just thought I would share the two girls playing with their hamster.
Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts
Thursday 19 March 2009
Wednesday 30 July 2008
Its not all bad + a little cat update
You read in the previous blog post about our wedding anniversary being a disaster ... well trying to salvage what was left of the weekend we decided to attempt to do something with the children on Sunday. Hollie had a birthday party to go to in the afternoon so we thought it might be nice to take advantage of the trip out the house and go somewhere for those two hours. But men being slow and 11 year old boys being obtuse we didn't all get ready in time. I dropped Toni off and picked her up myself - BAH. I felt it was all a bit to easy for other half and Mag, there was no way they were getting off that lightly. So I decided for them and TOLD them they were going up the coast for a drive. The intention was to go see a particular cruise ship which was docked in Belfast, but we never did get that far. We spotted the ship sailing down the loch so saw no point in going any further. We stopped at Crawfordsburn Country Park instead, its lovely there with woods, walks, and beach! We weren't prepared for the beach but it did not stop the children from having fun. We returned five hours later, very dirty and very tired.
The CAT situation! Tigger the cat got run over by ME!
Well since Friday poor Tigger has been through a lot including rebuilding surgery on her hips - I saw those x-rays and they were astonishing. The vet called this morning and asked when I wanted Tigger back! I was quite taken aback as I wasn't expecting her so quick and said "erm tomorrow as my husband is away till then". After giving it some thought I decided to get her today and called to make the necessary arrangements. They explained how she will have to be caged for the next 5 - 8 weeks etc. The vet has told me that anytime I feel I cant cope with the physio or cleaning her to call him and he will take her back into the clinic for a few days. I am hoping we can manage this at home, its going to be tough her hind end is paralysed for now.
The old cage we had behind the garage was overgrown with nettles, it's actually a rabbit run but we used it when we nursed one of our other cats from being run over too. It took Mag and I almost an hour in the rain to clear the nettles, empty it then get it scrubbed and hosed down. After all the effort I wasn't really happy with it so decided not to use it. Its old, and despite drying it out with the dehumidifier, and it did very well in a short space of time, it was just not so nice a cage anymore. It was going to have to be lifted up each time to tend to Tigger so I made the decision to buy a proper cage.
Anyways - off to the vet once the kids had come out of summer scheme at 4 o'clock... went through the phsyio we have to do on Tigger three times a day, the meds, the check up visit next week, stitches out the following etc than the bill - only £770. And to top it all Tigger might still lose her leg, though I hope not for both her sake and the bank balance. I picked up the cage on the way home, with the food too it came to £73.
Not to go on about the money too much, I just wanted to share something funny that happened when I told Roy how much it all cost. Other half is away just now, and he always leaves me a couple of signed 'emergency' cheques, and until now I have never used them. Other half called this evening to chat and I was telling him about getting a cage for the cat and how I used the cheques, he was panicking worrying about how much the cage was ... I said "its not the CAAAGE you need to worry about", "why? why?" ... he was flabbergasted. Its a lot of money, and I am saying this in a light hearted yet serious way - I just thought it was funny to hear him worrying about the cost of the cage at that stage unaware what the vet's fee was.
Its hard to put a price on a pet's life, but I wonder if the vet had told us up front how much it was all going to cost how we would have reacted. We love our animals, don't get me wrong but we would have had to think and talk through what treatment the cat was going to have or not have. I reckon we still would have gone ahead with the treatment but maybe would have pushed for the op first, and none of this waiting and x-rays and things ... it took 2 1/2 days for the decision to operate and those 2 1/2 days were filled with general anaesthesia, x-rays, medication, out of ours nursing etc.
One thing is for sure our new bionic cat will never stray onto the drive way again.
This is Tigger in her new cage
And her 'after' photo ... the operation looks like she has had her tail cut off the stitched back on. URGHH not for the faint hearted.
The CAT situation! Tigger the cat got run over by ME!
Well since Friday poor Tigger has been through a lot including rebuilding surgery on her hips - I saw those x-rays and they were astonishing. The vet called this morning and asked when I wanted Tigger back! I was quite taken aback as I wasn't expecting her so quick and said "erm tomorrow as my husband is away till then". After giving it some thought I decided to get her today and called to make the necessary arrangements. They explained how she will have to be caged for the next 5 - 8 weeks etc. The vet has told me that anytime I feel I cant cope with the physio or cleaning her to call him and he will take her back into the clinic for a few days. I am hoping we can manage this at home, its going to be tough her hind end is paralysed for now.
