Set back

Daisy is not doing as well today.   This morning I was busy with a new born calf, a cattle breakout of the coral, and a meeting so I didn't get to soaking Daisy's foot until 2 pm.   Daisy was still in her cat basket.  She had gone in there before midnight last night.   Her leg seemed perhaps a little more sore.

I heated some water with Epsom salt, soaked an old sock in it and then put it on her bad leg to soak her leg to help prevent infection.  Daisy wasn't tolerating it as well as yesterday.  She was moaning more and more eager to leave.  After 5 minutes of soaking I let her go and she limped off.  She wouldn't let her bad leg touch the ground.  She went and hid under 'her' bed.  After 5 minutes she limped out and went back to her cat basket.  She crawled in and lay there moaning.  Her bad leg was shaking from the pain.

It was breaking my heart so I called the vet's office.  I learned they had given her a pain medicine shot yesterday so that explained why she felt better, and now that pain medicine had worn off.  They gave me the option of coming to get some pain medicine to be given orally.  The pain medicine has steroids and I am worried too much may cause cancer or tumors in Daisy later.  Since Daisy was somewhat ok before I touched her leg, I reluctantly decided to wait to see if she felt better in an hour once things settled down.   She was a little better so I am waiting till tomorrow to reevaluate her condition.

This evening she moved to laying near the wood stove even though I don't have a fire going.  Several times I brought her wet cat food in her dish so she could lay and eat and not have to move.

Even though the vet had suggested soaking Daisy's leg three to four times daily I have stopped soaking it for the time being.

The vet must have thought I was a basket case as I ended up crying on the phone talking to her about Daisy and Daisy's pain.

This is tough.  I love this cat so much.

Vet visit

This morning I took Daisy to Donna's veterinarian.  Donna came over at 7:15 am to get Daisy and I for the 7:30 am vet visit.  I had woken up at 5 am and never really got back to sleep.  So Daisy and I were ready when Donna came.  Daisy wasn't happy about going into the pet carrier but she did without too much fuss.

The vet called me an hour later to tell me Daisy's bad leg was because she was bitten on her leg.  From the bite mark the vet thought Daisy was bitten by another cat.  Cat bites have lots of bacteria and after a while her leg swelled up and was sore from the infection. The delayed reaction was why Daisy seemed normal when she came inside the house the previous night.  Daisy had a temperature of 104 degrees, two degrees above normal.  Daisy did not have an abscess on her leg.

The vet gave Daisy a ten day acting anti-bacterial shot.  I am to soak (wash) her bad leg three to four times a day in an Epsom salt solution.  This will help prevent Daisy getting an abscess.

I bought a bag of Epsom salts and got Daisy home by 9:30 am,  She immediately got out of the pet carrier and limped around the house looking for a safe place to go.  I opened the door to the spare bedroom as it appeared she wanted in there and didn't have the strength to push the door open.  I lifted her onto the favorite spot on the bed and she settled down to rest.

Later that morning, once she rested, she came out to eat.  I gave her some canned wet cat food - her 'special treat' food.  After she ate I washed her bad leg.  Daisy mostly stayed still but she made a low growl / moan.

After I was done she went back to 'her' bed.

A little upset with me for washing her sore leg.

After I finished working outside and came in the house at 7 pm to watch "The Voice", Daisy came over as soon as I sat down and before I could get my coat off.  She came up on the couch (ok, I lifted her up) and snuggled right up against me.  She rolled on her back, lifted one front paw for me to hold in my hand, looked up with me with love in her eyes, then started to purr before quickly falling asleep.  There I sat for two hours as she laid next to me changing position every so often but always against me.  I love this cat.

Her sore leg is in the foreground.

Later when I was making my supper Daisy came to the kitchen and I gave her the rest of her canned cat food.  Then it was time to wash / soak her sore leg.  Again she was not happy but stayed with only a little encouragement from me.  Again she had a little low growl / moan which is hard for me to hear.  My poor kitty.

After I was done she wanted to go outside but I told her no.  She seems a little better, sometimes hopping and other times limping.  And she is getting around a little bit and eating some now, unlike yesterday.

Daisy quickly forgave me for washing her leg tonight, as when I sat down to work on my computer she came up and laid on my lap and slept for a while.


The veterinarian's office weighed Daisy.  She weighs 15 pounds, 4 ounces.   The vet told me a normal cat weighs 7 to 8 pounds.   The other cat must be some bruiser to get the best of Daisy.  If I ever find that cat it will have one life less.

