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From: Bama
Date: 02-07-2007, 11:10 PM (1 of 29)
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I got home today and our cat, Cupcake, was dragging himself across the yard to get to me. His front right leg was dragging under him, his head was bloody, and his right eye was blood red. I assumed he was hit by a car. I was shocked because I've never seen him near the road. He always stays near the house or workshop. Our vet was closed. Emergency # was for a clinic an hour away. I called 5 animal clinics before I found one that was open past noon on a wednesday. I took him there along with a hysterical daughter holding him all the way thinking the poor baby would probably have to be put down. The vet (very nice man btw) checked him out and said he would live. No internal injuries, but his right front shoulder is snapped. That leg is paralyzed. They cleaned the blood from his ears and nose, gave him antibiotics, and started him on steroids to see if he might get some movement back in that leg. The vet said it was worth a try but we'll probably have to have his leg amputated eventually and the cat will have to live indoors. He's always lived outside except for on very cold nights when he comes into the garage. (We won't tell my husband how he sneaks into the sewing room when he's not home) This was enough to take in for one day yet my husband with foot-in-the-mouth disease has to shake his #*$* head and open his big mouth when I said the part about the cat living inside from now on.  Got dd crying again. She was listening from the other room. He never knows when to keep his mouth shut. He forgets he is outnumbered by three of us who love the cat. Four counting the rat terrier who also loves the cat and btw, dh was the one who wanted the rat terrorist to live inside the house. I did not, tho I'm in love with the little terror now. My husband has always hated cats so we've never had a cat that stayed inside all the time. Only when he is not home. My husband said I should have had the cat put down. If the vet had said it was best, I would have, however he said that he's seen alot of injuries like this and that cats do well with 3 legs if they live inside because they can't defend themslves anymore. Of course dear huuby said, well of course he said that because you were paying him. Actually the vet knew that I use another clinic and will take the cat there for further treatment. I am so glad my kids got a love of animals from me. How can he not have compassion for the poor thing or at least for our daughter and me who are UPSET about the whole thing. His parents are the same way about animals. I guess he got it from them. Sorry so long. I'm just very angry right now and worried about the poor cat. |
User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116 
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From: ninifav
Date: 02-07-2007, 11:43 PM (2 of 29)
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oh Bama, I'm so sorry about Cupcake; but the good news is that she will be okay...mostly....I know that you are pi@@ed at you hubby; but if he is not a cat lover, then he wouldn't understand...And from previous posts, it sounds like the poor guy just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut and let his girls have their own way..(geez luweez, doesn't he know you are going to do what you want anyway??? duh!!) And when we are upset, our clueless partners usually get the brunt of it!! You just go take care of Cupcake and ignore the rest!!! |
User: ninifav
Member since: 09-06-2004 Total posts: 204 |
From: Chrysantha
Date: 02-08-2007, 12:49 AM (3 of 29)
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[[[ ]]] Bama and Cupcake... tell your husband he doesn't need to love the cat, but showing compassion for a furry goes a long way in making him more of a human being. (people who don't like animals are always on my s*** list.) You and you daughter are great fur parents... [[[ ]]] I'm glad Cupcakes Ok...losing one leg on a 4 legged furry isn't a big deal....they learn how to use the other 3 better. Tell your husband all the women in SWN wanna beat some sense into his idiot brain... Give cupcake a cuddle for me... Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: Magot
Date: 02-08-2007, 02:09 AM (4 of 29)
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ouchies Bama, your poor wee cat. We have one around here (three legged) that goes dot and carry one outside very successfully. I am not convinced you would have to keep him in - unless he was a total bruiser to begin with. Can't hunt anymore 'cos he doesn't have the speed but still enjoys the outside life.
