karen's chicken diary

[Cheshire Chick]

Hope Tiddly goes on Ok Karen. I know that when my previous girls were brewing softies they were under the weather for a day or two and were fine again as soon as they got the softie out. Video of the cat flap business would be great to see.

[HenPen]

Poor Tiddly, that's a worry. I do hope she is feeling better soon.

And poor Marley. That's no fun, being targeted by the local yobbo. I am relieved to hear the new catflap is helping solve her bullying problem... Now, about that catflap... it seems you have made a rod for your own back and must now bow to public pressure and provide us all with videos!

(or, in actual fact, video)

[KarenE]

Tiddly absolutely fine, still very snuggly & snoozy on knees and in fact is insisting on sitting on anyone's knee who happens to be passing - ie me & hubby, but I am not complaining at this new tendency to be all sweetness and light (well, of course it's Tiddly so she is still incredibly naughty). She is sticking to Casper's moulting etiquette of one feather a week, not enough to completely reassure me that a moult was the cause of her feeling under the weather, but you never know.

And more good news - it seems that the harpermectin did its job in the end, after a 2nd dose. Maybe the first one didn't contact the skin. Anyway, I went to Jollyes and the frontline was so unbelievably extortionate and they only had massive packets so I thought ugger that, I'll try the harkermectin again! I'll squirt them all again next week just to make sure no new ones are hatching.

Marley on the other hand not so good. She's got an appointment at the vets tomorrow morning because the ******* cat a few doors down has bitten or clawed her by the looks of it. It may already have been an abcess, but I only noticed it yesterday evening. She is so shy and nervous there was no chance of picking her up & putting her in the cat box today and getting her to the vets. I tried to lure her into the box with dreamies and it nearly worked except hubby caughed and scared her, and then I got too impatient and, when she stuck half her body in, tried to push her in the rest of the way and she wasn't having that! It's taken nearly all day for her to forgive me enough to not leg it when I approach her. Tomorrow is not going to be fun, but I'm afraid she'll need abs if she's not to go the way of Jasper. Bloody brilliant isn't it? I have no idea what to do about this sodding cat, especially as I've already had a word with the owners and they seem to be under the illusion that it's all the other cats picking on him... At least the miocrchip door is working and keeping it out, plus I bought a 'eff-off' water pistol and have been busy spraying the little git right up the arse or between the eyes whenever I see him.

And yes, I do have some pics and a video of the girls using the new cat flap - well, when I say using you know what I mean. They're on my phone, will post up when I have a minute - it takes ages to get pics and video into photobucket

[KarenE]

Good job we got Marley to the vets. It was an abcess, which has popped and is infected. So she's had an ab injection, we have tablets to give her when it wears off and metacam as well, And the poor girl has a big hole in her side, which may need a stich so got to take her back on Thurs to see how it's doing. And she's in a collar to stop her licking it, which means she's terribly agitated and banging into things. Plus can't get through the cat flap which is a good thing as we're going to have to keep her in.
I am so angry!

[stripeddonkey]

Poor Marley. I know how frustrating it can be when your cat is set upon by the neighbourhood thug cat. As well as painful it is traumatising for the poor moggie. Then, of course, there is the cost of vet's bills. I hope Marley gets better soon and that things settle down with the offending cat(s).

[HenPen]

Oh Karen, thank goodness you have got her on antibiotics. Poor girl, this is going to dent her confidence, isn't it? She is in the best of hands.

I'm glad Tiddly is honouring you with snuggles and hope it is just a moult

[kitla]

Oooh Karen you do sound very mr
I dont envy bad cat if he ventures into your garden again! Marley needs to take boxing lessons, or perhaps get some lion poo from Woburn & put it round the garden where bad cat gets in. Perhaps the vet might have some ideas.

[Cheshire Chick]

Oh no poor Marley and poor you. Hope that she goes on OK. It's just not fair as she was settling in with you very well indeed. Glad that she has you to take care of her, she'll soon be back on her feet.

[KarenE]

Back to the vets today with Marley, and I got a right telling off as she had got out of her collar within about 10 mins of getting home, and we didn't put it back on. She looks like she's healing well and the abs are doing their job, but the vet ripped the scab off, poked around and then lectured me about how I'd wasted all this time and undermined the abs by her not having the collar on! Bloody liberty! Never seen him before and I don't want to again! So she's still on her course of abs (it was only half way through, what the hell did he expect?) and the poor wee thing has the collar on again. She is so unhappy and has been hiding on our bed all day which is really weird since she's never been on it before! And is now not wating her dinner. Luckily she's had her latest dose of abs, but not the metacam as she won't eat her tea!

Girls are fine. Tiggs stays the same - absolutely fine, lots of snoozes and snuggles and sunbathes on my knee, and the odd feather. Maybe she's just decided to become snuggly.

[Cheshire Chick]

Glad to hear that Marley is recovering (poor little girl). I know that it is a nightmare to keep those collars on cats - the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago when my little male cat had to wear one. We couldn't keep it on him and they get distressed. Hopefully she is on the right side of recovery now though. Gosh these animals are a worry sometimes. Wishing Marley a speedy recovery.

[KarenE]

GROAN!!!

Now poor Marley has worms! We saw them today for the first time - they look like tapeworms (bleuggghhh!!!! ) so I've just dashed off to the asda to get some worming tablets. She's already had it so fingers crossed it starts working soon (as in IMMEDIATELY!!!)

That poor cat is certainly going through it lately! We thought she had been quiet the last few days, and figured it was the collar but perhaps this worms load isn't helping either.

The annoying thing is she was wormed and flead when we got her, about 2 months ago

Now I probably have to clean every surface area, cushion and bedding... oh, the sight of it is burned into my mind!

Girls are fine, Tiddly still whining and snuggly, no new feathers so doesn't look like a moult. And we have a brown girl laying again! Not sure which it is but they have become a regular little girl.

Dory Grey built herself a new snuggly nest underneath the laurel tree yesterday. I caught her chucking leaves and twigs across her back, and she'd half buried her blue egg. God knows if she's laid today, but after I raided her nest yesterday it looks like she's given up on that one.

[KarenE]

Marley has been discharged from treatment Her sore is healing well, no infection and she's been ever so good with taking her pills. We have to keep the cone on till the weekend until the scab has completely healed but she's kind of got used to it. Of course she's slightly traumatised by this morning's visit to the vet but I'm pleased that she's not needing any further treatment.

She has definitely become more snuggly and affectionate, even allowing hubby to pet her and stays most evenings downstairs on the sofa with us, and comes to bed with me (although disappears when hubby comes up later). I'm hoping this isn't some sort of cat Stockholm Syndrome and continues once the cone is off.

Dory back to laying in the nestbox. That could change at any time, she does like a bit of variety.

[kitla]

Glad Marley is better, perhaps she'll start staying in at night to avoid run ins with Badcat.

[HenPen]

Hey that's great news all round!

We have a new cat on the block - a demure-looking white job - who is apparently terrorising the established cats in the area. I've never had cats (I know, dog person ) so I never knew all this backyard feline bullying went on. I'm shocked!

How's wee Tiddly?

[KarenE]

It's a cat eat cat world out there HP!

Tiddly seems fine, no moults and still lots of snuggles. I think she just might have turned into a snuggle bunny overnight. It's strange because she really reminds me of Nugget so much, and Nugget was a snuggler too