Ferals With Friends - Lois's Lounge

27/08/2024

Good evening furriends! Just a quick but somber update. Chico and Seymour are home. FINALLY! They are doing well, but readjusting to life on the outside, especially Chico. He's hiding in a canvas cage I have in the cat house. So far he's doing well and the vet is hopeful that his bladder issues are gone. He still has a few meds left to finish but other than that, he's in good shape. Seymour is also happy to be home. He has to wear that collar for a few days because his gums are sutured and the tech said if he opens even one, there isn't much left to work with in his gums and it would be more expensive surgical stuff I don't need. He went straight outside when we came home but about an hour ago he was back in the cat house in his favorite basket and resting quietly.
Skittles...has been diagnosed with possible cancer. He has a tumor on one of his ni***es on his abdomen. The vet doesn't know right now if it's cancerous or not but he said it needs to come out asap.
Now for the bad stuff - I laid $3100.00 on these cats today. What I have left is shipping money for the auction. There is still over $400 owing for Skittles and that is BEFORE his surgery plus hospital stay. I don't know what I am going to do. I honestly thought we'd be covered with the money from the auction but clearly, that's not the case. There are still outstanding payments of course, but even with that, it won't cover Skittles vet bill. I have NEVER been in this predicament with my cats before. I've been doing this a long time and usually they get sick, one at a time, and usually out within a few days. I've also never had a cat with a tumor of any kind, so again, I have no idea where this is going to go. The vet said it was caught early and it's not huge, so removal is fairly simple but it MUST be removed because if it is cancerous, it can spread quickly and he's wanting to avoid that. I am a bundle of nerves and stress.
I'm taking suggestions on how to raise the funds for this one. I'm too exhausted to think right now. Throw them out to me and lets see what we can do for Skittles.
On that note, I'm going to bed.

26/08/2024

So…I spoke to the vet about an hour ago. Chico and Seymour are being released today. I will be picking them up later this afternoon. Skittles…is a mystery. He’s still not well and they don’t know why. His eyes are glassy and he’s not eating.
The vet bill had gone way above what I was expecting and now I’m in panic mode. I have enough to pay for Chico and Seymour but nothing left for Skittles as the bill is almost $3500.00! I never imagined it would get that high between Friday and today. Even with awkshin funds, if everyone pays, we might squeeze by for Skittles but it will leave nothing for the rest of the month or the other cats.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Skittles never gets sick and that’s what is so weird about this. He has always been stable and no health issues that were so serious. I don’t know what to think.
I am grateful the other two are well enough to come home today but leaving Skittles puts a damper on that. I was so hopeful they would all be released and this nightmare would be over.
We need a miracle. Please pray they figure this out and that somehow we raise enough funds to get Skittles treated and well enough to come home this week.
My nerves are beyond shot. I can’t do this anymore.

25/08/2024

25/08/2024

HEADS UP! AWKSHIN ENDS TONIGHT AT 7 PM. GET THOSE FINAL BIDZ IN NOW!
I will need several hours to do closeout but I WILL get your totals to you sometime tonight. PLEASE MAKE SURE I HAVE A WORKING EMAIL ADDRESS WITH AT LEAST ONE BID SO I HAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU. Best of luck everyone!

25/08/2024

Good evening furriends! This is going to be a shorter post, as it's been a crazy day and I'm a bit wiped out.
I just wanted to remind everyone that the awkshin ends TOMORROW at 7 pm EST. We still have a lot of items without bidz, tons of books, ornaments, clothing (if you have kids or grandkids, check them out, they are new with tags), jewelry, cat stuff and more. Most of the items are new and not used, so you're getting good quality stuff.
Despite Chico, Skittles and Seymour being at the vet, there are other cats to consider as you can see in the photo. This one was taken in early summer, which is why Chico and Seymour are in it, but there are other kitties who need to eat, a few could use a vet visit, although nothing urgent but I don't want it to get to that point either. Skittles will need a new vial of insulin, and now with Chico also being diabetic, he will need his medication, which is $112.00 a month!!!!!!! Don't know how I'm going to pull that off yet.
Please continue to share the album, talk to your friends, tell them what's going on, and encourage them to place a bid or two. I cannot do this without all of you and I am so grateful for those who are participating by bidding and sharing. The cats you see in the photo are just SOME of them, there are still about 1/2 inside the cat house up the ramp.
Here is the link once more, hopefully it works!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

