As it is with most things in life, patience is a definitely virtue and never has it been so true as with this coming spring. As we have seen and read in so many other blogs, Springtime can not come soon enough! I quite agree.
I have already begun putting out a few of my spring and Ostara decorations to help brighten up the house a tad and, in doing so, brightening up my own mood as well.
Next to fall, spring is the season which I look forward to the most.
Since Leo's vet appointment a few weeks ago, we have kept him in our holding cage downstairs, bringing him up and letting him stretch his legs a bit and play. Lately, he has been showing unusal signs of aggression which makes me extremely nervous. He had not been around the other cats and the vet told us to keep him quarantined for six months in the event that he begins exhibiting signs of rabies from whatever bit/attacked him outside before we had a chance to bring him in permanently.
He is a sweet kitty, but we must also look out for our other four fur babies as well. We have noticed as of late that he will rear at us and try to bit or swat us for an unknown reason while petting him or trying to pick him up at all. The other night, while trying to put him back into the cage, he grabbed my face and punctured me with his claws, drawing only a little blood as he could have done much worse. It is getting harder and harder to take him back downstairs, yet we can not simply keep him completely caged for six whole months!
There are no blood tests for rabies that our vet can perform, however, I have found some information on PetMd.com.
Symptoms and Types:
There are two forms of rabies: paralytic and furious. In the early
symptom (prodomal) stage of rabies infection, the cat will show only
mild signs of CNS abnormalities. This stage will last from one to three
days. Most cats will then progress to either the furious stage, the
paralytic stage, or a combination of the two, while others succumb to
the infection without displaying any major symptoms.
Furious rabies is characterized by extreme behavioral changes,
including overt aggression and attack behavior. Paralytic rabies, also
referred to as dumb rabies, is characterized by weakness and loss of
coordination in the cat, followed by paralysis.
This is a fast-moving virus. If it is not treated soon after the symptoms have begun, the prognosis
is poor. Therefore, if your cat has been in a fight with another
animal, or has been bitten or scratched by another animal, or if you
have any reason to suspect that your pet has come into contact with a
rabid animal (even if your pet has been vaccinated against the virus),
you must take your cat to a veterinarian for preventive care
immediately.
The following are some other symptoms to watch for in your cat:
Pica
Fever
Seizures
Paralysis
Hydrophobia
Jaw is dropped
Inability to swallow
Muscular lack of coordination
Unusual shyness or aggression
Excessive excitability
Constant irritability/changes in attitude and behavior
Paralysis in the mandible and larynx
Excessive, dripping salivation (hypersalivation), or frothy saliva
Is his aggresstion due to us secluding him for so long and thus confusing him not being fully adapted, or something, much, much worse? I am horribly worried about this and I truly pray that he is okay. We will continue to try to take care of him for as long as possible, but it breaks my heart to think of losing him. We lost Mr. Earl Gray, our last stray male we tried to rescue, and if we lose Leo as well I will seriously consider never taking in another one again. It is just too much to bear and extremely hard for me to deal with anymore.
Greetings and happy Wednesday everyone! Well, my sister Robin and I had finally gotten the chance to get together to exchange our Yule (yes, I said Yule) presents to one another. On Monday evening (my birthday) we all met for dinner and drinks at one of our favorite old haunts, "Flanagan's Pub."
Robin's hubby, Jim and my hubby, Brett
Robin opening up her gifts from me ~ a personal photo album and scrapbook and a vintage "Tiger Beat" magazine still wrapped in the plastic cover it came in and, of course, featuring her first love, Donny Osmond!
And, my birthday and Yule gifts from Robin ~ a really cool Astrological Calendar and a Yankee Candle of my favorite scent, "Moonlight." I also received a beautiful birthday present from Miss Judy. A lovely ocean blue and white candle with assorted seashells in it. This is perfect for my bathroom ...
Thank you all for your "Happy Birthday" wishes as well. You guys are the best blogger friends a gal could have!
Greetings all! Not too much happening here as we are just hanging in there waiting for spring to arrive. But, in the meantime this weekend will be my 51st birthday. Nothing special planned as of yet, although hubby and I will most probably just go out for a nice dinner and then chill out and relax at home for the evening.
Leo is adjusting very well. For the current time, he spends his days in the holding cage with everything a kitty needs and then in the evening we bring him upstairs and let him get some exercise hanging out and playing in the spare bedroom with us ...
His wounds are healing up nicely as well.
Until next time my friends, here's wishing you all a very blessed weekend!
