Sigh. We have battled that security door to a near standstill but cannot get the locking mechanism to go on square, and I am thinking it’s because we disassembled the door and grid to paint it, and the 30-odd-year-old door is now in a disrupted configuration, the sort of thing you’d measure with calipers, because of paint layers, because of gravity, because of tightened screws. Jane’s trying various things to adjust it. If peeling the paint off the latch-guard doesn’t work, then the other theory applies, and I say just let the damn thing hang and let gravity do it.
Jane is bruised and sore: the front door is 36 wide solid maple about 2″ thick, and very heavy. Up and down steps, up and down from sawhorses, etc.
We’ve boiled the paint off the very nice solid brass hinges and screws, but the baked on enamel of the latch-guard is another matter.
Meanwhile Ysabel is getting just a little prone to revisit her youth, ie, the irritable bit, and when I clipped an overgrown dew claw that was causing her pain WITHOUT using the muzzle, as a stress on the kitteh—she nailed me on the knuckle, a really hard bite that got her fangs into the joint.
Well, that’s a problem: it clearly penetrated membranes, probably hit bone or cartilage, and could have gotten into the joint. I forgive her: she’s just old, and hurts a bit. So do I, kitteh. Especially my hand. It puffed up like a pigeon egg, and turned red. I soaked it in Epsom salts, but that was too little to solve this one. I know there’s a Pasturella issue—or I know the name of it after getting hold of OSG late on a sleep-in Saturday and getting a prescription; but I already knew it was an antibiotic type problem of serious nature. Or as she said, ER at 3am if I hadn’t gotten the prescription. So I’m on horse pills (Amphi- or Amoxi-cillin or some such). It was serious enough that 20 or so minutes after I took the pill, I got this rush of heat in the arm on that side, clear up to the top of the biceps. Which was where the warzone of bacteria had gotten to since getting bit that morning (it was suppertime). The swelling that had spread to the second knuckle diminished, it’s gotten better today, and I’ll be fine.
Ysabel…butter wouldn’t melt in that needle-sharp mouth. She’s an old lady, but her canines and jaw muscles are in top form. She’s being so sweet today.
You want to see sincere cute, catch the pix of Shu and Sei sharing a nap on Jane’s site.
NosenDove, I thought they just held on to the neck to close off the trachea and let the prey animal suffocate, or at least, pass out.
I’ve been bitten only a few times, not badly enough, what gets me are the claws. All of my cats have all of their weapons intact and I will NOT declaw them. They have plenty of scratching posts, and only occasionally do not confine their claw sharpening to those posts. They like my computer chair for some reason….
My worst experience was with my first cat and she was terribly sick and I didn’t realize it. I went to pick her up and got the meaty part of the palm of my right hand (below the thumb) slashed. I’ve gotten my feet sliced up trying to pick up a thoroughly panicked Maine Coon to put her in the carrier for the annual trip to the vet’s (which is due this month again!). I’ve been used as a climbing aid to get up into my lap, and when I’m wearing shorts, it’s an adventure in pain tolerance. Still, I think it’s part of the life of a cat owner.
I’m glad you got the antibiotics in sufficient time to prevent complications. RE: the joint being involved, you may want to have a quack look at it and make sure there wasn’t any mechanical damage. I don’t know if that means therapy or surgery, or if it’s one of those shrug-and-hope issues.
Several years back, we tried to catch the mother of our current Library Cat and take her to the vet for shots and spaying. She was semi-feral and was living in the library hedge, but would come out and be friendly to people she knew. Gypsy’s tolerance did NOT extend to being picked up and put in a carrier. I got half a dozen good bites before I finally put the snarling, whirling, clawing Tasmanian Devil down and gave up for the day. Later it turned out she had good reason to go ballistic: when we finally got her to the vet, he determined she had been hit by a car some years previous, and the internal damage would have been very painful under some circumstances. As it was, the only reason we caught her then was because she was literally dying. 🙁
The only times I’ve really been gotten by a cat were once when the cat pushed off my arm as it leaped off the sofa, and when the cat got Very Serious as it was playing. (I learned, with that cat, to watch the eyes: if they got as big as saucers, she was going into hunting mode and would move faster than I could see.)
My current furry fiend is very good at not damaging me, while giving all the appearance of the real thing. She’s disemboweled my arm *several* times (holding on with front feet, kicking with hind feet, biting with ears flat back … and not a scratch on the arm afterward).
