Life sucks ...

krizon said:
it seems you can feel even sicker with those than with the damned illness.
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Sadly, very true.

A HUGE bottle of flaxseed oil has arrived this morning and I have several tubs of organic yogurt in the fridge. Now I have to work out how to get it down his neck. He does like yogurt and seems to find it quite refreshing in this hot weather, so I might get away with that if he finds the taste of the oil palatable.

If that doesn't work, I can always get some flax seeds and add them to his rice pudding/yogurt/cream etc. To work properly it has to be taken with dairy products to ensure it binds to the right cells.

The final resort will be a syringe. (No Walsy - not that end. :blink:)
 
Dougal's a bit clingy today, but much brighter and wants to eat as it is a bit cooler.

He came into my office about half-an-hour ago and has made himself a nest in - the wastepaper bin. Sweeeeet.
 
I'd find it kinda more 'yum!' with a big dollop of strawberry pulp in it, too! Good luck, Dougal - you don't even get this sort of treatment at The Ritz!
 
krizon said:
I'd find it kinda more 'yum!' with a big dollop of strawberry pulp in it, too! Good luck, Dougal - you don't even get this sort of treatment at The Ritz!
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Humans can add fruit or honey if they wish, Kri. Just no sugar allowed.
 
Blimey, only just read this thread and what can I say? Redhead your a blimming angel. It's been lovely to read about your special feline Dougal and all that you are doing and going through together and I really really am keeping everything crossed that it all works out, bless the both of you. :) xxx
 
Me? An angel? Awww, thank you! :eek: (Never been called that before.) Thanks, Soba.

I would do it for any animal or human in my sphere. There is something inside me that actually physically hurts to see a person or animal in pain or fear. Funny though, that I was never called to nursing and wasn't allowed to train as a vet.

I have been privileged to share my home with several cats, all of whom have had very strong personalities and characteristics. Once you get to know an animal personally, how could you not give it all the help that it needs to either get well or enjoy some life before its end and then to make that end as easy and comfortable as possible? That would also apply to animals and people that I don't know personally but whom I can help in some way.

One of the reasons that I do the job that I do is that although I have no call to nursing, I want to help in my own way, which is making sure that things on the admin side go as smoothly as I can make them and solving problems for patients where possible.

On the subject of Dougal, I watched him roving around for a year in all weathers and saw this beautiful young cat get tattier and skinnier each time that I saw him. He must have been ranging quite far afield, because there would be weeks between sightings. I always used to try to get his attention by calling to him and he would stop and look into my eyes then trot on about his business again.

The crunch came when, after enduring a cold winter, he started to shed his winter coat in May. As he had no-one to groom him, he was trailing a long, matted mass of fur and at first glance I though that he had broken a leg, but he trotted away from me quite soundly to put the length of the lawn between us. I greeted him with a cat's chirrup and he stopped dead in his track and stared really hard. That was when I started to feed him regularly and he began to hang around my garden and make it his territory.

Having gone to the trouble of making friends and inviting him into my home and being given his trust in return, what could I do but give him the best life I can - however long it is?
 
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Southern fried chicken ... why haven't we had this before?

Cheeky monkey all but climbed onto my plate. Went absolutely mad for it.

Walked along the back of the sofa so that he could see the table, and kept reaching out to pat my shoulder so that I wouldn't forget to leave him some. Ate about 1/3 of a piece in all.

The glands under his jaw were up and down all day yesterday but am persevering with the reduced dose of steroids and Dougal seems lively enough. Went charging out at 4.00 this morning to see his arch-enemy off the premises. Tilly followed with her eyes still half-closed "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Adorable creatures.

Dougal's swearing is really something to hear. It's a horrible noise!

Just think of normal cats' swearing, then chuck in a load of: "Yow yow yow, gn gn gn, yn yn yn" Sounds like a feline version of The Yin Tong Song.