Yesterday was Valentine's Day and, while hubby and I usually go out to dinner and take a bit of "us" time, we spent the entire day running around and making arrangements with my mom for my dad's funeral this coming Tuesday. One of the stops we made was to the local flower shop to order a few floral arrangements and such. When we got back into the car, hubby had a lovely single pink rose (love and friendship) on the front passengers seat ...
Though I am still struggling a lot with the guilt that I was the one who gave my dad his last liquid morphine dosage just before he passed on, I know that in my heart I had no choice and that this was the only way at that point which I could help him any longer. The nurses provided us with medication for both pain and to relax his respiratory system so that his heart rate could gradually slow down until he was finally at peace. This was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life and would not wish this very difficult responsibility on anyone. To be honest, I don't know where I found the strength to do this, I can only surmise that it came from my father ~ who was THE bravest man I have ever known. I would also like to thank my dear friends in blogland (and the 67 Facebook friends and family) who took the time to offer their condolences and heartfelt dedications. Words can not express my sincere gratitude. Goddess bless you all!
God saw he was getting tired
and a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around him
and whispered, "Come with Me".
With tear-filled eyes we watched him
suffer day by day.
Although we loved him deeply,
We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
hard-working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.
This is without a doubt the most difficult post I have ever had to write. Yesterday was a day that will forever live in agonizing sadness for my family and myself. My beloved father passed away at 12:45 in the afternoon at home. Thanks to the wonderful and compassionate nursing staff who stayed by my dad and my family's side throughout the entire day, he was able to go peacefully, without any pain, and on his own terms ~ not God's.
My father touched so many people's lives and has left a legacy to be extremely proud of. The person whom I have become and everything that I am, I owe to my father. We will forever miss his warm, loving presence and unforgettable sense of humor. He was the very best husband, father and friend anyone could ever have had and the empty hole left in our hearts is a deep one.
Happy Thursday everyone! Just a little update on the newest member of our feline family, Leo. We took Leo for his vet appointment on Wednesday evening. Dr. Heather examined him and upon taking a good look at his horrid wounds said, "Wow! These are pretty nasty. He's lucky to be alive!" Mind you, the entire time she is looking at him, he is purring happily.
Indeed, they were much worse than we even imagined, although he surprisingly did not require any stitches. She sedated him so that she could thoroughly clean up his wounds and cuts, neuter him, give him convenia (an antibiotic injection), give him something for worms, and perform a FeLuk test immediately. To our relief, his results were negative. After a few nail-biting hours spent at the vet's (and Leo a bit groggy from being sedated), we were able to take him home with us.
The only problem is that since he is a stray and we do not know whether or not he had a rabies vaccination (highly unlikely), and we do not know what kind of animal attacked him (raccoon, groundhog, other?) we must have him quarantined for up to six months! Meaning, no contact with other animals and even our contact is limited as there is no test available to find out if an animal has the rabies virus.
We will do whatever is necessary to get Leo "the lion heart" back on his feet so that he can join the rest of the family for, Goddess willing, a very long time.
Ah yes, when one thinks of the Valentine's Day celebrations growing up as a child, it is hard not to remember one Lupercalia custom which everyone in my class particiated in (even if we did not realize at the time that it was actually pagan in nature). That long- practiced tradition of exchanging Valentine's Day cards. Even the Luthern Sunday School which my brother and I belonged to at the time allowed all of us children to do so.
In elementary school, we were told to write out a card for each and every fellow student and then place all of the cards into a big box. We all took turns at picking out a card from the box until they were all gone. This way, everyone received a Valentine's greeting and no one was left out ~ making Valentine's Day a group celebration everyone could enjoy.
Unlike the Lupercalia festivals which the Roman's celebrated centuries ago, the evolution of this holiday has changed the way in which we view this holiday quite a bit. For example, instead of making it a community or group celebration, we as a society have turned it into mere commercialism. While receiving a rather expensive bouquet of roses, chocolates and/or a stuffed teddy bear from our beloved may give us a warm, special feeling inside, it hardly does very much for those who spend this holiday at home alone feeling unloved or unappreciated.
Now, I am not in any way suggesting that we hold a lover lottery for all and allow men to chase women around while lightly hitting them with a thong made from a sacrificial animal. All I am saying is that instead of being known as a holiday tradition made for couples only, we should find a way to make this holiday a tad more group oriented to include anyone. And thereby, everyone would have the chance to join in the fun.
For about a month and a half now, hubby and I have been attempting to gain the trust of this stray kitty, whom we have dubbed "Leo." Last night, at 1:15AM in the morning, hubby woke me up from my sleep in order to tell me that he was finally able to bring him in from the bone-chilling cold of which we have all been cursed with this harsh winter, none more punished than poor Leo.