Alas for Gypsy. Poor girl.
The joint’s fine. I’ve been helping Jane sand and boil paint off brass and scrub it and polish, and take hinges down, so if it were really problematic, I’d have felt it.
As per OSG’s request I’m trying to figure when I last had a tetanus shot, but so far no response from the clinic…ha! The answer just came in. The last occasion was probably a fiddleback spider bite, back in 1999. Didn’t get one the last time Ysabel got me. Probably having one would make sense.
I really don’t worry too much about the infection now: I’ve got killer all-natural yoghurt, I’ve got my antibiotic, and mind, Ysabel could not have any contagion I don’t have, since I’m the only living creature who ever handles her, and she does not go outside: cats only share 6 aliments with humans anyway—in 5000 years, they haven’t had time to pick up more than that.
I’m staying pain-killer-free so I can detect if there’s any twinge of joint problem, but thus far, I think the antibiotic’s got my nasty sinusitis as well as the finger, and I’m feeling better than I did the day she bit me.
I get along well with felines, canines, and equines equally. Having worked for a vet in my misspent youth I would much rather work on a large dog than a small dog or cat. I think it is more that I have to make sure that I don’t injure my little friends with my superior strength and grip, and it means that I just never have enough control without the aid of a muzzle in situations where my furry friend is likely to do the FREAK. Cats as a whole tend to give you less warning of impending doom, but are more than capable of putting you in your place. Dogs on the otherhand generally tolerate much more from children and “acquaintances.” My worst damage came from a cat that scratched me across the back of the hand all the way down to the tendons, and a Boston terrier, that fortunately didn’t have many teeth left any more (he was a vicious yappy old dog with an ego problem). Working with horses is much easier than either dogs or cats because they aren’t terribly smart, but have a long memory and generally trust people to care for them if they haven’t been running loose in a field for years. I’m never afraid I’m going to hurt them. I’ve been bucked off and kicked a few times, but it was always because the horse was scared, not vicious. I’ve only been nipped hard once, and every time I’ve been injured it’s because the horse couldn’t see what was going on and got scared. I also had a lot of warning from equine body language. Herd animals have to use expressive body language to maintain herd integrity. Dogs tend to be social animals as well although they are by nature scavengers and predators. Cats tend to be loners, and rely heavily on predation rather than scavenging. All of these attributes drive their independent nature. Some people can’t cope with the independence. Ain’t life grand!
I like critters. Snakes. Horses. I like to watch Westminster. I love dinos. I’ll even pick up a brittlestar or change my shirt to reach into my tank to rescue a snail that’s stupidly fallen over: (some species can’t right themselves on sand.)I even find beauty in spiders and camels and aardvarks and the like. The two creatures on the planet I do not like to view for amusement at all—are wolves, and bears. I am a veteran of Yellowstone when they used to let the bears climb all over visitor cars, and I was not a happy camper. I was quiet. But I looked down the throat of that bear and it did remind me greatly of Tony. Wolves, same view. I can admire them, but they do give me the willies, and I will pass right by the bear cage at the zoo without lingering long. I’ll check to see what they’re up to, but I’d sooner be in the snake house with a cobra unaccounted for than near a bear pen. For one thing, I feel badly for the bears, because they are an animal with a large range; and for another, I am convinced they are interested in more than picnic baskets, given their druthers.
Do keep an eye on the knuckle even if you are on antibiotics! Joints in general have poor circulation, as hubby found out when he got stabbed by a piece of wire. After several courses of antibiotics, he ended up having the infection cleaned out surgically. The real joy started when the cultures came back. :/
Worst bite I ever had was a ‘stupid dog owner’ situation… I was the stupid owner and stuck my hand between two squabbling dogs when there was food involved. Ooops. The dog who’s mouth actually contacted my hand was absolutely horrified and the squabble immediately stopped, but the stupid owner REALLY did know better! Thank goodness bandaids were all that was needed. Second worst bite was from a mad baby iguana I was feeding while working at the pet store. Stupid thing would NOT let go! Who’d a thunk 12 inches of scrawny lizard with no teeth would hurt so bad!
Not sure you’ve seen this one, but I think you like “space images” … here is one fascinatng : http://io9.com/5837771/
Glad to hear the bite is healing and the door improving.
