Lester’s pretty close to acting his old self. No more pills to shove down his throat, and we found that a bit of 9 Lives tuna mixed into his Science Diet CD will get him to eat it. We were kind of worried for a few days when we had to force him to eat anything. But he’s decided starvation isn’t fun, and being finicky doesn’t pay.

Thanks to everyone for their assistance. (You, too, Valerie, and Cheryl!) The fur kid’s bill is nearly paid off. Every one of you ladies rock!

Remember, the auction is still going on. Deadline is midnight PST on October 5th!

I’d like to thank Pat & Betty & and their girls, also Michelle, tlc, and Joyce for their generosity. A good portion of the bill has been paid off now, which is a monster relief. I’ve also been told that we have a date set for my mini-layoff, and that it’ll only be six weeks instead of eight. With the help of all of you, we’ll be okay during that time.

The auction plugs along. Check it out; it ends midnight PST October 5th.

Lester’s beginning to get annoyed with his twice daily pills.  A definite sign he’s getting better!  We also received the cat fountain today and set it up.  The fur kids are kind of leery, but we expect they’ll be drinking from it like old hands by tomorrow.

Many thanks to Cindy, Lucy, Kathy, Debra, Pamela, and Gwen for their donations.  You guys are all easing my mind so much!  Thank you!

Almost everything has been bid on.  Remember, auction closes at midnight on October fifth.  There’s been some confusion on where to locate the contact form.  It’s simply the ‘email me’ link at my site.  You can find it on the auction page in the left column.

... to Shauna, Sandra, Sherry, Jane, and Judith.  You guys are fantastic!  It’s sooooo appreciated!

Auction page has been updated.

Well, he’s home, the worse for wear. He’s on muscle relaxants to encourage less bladder control for the moment. (At least there have been no accidents!) He’s also on an antibiotic and prescription food to keep another urinary blockage from happening again.

The other cats aren’t too pleased with the changes. All their lives (and in Tinker’s case, that’s twelve years) there’s been a bowl of dry food to nibble the day away. We can’t do that anymore; Lester can’t have dry and the vet suggested we don’t allow our other little boy, Shade, to have dry, either. So now, twice a day, I put down a miniscule amount of moistened dry food. They hate it. Ah, well, starvation will bring them around…

Lester’s final vet bill was $1,071. Oi. In an effort to make some of that up, I’ve started an auction. Head over there to see the details.

Many thank yous go out to Medora MacD, KG MacGregor, Katrina, JRosestar, Velvet, Jeri, and Marsha for their donations. You guys helped with the added purchase of a kitty water fountain to keep Lester hydrated. You guys are the greatest!

Not home, yet, but he’s urinating on his own now.  YAY!  He’ll be home tomorrow morning with his meds and new food.

Thanks to everyone who have sent well wishes and donations!

...and you’ll see I’ve added a Paypal donation button for Lester’s vet bill.

Thanks in advance to anyone clicking that button!

I’m still working on an auction, so keep tuned in.

He’s doing well at the vet.  The catheter has been sewn in since he’s passing blood as well as urine.  That means we probably won’t be able to take him home tomorrow (and the bill has gotten significantly more expensive.)  Oi.

Anybody interested in a first edition Warlord Metal signed by the author?  How about a printed, spiral bound copy of the Sanguire novel?  I’m thinking an auction is in order to drum up funds.

Our lover, Lester, has been feeling poorly. Yesterday, the wife said he started yowling when in the catbox. He can’t seem to pass either feces or urine. Either he has a bad case of constipation and blockage (and has become dehydrated,) or he has a urinary blockage. Either way, he’s in a cab and headed for the vet right now.

I’m hoping it’s something easily remedied by medication rather than surgery. Intestinal obstructions can be taken care of via suppositories, but surgery is also an option. Surgery costs far too much. We’re looking at a minimum of two months dead time at work next year, and we need to save the cash to cover the rent and utility bills I pay. (Not to mention keeping the medical insurance payments up.)

If the price is too high, we may have to put our little boy to sleep. That totally sucks. The price is never too high for a human being (well, for the most part, anyway.) He’s one of our kids, and we may lose him because we can’t afford to save him.

Here he is when we first got him. He was sickly from malnutrition. His mother’s owners wouldn’t spay her, so he was a member of her third litter in less than two years. Of his family, he’s the only one remaining, and he was the runt of the litter. All his siblings died from their weak constitutions. We had trouble with Lester several years ago, but that was the opposite problem – diahrea.

And here he is at his full growth. He’s always been a light weight (as was his mother,) but you know when he walks on you. His teeny tiny feet are hard as rocks. Our chunky girl, Tinker, can lay all over the remote or the phone and nothing happens; let Lester take one step on either item, and the channel’s changed or someone gets speed dialed.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t cost too much. He’s only four or five.

Just found a link to this at lifehack.org. After eighteen plus years with my wife, I have to say that this person has it all together! Go read it.

I’ve created the ship for my space smuggler, Freya’s Tears. It’s based on the RPG Traveller. Finances are in order, the number of crew required, their positions and monthly salaries, etc. Just need names, general descriptions, and personalities. Working on that now.

Thanks to Nene, the plot’s pretty well in the bag. Again, I’ll be writing this one without a plot in a concentrated effort to get out of my rut.

No working title as of yet.