Hurt leg

When it rains, it pours.   First me, then now Daisy is hurt.  Late this afternoon I discovered her limping.  All day she had laid in my computer chair, and based on the crappy weather I thought she was taking the day as a 'lazy day', which she does every so often.  Early afternoon I had done some computer work and sat right next to her and nothing seemed amiss.

Then just before 5 pm, as I was adding wood to the wood stove, she hopped off the chair and came over to me like she often does when I fiddle with the wood stove.  I saw her limping.  Limping so bad she didn't want to use that back left leg.  She was hopping on three legs.

While I called Donna to ask which vet she uses, Daisy limped out to her litter box.  When she came back she tried to go around the cupboards but couldn't hop over a small obstacle.  I lifted her over it and set her by her food and water dishes.  She limped off to lay in the corner by the TV.  When I came over to see her, she limped back to the computer chair, and before I could help her up she jumped up on it and laid down.

Donna came over with a cat carrier.  She attempted to look at her bad leg and I wasn't able to hold Daisy well and she drew blood on Donna.

Donna's vet could see Daisy right away at 7:30 am and I decided since Daisy didn't seem to be in distress as long as she doesn't have to walk, I would wait till morning and not take her to another vet that is open after hours for emergencies.

Daisy has laid in the chair all evening.  Sometimes on one side, then the other side and sometimes on her back.  She purrs when I scratch her neck and face and rub her head.

I have no idea how this happened.  She came in before midnight last night and spent an hour on my lap while we watched TV.  Then she wandered off.  I heard her one time during the night when scratched on the bed but then she didn't want to go outside.  I was tired from my eye injury and slept soundly the rest of the night.

So she hasn't been outside where she could injure her leg.  And I don't see anything in the house fallen or could have injured her leg.  So this is a mystery.   Bob and Jan had a puppy a few years ago that once it grew up developed a tumor in its leg and eventually had to be put to sleep.  The dog wasn't even two years old.  I hope Daisy doesn't have a tumor.

I'll find out what is wrong once I take her to the vet tomorrow.

As I type this right now Daisy is sleeping soundly in the chair next to me.   My poor kitty.


The first three photos were taken early this afternoon before I realized she had a bad leg.  I thought her sour look was because she didn't like her photo taken and was afraid the camera's flash would go off.

After she had limped around the house.

Such a cute kitty, even with a sore leg!

Fence and water

Here are a few more photos from when Daisy helped me with the cattle last weekend.

With the warmer weather Daisy is shedding fur more.  Often when I stop and stand a few minutes she comes over and rolls around at my feet.  Today, after these photos were taken, Daisy came to me when I was in the corral and then rolled around at my feet.  The problem?  Lots of cattle manure.  The manure was dried, but it was fine and hard to brush out of her fur as I petted her.

Daisy is quite the fence walker.

Daisy loves her large water 'dish'.

A couple short videos of Daisy:

Fence walking: http://youtu.be/aA6s0p6m53c

Drinking from the cattle's water trough: http://youtu.be/ig_2I3NzhFU

Sleeping

I haven't posted photos recently of Daisy sleeping on her back.  She was outside much of Thursday night and then spent much of Friday sleeping in the house.

Or she was sleeping until I got my camera and walked over to get a photo of her.   (Look at those bent back feet as she was sleeping.)

I see you.   No photos of me sleeping!

Sticking my tongue out at you for taking a photo of me.

Ok then.   I'm gonna ignore you.

Once she woke up her feet straightened out.

Wet kitty

Daisy was scratching at the door earlier this evening.  When I let her in the house I found she was wet.  Almost soaked.  I discovered that it was raining pretty good and she must have gotten caught out in the rain.  I rubbed the water off her, and after eating and doing a little grooming, Daisy is now laying near the wood stove.

Bored with mice and rain

Most of yesterday it rained.  So Daisy was in the house most of the day.  This morning it wasn't raining so Daisy went out at 5:45 am.  After being outside for over four hours she later joined me in filling the water trough and getting some firewood.  Within a few minutes Daisy had caught a mouse.  I waited for her to finish playing with the mouse but she very quickly got bored with the mouse and walked over to me and wanted to rub against my legs.  I had to finish the mouse off before it recovered.