The old cage we had behind the garage was overgrown with nettles, it's actually a rabbit run but we used it when we nursed one of our other cats from being run over too. It took Mag and I almost an hour in the rain to clear the nettles, empty it then get it scrubbed and hosed down. After all the effort I wasn't really happy with it so decided not to use it. Its old, and despite drying it out with the dehumidifier, and it did very well in a short space of time, it was just not so nice a cage anymore. It was going to have to be lifted up each time to tend to Tigger so I made the decision to buy a proper cage.
Anyways - off to the vet once the kids had come out of summer scheme at 4 o'clock... went through the phsyio we have to do on Tigger three times a day, the meds, the check up visit next week, stitches out the following etc than the bill - only £770. And to top it all Tigger might still lose her leg, though I hope not for both her sake and the bank balance. I picked up the cage on the way home, with the food too it came to £73.
Not to go on about the money too much, I just wanted to share something funny that happened when I told Roy how much it all cost. Other half is away just now, and he always leaves me a couple of signed 'emergency' cheques, and until now I have never used them. Other half called this evening to chat and I was telling him about getting a cage for the cat and how I used the cheques, he was panicking worrying about how much the cage was ... I said "its not the CAAAGE you need to worry about", "why? why?" ... he was flabbergasted. Its a lot of money, and I am saying this in a light hearted yet serious way - I just thought it was funny to hear him worrying about the cost of the cage at that stage unaware what the vet's fee was.
Its hard to put a price on a pet's life, but I wonder if the vet had told us up front how much it was all going to cost how we would have reacted. We love our animals, don't get me wrong but we would have had to think and talk through what treatment the cat was going to have or not have. I reckon we still would have gone ahead with the treatment but maybe would have pushed for the op first, and none of this waiting and x-rays and things ... it took 2 1/2 days for the decision to operate and those 2 1/2 days were filled with general anaesthesia, x-rays, medication, out of ours nursing etc.
One thing is for sure our new bionic cat will never stray onto the drive way again.
This is Tigger in her new cage
And her 'after' photo ... the operation looks like she has had her tail cut off the stitched back on. URGHH not for the faint hearted.
Tuesday 29 July 2008
I am having a bad week, and its not getting better.
Friday 25th July was our wedding anniversary. I went out to do some errands and bought a "me to you" cake for the family to enjoy. We weren't planning on going out anywhere that evening due to the fact we had no reliable baby sitter that night, but we had decided that we would just order in some food instead. On arriving back home I turned the car so I could reverse in our drive - its much easier to get out of our driveway if you reverse in. Usually when I arrive home my cat Tigger comes bounding over to see us, but this day I noticed she wasn't there. So I proceeded to reverse in checking for Tigger as I did, but somehow I managed to run her over. She came from the hedge maybe, I don't know?
Long story short I called the vet and took her right over, probably what saved her the fact she was there within about 15 minutes of the accident. The children were pretty shook up by it, Hollie she was in shock especially as that night she was talking like a washing machine on full spin.
As the weekend has wore Tigger's situation has changed, at the minute she has just undergone surgery to put a metal plate and 12 screws in her broken pelvis. The vet has called in the last couple hours explaining that one of her legs is numb and they are talking about amputation now. The bowel and bladder situation is not clear right now, but it was a case of doing the surgery because of the pain she was in. It still may be a case of all the surgery and she not make it - I feel rotten about the whole thing.
To add insult to injury I am feeling a bit "attacked" by a so called friend. It's been building and the last while she has been 'talking to me' about my children's behaviour which is supposedly in her eyes is not good. My same children whom I can take anywhere and have no issues what so ever about. Just seems that they always manage to be naughty when she is about, just my luck *rolling eyes*. This morning Toni was blowing a little trumpet thing, and I told her she could not take it in the car with us when we went out. Toni said "no" So after a count of three I had to take it from her and tell her off as she was disobeying me. My friend said "my child never says no", I saw red but smiled sweetly and tried to tell Toni off in such a way not to cause a scene. Another example - this afternoon same friend was sitting telling me how she isn't going to go to Lanzarote next year, Tenerife is a much better place to go ... *rolling eyes* just so happens that WE ARE going to Lanzarote in the very near future. She continues on how "no way am I putting MY son in the kids club, even if I had three or four kids I would NEVER do that", well she knows there is a kids club at the hotel where we are staying, she knows the children have been in these clubs before, and oh coincidentally I have four kids. I feel she is having digs at me, maybe she is jealous? Feels like she wants me to feel uncomfortable because I allow someone else to take my children for an hour!
