Wednesday, March 16, 2011

a biggles update

it's been a while since our fur-baby has been on the blog. mrs. bigglesworth is about sweet sixteen now. the boys who found her named her, though john and i find "madji" to be a more fitting name now for a cat who flounces about like a queen.=)


ms. madj is doing well despite her health issues. as i mentioned before, in the fall of 2009 we learned she was in the early stages of renal failure. she also has arthritis in her hind leg. her kidneys are expressing toxins through her ears so she's deaf and has uncomfortable ear gunk. poor lil thing.

after many frustrating and painful trips to the vet, we decided to go the natural route. conventional vets seem to be so out of touch with senior cats, at least the ones we visited. they were all so rough with her! none of them considered her age or weak kidneys and pressured us into a rabies shot, which i politely declined each time as i knew her system couldn't handle a vaccine. two vets also misdiagnosed her ear gunk as ear mites and irresponsibly prescribed medication, though both times the tests for mites came back negative. sheesh! who gave these people a license?!


about a year ago we found madj's anal glands needed expressing and wanted a groomer to do it externally. in order for her to be seen, they needed proof of a rabies shot, so we caved. we also allowed the vet to express her anal glands internally - two terrible choices. it was gut-wrenching to see her in so much pain. she got so sick from the vaccine, but thankfully bounced back after a few days. that's when i said enough is enough and began researching alternative vets in the area.

car trips are torturous on account of her leg, so we were grateful to find a homeopathic vet a few towns over who offers phone consultations. dr. dym recommended natural supplements and feasible remedies for her health issues, and most importantly, encouraged us to just do our best to keep her comfortable in her twilight years.


dr. dym directed us on how to change her diet from fancy feast to pet guard, a natural brand he trusts and which ms. finicky finds to be tasty. when she won't eat her food we sprinkle a little nutritional yeast on top and she goes to town.

ms. madj also has a love for coconut oil. she begs for it and prefers the 'tree of life' brand. she turns up her nose to other brands, the sweet little snoot she is.=)


biggles loves playing with little yarn toys i made. though she sleeps most of the day, she's got some spunk left in her and wakes us up every morning, anywhere between 3 and 6 am. if we don't rise right away, she will stand up on her back legs and smack the blinds, knock everything off the nightstands, walk back and forth on us, and tap our faces. she's even knocked a jar of water from our headboard onto my head! she's lucky she's so cute!

14 comments:

  1. My cat's 17 this year and she has a lot of problems too infact Im taking her to the vets in 15 mins. She's got blocked tear ducts meaning she couldnt cry and now has scar tissue blocking her vision, she has arthritus and her clackers have gone..her clackers being her voice box.. (and yes that a real term lol) But also she struggles to breath, each breath is forced effort and shes underweight, you can feel everybone in her body - so I know how it is to have an old cat with ailments.

    We've been informed just to make her comfortable in her old age. I may try nutritional yeast and coconut oil too though!

    P.s Your kitty looks playful my Cat 'Twinkle' (I named her when I was 4) is an moody old lady lol :P

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  2. Oh, sweet, sweet cat. So glad she's in your good, loving hands.

    Sending my love to that adorable little being.

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  3. I have always said the problem with pets is that they don't live as long as we do. I have a very old dog, and some days are better than others. But I think it makes you very aware of every good minute and you cherish them. It also makes you give them treats for no reason. Im a softy.

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  4. I'm glad you found a better vet for her. She's cute!

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  5. Having been through a number of dogs and cats, I sympathize. There is nothing more frustrating and heart-rending than seeing a loved one decline.

    Your little baby is in the best possible hands, however. God bless.

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  6. Awww, love the pic with the toy. Biggles is a real sweetheart.

    p.s. Your blog header looks awesome...so colorful:)

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  7. I'm sorry you have gone through such a struggle! yes,some vets do make you question the whole license thing!

    I hope biggles stays strong and greatly enjoys her twilight years:)

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  8. mel, i'm sorry to hear twinkle has those issues (adorable name!). it's so hard to watch them to go through this but comforting to know they had a long full life and we're here to care for them. i hope everything went well at the vet! ps - biggles can be a moody old lady too. i wanted to post photos of her grouchy faces but she wouldn't let me!=)

    thank you, julia. xo

    jane, yes, she's teaching me to savor every minute. we're softies too. she gets tons of attention and affection. we love her like she's our baby.=)

    thanks, lela! we are too.=)

    thank you, clint!

    thanks, evergreen! so glad you're back!

    melissa, thank you for you kind words, and thank god for homeopathy!

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  9. Oh sweet Biggles/Madj. She is in the best family! You are taking such good care of her. Lucky lady.

    Most vets don't get it because people usually "put down" their animals at the first sign of any problem if they are of a certain age. There is a real lack of knowledge about how to administer care in the older ages for dogs and cats. I am glad you found a vet who gets it. It is a mixed blessing, because you can take the time to say goodbye and savor the last days, when it's quick you miss that. But it can be hard as you worry more. I feel for you and know it is not easy. But also you'd be surprised how long they can hang in there and if they are not in a lot of pain it is OK to have them rest and enjoy the little things that they can enjoy.

    If Biggles thinks Tree of Life is the best coconut oil, I must try it!

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  10. aw, such a sweet fur queen she is! Sad she has to experience such pain and discomfort though. She's blessed to have you has her minion. lol but in all seriousness, i hope all the best for her! I think it's pretty rotten that some vets get lazy with their checkups and diagnosis. Just like some MD's. ;( Some...not all...but still...love that she loves nooch and coconut oil. she's also funny.

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  11. thanks, bitt. i know you know what it's like and i appreciate your support. i just try to focus on enjoying each day i have with her. she's such a sweet little muffin, i could just eat her up with some vegan butter!=)

    thank you, heidi. ha, fur queen! i love it. i was elated to learn nutritional yeast is good for cats, and the vet said coco oil is good for her too. unfortunately she doesn't like tropical traditions. we received our prize in the mail earlier this week. thanks again for hosting all those giveaways!=)

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  12. Oh my goodness. What a sweet kitty! What I love, is how attuned to her well-being you are, and the love that just shines through in this post. Thank you for the reminder that love extends into all relationships, and can be so beautiful. Sending best wishes to the Mrs.:)

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  13. Oh she is so cute. I love animals but have a little boy with special needs. So I have to wait a bit. Love the sleeping pics.

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