I’ve never been bitten by any of our kittehs, but not for want of trying. Kiki and Friendly want to bite when we trim nails. Friendly is close to impossible. Thus interest in the kitty muzzle. Our guys are all rescued so who knows what their early lives were like? Aloysius likes to lick and bite. His bites consist of sliding his teeth along the surface of and arm or hand. They all sharpen claws on anything available. I am contemplating buying soft claws for them. Has anyone tried them?
Sadly, Breezy, our 13 1/2 year old shepherd, is feeling her age. After conference with her vet, Dr. Mike, we think she may have had a stroke. (Looked very much like a stroke suffered by a friend’s mother.) She’s doing better now, eating and drinking, but very nervous about being left alone. She’s had a wonderful life and been the World’s Best Dog. As long as she is comfortable and pain free we are happy. It helps having a vet who has cared for her all her life. He and his assistant are willing to listen to what we have to say and agree that bringing her in is a trauma she doesn’t need to endure.
Hugs for Breezy. Sincere sympathy.
The air muzzle for small dogs or cats up to, well, reasonable—that center plug comes out, leaving an open space for breathing (when you’re not using it connected to an oxy tank: it has veterinary uses)—It’s like a space helmet: you slip it onto pet’s head: it’s hinged, and you put the transparent side up, opaque side down, and fasten the two velcro tabs so it will not swing any more,being careful not to make it too tight.
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/air-muzzle-restraint/camid/LIV,%20LIV/cp/AP-A2/cn/100230/
http://www.atozvetsupply.com/VetNeb-Air-Muzzle-Restraint-p/773-aiamr.htm
At this point, the opaque bottom section prevents view of scary scissors, and the pet has a good view of you. And cannot reach you with teeth. The elimination of the scary view of sharp objects solves it all, imho: the cat is usually quite calm, after the first couple of times: it’s just a bit of weight on the cat’s neck, which is why I didn’t want to use it on my achy old girl this round, if she’d let me get the clip of just two offending nails. She allowed one. The second—apparently hurt.
you do seem to embody the “interesting life” curse of the ancient chinese:).. but- to quote someone else I can’t remember: I’d rather live my life regretting all the things I had done, than regret the things I hadn’t done.. well, that’s not the quote, but that’s the gist:)..
although the most fitting line, that just came to me is probably from lethal weapon 4(?).. his live-in/gf(?) asks him if he goes looking for trouble ( rhetorical), to which he responds.. no, it pretty much knows where to find him, most of the time:)
btw- does anyone know why some cats (read: MY cat) insists on drinking only from a running faucet…? oi;) very cute little bugger, an un-barn cat- having realised just how cushy life is in the big-house… to which I have no regrets, other than the left-overs found on the floor.. either that, or it’s a share-thing left for me, for which I have no interest, I am not *that* courteous:)..
Cats have very sensitive scent and taste buds. They can detect even minute amounts of soap in their dishes, and they are especailly finicky about water. This is probably whey they go fo the facet. I’ve had cats like that, too.
And then there is Zaphod who insists on playing in his water dish before he drinks. Sigh.
Actually, after watching several cats who would dip a paw in the water before drinking (you get to know lots of different critters housesitting), I decided (at least for those cats!) it was a vision thing. If the surface of the water is moving, they can see it and don’t get their nose wet, where if its perfectly still and clear, they would end up snorting water almost every time. So I was constantly dodging wet pawprints by the waterbowl.
Zaphod just likes to play in water. If I leave the facet running in the bathtub, he’s in heaven.
oh btw- if you ever get a chance, see if you can find some water-buffalo yoghurt. absolutely divine! * almost* good enough to want a water buffalo.. almost, but not quite, thank god:)
also- walking dead will be on next month AMC, you can think of it as a family reunion? 🙂 very well done show, and I am not into vampires/ zombies, generally:)
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/funny-pictures-you-dont-need-to-open-pandoras-box-it-will-open-all-by-itself.jpg
Why Granny Pandora, what big teeth you have! …Or was that Pandorica?
LOL, I am going to get through the pilot of The Walking Dead, at least. I, uh, was extra tired and actually got my imagination overactive when I first tried. Felt like such a wuss.
I’m willing to bet you own a pair of heavy-duty gloves–gardening gloves or fireplace gloves. You just need something Ysabel’s teeth can’t get all the way through.
Put one glove on your off hand, and you can hold with that hand and let it run interference when she tries to go for the hand with the clippers. Of if you and Jane work in concert, one person can wear both gloves and hold Ysabel and block her head from the nail clipper.
(I’m a dog groomer. Been there, done that.)
Yep, gloves are a good idea.