We also have other options if you prefer to do something else. You may call the vet directly at Stanford Veterinary Hospital, 606-365-0911 (they are open 8-5 M-F). Please tell them it's for Chico, Skittles or Seymour (doesn't matter, it's all the same account)
PayPal - [email protected] or CashApp - $Karencatlady
Thank you again, to everyone who has kept my boys in your prayers - they are all scheduled to come home on Monday as far as I know. Keeping fingers crossed!
Have a blessed Sunday and get those final bidz in asap!!

24/08/2024

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great week and are ready for a relaxing weekend. I got to see the boys today at the vet. In the first photo, Seymour is having surgery. I wasn't allowed to get too close but it's him on that table and the tech was removing teeth and suturing up his gums. He had all of his teeth removed except the 2 bottom canines and the incisors between them. Everything else was badly infected. He's doing well though and was stable during the surgery. The vet was standing there watching, and he's awesome himself. My boys are doing much better.
Skittles does NOT have pancreatitis. He was severely constipated. This makes no sense to me because nothing has changed in his diet at all, and I can't figure out what caused this. They gave him an e***a this afternoon and it worked. I'll leave it at that LOL.
They are going to give him fluids over the weekend because he was quite dehydrated but otherwise doing a lot better. He was also given Cerenia for nausea since he was also not eating.
Chico - doing great! He will remain over the weekend but as long as he continues to p*e on his own with no blood or sign of infection in his urine, he will FINALLY come home with the other two on Monday. Phew!!!!! Shout out to Stanford Veterinary Hospital for their amazing vets and tech team. They saved Chico's life and they have gotten Skittles and Seymour feeling a whole lot better very quickly.
That's all wonderful but then there's the vet bill...it's roughly around $2100 right now with all 3 boys but that is not including the weekend stay and whatever needs to be done until Monday.
PLEASE,keep this awkshin going. I am going to end it on Sunday because I have to, so we can ensure we have the funds to pay this bill off on Monday and bring the boys home with zero owing to the vet.
There are still many items without bids. Please keep sharing! It's been a wild ride but has a happy outcome, thanks to so many of you! I couldn't do this without you and I know that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Y'all rock!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

22/08/2024

UPDATE: Skittles and Seymour were taken to the vet this afternoon. They will remain there at least over night so the vet can evaluate them and find out what is going on and what needs to be done. I couldn't let them suffer a moment longer. They are in good hands. Chico is doing well. More details tomorrow.