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
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From: PaulineG
Date: 02-08-2007, 05:33 AM (5 of 29)
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Cuddles and pats to Cupcake. I hope he does get totally better but if not he can still have a really happy life with his family. As for the inside/outside debate - in OZ environmentalists are fairly keen on restricting the access of domestic animals to native wildlife. We've built a cat run down one side of our house for one of our cats. Our older two go outside into the yard (one of them even visits all the neighbours and tries going into their houses) but we're trying to keep the youngest one mainly in the house. It also protects her from all the dangers of cars, other cats etc. It's too late for the older ones but she's never known any different. What we've done is built a frame between the house roofline and the side fence and used trellis and shadecloth to contain it. She has a catdoor from the dining room out into it and can come and go as she pleases. It gives her the chance to eat grass, use her litter outside, climb in the bushes and trees and chase insects (and the odd lizard). Maybe this would be a compromise option for Cupcake should he need to change his name to Hopalong. As for the husband - maybe you should build him a run of his own. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: Bama
Date: 02-08-2007, 09:17 AM (6 of 29)
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Cupcake is doing better. He slept on a blanket in the kitchen. When I got up this morning he crawled off of it toward me meowing. He had managed to pee in the litter pan sometime during the night. He gobbled up his food with his meds crushed up in it. He looks horrible. The tip of his nose is skinned off and he has scars over his face and ears. He is so lucky it didn't kill him. I took the kids to school and when I got home Cupcake was on the couch. I don't know how he thought he would get back down.  I'm letting him roam around so he'll get the hang of it. Maybe he will be able to go back outside after all and just sleep inside at night. My FIL's cats next door like to beat up on him if they get the chance so no way I'm putting him out before he is completely well.I took a day off because I have a cold/flu anyway. I'm sure hubby will have something stupid to say about that too. So what. It's my sick day. He tried to be nice to me last night but I don't want to be nice to him right now. A dog run for him is a good idea, but that's what his workshop is for. 
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: lendube
Date: 02-08-2007, 12:17 PM (7 of 29)
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Poor baby! Do you think h is jealous of the cat besides just not liking them?? Have dd work on him. Daddies have a hard time being cold with their little girls .... Lennie |
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: sewhappyrtr
Date: 02-09-2007, 07:32 PM (8 of 29)
My house is a cat lover household and the world definately is divided into lovers of cats and the other ones <<< I am so sorry your kitty got so hurt. Do you know for sure what got him?? We have inside and outside kitties. 2 siamese inside and 3 dsh outside. But the outside ones defiantely get the better of the deal. They are always in our garage at the first sign of cold or danger. and they seem to really appreciate it when we shower them with affection. Unlike our meesers who just eat, sleep and poop... and occasionly sit on our laps. Our boy meeser is really a strange one, he lays on his back with front paws kinda bent and back legs spread out.. and he just lays and stares. He hates to be picked up, hates to be petted too much.. but will sit on me only if its HIS idea!!! Our girl meeser is better,, but not a lap cat either. Our outside ones are lap cats from the getgo. BTW,, tell that hubby to back off and leave the kitty alone.. ( just my opinion) |
User: sewhappyrtr
Member since: 08-01-2006 Total posts: 43 |
From: GreenDragonLady
Date: 02-09-2007, 08:09 PM (9 of 29)
I'm sorry about your kitty  I hope he feels better soon. Maybe you'd better threaten hubby with euthanizing him and see how he likes it?Cars are precisely the reason why all of the cats I've had as an adult have been indoor cats. Every cat we ever had when I was a kid got hit by a car. Even if they normally don't go near the road, there's always that chance. photos.yahoo.com/greendragondesigns
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User: GreenDragonLady
Member since: 07-29-2004 Total posts: 495 
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From: dmoses
Date: 02-09-2007, 08:40 PM (10 of 29)
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Bama, I am happy to hear that Cupcake is on the mend. Maybe he will win over your husband. My husband wasn't a 'cat person', either. Everytime he heard any kind of dog story, his comment was(and is),'See, a cat couldn't do that.' When we got her as a kitten, she would climb up on his chair and squeeze in close to him. I think it made him feel special!  Now, he pays more attention and gives more affection to the cat than any of us, even though they both pretend like they don't care. 
Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964 
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From: Bama
Date: 02-09-2007, 11:16 PM (11 of 29)
Hubby got home before the kids and I did and found the cat and the rat terrier snuggled up together. He told me about it when I got home and said, "She (the dog) does seem to enjoy his company."  He even asked me if the cat was getting around better now. Of course he didn't know when to shut up and added that he thought the cat would have been better off if we had put it down. I told him I think cat will be happy with 3 good legs. Cupcake is loving all the attention. He's already figured out how to get up on the sofa. He looks like a rabbit hopping through the house.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: DorothyL
Date: 02-10-2007, 08:08 AM (12 of 29)
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I'm so glad your cat is doing well. And I'm glad you didn't jump the gun and have it put down. I had a cat that was hit by a car when he was about 5-years-old. His rear end was paralyzed and the vet gave him something that the vet said would get him moving by the next afternoon or he would never move again. The next afternoon I called the vet from work and the assistant said the drug didn't seem to be working. In tears I said they should put him down. I was just sick thinking of how frightened the poor guy must have been and I wanted to end that for him. The assistant (a young, just graduated veterinarian herself) refused. She didn't want to go that far without the regular vet there. I was very upset because the cat was suffering. About an hour later I got a call. "Would you please come get this cat. We took him out of the cage to clean it and he is jumping all over the room!!" He was pretty sore for a while but lived another 12 or 13 years until he just got old and fell over dead. I think your cat will do just fine, probably as an indoor cat though. He might be kinda defenseless outside. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Bama
Date: 02-10-2007, 11:55 AM (13 of 29)
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Thanks for sharing that nice story Dorothy. When I was growing up, my mom never thought twice about doing whatever she could for an injured pet. When I was around 12 years old I heard a dog whining and found a stray under our porch trying to have her puppies. My mother and I pulled her out and mom said something is wrong. She loaded the poor thing in the car and took her to our vet. Our vet did a c-section. All the puppies were dead. The dog was small and the puppies were too big for her. After that vet bill, my dad had to let us keep her.  The dog would smile. She raised up the corners of her mouth just like she was smiling, so we named her Smiley. She lived another 7 or 8 years.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: suesodyssey
Date: 02-12-2007, 03:54 PM (14 of 29)
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Bama, glad to hear your kitty and husband are coming along...one thing nice about the cat...noback talk! My husband is not a cat "lover" but my cat loves him, so he lets her sit on his lap at night watching TV and snuggle with him when he goes to bed. The funny thing is they have "their" time...he goes to bed early and the cat goes up with him and they have some play time. Sounds like you dog and cat are the same as mine...they both love to snuggle with each other. Sue |
User: suesodyssey
Member since: 03-29-2005 Total posts: 86 |
From: Bama
Date: 02-12-2007, 06:31 PM (15 of 29)
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Sue, Sometimes I think our dog thinks she's a cat too. She LOVES our cats. She even takes her toys to them and drops them in front of them. Then she waits til they look at it and grabs it and runs.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: PaulineG
Date: 02-12-2007, 09:11 PM (16 of 29)
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One of my cats thinks it's a dog. Drinks from the toilet (we learned quickly to close the door), follows us down the street when we go for a walk, hates other cats but loves (only the small ones) dogs. I think he must have been raised with a dog - I got him as a stray when he was nearly a year old. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 02-12-2007, 10:00 PM (17 of 29)
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Sorry about your kitty Bama. My hubby is not an animal person either. The only kind of animals I can have are fish in my fish aquarium and my babies outside the wild birds I feed. I love cats but can't have one because I don't want them outside here. My son had a baby kitten he brought home when he lived out here next door to me and I think a wild animal got her because she disappeared. Some husbands can be hardnosed about things that we like but just don't act that way when it comes to something they want..........that's a different story. We are having that problem right now, when I act a certain way I'm being a bi#%h but when he acts that way he has the right. It must be a full moon or something right now. Take care of cupcake and don't worry about hubby, just let DD take care of him.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118 
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From: Longblades
