A new flap (Tatty returns)

Not only were Bola, Fudge and Max out all last night, it's be pushing it to say they've been in for an hour between them so far today. They've all come in for a quick, and I mean quick, bite to eat before dashing back out, and each time they've been in I've had to open the door for them.

It's not as tho' they've been wandering either, when the suns been out they've been enjoying it in my garden and when the frequent showers have started they've all sheltered under my fir tree instead of in the house. Something must have happened for all 3 to have this sudden aversion to coming in thro' the flap, but I've no idea what

On the off chance a cat has sprayed against it, I gave it a good clean, but I can't see it being that as Jimmy and Dexter are both happy enough to come in as usual. Oh, and there's been no sign of Stripey at all so far.

Ian

Bola finally used the flap to come in last night, but by 2am I was wishing he'd stayed out.

Not happy with wanting to disturb Fudge on my bedroom windowsill, he then decided, most likely because he thought I was asleep even tho' there was no chance of that with all the noise he was making, to sit on top of my pc and he should know by now that it's out of bounds

All the leads/wires poking out of the back just had to be investigated, and when he got fed up of those there were all the mains leads, etc, for the pc and all my guitar gubbins under the pc desk to check out. I had visions of him biting thro' a mains lead so I had to get up and chase him out of my bedroom before disaster struck.

I went back to bed but couldm't get to sleep due to all the noise he was making downstairs, and it's a safe bet all the cursing I did woke my neighbours up

Ian

Ian B wrote:Oh, and there's been no sign of Stripey at all so far.

Ian

He finally turned up at 11.30pm, ate 2 sachets of food, a chicken leg, some cooked turkey then just sat there waiting till I'd given him more turkey before wandering back outside I'll be amazed if he managed to keep that lot down.

Ian

He can certainly eat Kath mind you, he's only been eating here once a day recently so perhaps it's no surprise he likes filling up to the brim.

Ian

After not seeing Stripey all morning, I left a variety of food on the dining table for him before I went for a drink yesterday afternoon, but it was untouched when I got back so he hadn't called. I put fresh down before having a very early night but that too was untouched this morning, and he still hasn't shown his face. It must be the weather, tho' it was sunshine mixed with torrential showers yesterday.

Ian

Ian B wrote:He can certainly eat Kath mind you, he's only been eating here once a day recently so perhaps it's no surprise he likes filling up to the brim.

Ian

As if to prove me a liar, he's called twice so far today and hardly touched the two different foods I gave him

Ian

I've not seen the second unwelcome visitor anywhere for over 48 hours now, maybe the penny has dropped with him at last. He could have sneaked in while I was out Saturday afternoon, but all the dry food bowls looked pretty much untouched when I got home, so probably not.

Ian

He's just turned up, I'm relieved to see he's ok................as long as he doesn't sneak in.

Ian

hahahaha, welcome but with conditions.

Tomorrow will be the big test as I'll be out (hospital appt) from 8.15am till *whatever time I get back* which could be late afternoon if I feel up to going for a drink while I'm in town.

I'll make sure the living room door is shut as I'm pretty sure the visitor hasn't cottoned on to using this flap yet, but I'll be leaving food out for Stripey on the dining table if he hasn't shown his face before I set off. I'm sure he's already found the dry bowl in my bedroom so it might be worth hiding that.

Ian

The visitor sneaked in at silly o'clock last night. I knew it was him as both Bola and Max were asleep on my bed, (a first for Max) and Fudge was on the windowsill. He scarpered when I woke but I didn't hear the flap go and even tho' the living room door was shut, the dry food bowl there was all but empty today.

Ian

Sneaky hahaham maybe he's had to be in the past. Good luck at the hospital today and enjoy that drink if you visit the pub.

Teddy wrote:Sneaky hahaham maybe he's had to be in the past. Good luck at the hospital today and enjoy that drink if you visit the pub.

As for my hospital appt, I'm not happy with that.

