Cagney's Blog

Happy Birthday, Sassy!

Cagney — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:57:30 GMT

I want to wish my buddy, Sassy, a very happy 7th birthday!

They Made It!

Cagney — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:51:44 GMT

I'm shocked, really.

Lindsay & Stevie, the devil spawn of my housemate, Billie, turned 2 years old yesterday and they made it through to today unscathed.

I have to admit, though, they are kinda cute. Here's a photo of them when they were just a few weeks old. Can't keep them still enough these days to get a portrait of them together.

The Piddler Strikes!

Cagney — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:36:34 GMT

Since my diagnosis, I took on a new alter ego. Yes, I am...

The Piddler!

Believe me, it drives Mom and Dad mad whenever I strike. Leave a piece of paper on the floor? I piddle on it. Leave something special on the table? I piddle on it. Rugs, mats, boxes, baskets, cat beds... I've piddled on 'em all!

But I've been found out and, I must say, my humans have thwarted my piddling prowess.

How? They took the hoods off my litter boxes.

You see, I was diagnosed just a little while after Stevie and Lindsay were born. Once they and their mom, Billie, started taking run of the house, trying to pee in peace just wasn't going to happen for me. So, I started taking every chance I got to pee on things all around the house to show everyone who's boss around here.

It took my humans long enough to figure out that taking the hoods off my litter boxes meant no one could sneak up on me while I was doing my business. Now that I can see all around me while I'm using my box (and Dad's being more diligent about cleaning them at least twice a day), I can piddle peacefully, and that makes everyone happier.

Actually, I don't mind hanging up my Piddler hat. It was kinda itchy anyway.

Great Googly Goodness!

Cagney — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:29:49 GMT

Mom and Dad (mostly Mom) have been keeping track of my blood sugar readings for a while using a Google Docs spreadsheet. If you want to see how I've been doing sugar-wise, you can see the numbers here. I've got a link in the sidebar, too.

Oh, and there are comments on a lot of the numbers telling you what I was up to and how much Lantus I got, that kind of thing.

A new look

Cagney — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:25:17 GMT

So, along with finally posting something new, I decided to freshen the place up a bit. I'll be redesigning my whole website soon to match, but right now I've got some serious sleeping to do.

Enjoy the new look!

Another year older...

Cagney — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:14:56 GMT

I can't believe I haven't posted here in almost a year! A lot has happened since that last post.

For one, Mom got out of the hospital. She had pancreatitis. See, like me, she's got diabetes and that kind of thing happens to us. Fortunately, it hasn't happened to me, and I hope it never does.

We just celebrated my 12th birthday a couple of weeks ago. I got tuna!

I've decided that its time to try to make friends with my housemates. Sassy and I get along all right, though we don't play like we use to. But lately Billie has been trying to be my friend. She sometimes gives me headbutts and rubs. I guess that's OK. I tolerate it, anyway.

Her kids are still pretty weird, and they've grown up fast for a couple of kittens we weren't sure were going to live to see their first birthday. They'll be 2 years old in 5 days!

Stevie likes to give me headbutts and rubs even more than her mom does. And Lindsay likes to chase me around, so last night I tried chasing her around, too. I think she liked it. What have I done?

After spending two years in the same house with them, I guess it's time I just got used to the fact that they're not going anywhere.

December 16, 2007

Cagney — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:42:49 GMT

Mom's in the hospital today. Dad took her in last night because her belly hurt. Turns out she has pancreatitis which sounds really nasty and is something they worry about me having.

She has to stay in the hospital tonight and maybe tomorrow, so Dad's on his own for testing and stuff. Here's how we did today:

Morning reading: 219 @ 8am
Evening reading: 201 @5pm

Dad thought he might have gotten a fur shot in the morning since he was pretty tired and hadn't done this on his own in a long time. It showed, too, cuz he had to poke my ear quite a few times before he got enough blood for a test.

Anyway, no fur shot, and not the worst numbers I've posted.

Tomorrow, more of the same, but we'll try to get me closer to being back on my normal 6:30 schedule. We got thrown off by Dad getting home late from the hospital after Mom was admitted.

A year in the life

Cagney — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:06:06 GMT

Despite the best efforts of my former vet, I'm alive and feeling great one year after being diagnosed with diabetes. That's all thanks to my mom's quick thinking and tenacity and the fine folks at the Feline Diabetes Message Board.

A quick recap... My ex-vet did some dental work on me without insisting on making sure my blood test results were OK. When I wasn't recovering from that procedure very well, my beans took me back to the ex-vet who found that I had diabetes.

Then he gave me an overdose of insulin and damn near killed me.

Fortunately, Mom found the message board and they steered her to the right place where people actually knew what they were doing. She rescued me from the ex-vet and rushed me to the emergency vets, talking to me the whole way, telling me it wasn't my time yet.

The folks at the emergency vet hospital saved my life after declaring me "essentially a dead kitty."

How dead? How's a temp below 90 and a blood sugar level of 17 grab ya?

Anyway, I'm still here, I get my daily tests and injections of Lantus, a new vet, and a clueless ex-vet who has no idea what rebound is or how to treat feline diabetes properly. He honestly thinks he didn't do anything wrong with me.

To him I paraphrase from one of Dad's favorite films: "From hell's heart, I claw at thee. For hate's sake, I hiss my last breath at thee."

Though that whole "last breath" thing is going to have to wait for a while.

It's like someone was in my house watching me...

Cagney — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:53:38 GMT

Sassy's Dental Issues

Cagney — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:53:15 GMT

My buddy, Sassy, had to go to the vet today. She's been losing a little weight and her teeth were looking pretty bad.

And her breath. Oh, her breath.

Anyway, they had to take out 4 teeth, clean up the ones that were left, and now she has stitches in her mouth and has to take some medicine for a few days.

Fortunately, the vet made sure they tested Sassy before putting her through all this and found out she'd be OK with the anesthesia and all the other stuff, unlike a certain ex-vet of mine (who shall remain forever on my list of people to piddle on should I ever see him again) did with me.

She'll be OK, but right now she probably doesn't feel so great. Mom and dad have her in isolation in their bedroom so she can get that "fresh from the vet smell" off herself.

Today's Numbers - August 1, 2007

Cagney — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:52:52 GMT

This morning's number was really good for me: 208

This evening, not so much: 372

Could be the insulin isn't so good anymore. We've had it for a while, so we're getting a new supply this weekend. Oh, I'm on Lantus, by the way. Good stuff, usually.

I'll bet Mom and Dad want to do a curve on me this weekend. Just wait. It'll happen.

I hope they don't read this blog.

All Over the Place

Cagney — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:52:29 GMT

I love messin' with Mom and Dad.

My blood glucose numbers really don't make sense most of the time, and this weekend was no exception. I went from a low in the 40s to a high in the 300s for no apparent reason.

Not apparent to the humans, anyway. That's what they get for poking me in the ears!

I'm Online!

Cagney — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:52:06 GMT

Well, here I am and here you are with my first ever blog entry!

Exciting, isn't it?

Mom and Dad will be posting my numbers and other pertinent health information here along with stuff that goes on day-to-day so you can keep track of what I'm up to.

Kinda creepy now that I see that in print, but I can understand you wanting to know all about me. I mean, who wouldn't?

So, welcome to my world! I hope you like it here.