Rain...I don't mind

 Our relentless heat wave finally came to an abrupt end.  One day it was still hot, dry summer and the next...RAIN!  And with that...lower temperatures.  

Unfortunately, the lower temperatures and, I believe more strongly, my exposure to someone who is out and about a great deal, brought me a tremendous cold.  One of the worst I have ever had with extraordinary body aches, coughs and sneezes and a sore throat.  

The good news, however, is that the clowns have come alive again!  After months of just draping themselves here and there, being lethargic lumps who occasionally awakened for food and lovies, they are alive again!  It's PLAY TIME!!!

Scruff's beloved Mousie is being sought after quite vociferously every single day.  Notte is slamming through the tunnels with abandon.  Lupo is chasing and being chased by both Zini and Percy.  Missy Tee is demanding to be pet.  Windows are open for bird watching.  Balls and other mice are being found in some very odd places (the bathroom?) and I have to watch my step all the time. 

It's good to have happy gatti again!!

Born to be Wild

This boy.....part Siamese, slightly crazy and VERY affectionate. He decided AND managed to slip out the door today. Why? Who the hell knows? Luckily there is the cortile (courtyard) to keep him from going out. So we thought.

9am and I'm feeding the clowns. No Loop. He ALWAYS lopes out when he hears the cans opening. We look, we call. No Loopy. Now I am frantic. R. goes out and sees the cortile door OPEN. !!!!! The gal upstairs is the only one here now, just her and us. So, for some reason, she uncharacteristically left the door open. Now I am sick to my stomach.

A few minutes later, R. returns with Lupo in his arms. Where the HELL WAS HE???

Luckily they were doing clean up work outside with noisy cutters and blowers and who knows what else. Loop was upstairs, huddled in a corner (where he peed on himself) ...also where the other gal lives. We think she came out, saw him and thought he was an outside cat so she left the cortile door open so he could get out. But with so much going on outside, Loopy was afraid and just sat there (THARN!!)

When R. put him down he just slinked under our bed.

After a while he came out.....for pets and lovies and comfort. I brought him to where the food is and he started gobbling. Now I hope he doesn't throw up because he ate so fast.

Welp, that's enough excitement for one day...thank you very much.

 

My boyfriend's back.....

The illustrious powers that be decided to denude all the green spaces around us along the passeggiata.  As a result, besides taking away beautiful trees and leaves and homes for birds, they created a lot of dust and debris from leaves and dirt and whatever else was stirred up out there.  Even I was having trouble breathing in the early morning hours.

On top of that, it is autumn and there is pollen in the air.  And, the construction down below us...for drainage and a parking lot (we think) continues, also creating dust. 

So, it was no big surprise that Scruffy, after being amazingly good for ages, started to cough (he has asthma.)  At first, it was a cough here and a cough there and he was alright.  Then they escalated a bit, so I increased his prednisone, hoping that would be enough.  It was not.

Starting the day before yesterday, he was REALLY having trouble.  He wasn't playing anymore.  He stayed by himself a lot.  So, out came the inhaler.

He used to run away from it, but he FINALLY realized somehow that this thing could help him.  I have the mask to use with it, but Scruff will never, never ever, let that be used on him!  So, we just get as close as possible to him before we release a puff.  He's gotten to the point where he actually leans into it.

We were, unfortunately, busy yesterday and had to take a trip to Pescara.  I was sick with worry.  And, rightfully so, because when we got home, Scruffy was in bad shape.  There is only so much inhaler you can use.  We were scared.

Even Missy Tee was scared and made sure to stick close to him and she tried to comfort him.

Instead of being on our bed, as usual, he slept on a chair in the kitchen.  I woke up at one point to check on him.  I resisted the urge to pet him and let him sleep as I could see he was still struggling with each breath.

This morning he was sometimes "mouth breathing." It's a very bad sign.  We contacted the vet and he said to double his prednisone, which would be fine except at this point, he was not eating.  However, we noticed the inhaler was pretty much empty.  So my husband went to the pharmacy as soon as they opened and got a new one.

Well, hallelujah!!! One puff and within minutes Scruff was grooming himself.  Then he got affectionate (About TIME you got something to help me!!!)  And then, he had a bit to eat.  YAY!!!  

He improved so much, he begged for his "mousie."  I watched carefully to make sure he didn't overdo or have any coughs.  He played with his beloved mousie for nearly an hour!

                                                           ^^ mousie   

Then he spent some time in the sunny front window.  

We can give him another shot of the inhaler this evening.  

Although it is still hot (this is supposed to change on Monday) we have closed all the windows and we always have an air purifier going.  I turned it up to a higher level.

I was absolutely sick with worry, and I am still hovering, but I feel somewhat better now.

My sweet Scruffy with his beautiful aqua eyes.  Feel better little buddy, I love you.

