Monday, September 26, 2016

Gratuitous Kitteh Monday - Redirected Aggression 6 Months Later

There has been a very happy "Thang" around here lately. See Exhibit A:

A Happy Thang
She has completely recovered from her redirected aggression episode 6 months ago, off all meds, and is probably even happier than before. Last month we took her to get her teeth cleaned and found out she needed 3 teeth pulled, as they had turned into cavities. She has a history of Feline Odontoclastic Resorbtive Lesions (FORLs), which can be very painful. Our vet told us that cats are like people, some have good teeth, and some don't. Brushing helps A LOT, but FORLs are hereditary and there is no known cure or prevention for them in cats.

The last time she had her teeth cleaned, they pulled 3 other teeth, so now she basically has no teeth on her bottom jaw except her canines and the small teeth in between her canines. At some point in her life, she may very well have all her teeth pulled, but no worries, as toothless kittehs can live perfectly happy and healthy lives.

After her recovery, she has actually been happier and more playful than we've seen her in at least a year or two. It was 2 years since her last cleaning, so I'm wondering if her earlier grumpiness with Leo had anything to do with it. A mouthful of painful cavities can definitely affect your disposition! Still, she showed no symptoms of having any issues, especially with eating. She continued to have a healthy, VERY food motivated appetite.

That's the thing with cats. They are very stoic and often don't show pain, so a behavioral issue may have a physiological origin. Who knows if this is/was the issue with Miss Thang.

We are back on a regular (every other day) brushing regimen. I had started with her when I had Leo, but things got pushed to the back in the aggression aftermath and then her having teeth pulled. I'm hoping this will make a difference for the future.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

September in the Garden


Ooof, I'm exhausted. These past 2 weeks I've been planting and moving things around in the yard/garden, which is why I've not had any energy to blog. So far, I've planted:
  • 18 irises
  • 4 daylilys
  • 2 hucheras
  • 1 hosta
  • 6 black raspberry bushes
Under "normal" conditions, I would have been able to handle something like this in 1 weekend...maybe 2, but I have hard-ass clay soil, which makes digging a simple hole in the ground similar to prospecting for gold. 

Here in Virginia, most people bring in a dump truck of mushroom compost and build up for flower beds or veggie gardens. I did it right for the veggie garden, but not around the rest of the house. In hindsight, I should have done that, but I didn't know. So, I have to dig a "$50 hole for a $5 plant," which requires using a mattock, several types of shovels, loppers, lots of sweat, and some colorful curse words.


It may be "fall," but the temps outside still say summer and I'm over it! I still have 2 hydrandreas to move, 3 azalea bushes to plant, 1 decorative grass to move, and a few potted plants to heel in before we are done for the season. This doesn't include aerating the lawn, fertilizing, liming, and overseeding. 

See what I mean? EXHAUSTED.

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Figwatch 2016 Update

It's time for another edition of...


Over the holiday weekend, look what I stumbled onto out in the garden. It's my very first ripe fig!

I can't tell you how excited I was to see this! I thought I had lost my chance for figs earlier this past month when I went away for a few days on a business trip and my husband forgot to water my potted fig plants. The poor plants had lost most of their leaves, but the figs held on.


I took it inside, cut it in half, put a couple of crumbled pieces of Stilton on each half, and then drizzled it with honey. YUMMMM!

This fig came from my "Negronne" fig tree...



Since this weekend, I've picked 5 more luscious beauties, with even one large brown fig from my "Olympian" tree. 

Here's hoping next year's harvest will be even better!

 

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