This afternoon it started to rain again.  This evening the rain was steady.  Daisy wanted to go outside.  Once outside she was disappointed.  A little while ago she laid on the floor near me and for a while moaned and complained about the weather.  So I let her outside again for a little while.  Again she was stuck on the front steps to avoid the rain.  When I later checked if she wanted back in the house I got an earful.  The weather, the rain, what took me so long to let her back in.

*sigh*

Rainy day

What's a poor kitty to do when it rains all day and there are 'mousies' to hunt?

Stare out the window at the rain.

Sleep on my lap for much of the afternoon.

Go outside every so often to check if it is still raining.  (and to drink from the rain gutter even though her water dish has water)

Get wet and have me rub the water off her fur when she comes back inside.

Complain to me when I'm not at the door right when she wants back inside.  (I got an earful tonight after she came back inside).

Lay by the wood stove to warm up and dry off.

This started last night when it began to rain and Daisy was up on the house roof.  I ended up lifting a wet cat down.

Sharing a feeder

When feeding the cattle small hay bales I put part of a bale in the barn feeder so Mama and the red cow can eat without being pushed around by the other cows.  Daisy likes to sit in the feeder when I am in the corral.  That didn't last long once Mama came over to eat.

Better mood

Daisy is in a better mood today.  Yesterday she insisted I stand right next to her when outside.  If I moved she would either grab one of my legs and I would feel her claws and sometimes teeth through my jeans, or she would stand up and claw her way up my pants leg to reach the bottom of my coat. 

Sometimes petting her was okay and she rolled around at my feet, other times she got carried away thinking I was trying to 'fight' with her and out came her claws as she batted at my hands.

Eventually I had to just stand next to her for five minutes as she laid there looking around.  Then she was happy.

I had to go turn off the water to the cattle's water trough and Daisy was not happy I moved.  She sat up and looked mad. Her tail thumped the ground. She would look at me mostly sideways until I looked at her, then she looked away.  We repeated this over and over until I went into house.

Today she was in a better mood,  She followed me around as we checked on the cattle and hay and water.  In a matter of two hours she caught two mice.  Daisy was happy to rub her head on one dead mouse at my feet and then show off her mouse juggling skills, which are pretty impressive.

When I checked an hour or two later the dead mouse was gone.  I wonder what animal or bird is such an efficient garbage collector?  That is why I am sure Daisy gets more mice than what I find.


The cow with the bad leg is much better.  She is not limping any more, but does walk carefully.

At the keyboard

On a cold and snowy day Daisy helps with her blog...

Busy day hunting mice

Daisy was on fire today.  Late this morning, after a few hours outside, she caught two mice and left them on the front steps.  After I tossed them into the pasture, and then tossed a bale of hay for the calves, Daisy brought me another mouse.

After napping the rest of the afternoon Daisy went outside in the evening.  When I turned the porch light on to see if she wanted to come inside the house she was 'playing' with yet another mouse near the front steps.

After Daisy was done playing she came in for a bit to warm up by the wood stove.  Right now she is back outside.  On the hunt for yet another mouse?

On the roof

Daisy seems to spend part of each day (or night!) up on the house roof.  Sometimes when she is up there it starts to rain.  Like this morning for example. (She was a wet kitty.)  She is getting better at letting me reach up and lift her down at the one spot I can do so.  So much so that at times she seems to prefer that way to get down rather than climb back down the shrub in front of the house.

This morning Dan stopped by to visit and see the cattle.  Daisy followed right along.  On the fence when she could.  Across the mud and manure when she had to.

Hay mice

Today was time for another hay bale for the cattle.

When I moved the tarp to get the bale I planned to move I found two dead mice on the ground by the bale.  In the week since I last moved a bale Daisy caught and killed two mice and left them for me to find.  I also found signs where the mice had burrowed holes into the hay bales.

When I returned from moving the bale to the feeder I decided to take the tarp off to let the sun dry the damp bales.

Of course Daisy was "on top of things" as usual.

A little bit later Daisy came with a mouse.

Since Daisy was tapping the mouse to get a reaction, the mouse found that playing dead was not working so it ran for the hay bales.

That didn't work as Daisy caught it again.  Then the mouse ran under the lumber I had on the ground.  It played hike and seek with Daisy.  I stood by the hay bales blocking the mouse when it would try to make a break for it.  Once Daisy got off the lumber I moved the lumber away.  Then Daisy and the mouse had a game of hike and seek with a 4 by 4 board as you can see below.

