted a tiny camera into Gracie's right ear. An image appeared on the big flat-screen-good-luck-paying-your-bill-TV. The camera probed into the canal of Gracie's ear. It was a bit gooey and lumpy and pale. Sorta reminded me of the curly edge of lasagna noodles (or was it that I was fantasizing about FOOD again?). The probe went deeper, as I held tighter onto Gracie, who was wriggling in discomfort. It was gross, but CLEAN-squeaky clean. Dr. Rhodes approved, then removed the probe and went on to the next ear. Another lasagna noodle (my tummy rumbled, then I felt disgusted with myself for thinking of food yet again). Canal was nice and clean, too. Great!

So now what? Dr. Rhodes was pleased. This is a good sign. A sign of what? What? What!

I took the day off from work so I could drive Gracie to New Jersey to visit Dr. Rhodes, a board certified Veterinary Dermatologist.

Dr. Rhodes, has extensive background, with over 27 years in her field, gaining numerous awards and accolades along the way. I was a bit excited to meet her and hopeful she would shed some light on what's wrong with Gracie and how we can help her.

The day was dreary and overcast. I wasn't looking forward to driving to New Jersey. At least I'd timed the appointment to avoid either end of rush hour. Even with that advantage, the roads were still crowded and filled with people driving way too fast on narrow, winding, wet roads-espeically one of my least favorites-the Saw Mill Parkway. That two lane (each direction) road was meant for traffic going about 50 miles an hour, not 80! I had plenty of time to get to NJ, so I just kept at a good pace and stayed out of everyone's way. I noticed that Gracie would cry if I drove over 60 mph. I think it's the sound of the road that hurts her ears, or the feeling of the g-forces from the acceleration. Most of the trip was highway miles, so most of the trip Gracie cried.

Thanks to my trusty GPS, we made it to NJ in good time. I was really excited to get to the appointment, but we were an HOUR early. I hustled us out of the rain and into the graciously appointed waiting room. The walls, painted olive green, were filled with awards, certifications and announcements. There were wide oak plank floors and oriental carpets. What once was the lower floor of an old home, was now comfortable place to relax, along with a huge flat screen TV. This Vet bill was gonna be a BIG ONE! A sign, placed by the glass-partitioned receptionist area, read: "Will Return at 1PM." It was only 12:30pm and the place was silent. They must all be out to lunch.

My tummy was rumbling. Lunch would be nice right now. Thankfully, they had a nice, meticulously clean Kuerig coffee maker thing and I made myself a cup of hot chocolate. Gracie was relaxing in her cat carrier and I let her snoop around a bit.

A gentleman entered with an enormous German Shepherd by his side. The dog was completely submissive. This giant was easily commanded by his "Dad," who told him to sit, which he did right away. I was glad because that dog could have made an easy snack out of Gracie-who had gone quickly back into her carrier when she saw him. The man and I had a nice chat. He'd had shepherds all his life. This dog had a problem with ear infections. A few minutes into our conversation, a Vet Tech appeared and took Zeus (Yeah, good name!) to check on his ears. Two seconds later and Zeus was back. His ears were fine! No problem. I was hoping it would go as easily for my appointment-AND NO CHARGE to his owner, too! If only!

The Tech introduced herself as Megan (which I heard as: Mehhannggan, so I didn't refer to her name until I saw it on some paperwork later in the visit. Ahead of schedule, we were called in to see Dr. Rhodes. This was it! At last we might finally get some answers for Gracie.

Or would we?

I told you this cat was RELAXED!

Chip must have been truly enjoying life. He was free from being caged and was on the cusp of...maybe...being adopted! I didn't want to stop hanging out with him. He made my heart swell with joy. No wonder Trapper Jeanne had a tough time letting him go. I realized I was going to have the same problem and I had only known this cat for a few hours!

Finally Miss L. arrived. She seemed to be a very kind and loving person. She couldn't wait to meet Chip and once she did, she was smitten. She didn't mind sitting on the floor with me while Chip rubbed all over her black coat. She played with him and we talked about what was best to feed Chip, when to feed him, how to add some fun to his life since he'd be home alone during the days. Miss L. assured me that even though Chip would be alone during the day, she would lavish attention on him every night and during her summer holiday break and any school breaks, too. She already bought him toys and a cat bed and although I didn't push the matter, I knew she was going to adopt Chip. How could she not?