I told him about the deterioration in my wallking and he suggested another change in my meds. Not another new med thankfully, but he wants me to try reducing my Baclofen dose (which I tolerate very well) and increasing the Zanaflex (which I don't) He thinks the side effects of Zanaflex may be made worse by my already being on such a high dose of Baclofen.

I'll give it a go, but it won't be immediately as I'll need to wait till he's contacted my GP over this, a week or two normally, then I'll need to discuss things with him as technically he's in charge of my meds.

Deterioration like this is, to the best of my knowledge anyway, unheard of with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and is more associated with MS, tho' as the two are so alike symptom wise I suppose it's possible it can happen in both.

I made a point of asking him about the info I'd seen regarding a ingredient of artificial sweeteners having a negative impact on the absorbtion of orally taken Baclofen. Surprisingly he wasn't aware of this, but thought it would only apply if taking a large amount of sweeteners. I don't, so in his opinion it was nothing to worry about.

I enjoyed the drinks tho', but I made a point of only staying 90 minutes so didn't have a lot.

Ian

All sounds like my visits to the diabetic clinic in that anything they suggest is really trial and error as tbh, they don't really know what the outcome is going to be with these changes. There's never a quick fix solution, it all takes time for any changes to show either good or bad results. I OFTEN WONDER IF IT'S JUST THEIR WAY OF GETTING THROUHH THEIR PATIENTS/WORKLOAD QUICKLY. oops sorry, caps were locked. My mum has the same problems, she will tell her consultant what's happening and all he does is change doses on her meds, she was even told that she's taking a large amount of one drug when really the safe peak was half her dose. Guinea pigs??????

Least you enjoyed your drink

Initially Zanaflex caused a bit of constpation, which I didn't mind, but as my dose increased the opposite was true. The idea was to take two tablets first thing as I'm most active then, one mid afternoon and finally one last thing at night.

The drawback is, taken with anything less than a substantial sandwhich/whatever, it played hell with my stomach and the last one at night on a relatively empty stomach meant I was barely able to go downstairs never mind leave the house.

Ian

That's far too restrictive on your life, you could gain much more *freedom* if you're able to sort out all this.

Very true Kath, I've not much faith in the new med regime doing anything but make my stomach even worse, but I'll have to give it a try.

Anyway, back OT (almost)

I heard the flap go at just before 5pm and as I knew the black cat from across the road was in I thought it was him leaving. As Max was in the garden I got up to check but my visitor was fast asleep in the dining room, so I nipped out to see who had used the flap.

All the others were curled up asleep, but when I looked up the side of my house I saw a black cat and I knew it was tatty-eared-tom as he didn't run when he saw me. I called him while I went back in to get food and he was sat there waiting for that (more than me anyway ) when I got back outside.

I'm well chuffed to see him again as I didn't expect to after so long, tho' I'll never know/find out where he's been. He seems well enough, at least all the wet food had been eaten tho' the bit of dry was untouched, but he's still a mystery cat and is likely to remain so.

Ian

I can't be sure it was tatty, but I was woken at silly o'clock by a strange miaow on the stairs or landing. It woke Bola and Max as well who both went to investigate, there was no fighting so it must have been a cat they were used to seeing around if not in the house.

Ian

I shouldn't have laughed, but the second unwanted visitor met his match yesterday

I heard a major fight going on and assumed Bola was involved, but when I looked out of my bedroom window the visitor was in next doors garden being harrassed for *trespassing* by one of their two toms. The visitor made a dash for it and hid behind their wheelie bins, but he didn't have room to jump up the fence, all the other cat had to do was wait for him to come back out, which he did.............cue mayhem before the trespasser managed to escape.

I've not seen him since, I hope he's ok and just put off calling round here.

Ian

I've not seen him since.

I hope he's not done a Ginger Tom in vanishing for ages, then called one last time before disappearing for ever.

Ian

I've just spotted tatty-eared-tom legging it out of the dining room. I don't know what he expected to find there, but after he (I assume) emptied the dry bowl in the living room he was probably searching for more. I caught up with him outside nd gave him a bowl of wet and left him tucking in as tho' he hadn't seen food for a month.

Ian