The children are going to the local summer scheme this week, it is on for only a week for two hours a day - they love it, they belong to that same youth club and go to camp with the same people so why would they not go to the summer scheme. So the comment went as they were going to the scheme today and she was going home with her son, "Oh my son is not going to that scheme, no way would I send him there".
Every time we go out there are more comments about us "sitting at home all day", "Toni is a wall flower, she needs to get out". I don't justify myself or what I do but we DO NOT sit at home all day, we home educate our children we are not house bound.
GRRRRRR I am upset and angry about it. I consider myself to be a good mum to our four well balanced children. I have eased up the last week or so on this friendship I feel it may have run its course, I am going to wait and see what happens next visit then decide if it will continue.
Long story short I called the vet and took her right over, probably what saved her the fact she was there within about 15 minutes of the accident. The children were pretty shook up by it, Hollie she was in shock especially as that night she was talking like a washing machine on full spin.
As the weekend has wore Tigger's situation has changed, at the minute she has just undergone surgery to put a metal plate and 12 screws in her broken pelvis. The vet has called in the last couple hours explaining that one of her legs is numb and they are talking about amputation now. The bowel and bladder situation is not clear right now, but it was a case of doing the surgery because of the pain she was in. It still may be a case of all the surgery and she not make it - I feel rotten about the whole thing.
To add insult to injury I am feeling a bit "attacked" by a so called friend. It's been building and the last while she has been 'talking to me' about my children's behaviour which is supposedly in her eyes is not good. My same children whom I can take anywhere and have no issues what so ever about. Just seems that they always manage to be naughty when she is about, just my luck *rolling eyes*. This morning Toni was blowing a little trumpet thing, and I told her she could not take it in the car with us when we went out. Toni said "no" So after a count of three I had to take it from her and tell her off as she was disobeying me. My friend said "my child never says no", I saw red but smiled sweetly and tried to tell Toni off in such a way not to cause a scene. Another example - this afternoon same friend was sitting telling me how she isn't going to go to Lanzarote next year, Tenerife is a much better place to go ... *rolling eyes* just so happens that WE ARE going to Lanzarote in the very near future. She continues on how "no way am I putting MY son in the kids club, even if I had three or four kids I would NEVER do that", well she knows there is a kids club at the hotel where we are staying, she knows the children have been in these clubs before, and oh coincidentally I have four kids. I feel she is having digs at me, maybe she is jealous? Feels like she wants me to feel uncomfortable because I allow someone else to take my children for an hour!
The children are going to the local summer scheme this week, it is on for only a week for two hours a day - they love it, they belong to that same youth club and go to camp with the same people so why would they not go to the summer scheme. So the comment went as they were going to the scheme today and she was going home with her son, "Oh my son is not going to that scheme, no way would I send him there".
Every time we go out there are more comments about us "sitting at home all day", "Toni is a wall flower, she needs to get out". I don't justify myself or what I do but we DO NOT sit at home all day, we home educate our children we are not house bound.
GRRRRRR I am upset and angry about it. I consider myself to be a good mum to our four well balanced children. I have eased up the last week or so on this friendship I feel it may have run its course, I am going to wait and see what happens next visit then decide if it will continue.
Monday 23 June 2008
VISIT TO THE ARK - 18th june 2008
We went to the Ark farm, I had taken along one of my neighbours children also. The trip was organised by playgroup but we stayed on at the farm for a while after everyone had left - making the most of our tickets when the place was quiet.
At first Sol was nervous of some of the animals, but as the day progressed she came to like them all. she was particularly fond of the little chicks and got to hold one a couple of times to her delight.
The funny point of the day was lunch time when we got our picnic lunches out. the little girl who came with us had her own packed lunch, so I opened it and popped her sandwiches down in front of her. Then I had to do a double take - she was eating dry bread! further investigations lead me to a tin of vegetable soup in her picnic bag - DOH! thankfully we had enough for her to eat too. Story goes - mum was making the lunches and dad said "already done" so mum abandoned making the sandwiches trusting that the dad has it all in hand. I don't think he will ever live the day down when he sent his 3 year old on a picnic with a tin of soup.
here are the photos - well a couple of them ...
Seb, he is a bit nervous of the bunny.
Me - and Sol!
Sol at the farm park
Toni & Mag
An Alpaca
Hannah the girl from next door and Toni.