My nephew wanted to be part of this adoption, so his mom dropped him off just after Miss L. and I filled out the adoption paperwork. I gave her some cans of cat food and a cardboard cat scratcher from my own stash. I wanted to give her some extra things not only because she was so nice, but because I wanted to help Chip, too. He was one of the most affectionate cats I have ever met.

Miss L. and her new kitty, Chip!

Our brief time was coming to a close. Miss L. was ready to get Chip home. She was planning on giving him a new name. "Something Italian" I suggested Valentino. We'll see what she choses.

Regardless of what his new name will be, Chip is finally where he was meant to be, all this time. He's in his new forever home where he and Miss L. can have a happy life together. One less kitty will know the harsh cold of winter and an empty belly. One less kitty will live in fear and suffer from loneliness.

One less, is one more victory! Hurrah!

I got Chip brushed out. Although he'd been bathed, his coat felt gummy and too thick. I grabbed the Furminator and went at him. He LOVED it right away. I could NOT believe how much fur I got off him and if I'd had more time, I would have gotten even more. I truly lived up to the name of my website, though. There was a lot of excess fur floating around and it COVERED MY PANTS!

I've never had so much cat fur on me in my life! Between the dry air causing static electricity and my black stretchy pants, I was a gonner!

I decided to give Chip some alone-time, plus I couldn't very well sit on my bathroom floor for six hours, could I? He sure was cute and once brushed out, his coat was silky and luxurious. Nah, I had to get some work done (Twitter about Chip). Yeah, work.

An hour later, I went to check in on my little foster cat. He was GONE!!!! GONE GONE GONE! Oh SHIT!

In my laundry room there's a hole in the wall behind the dryer where the vent is located. The hole is abnormally big due to the jerkwad who initially installed the dryer. It needs a major repair to really fix it. I had HOPED Chip would not GO INTO THE HOLE, but I looked all over the bathroom, called him many times, and NOTHING. My heart sank into my gut. He was IN THE WALL and it was TOO QUIET!!!!! MAYBE HE WAS DEAD.

SHIT SHIT SHIT!

I called out to Sam to help me move the dryer. Since he's six feet tall and I'm a short squirt, he checked behind the dryer. Guess who he saw?

Chip was casual about coming out from behind the washing machine. It took a broom and some shoving, but he sauntered out and rubbed some more fur off onto my leg. We put a drop cloth up against the hole behind the dryer so he wouldn't have the chance to get into trouble again.

Miss L. wasn't due for a few more hours, so we all went back to waiting. Of course, I had to pet Chip for another half hour before I could leave him alone again. You know, just to make sure he was relaxed. Who am I kidding? This cat ONLY knows RELAXED!

The day began with a quick call to Trapper Jeanne. Her boss is not such a warm-fuzzy guy when it comes to housing stray cats in his office (even though he is a Vet that specializes in cats!). Jeanne directed me to sneak around the side of the building, where her car is parked. She'd pop Chip out of his cage and leave him in a carrier in the back of her car. I should just help myself to the cat and get out of there before cranky boss-man discovers what we're up to.

Nothing like a little intrigue to start the day.

I got to the car, grabbed the carrier and put it into my car. I could hear Chip meowing, but the carrier was covered. Once I got behind the wheel, I quickly took a peek at Chip. My heart was racing. I really shouldn't take the time to look. What if crabby-Vet caught me?

I peeked and saw Chip's cute face. Covered him back up and made a beeline for home.

Since Gracie is in the Foster Room, the only place left for Chip was my newly painted bathroom and laundry room. If all went well, Chip would only be there for six hours, right? No big deal. If the adoption didn't work out, BIG DEAL! I'd be stuck with Chip in my bathroom! I hoped Jeanne didn't over exaggerate when she told me how Chip was so friendly. What if he was a nervous nut? Oh boy. What have I done!?

About two seconds after I let Chip out of the carrier, I knew Jeanne wasn't kidding. This was a FRIENDLY cat! He purred the second he was free. A second later, he was rubbing up on my leg.

He was completely relaxed, as he inspected, rubbed and sniffed his way around his temporary home. He enjoyed getting petted and even was a complete lump in my arms. I couldn't believe how content and lovely this cat was!

Not only was Chip friendly, but he was ready to play! For a cat new to a space, I would expect him to hide or be fearful. This cat only wanted to enjoy life.