Hubby gently picked him up and took him downstairs, placed him in the huge dog cage with food, water and kitty box. As per usual, we never allow our other fur babies to be exposed to any stray which we bring in the house until they have been thoroughly checked out by our trusty vet. Fe-Luk test, updated shots and all, we will make an appointment as soon as possible and, hopefully weather permittung, get him in to the vets this week.
This is how I found him this morning. So scared that he moved his cat box over in that he could hide behind it. Scared, but very sweet, I believe he should (we hope) make a very nice addition to our cat family.
As you can see, our temporary "holding" cage is rather large and gives Leo plenty of room to move around.
Right after
we brought him in, we noticed a fresh wound just above his right eye. I
cleaned it up with a cotton pad and some hydrogen peroxide. Also, he must have gotten into a pretty bad fight as he has a rather large scab on the left side of
his neck. Another reason we must get him to the vet asap.
We are glad he is inside and safe, but we will not be able to breathe freely until we get an okay from the vet and we pray that his test results all come back fine.
February 2nd was the fabulous Full Snow Moon and featured a halo of rings adorning the bright Lady and planet Jupiter ~ exuberating a gorgeous circle of light! The Snow Moon, which is also known as the Hunger Moon or Wolf Moon, celebrated Jupiter’s coming opposition by joining in a beautiful pairing. Even last night, they were noticeably close together enough to shine big, bright and beautiful!!
I, however, (along with my hubby and mother) was en route to Hamburg to visit my father in rehab and was only able to gaze longingly at her from the front seat of my car. Nevertheless my hubby, whom I must confess takes a vast majority of my Full Moon photos for my blog posts, also could not help but to notice her beauty and simply said, “Wow! Look at how big and bright that moon is tonight!” Not only is the Full Snow Moon directly opposite the Sun, but in mid-winter they’re nearly on opposite ends of the celestial polarity. Another interesting fact is that Jupiter will also be in the “full moon” phase when it reaches opposition this Friday, Feb. 6. From Earth’s perspective, Jupiter and the Sun lie on opposite sides of our planet at 180° apart. As the Sun sets Friday, Jupiter will rise in the east and remain visible all night until setting around sunrise exactly like a Full Moon.
But, what about the moon’s strange effects on our moods when she is full? According to Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, and contemporary authors such as the psychiatrist Arnold Lieber, the theory regarding the full moon’s effects on our behavior are more than likely caused by its’ influence on water. Since the human body is made up of about 80 percent water, perhaps it’s only natural that the moon “works her magick” by disrupting the alignment of water molecules in the nervous system. For centuries, people have been debating as to whether this “theory” is scientifically sound ~ fact or myth? While both critics and supporters alike have pondered over this very subject, I would like to share a few documented statistics which I have found with all of you …
Violence and Aggression:
· 11,613 cases of aggravated assault in a 5-year period: assaults occurred more often around the full moon. Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978) · 34,318 crimes in a 1-year period: crimes occurred more frequently during the full moon. Reference: J. Psychology, vol. 93:81-83, 1976.
Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis:
· 18,495 records from patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in an 11-year period: admissions for psychosis were highest during the new moon and lowest during the full moon. Reference: Lunar madness: an empirical study (1977) · 25,568 psychiatric emergency room visits in a 13-year period: visits increased near the first quarter moon and a decreased around the new moon and full moon. Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978)
Animal Bites: · 1,621 patients over 3 year period who were bitten by either a cat, rat, horse or dog: the incidence of animal bites was significantly higher around the full moon. Reference: Do animals bite more during a full moon? Retrospective observational analysis (2000)
So there you have it, my friends! As for me, I am of the opinion that science indeed has its’ place, but it can not “prove” nor disprove for that matter everything in this life … most especially when it comes to things pertaining to the mystical and/or the spiritual realms.
Well, it's official. This morning,Punxsutawney Phil announced his Groundhog Day prediction for 2015 ... six more weeks of winter it must be! No surprise however, since it has felt as if it has been six more weeks already. And, Phil did not seem as if he were very thrilled about the verdict either. The groundhog who is loved by so very many and is usually such a good sport about the whole thing, seemed a tad grumpy this morning. Perhaps it was because the ceremony had to be postponed for a half hour due to rain and so instead of the 7:00AM start had actually begun around 7:30. Nah, it was most likely due to the fact that, well let's face it, it was dang coooold outside!
Phil's handler, Ron Ploucha, coddles Phil
And long time co-handler, John Griffths has Phil's back (or is it the other way around?)
