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Katrin How on earth did they do it?
27. März 2024
Ah, that's good to know! I might have a look around just out of curiosity. I've since learned that w...
Heather Athebyne How on earth did they do it?
25. März 2024
...though not entirely easy. I've been able to get my hands on a few strands over the years for Geor...
Katrin Hieroglyphs.
23. Februar 2024
Yes, that would sort of fit that aspect - but you can also go from bits of woods to sticks if you ar...
Bruce Hieroglyphs.
23. Februar 2024
I think the closest English equivalent would be 'Down the rabbit hole'. It has one entrance (No, not...
Harma Spring is Coming.
20. Februar 2024
I'm definitely jealous! Mine disapeared except for one pathetic little flower. But the first daffodi...

Darth Vader Cat.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that we have the privilege to be door-openers and can-openers for a little (though really not so little) cat. Things that you might not know about said little cat:

She came to live with us in 2012, when we fetched her out of an animal shelter. She'd been found, as her previous owners had set her out in the midst of winter, so her history is unknown. The shelter gave her a name (Madonna), sterilised her, had her chipped and her ears tattooed (these are standard shelter procedures in Germany, to help identify an animal if it gets lost), and gave her a general health checkup. She never felt at home living with other cats, and from what we gleaned from her behaviour, she was probably all on her own, and she definitely had no possibility to go outside in her former home.

After she'd been with us a bit, we realised she had weird coughing fits. A bit like coughing up a hairball, but never with any hair coming out... so we did a bit of research, and then we went to the vet, and we were told that yes, she has feline asthma. So we did some more research, and we found out that there's several ways to treat the asthma: Depot cortisone injections, cortisone pills, or inhaling cortisone with a special inhaler. The two first methods are systemic treatment, and daily doses of cortisone are, unfortunately, not without side effects. Inhaling, in contrast, puts the drug only there where it's needed: into the lungs.

So we got an inhaler, and cortisone spray, and started the rather long and tedious process of getting the cat used to inhaling. (She got pills during that time. That was even less fun than the inhaling training.) It took about three months, and it is daily ritual since, morning and evening. Usually, it's a very quick procedure - she gets a "bribe" treat, lies down, inhales, gets some more treats, we wipe her nose, even more treats (they are small ones), and then she's getting her food, or we open the door so she can go out and do Important Cat Things.

This process has fascinated quite a few people in our acquaintance, so in case you are curious now as well, here's a video of me doing the inhalation stuff with Madonna. The colours are a bit flat, but everything should be visible enough...

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Comments 6

Harma on Montag, 08. Juli 2019 11:58

That does also requires good cat-carers for when you both are on vacation.

Did you keep the name? When we got our cat from the shelter, they had given him the name Arend, which is not only a male name, but also Dutch for eagle. Since he didn't listen to that name yet, we changed it to a non-bird name.

That does also requires good cat-carers for when you both are on vacation. Did you keep the name? When we got our cat from the shelter, they had given him the name Arend, which is not only a male name, but also Dutch for eagle. Since he didn't listen to that name yet, we changed it to a non-bird name.
Katrin on Dienstag, 09. Juli 2019 11:32

Yes, it does - fortunately, we have the world's best friends and neighbours!
We did keep the name, since she was familiar with it and listened to it (she was in the shelter for several months, long enough for the name to stick). We mostly call her "Madame", though, or some other nicknames, when we're just talking to her.

Yes, it does - fortunately, we have the world's best friends and neighbours! We did keep the name, since she was familiar with it and listened to it (she was in the shelter for several months, long enough for the name to stick). We mostly call her "Madame", though, or some other nicknames, when we're just talking to her.
Heather on Montag, 08. Juli 2019 15:52

2012?

I'm sure it was only last year...

2012? I'm sure it was only last year...
Katrin on Dienstag, 09. Juli 2019 11:32

Yes, time flies, doesn't it?

Yes, time flies, doesn't it?
Kathryn Leroux on Mittwoch, 10. Juli 2019 12:08

You filmed her on a very good day! It's like those people on facebook who post pics of their little kids at the rare moments when they're all smiling! ;-)

You filmed her on a very good day! It's like those people on facebook who post pics of their little kids at the rare moments when they're all smiling! ;-)
Katrin on Mittwoch, 10. Juli 2019 13:31

She was well-behaved that day, yes! Though lately, she has been mostly well-behaved for us, so that wasn't too much above "normal". (And now I've probably jinxed it, and she'll be the little diva and have other, more important things to do for the next weeks...)

She was well-behaved that day, yes! Though lately, she has been mostly well-behaved for us, so that wasn't too much above "normal". (And now I've probably jinxed it, and she'll be the little diva and have other, more important things to do for the next weeks...)
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