Hey everyone, this is going to be a pretty raw post, so bear with me please. This is my diabetic kitty, Skittles, brother to Biscuits (my other diabetic) and Purrcey (not diabetic). All 3 are littermates and 14 years old. I mentioned yesterday that Skittles is having issues. I believe now, that he is in the early stages of pancreatitis. He cannot keep food down, his gums and ears are pale. His sugar was low yesterday from not eating, so I couldn't even give him his insulin, first time since 2015 that he has not had his shot. Poor boy is miserable and HAS to see the vet before this gets out of hand.
Seymour - same thing, he's miserable. He won't eat today, his mouth is swollen and I'm tired. Tired of fighting with sick cats, tired of working so hard to raise the funds to get them to the vet and treated. Chico has about bled me dry with his vet bill and now these two NEED to be seen. I can't make them wait any longer because that will make matters worse.
To be brutally honest, I was up all night with Skittles, thinking about what's best for all these sick cats and for my sanity. I feel like maybe it's time to end their misery, Skittles, Biscuits, Chico and Seymour and start thinning out the crowd by finding homes for the others. I can't keep doing this. In the 14 years I've been doing rescue, I have NEVER had 3 cats so sick at the same time. ONE at a time is bad enough, but 3??? Poor Seymour has been waiting a long time and he's in so much pain and he's withdrawn now. That's not him. He's always been outgoing and active. Skittles just never gets sick, but now he is and it's serious. What do I do? Who do I choose to receive care when they all need it? The awkshin is mediocre at best, facebook blocks every post and every share to their hearts content and then come at me asking ME to boost my posts for $40, today it was $250 and they'll give me $500 in credits. Right! I'll get right on that!
As I was typing this, the vet tech called about Chico. He's doing awesome BUT...there are still blood clots in his urine. They took the catheter out yesterday, he's p*eing on his own but not totally emptying his bladder, so they are keeping him until Monday now. There's another $180 added to his bill just for boarding, not including the meds and food etc.
I told her about Skittles and Seymour and if I can, I will bring them in later today or tomorrow, just depending on how I can get them gathered up and find a way to the vet as my usual rides out there are busy.
I don't know what to do. I despise asking for help, which is why I do these awkshins, so I can at least "give something back" in terms of the items that are bid on, but it's not enough in a situation like this. All 3 cats are sick and have serious stuff going on and yet I'm forced to leave Chico at the vet, and have to choose who deserves to be seen next. How? Seymour has been put off for weeks and should have had his issues already dealt with but because Chico was critical, he got to go first. Now Skittles may have pancreatitis, the vet tech agreed with me that it's sounds like it probably is, and that can become very serious, very quickly too. Skittles has been my inside cat since 2010, he and his siblings are very bonded and all 3 are very bonded with me. The thought of losing him tears me apart. He's a big cuddle bug, he LOVES to be held, he sleeps next to me at night, and he loves to cuddle with Biscuits anytime he gets the chance. Biscuits divides her time between her brothers, they both adore her and want to cuddle with her. The boys love each other but sometimes prefer to sit near each other but not cuddle up. I think it's a "guy thing". To lose any of these 3 will devastate me but I feel like I'm being selfish. Skittles has been diabetic since 2015, maybe his body is just telling us he's had enough. He's always been pretty stable but we all have our limits right?
I'm just tired and frustrated with all these illnesses. I love these cats, all of them, so deeply but at what cost? I think, to be fair to them and to myself, I have to start saying farewell to some of them, if not all of them. The younger ones can be adopted out, but the older ones, I'm not so sure. I hate myself for even thinking along these lines, but I'm not seeing any other way out. The cats deserve better than what I can give them. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it's hard but please understand it's coming from my heart. It's not what I want to do, but I feel I have no choice for the sake of their best interests.
I hope you all have a better day than I am having.

22/08/2024

Good evening furriends! Good new and bad news. Which one do you want first? Good news? Okay! Chico is FINALLY doing better. The new meds he's on seem to be working to clear out the bladder infection. He got the catheter taken out today and they will see how he does through the night and tomorrow. IF he p*es on his own consistently, they will release him on Friday and he can finally come home. I am so hopeful that he can come home. Seymour needs to be seen asap and today I discovered an issue with my Skittles. He has a mass on his abdomen, where one of his ni***es should be, it's flat and painful. There's more to it than that but I'm not going to elaborate right now until I know more. To say I am stressed is an understatement.
The bad news...Chico's bill is pushing $1700.00 and I ain't got it. I am HOPING they will let me pay the majority of it on Friday and the rest after the awkshin ends. I don't have any other choice because I just don't have enough until then. PLEASE for the sake of these cats, continue to share the album with your friends. Please encourage them to place some bidz because with Seymour and Skittles having issues, I have to have enough to get them in next week too.
I am exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. I love these cats to pieces but I've never had so many issues pile up all at once. It's really scary!
Here is the link to the album once more:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

If you wish to help in other ways - you may call the vet directly to make a donation to Chico - Stanford Veterinary Hospital - 606-365-0911
PayPal - [email protected] or CashApp $Karencatlady
Please continue to keep these babies in your prayers, especially that Chico can come home so we can focus on Seymour and Skittles. The deserve the help too.
Thanks everyone and have a blessed night!