Now all we had to do was to hang out, relax, and wait for Miss L. to arrive. I hoped she could see what a remarkable kitty she had the chance to adopt. I kept waiting for Chip to do SOMETHING bad. I know I shouldn't think that way, but where is the bad cat here? Why would someone get rid of such a GREAT cat?

Your calls are urgently needed to save feral cats!

The Department of Agriculture is proposing regulations regarding the control of rabies in public settings. This is a dire situation as these regulations in their current form will make the feral cats we care for, and the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) work we do, illegal.

The proposed regulations state that an animal must have a “current” rabies vaccine to be in a public setting. The definitions in Section 22-359-1(4) of the proposed regulations define a “currently vaccinated” animal as an animal who received a vaccination “at least thirty days previously.” Specifically, the regulations would mean that a newly vaccinated feral cat would not be a currently vaccinated cat for 30 days and would therefore have to be held for at least thirty days. This would be impossible for anyone who is doing TNR. It also means that any unvaccinated feral cat is in violation of the regulations and we are concerned that these regulations could be interpreted to allow these cats to be trapped and killed.

It is the responsibility of the Legislative Regulation Review Committee to review regulations proposed by state agencies and approve them before regulations are implemented. The proposed regulations will be subject to a vote on March 24th.

Listed below are the members of the committee. Please check to see if your representative sits on the Regulations Review Committee. If so, please call your representative today, Monday, March 23rd, and respectfully request that he/she oppose this regulation. Please advise him/her that the regulations, as currently written, would prevent TNR of outdoor cats and that TNR is an essential part of humanely addressing cat overpopulation.

If you are unsure if your representative is on the committee, please visit TOWN LIST to find your legislator and compare it to the names on the Regulation Review Committee.

Your calls will make a difference! Please take a few minutes to contact your representative and forward this email to any friends or family living in the towns listed below. Thank you for taking action on this urgent and important matter!

Regulations Review Committee:

House Chair, State Rep. T.R. Rowe (R): 860-240-8700; 
tr.rowe@housegop.ct.gov. Rep. Rowe represents Trumbull.

State Senator Dan Debicella (R): 860-240-8800; 
dan.debicella@cga.ct.gov. Senator Debicella represents 
Monroe, Seymour, Shelton and Stratford.

State Rep. Carlo Leone (R): 860-240-8500; 
carlo.leone@cga.ct.gov. Rep. Leone represents 
Stamford.

State Rep. Arthur O'Neill (R): 860-240-8700;
 arthur.oneill.@housegop.ct.gov. Rep. O'Neill 
represents: Bridgewater, Roxbury, 
Southbury & Washington.

State Senator Andrew Roraback (R): 860-240-8800; 
Andrew.roraback@cga.ct.gov. Senator Roraback 
represents: Goshen, Brookfield, Canaan,
 Cornwall, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, 
North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, 
Warren, Washington, Winchester.

State Rep. Christopher Caruso (D): 860-240-8500; 
christopher.caruso@cga.ct.gov. State Rep. Caruso 
represents Bridgeport.

State Rep. Paul Davis (D): 860-240-8500; 
paul.davis@cga.ct.gov. Rep. Davis represents
 Milford, Orange and West Haven.

State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D): 860-240-8500;
 juan.candelaria@cga.ct.gov. State Rep. Candelaria 
represents New Haven.

Senate Chair, State Senator Joan Hartley (D):
 860-240-8600; Hartley@senatedems.ct.gov. 
Senator Hartley represents:
 Waterbury, Naugatuck and Prospect.

State Senator Sam Caligiuri (R): 860-240-8800; 
sam.caliguiri@cga.ct.gov. Senator Caligiuri represents 
Waterbury, Cheshire & Southington.

State Senator Paul Doyle (D): 860-240-8600;
 doyle@senatedems.ct.gov. Senator Doyle represents 
Cromwell, Newington, Rocky Hill, Middletown 
and Wethersfield.

State Senator Jonathan Harris (D): 860-240-8600; 
harris@senatedemsc.ct.gov. Senator Harris 
represents West Hartford, Farmington, 
Bloomfield and Burlington.

State Rep. Vincent Candelora (R): 860-240-8700;
 Vincent.candelora@housegop.ct.gov. State Rep. Candelora 
represents: East Haven, North Branford 
and Wallingford.

State Rep. William Hamzy (R): 860-240-8700; 
William.hamzy@cga.ct.gov. 
Rep. Hamzy represents Bristol and Plymouth.

Special thanks to Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats and 
The Animal Center for alerting us to this important 
animal protection issue.