Date: 02-13-2007, 09:59 AM (18 of 29)
| Many, if not most, cats do not survive an encounter with a car. You are so lucky Cupcake did. I think it may be difficult for him to adapt to life indoors after having his freedom, so the dog run is a good idea. Cats can dig like dogs so you have to bury the fencing underground and make sure the roof and corners are very tightly sealed. It's amazing the tiny spaces they can get through. Or did you mean the DH was to go in the dog run? LOL. Maybe he will come around. Mine did, after professing no love for little cats who kill innocent songbirds (and him with a freezer full of wild game!). But now he is a confirmed cat lover and when we visit people he knows how to interact with a cat and most will come right to him. The most recent addition to our pet household is a stray cat that my DH rescued. |
User: Longblades
Member since: 07-14-2005 Total posts: 182 |
From: Bama
Date: 03-03-2007, 12:31 PM (19 of 29)
I took Cupcake back to the vet this morning. He has some movement in his front leg now. He paws at toys with it, and sometimes walks on the back of his paw. When he walks fast or runs, he holds it up and hops. Sometimes I hear him and think it's my 18yo son running through the house.  I was feeling alot better about it, but the vet said he still feels that we'll eventually have to amputate. He was amazed at the movement of the leg tho, and wants to try another round of steroids. Since the movement is only from the upper leg, and the paw is still turned under, the vet feels that Cupcake's lower leg will start getting irritated from having to drag it across the floor. We'll just wait and see what happens. He said that I will know when it needs to be done. Cupcake acts like he is in heaven. I think he would have traded his leg for living in the house, if he had a choice. I've caught hubby patting him on the head several times. I think he's realized it's not as bad having a cat inside the house as he thought but doesn't admit it. Hubby still thinks the cat can eventually live outside. I don't think we'll ever get him to stay out again. I take him outside almost every day and he begs me to pick him back up.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: lendube
Date: 03-03-2007, 01:27 PM (20 of 29)
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Bams, I'm so glad to hear that Cupcake is doing so well. I'm also glad to hear that dh is coming around. Maybe if Cupcake had a more "manly" name? I'm willing to bet that dh has never called him by name. If you only listened to my dh you'd swear he hated cats but if you disregard the words and watched his actions you'd swear he loves them. Actions do speak louder than words. Btw, two of our 4 cats are here because of my dh! He even named Fred. Good luck with Cupcake and please keep on keeping us "posted". Lennie |
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: PaulineG
Date: 03-03-2007, 02:13 PM (21 of 29)
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That sounds really hopeful Bama. I'm glad to hear that he's feeling better and dh is adjusting to having him in the house. Even if Cupcake gets to keep his leg he probably still wouldn't be able to live outside because it is unlikely to ever return to it's earlier strength so maybe he'll get the best of both worlds. If your dh wants him to go back to living outside you could always remind dh of the increased potential for injury and consequently high vet bills. Either love or frugality will hopefully persuade him to let Cupcake stay inside. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: Bama
Date: 03-03-2007, 10:14 PM (22 of 29)
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When we got the cat, we couldn't tell if he was male or female. I've seen alot of kittens and puppies in my life and had always been able to tell the day they were born until I got him. He's white with a cream face, paws, and tail and my daughter said he reminds her of vanilla buttercream frosting, so she named him Cupcake not knowing he was male. When he was 2 or 3 months old, he developed one "manly" part where there should be two. When he was a few months older I took him to be neutered. They found his "other" part that had not developed fully tucked inside him. It cost me as much to have him neutured as it did to have our female spayed. It's usually less here for males. Poor baby had an incision in the usual spot and one on his tummy too. Hubby (as well as our son) has made fun of the poor boy ever since. |
User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: Bama
Date: 03-03-2007, 10:16 PM (23 of 29)
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. Maybe if Cupcake had a more "manly" name? I'm willing to bet that dh has never called him by name. Lennie Maybe you are right. Hubby just calls him "Cat". |
User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: Upholsteress
Date: 03-03-2007, 10:53 PM (24 of 29)
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I'm new here.. but we are a cat family thanks to my daughter. My h is not fond of cats.. but just tonight... one of ours not only jumped into his lap but settled in and fell asleep without asking HIM permission.. I think he was secretly pleased, as he let her stay. Sending best wishes for Cupcake AKA Hubcap.
