Foster cat update: Horner's syndrome

I thought I'd give a quick status update on my foster cat, for anyone who might be interested. I brought him one back in July (a few months after our senior kitty passed away). Wildman is an old guy, and a long-term shelter resident, so I wanted to give him a comfortable place to spend his "golden years."

We think he's around 14 or 15 and based on the issues he's having, that seems pretty right. He's got chronic ear infections, so he's always on antibiotics, which help a little, but aren't ever going to completely resolve the issue. Also, the ear infections caused facial paralysis on the right side of his face (probably from all the scratching).

Horner's syndrome of the right eye.

 In the last few days, it's turned into Horner's syndrome- a condition where the top eyelid drops, the third (nictating) eyelid closes, and the pupil constrictions. He was also diagnosed with hyperthyroid (a normal cat has a range of 0.7-5, and in a senior cat, a level above 2.5 might be considered hyperthyroid (when you take signs and symptoms into consideration). Wildman's test came back at 13! Yikes. So now, he's getting twice daily pills for that too. And he's got high blood pressure, and he's on human meds for those. I crack up every time I go to the pharmacy to fill my prescription for "Wildman B."



He goes back to the vet this week to have blood drawn again. Now that he's on hyperthyroid meds, there's a chance it had previously masked some other issues (like kidney failure) so they'll check on all of that. Sorry for the long and rambling, non-book related post, but I wanted to share, just in case anyone else out there has a senior cat. I'd love to hear how things are going with your older pets (and the younger ones too)!

Best buds!

Despite all of his issues, I think he's truly happy in our home. He spends his days napping on the couch and hanging out with my other cat. He's a lot of work, but it's totally worth it. Now a plug for senior cats- if you're considering adding to your family, consider an older pet. Not only are they trained and far less destructive, I think they appreciate a good home more than the younger ones do.



Also, I'm finally decided to finish the Hunger Game series, so my librarian boyfriend brought home Mockingjay a few weeks ago. Only now it's missing somewhere in the house. We had company over last weekend and I think in the cleaning frenzy that preceded, I tossed it somewhere randomly. I've looked in all the typical places (in my nightstand, in the den that we have set up as a library, the bottom of the coffee table) and it's no where. I'm getting desperate. Any suggestions? What's the weirdest place you've found a missing book?

Update: Mockingjay has been found. It had gotten mixed in with the bf's comic books. But in sad news, it has to go back tomorrow since it's way overdue, but at least it's been found!!

Direct Correlation

There is an inverse relationship between how much writing I'm doing and how much reading I'm doing. On a positive note, I've been doing a ton of reading lately! I finally, finally read the Hunger Games. It only took me three years to get around to it. I must confess that the ending was spoiled for me last year, almost immediately after I told this particular person that I had not read the series. That might have had a little to do with my delay in reading the first book, but I'm glad I finally got around to it.

I've not read a lot of dystopian YA lit (as I mentioned in my review of Matched), but I have to say that I"m really enjoying the genre. Maybe it's influenced by my lifelong love of zombies (George A. Romaro is a genius). But I can totally understand why everyone is so into this right now. I like Suzanne Collins dark dystopia where life is hard and survival is not guaranteed. I like Ally Condie's peaceful world, where food and jobs are available, but free thought is discouraged. Both are equally depressing in their own ways. Up next, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies- finally! Or maybe I'll get back to my writing.

Side note: It's not too late to enter my Yay Contest! The soaps smell fantastic- it's all I can to keep from using them myself. I wanted to mention that the journal is a bit on the small side. It's not a full-sized notebook, more of a pocket-sized journal. Well, bigger than a pocket, smaller than a bread box. My stack of ARCs is read and waiting! Good luck, everyone!