At first Sol was nervous of some of the animals, but as the day progressed she came to like them all. she was particularly fond of the little chicks and got to hold one a couple of times to her delight.
The funny point of the day was lunch time when we got our picnic lunches out. the little girl who came with us had her own packed lunch, so I opened it and popped her sandwiches down in front of her. Then I had to do a double take - she was eating dry bread! further investigations lead me to a tin of vegetable soup in her picnic bag - DOH! thankfully we had enough for her to eat too. Story goes - mum was making the lunches and dad said "already done" so mum abandoned making the sandwiches trusting that the dad has it all in hand. I don't think he will ever live the day down when he sent his 3 year old on a picnic with a tin of soup.
here are the photos - well a couple of them ...
Seb, he is a bit nervous of the bunny.
Me - and Sol!
Sol at the farm park
Toni & Mag
An Alpaca
Hannah the girl from next door and Toni.
Thursday 19 June 2008
NEW PETS!
I haven't blogged for ages so all this stuff is old news I guess but I am going to blog it anyway ...
A couple of weeks ago Roy went out to help a friend fix an oven and came back with two furry friends. Long story - but a couple of years ago we were visiting a car boot sale and Roy bought two hamster cages for a fiver. It came to be a standing joke how we have cages yet no hamsters. Over the years we had one cage stolen from our shed but still the joke stood.
So in Roy comes on a Saturday afternoon with two Chinese Dwarf hamsters named Tom and Jerry. they are cute little things but despite the long wait to fill the remaining hamster cage we realised it would not do. As the owner of two cats a cage with bars would just not do! So we had to go get a new hamster cage which is a rotastak creepy castle.
Here's Tom, or maybe its Jerry - they both look the same.
A couple of weeks ago Roy went out to help a friend fix an oven and came back with two furry friends. Long story - but a couple of years ago we were visiting a car boot sale and Roy bought two hamster cages for a fiver. It came to be a standing joke how we have cages yet no hamsters. Over the years we had one cage stolen from our shed but still the joke stood.
So in Roy comes on a Saturday afternoon with two Chinese Dwarf hamsters named Tom and Jerry. they are cute little things but despite the long wait to fill the remaining hamster cage we realised it would not do. As the owner of two cats a cage with bars would just not do! So we had to go get a new hamster cage which is a rotastak creepy castle.
Here's Tom, or maybe its Jerry - they both look the same.
Monday 17 March 2008
17th March 08 - DISASTER STRIKES
Our fishtank broke! Well cracked, leaked ... luckily I noticed it fairly quickly and luckily we had a spare tank in the garage, and luckily husband was there on hand! It was late Sunday evening where I popped into out TV room to lock the interior doors as our heating had gone off. The interior doors divide the house and when they are open its cooler as the back of the house is not sheltered from the weather. I noticed the water level had dropped in the tank and realised something wasn't right. Looked down the back and it was trickling down through all the electrical stuff for the tank, and making a real mess of the floor. The water had also penetrated the cupboards under the tank and several books were ruined.
So we spent our Sunday evening negotiating a 4 foot long tank into the house, adding gravel and rescuing fish and water from the old tank.
They all survived despite their ordeal.
Monday 4 February 2008
4th February 2008
Its been ages since I updated all my friends ...
So here I go. To sum it all up in as few words as possible as I am sure you dont want to read lengthy explanations as to where I have been and what I have been doing.
First things first, Mag got his transfer exam results and he got an A. Just the result we were hoping for, and I just knew he would get an A too as he was getting close to 100% correct in his practice papers. This means that any school would be open for him to go to next year so long as they had places available. Though we are still going to home educate it was good to keep our options open. He wanted to do the exam and its a good measure of his ability and also I know we are on the right track with regards to what he is learning.
Other news this week - we had a death in the family. One of our cats, Scooby passed away on Friday morning. The children were pretty upset about it, but I guess this is a valuable lesson for them about how fragile life is. Poor Scooby just slipped into a coma like state, we found him laying in his kennel cold and lifeless. Off we went to the vet, and he explained that Scooby had signs of brain swelling with two or three possible causes. If it was poison then he would sleep it off perhaps, there is a new type of poison being used for mice and it affects other animals like this. the other alternatives were a head trauma caused by a fall, which I think is unlikely considering there was no visable injuries. The other thing was that he had an underlaying problem and just bled into his brain, thats what we settled for due to the absence of any other injuries. He had a big steroid injection and some muscle injections but it was all futile in the end.
We are left with Mistra who is very old and Tigger.
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