21/08/2024

Chico was being spicy with the vet techs this afternoon. He didn't want to take his oral meds AT ALL! His bill is over $1700.00 right now. I spoke to the secretary this morning and she sent me a copy of his bill and it showed $1562.11, but it was only updated until this past Saturday, so anything done since then has not been added, which she said would likely total around $1700 give or take and that also doesn't include what they will be doing the rest of this week. I need a lot more bidz on this awkshin if we're gonna get that boy out of there anytime soon. This is really scary. He's doing well and seems to be responding well to the new meds but there's no telling when he'll be well enough to come home. Please see comments for more information. Have a blessed night everyone!

20/08/2024

Hello furriends! Just a quick update on Mr. Chico. Surgery is OFF the table for the moment because the vet decided to take him off his current antibiotics and try a different type entirely. The infection is still in his bladder and in the bladder wall, which is why he feels something stronger might knock it out for good. He's also getting gentamycin directly IN his bladder once a day. IF that works, they will take the catheter out Wednesday and if he p*es on his own and the urine is no longer cloudy or pink, he may be able to come home. At this point I'm going to have to put a chunk of his bill on their financing plan as it's getting out of control. Today is 14 days since he's been at the vet and even with the awkshin, I don't think I can pay it in full when they finally release him. I'm not sure what else to do. It's very close to $2000 right now and that is the highest I've ever had to deal with any of my cats. I'm feeling frustrated and stressed out. The vet is very confident that he will get better, but we just need to find the right combo of antibiotics to knock out that infection. He also said that being diabetic plays a big part in the healing process because it naturally takes longer.
Seymour had a bad morning, but with some coaxing, I did get him to eat some of his breakfast. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Please, continue to share the awkshin album and encourage your friends to look at it as well. I added several new items the past few days, they are at the end of the album, so go check them out, if you haven't already.
Thanks to all of you who are praying for my boys and who are sharing this album like crazy. I do see that from time to time in my feed and I appreciate it so much.
Here's the link once more: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

We also have the option to call the vet directly if anyone wants to help that way - Stanford Veterinary Hospital - 606-365-0911. Please tell them it's for Chico.
PayPal - [email protected] or CashApp - $Karencatlady

Have a good week everyone.

18/08/2024

Hello furriends! I thought I'd get away from Chico and Seymour a bit tonight and show off my Knox. I know I've introduced you to him before but HE told me he wanted you to look at his footsie! I mean LOOK AT IT!!! Is that not the finest set of toe beans you've ever seen??????? He thought so too! I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my last post about him but one funny thing he does, when I pick him up and talk to him, is he tilts his head as if he's listening to me intently. He does it every single time. He LOVES to be held but if I so much as make a noise, that head tilts and he stares at me with those beautiful green eyes, as if he's soaking up every word. He's a funny boy. He's one of Amora's babies, and such a calm, peaceful boy. He never fights with anybody, he loves on all the other cats, and can frequently be seen giving someone a bath. His favorite perch is outside on a plastic stool in the corner of the enclosure. He can be seen there all day and is sometimes hesitant to come inside to eat because I think he's afraid someone will take that spot LOL. What a goofy boy.
Anyway...I just had to show off those toe beans. How could I say no to that face?
The awkshin still needs some more bidz, so please continue to share it as much as you can. We've had a few newbies join us, which is awesome! I need this livingroom cleared out here folks. I am crowding myself out of my room and my roommates out of THEIR livingroom. It's starting to look like an episode of Hoarders right now. PLEASE, make some bidz so I can ship this stuff out asap!!!
Here's the link once more: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

Have a great rest of your evening and wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead!

