Abbie’s at the vet

Aug 24, 2011Aug 6, 2013 / Sarah K Reece / Leave a comment

Here’s a lovely photo of Abbie from this morning, curled up like a little possum on my bed.

But, it’s just me and the goldfish again tonight. 😦

(yeah yeah, goldfish don’t photograph well)
The vet is hanging onto Abbie for tonight at least. She’s badly dehydrated, not even keeping water down at the moment. So, it’s a drip and some tests for her. Horrible feeling coming home from a vet without your critter. I hope she’s going to be okay!

Feeling very down. Spent some time sitting in the garden today admiring all the gorgeous flowers.

Update on Abbie

Aug 23, 2011Aug 6, 2013 / Sarah K Reece / Leave a comment

How is Abbie settling in? She is a darling little cat, extremely affectionate. She seems to have no fear of strangers at all and will happily snuggle up with a new person. She is very timid however. Vehicles driving past the house seem particularly to worry her, and ceiling fans to upset her also. The first day she spent about 5 hours hiding behind the couch. The second only perhaps 2 hours. At the moment she’s asleep on my bed, most content. She’s discovered the joys of sitting in the warm patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor.

She’s thoroughly explored every bit of the house, dashing back to check I’m still here regularly.

At night she sleeps on my bed, staying there all night even though I tend to toss and turn a fair bit. She has a quiet little motor but purrs most contentedly. She doesn’t mind being picked up and will stay on your lap, staring adoringly up into your face. If she wants cuddles she follows you around hopefully but doesn’t ‘talk’ much.

Her low weight is worrying me however, she is very thin and having tummy troubles.

The poor darling has no fat on her at all, her bones along the back and pelvis are very prominent to the touch. I’m having trouble finding food to coax her with. She is not at all interested in the dry cat food. The wet she will nibble but then vomits. So far other treats and tid bits she’s entirely ignored.

I hope perhaps she’s just adjusting to a new brand of food perhaps? If it continues I shall have to consult a vet. She seems happy enough and her coat is in lovely condition which is good. A part white cat for a girl with gothy proclivities is somewhat of a nuisance! She’s moulting in this lovely spring weather and I’ve been picking white cat fur from my clothes and out my paintings. 🙂

The bip on her nose is healing fine and her tummy is looking excellent with no sign of infection or pain. She is just the sweetest, gentlest little critter. Already toilet trained too! Just have to discourage the sharpening of the claws on my rug. 🙂

Introducing Abbie

Aug 20, 2011Aug 6, 2013 / Sarah K Reece / Leave a comment

Abbie has arrived at last! I went to pick her up, so decided I did rather urgently need a cat carrier. I was able to get one from Cheap as Chips for only $15, which as long as I don’t drive too much shouldn’t overstress my budget. 🙂 And cat toys! Being a young cat she’ll probably love to play with them.

So, here she is, very sweet and very timid:

But the prettiest little thing! Long white socks on all her feet, white tummy and white face mask. A lovely black striped possum tail, silver and black markings on her back, and lovely copper touches around her ears.

She’s painfully thin and was very excited about dinner. Shivering with nervous energy she’s thoroughly explored the house from top to bottom – the rooms I’ll allow her in. Ever minute or two she comes back to me to wrap herself purring around my legs, then disappears to explore somewhere else. I’d forgotten how much cats like hidey holes! She has found the gap under the computer desk, the space beneath the couch, under the dining room dresser, behind the microwave, behind the washing machine, and, well, you get the picture!

And it wasn’t long before I heard a crash from the bathroom…

She’d knocked over my make up box. Then she disappeared for 20 minutes, generating an increasingly frantic search on my part as I envisioned her somehow escaping through a corner of window screen I’d not noticed before was damaged. Finally found her behind the couch. Oh, the joys of parenthood!

She’s adorable, lively, affectionate and in need of lots of love. Can’t wait until she has a little more fat over those bones and the tummy stitches come out.

I’m going to be a Foster Mum

Aug 15, 2011Aug 6, 2013 / Sarah K Reece / Leave a comment

Hurrah! I am becoming a Foster Mum this Saturday, to a lovely little 9 month old cat named Abbie. She will have just been de-sexed, and I’ve been told she’s very timid and shy and needs some TLC before being adopted. So I’ve been out gathering supplies in readiness.

I’m very excited! I also want to buy a proper cat carrier – too many bad experiences with upset cats escaping from cardboard boxes on the way to the vet! But my budget wont stretch that far this week, and finger’s crossed, I wont need it for a little while anyway. I can’t wait to meet her and find out all about her – which spot in the house will be her favourite to nap? (please, not my art table!) What food does she like most? Does she purr a lot or a little? Does she ‘talk’? What colour is she? I don’t know how I’m going to wait until Saturday…

But, on the other hand, I have an insanely busy week I am already thinking of hiding under my desk about. Tomorrow is really the last day I’m going to have time to get my artwork organised for the Mental Health Week Exhibition. I am not ready! I have to finalise my collection, then arrange framing for it all of it, finish anything that needs a last bit of work – I am notorious for forgetting to sign and date my art – photograph everything, complete the entry form and email it all off. Pfftttt I can feel the late night approaching from here…

Goodbye Pips

Aug 7, 2011Aug 6, 2013 / Sarah K Reece / Leave a comment

This is Pippi, my little pet rat and faithful companion.

Today, I had to take her to the vet to be euthanized.

She was very old and had been ill. Last night she became very distressed.

I kept hoping she would pass away peacefully. But this morning, I drove her through heavy rain, water covering the roads and hail collecting in mounds on my windscreen. Then I brought her home again, and buried her in the garden under the jacaranda sapling, facing her sister, who died a month earlier.