Spring!

4-20-24, heavy sigh. A lot has been going on in my household. My shoulder is healing well but I have some numbness in the forearm, bicep and shoulder blade. The doc said all should get better and that my nerves are aggravated. Hot packs and the tens unit have helped. Time is the therapy.

Pearl Chinchilla developed an eye lesion. A trip to the vets to have it removed on 3/27, but then it didn’t heal. Another trip and it really looks bad. She’s on antibiotic drops and pain meds. Both can be challenging to administer but she’s getting better about being held. She sees an Ophthalmologist this coming week. Praying for the best outcome because Ruby really needs her.

On Easter I noticed the smell of cat urine in the house at the same time I saw Skipper spray the couch. I was mortified! Yes, I have 5 cats but I keep the litter boxes clean. I don’t know how long it had been going on but I made my rounds sniffing everything and ended up scrubbing furniture, walls and washing cushion covers. Evidently, Skipper was stressed and I didn’t know why. I had already put a calming collar on Tigger because he has chronic soft stools. I figured it might help. I even put him on a sensitive stomach dry cat food but then Sam is a bully and would push him aside to eat his special diet. I would then yell at Sam and that scared Tigger and stressed Sam to the point that he began licking his belly bald. So, I put a collar on Sam too. When I saw Skipper spray I thought perhaps he’s stressed because I yell at Burt Parrot for yelling and Sam for bullying. So, Skipper received a calming collar. I also installed two diffusers. I cleaned and cleaned and he continued to spray. Then I saw Theo, his brother, spraying. I nearly lost it. I placed towels all around the base of the couch, my chair, the hedgehog bench and they continued to spray the towels and I would wash them. A collar is now on Theo. I’m stress eating and gaining the weight I lost back. I’m not happy. I haven’t put one on Smokey because he’s 17 and already pretty chilled. I have stopped yelling at the bird and since the special diet didn’t help Tigger, I stopped that which now Sam has no need to bully. Plus I’m giving Sam extra loving so he’ll stop licking his belly. After doing multiple washes in one week, I have progressed to cardboard pieces to protect the furniture. Of course they sprayed that and I sprayed it with enzymes along with other behavioral spray or peppermint essential oil which they pretty much stay clear of. I think it’s slowing down. I think. I hope. I don’t know how much more of this I can handle. I have ordered more collars and diffusers because I read that sometimes it takes a couple months. I look back at the last couple months and perhaps Skipper got stressed because I had surgery and then had my friend, Deb, come in several times a day to help me. BUT he knows her because she use to cat sit for me when him and Theo were kittens. I don’t know. He is back to lying in my lap which is a good sign.

Max is fine! He’s currently at 46 pounds and seems to be stuck at that weight. He really needs to lose more but I’m sure once it gets warmer, he’ll become more active. I continue to comb his winter fur out and that’s going well. I learned that he loves raw shrimp. Spoiled? You know it. When I was in his enclosure the other day, I noticed several severely rusted panels. It will be my priority this summer to clear the grass away from the areas, sand, and treat with Rustoleum. Several plexiglass sections were either destroyed by Max or the wind. I’m not sure if I’ll purchase more as it can be expensive. I might be able to salvage a few. It’s always something. I think I would drop dead in disbelief if I didn’t have a summer of nothing to do with his enclosure. LOL

Frankie & Frannie are hanging in there for old ferrets. They haven’t lost any more fur since receiving the hormonal implant for adrenal gland disease. Those two are so much fun and sweet!

Burt Parrot, Lil Bun Lop and Porkchop Hedgehog are all well and so is Ruby Chin.

I’m already booking programs for summer and it looks like it’s going to be a busy one too!