Cheryl
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User: Upholsteress
Member since: 01-21-2007 Total posts: 35 
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From: Chrysantha
Date: 03-04-2007, 01:16 AM (25 of 29)
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I guess I'm lucky...my husband grew up with cats, and I with dogs, so he LOVES animals...(but I'm allergic to cats) and we settled on ferrets. (I'm allergic to them too, but I don't care)...so the ferrets think they're human and Mom and Dad are toys, cuddlers, kissers and pouncee's....Mikey our deaf kid, LOVES to sit on Dads shoulders and help him cook. We call him Sous Chef Mike. (when we lose them, my husband cries, just like me...because it's very hard to lose babies, no matter how old they are...) We also can't stand to see greyhound rescue...those BIG BROWN eyes and sweet faces...we RUN into the Pet stores and run out...otherwise we'd have 2 or 3 dogs (and with the ferrets. well thats not a good mix...). WE had to to that today...they had 8 there and it was awful. I kept saying no, no, no...don't look...don't touch...we have 4 fuzzies at home... We're big animal idiots here...(then theres my sister and her Jack Russell terror....Ish...(yes I said terror....  )
Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414
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From: lendube
Date: 03-04-2007, 02:25 PM (26 of 29)
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I think a lot of men get caught up in the "a cat's a woman's pet" thing. For whatever reason cats are just not manly. My dh is very sweet to them but discovered early on that if he wants one to leave his vicinity all he has to do is blow on the cat and they leave. Sometimes he lets them stay on his lap and sometimes he "blows them off". And Bama, my dd found a feral kitten with it's eyes still closed laying in the sun near a dirt road on a day that must have been 95 degrees a few years ago. She nursed it to health but discovered that he too, had one undescended testicle. It was an expensive operation but he's a sweetie, had some social issues but now you'd never know that he was an abandoned feral with infections. I'm guessing he lay in the hot sun just long enough to "incubate" him but luckily not long enough to kill him. He wouldn't have been out there alive much longer. Timing is everything. He was named Payson after the street she found him on.  Lennie
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User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: pinkroses
Date: 03-04-2007, 05:30 PM (27 of 29)
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Poor little kitty. I am so sorry. Pinkroses
I know I have a guradian angel watching over me. I am very gratefull. PINKROSES
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User: pinkroses
Member since: 11-30-2005 Total posts: 64 
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From: Sewhappie
Date: 03-04-2007, 07:58 PM (28 of 29)
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Glad to hear that Cupcake is doing much better. I have to laugh about all the DH's who are not crazy about cats. Right now my DH is watching 60 Minutes, laying on the couch with one of our 4 furballs all stretched out on him and sound asleep. He is a bigger pushover with "his" 4 girls than anyone else in this house!!!!! Our Meezer ( 3rd in line) thinks that he is her personal servant and should be at her beck and call whenever she meows!!!! Every night when he comes home from work she sits for 15-20 minutes just talking to him, as if she is telling him what everyone did all day. When we moved here in '92 we lost Murphy to feline diabetes, DH cried his eyes out burying him in our backyard. They can put on a tough front, but underneath they are all softies!!!! |
User: Sewhappie
Member since: 10-27-2001 Total posts: 1427 |
From: Magot
Date: 03-05-2007, 12:12 PM (29 of 29)
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Tony insists Turbo is MY cat - especially when cleaning up - but is all disappointed when he won't sit on him. He is a cat man, no denying it.
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
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