18/08/2024

Happy Saturday furriends! I hope you're all having a nice weekend so far! Not much new going on here. Just another cute picture of our sweet Chico, without his collar on. I haven't heard from the vet office since it's the weekend and they only call if there is any major change that I need to know about, so I am assuming he's fine.
Seymour ate well for me this morning but I gotta say, having to take his food into the cat enclosure every morning and making sure all the other cats are inside the cat house, is getting old. I don't know why he won't come inside to eat. I have to mix his food up in the house so he doesn't smell the medicine, cover it with a packet of those Delectables Bisques and mix that in as well and then he doesn't notice he's getting meds LOL. Whatever works right? He ate all of his food though and as long as those pain meds are in him, he seems to do a bit better. The vet tech also gave me some Cerenia nose drops for him yesterday just in case he starts sneezing again. So far he seems to be over that, but it's nice to have a back up.
Our vet bill is pushing $2000 now for Chico so we still need this awkshin to be shared and I ask you to talk to your friends about Chico and explain his situation or simply share a post about what's going on so they know WHY they are being asked to check out the album. Seymour needs medical care too but until Chico is home and feeling well, I can't add Seymour to any of this. I feel so guilty about that but his situation isn't life threatening where Chico's was. I just hate that he's in so much pain but the tech said as long as he's got the pain meds and he's eating and drinking, he should be fine for a bit longer. I hope that's true.
Anyway, here is the link once again for the album.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

I have added some new stuff at the end of the album today so please go check it out. You might find something you like this time.
Thank you everyone - y'all rock and I know we're going to get Chico through this together. Please continue your prayers for him and for Seymour. Thank you!

17/08/2024

Good evening furriends! I hope you all had a great week and are ready for some R&R this weekend. I got to see Chico today. He's doing much better in a lot of ways, but not great in a few other ways. He STILL has an infection in his urine, despite being on antibiotics since he was brought in. He still has the catheter in and is still p*eing a bit of blood through that. His bloodwork is better except for his BUN levels and white blood cell count, which is to be expected. He's eating and drinking well. So well, in fact, that he got his food bowl caught in the cone and tossed it out of the cage and all over the floor, while I was there LOL. Goofy boy! He was so hyper today and it did my heart good to see him happy and more like himself. He's not out of the woods but he's getting better - slowly. They will regroup with the vet on Monday and discuss how he did on the weekend and then they will remove the catheter to see how he handles that. If he is able to p*e on his own for a day or two with no issues and he doesn't require surgery, he MAY come home on Wednesday next week. At this point I am being forced to go on their payment plan to get this bill paid off. Even if the awkshin does well, it still won't cover everything, especially if he does need surgery. So, that being said, I may have to do another awkshin right behind this one to pay that bill off. I can't afford to worry about monthly payments when I have other cats that need attention, like Seymour. He was somewhat better today, he ate well at breakfast and got all his meds but tomorrow may be entirely different.
Please continue to keep these sweet boys in your prayers and for Chico to not need surgery and for Seymour to hold out a bit longer to be seen.
Tomorrow I will be adding some interesting new items to the album, so be sure to come check it out and please continue to share it as much as possible. We need all the help we can get for these guys.
Thank you everyone and have a blessed weekend!

Album link- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

16/08/2024

Hello everyone! This is just a quick update on Seymour. I took this photo around 3pm today. This is how miserable he looks. I did manage to get his meds into him this morning but you can see the blood around his mouth and the black stuff around his nose is dried blood. He won't let me clean it because of the pain. This boy needs to go to the vet too. I am not being fair to him. He's in a lot of pain and it needs to be treated.
He doesn't deserve to wait because Chico is at the vet - still. I don't know when Chico is going to get out of there. I'm irritated right now because I called the clinic 3 times today, nobody bothered to call me back with an update. I couldn't see him today unfortunately, so I couldn't get an update in person. I do plan to see him tomorrow. I was promised a phone call from a tech after the clinic closed today and before they all went home. Nobody called. To me, for the amount of money I'm spending on that cat, they OWE me an update at least once a day. I need to know what is going on with my cat and where we're at with his treatment.
I am planning to take Seymour with me tomorrow when I go see Chico and let them deal with him because this is unfair to Seymour. I never imagined Chico being there this long, and making this poor guy wait to get relief from his pain.
I hate seeing him so miserable. All he does is hide and he used to be so sociable and active. This is no life for Seymour. He deserves better, just like Chico does.
I NEED this awkshin to work miracles for us. We're pushing $2000 for Chico right now and there's no telling what Seymour will cost. He's sneezing like crazy and he's in pain so I need to act before this becomes critical for him too. We need a big miracle!
Please continue to share the awkshin and encourage your friends to come join us! These boys need all the help they can get. I will update about Chico tomorrow when I can. Have a blessed night everyone!