All this goes on while he is sitting in the kitchen with his nose poking out through the cat flap. Then suddenly, on a really loud yell of "yowwwwww" he hurls himself though the cat flap to attack, returning 5 or 6 minutes later with clumps of black fur between his teeth and claws, and clumps of red and white fur sticking out all over, with yet another scratch across his nose. The garden is covered with large clumps of black, white and red fur.

Dear little thing.
 
:lol::lol::lol: Dougal the Destroyer! Sounds like he's feeling much better, thank you, Mummy! Please let me know next time you're serving Southern-fried chick - I'll be patting you on the shoulder, too, begging for a helping. One of my favourite ways with chicken. I had an Alabaman boyfriend for a while and, boy, he could cook it beautifully - never had so much in my life. He used to put the raw pieces into a brown paper bag with contained the flour, salt and pepper, and give it a good shaking. That way there weren't any clumps of flour and the whole thing got seasoned nicely all over. He said that was the way his Maw used to do it, and it worked. Mmmmm.... :p
 
I love chicken, full stop. Dougal goes on and off it, but the herbs and spices in last night's really got him going. He wasn't just sniffing, he was taking deep breaths and getting all wide-eyed and excited. Wonder if one of the spices has the same effect as catnip?

I used to go out with a chef 8/9 years ago and was very spoilt for a while. He used to make ice-creammmmmmmm!
 
I suppose it's more a cajun recipe, but still counts as "Southern". Just amend quantities to suit.

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
  • 4 chicken breast halves
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • dash cinnamon or allspice
  • 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped coriander
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

If desired, remove skin from chicken.

Combine honey, lime juice, peel, salt, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon or allspice in a large shallow bowl.

In a large bowl combine the bread crumbs, chopped coriander, and vegetable oil.

Dip chicken in honey mixture, turning to coat well.

Add coated chicken to the bread crumb mixture, patting on crumbs.

Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan.

Bake at 425° for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is browned and juices run clear.

Serves 4.
 
Mmmmmm.... boy, that smells good! Yes, more of a Cajun that strictly Southern recipe, but who cares? Strange that Dougal loved it so, considering there's lime in there - most felines loathe any citrusy smells. I would torture mine occasionally by opening up a tangerine, then seeing them spritz out of the room with disgusted expressions. That would be a delicious chick, more interesting that just Southern-fried... what time did you say for dinner?
 
Red, I agree with Soba, it is very kind and a great deed you do for Dougal. Not everyone can feel the kinship with animals, or people for that matter. I'm with you though, I cannot ignore those eyes once they look at you. :<3: I've got my strays for the same reason. I am sure that catsd know a warm heart when they see one.


You are right, whatever time he has with you is great and precious, and he is clearly enjoying it. Fried chicken - yum! :)
 
Isinglass said:
I am sure that catsd know a warm heart when they see one./QUOTE]

Either that or I have "Sucker" in feline tatooed invisibly across my forehead:lol:

He is looking so much better now that his summer coat has grown in properly. He had a shower in some very heavy rain yesterday and his coat has come up beautiful and shiny.

The glands under his chin go up then go down, so while he is enjoying the cooler weather I shall try not to worry too much about it.

As to the chicken ... I thought he wouldn't like all the herbs and spices but he absolutely wolfed it down, even though the meat was lightly infused with the flavours - predominantly cinnamon, so that must have been the draw.
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New game.

Throw sitting room door open;
march into room with plumy tail held high;
twist tail round and round to gather momentum;
leap high into air;
bounce from footstool to back of chair, to back of sofa, to back of chair, bounce off Redhead's shoulder onto her lap ...

... and land in her dinner.

Sit at top of stairs washing orange-stained tummy and grimacing at the taste.

Why did she have to have chilli tonight?!
 
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I had just sat down to watch a long awaited film, with a chilli lovingly cooked yesterday and left to mellow overnight, with only a few spoonfuls eaten before a bloody great furball landed in it!!!

Bless him?????? :mad: :lol:
 
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