You don't tug on Superman's cape....

 Because there are cats outside, because they know they will get fed....because they have a small amount of shelter....every summer a flea manages to get inside our house.  It drives me crazy.

So, every Spring, before the season begins, I purchase some Frontline for all of my clowns.  In addition, I use mint oil around the house as a deterrent.

The last time I gave the cats Frontline, I noticed that Lupo had a tiny bald spot right where the stuff is put.  Well, lo and behold, he not only lost fur there, but also on his tummy and a little on his back legs.  Lupo is tiny...only 6 or 7 pounds.  And, since I am convinced he has some Siamese in him, his fur is short and sleek.  

I have a vague memory of doing something for another cat, long ago, because of this, so I went to the internet. Where else?   Most everything said that it's a common problem and not to worry.  OK, but how to help?  Simple....brewer's yeast.  Just add a tiny bit to the cat's food and the problem should improve.

Naturally, being in a small, obscure hill town in nowhere, Italy...I went to the internet for the yeast.  I could get half a kilo (about one pound) for ten euros, or I could get 6 kilo for twenty.  Well, heck!  That's a bargain!  Six kilo it is!!  It arrived in one day.

I transferred some to a small container and we put the rest of the tub in the back room.  It was only necessary to give him a fraction of a teaspoon mixed in with his food.  

The little bastard refused to eat.  He eventually raided everyone else's dish.

So, then I tried putting some in everyone's dish.  Well, that resulted in an all out boycott.  No one ate a damned thing.  It all went to the outside cats...who had no problem with it.

I give up.  Now I have tons of brewer's yeast and I have no idea what to do with it.  

What I will do, when the time comes next year, is give Lupo just a half dose of Frontline, because of his tiny size.  Hopefully that solves the flea problem and his fur problem.

"Don't mess around with my food, Mamma!"

Somebody to lean on.....

 So...there were kittens ....what was it?  Nine, ten months ago?  Was it longer?  I don't remember..I only know we did our best to get the kittens taken care of...and two of the four DID get adopted...with the help of Valentina here in Penne......

We got the mother spayed, we got all the kittens neutered...they were all males.

The two who were not adopted were the two black and white boys.  They were not outgoing.  When people came to see them they held back.

They are still here.  But...but.....one of them got into something.  He got hurt, somehow.  One of his eyes was messed up.  He got thinner.....it was worrisome.  

Our neighbor upstairs was somehow able to do something to his eye....I don't know how...the cat won't come near us.  We have, however, been able to feed him and my husband said that he has been "less shy."

Sooooo...the little one walked right into our cortile today.

There happens to be a cage....but not one to "keep" at cat in,,it's a "trap" cage...not what we wanted to do.  

He was there, and the lady upstairs, who also cares about them, came to help and then the old lady next to us blew it all to bits because she just barged right in and scared the shit out of the kitten.

Amazingly, it turned around a bit later and we were able to get him in a cage.  He has water, food, a small pan, and soft places to sleep. 

The veterinarian is coming tomorrow.  I think...I hope....that all he needs are some antibiotics....and food and rest.  My husband keeps bringing up Imp, but Imp was really, really ready to die.  Not this little one.  He got hurt, but he can get better....I hope.  

I find it so hard to believe that there are not more services for stray animals here.......I wish I had known before we moved here.  

****Addendum:  In spite of our efforts, little "Frack" passed away.

Lookin' out my back door...

Well, it's more like my side window, but still....

We have entered a heat wave.  I don't know when it will end.  Happily, it didn't start as early as last year and the Spring was very, very wet.  So, things are still green...for the time being.

 But, several days ago we had to close up the windows and turn on the air conditioner and the fans.  And, it still isn't really "comfortable" in here, but it is enough.

The clowns are subdued.  They sleep a lot.  Their most active time is around 5 am until about 7am, the coolest hours of the day.  Unfortunately, the humans are still trying to sleep!

They eat their breakfast, usually with gusto....and then they fade....and try to find a cool spot....usually a marble window sill, maybe a bed with a breeze from a fan.  

This evening I discovered four of the six in the bedroom window.  I didn't pay much attention at first, as I was in the middle of something...but to see FOUR of them in the window???? What was going on?

Gecko action.  It was gecko action.  There were two of them right outside the window.....(the bars are for the safety of people indoors because there is a sheer drop outside).  

I took a little nap just a day or two ago and saw a yellow gecko...BARELY saw a yellow gecko, since he blended in so well with the bricks....slowly making his way down the side of the building.  

Temperature is supposed to hit 100 F. this coming week.  Not looking forward to that.....but we may be able to venture outside tomorrow, since the forecast is below 90.  

This isn't normal, folks.  I wish I could open the windows, for us and for the clowns.