The mouse thinks Daisy can't see it.  Daisy is also hiding from the mouse.

When the mouse doesn't make a break for it Daisy decides to provoke it to move.

"Come on!  Do something!"

The mouse didn't want to play anymore so Daisy quickly put an end to "play time" permanently.

That makes six mice caught for the year.  That I know of, as yesterday I noticed Daisy's tracks in the snow where she had gone over to visit the neighbor.  Who knows how many mice she has caught over there.

Yellow toy

Last night I had to lift Daisy off the house roof.  She was up there when it started raining.  Due to the multiple roof lines she has some eves to duck under.  But she was a wet cat.  She even let me lift her off the roof instead of playing her usual game of 'catch me if you can'.  Then she laid by the wood stove to dry off.

She slept in the house all night and didn't wake me up early to go outside.  This morning she played with some of her toys.  By the time she got to her yellow toy she was running out of steam.  That is why I have photos of her looking at her toy, then walking off.  (The part folded up in front was where Daisy had put her front paws and rolled around until I got the camera. <of course>)

Mouse 3

Today I pulled another large bale of hay out to the north pasture for the cattle.  Daisy was out and about as I worked - at one time she was sitting on top of the tarped bales as I worked.  Later, when I went back to prepare the next bale for moving next week I found a headless mouse in the area between the moved bale and the next to be moved bale.  While I worked, Daisy also had 'worked'.  We're a team.

Up on the roof, and music

Last night when I called for Daisy to come back inside the house, after a few minutes, I heard tromping on the house roof.  Yup, "The Dazer" was up there.  To top it off a light freezing rain was happening.  Of course she played "peek-a-boo" and wouldn't let me grab her to lift her off the roof.  She later found her way back down.

Crazy cat.

Some of Daisy's tracks are left of the sewer vent pipe coming out of the roof.

Earlier in the week, in the discard area at the library, the library discarded a number of old CDs. I found a dozen artists I liked, or looked interesting.   Today I dug out and hooked up my CD player.  I've only had it boxed up in the basement every since I moved here back in 2001. 

Tonight Daisy snagged my computer chair (naturally) as I was about to work on the computer.  I played CDs for music.  The first album was Timeless, some jazzy blues by Clarence Gatemouth Brown.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/timeless-mw0000718734


Then when the classic Cocteau Twins album, Treasure, came on, Daisy sat upright in the chair and intently looked around.  The dream pop of the Cocteau Twins is much different than the blues.  After a bit Daisy settled back down in the chair.  Good, as I love the Cocteau Twins' music.

"Ivo" was the song that intrigued Daisy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDyujx0BZSg&index=1&list=PLsn9xS2-yuBvKTsko_TPM16ebCiA1pHfZ


Daisy now has come up to the computer.  Below is some of what she just typed:

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I guess that means it is time to post this to her blog.

Cabin fever

Daisy is getting cabin fever.  At times she takes her crankiness out on me.  A few times she has attacked my arm.  Not enough to draw blood, but to let me know how sharp her claws and teeth are.

Yesterday I understood why.  I was trying to remove an dried eye booger she had, and while she is usually patient with me when I do so, yesterday she was not.  I quit when she was getting annoyed.  I was sitting on the floor and as she started to walk away she turned, reared up on her back legs and jumped against my shoulder grabbing it with her front paws and claws and then bit my sweater. Then immediately she quit having made her point.  I was wearing a sweater, so while I felt the sharp claws the skin was not broken.

This morning she was restless.  After being petted for a little bit I saw she was still annoyed and then she gave me a little swipe.  So outside she went.

Being outside an hour did her good.  I later found a big mouse on the doorstep.  Since then she has been mellow.

Drinking water

Daisy loves to drink water from everywhere other than her nice fancy water dish that Tammy had gotten her.  Daisy doesn't jump up on the bathroom sink counter when I am in the bathroom.  However the other day when she sat on the floor next to me and asked to be let onto the counter I made the mistake of lifting her onto the counter and running water in the sink for her.  Of course she loved drinking out of the sink.   Now everyday when I wash up Daisy comes in and asks to be lifted onto the counter so she can drink from the sink.  Of course I give in to her.

Bag cat

Daisy is amused by the simplest things.  Here, it is a bag I meant to toss into the wood stove.  That is, until Daisy decided to play hide and seek in the bag.