15/08/2024

Good evening furriends. I didn’t get to see Chico today because my roommate had other engagements this afternoon but he’s doing about as well as yesterday. He still has a bad UTI and so they put another catheter in and started him on new meds today to bring down inflammation and see what happens.
Seymour is also struggling and I’m at my wits end now. You can see in the video he’s sneezing while trying to eat. He did not eat all of what is in the plate but it is also not as much as it appears to be. It’s bulked up because it was left over from yesterday when he didn’t eat. He ate about 1/2 of that. I don’t know how much of the pain medicine he got but I cannot put him off much longer either. It’s not fair to him. Chico is much more critical of course but Seymour deserves relief from his pain too. I need this awkshin to move. There are still tons of items without bids and I’m seeing a lot of shares (thank you) but not a lot of activity.
Please continue to share and encourage your friends to make some bids. I am drowning in debt right now. I’ve never had a cat at the vet this long and with so much uncertainty and another cat also needing urgent care at the same time. It’s getting scary now. I have about half of what I need saved up for Chico but unless the awkshin does well, I’m not sure how this is going to end.
We need a miracle for both of my sweet boys. I hate seeing Seymour so miserable. He’s able to eat thankfully but I can tell he’s in pain and that needs to stop. Both boys are loved and cherished by me, as are all the cats. How do I choose between them? I can’t.
Please pray that the new meds work for Chico and we can bring him home and get Seymour taken care of asap.
Thanks everyone and have a blessed night.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.477656265213880&type=3

14/08/2024

Update on Chico. He's "okay" but not out of the woods yet. His bloodwork was still wonky but somewhat better. His glucose was perfect but that's because he's on Bexacat, which is a newer drug, a once-a-day pill that manages their blood sugar very well when they are newly diagnosed. It isn't good for cats that have been or are insulin dependent. Chico was a good candidate because he's never had insulin. That being said, I can't afford that medicine for him. It's $110 a month and I don't know how I can manage that going forward. Right now we're deep in debt with him and no end in sight until his ability to p*e on his own is determined. The vet is putting him on steroids and anti-inflammatories tomorrow, (or may he did today, not sure). If that helps, he will not need surgery which has now been pushed back to next Monday. If it does not work, they will proceed with the surgery. The vet feels that Chico is fighting a severe infection and may just need more recovery time and not necessarily the surgery. He's trying to avoid surgery unless there are no other options. I am HOPING he won't need it either. We are nearing the $2000 mark now and the surgery will absolutely put it into $2500 or more. HOW do I manage that??? He and I both need a miracle.
Aside from that he was in good spirits and so happy when I came to see him. He's a real charmer and has wrapped his paws around everyone's hearts in there. Those eyes do it every time. LOOK AT THEM!!! How do you say no to him??? I can't. Someone suggested euthanizing him and just putting him out of his misery and saving some money - but HOW do I do that??????? He's not on death's doorstep and he WILL recover, the vet is certain of that. He just said he needs time and I'm willing to give him that. I don't want to lose him over this.
We need this awkshin to move my furriends. I just added a few more items. Please check them out and please share it! Thanks everyone! Here is the link one more time.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=100089085320716&set=a.477656265213880