Monday, August 3, 2015

An Eddy update...and a video!

It's been too long since I've given an update on my new little girl Eddy. Well...she's doing great!

Eddy still has her head tilt, and her right eye still does not blink or close fully. She also sometimes leans to the right when sitting, walking, running, playing, etc. My usual veterinarian examined her just days after I brought her home, and, although no definitive answer can be given, she noted that it could have been a bout of toxoplasmosis that caused Eddy's sudden neurological issues, which could explain why she started to improve after the rescue group veterinarian started her on antibiotics. Her symptoms could also have been the result of an injury or even a stroke.

Despite her specialties, Eddy is a ball of energy and can move faster than a speeding bullet. Even so, she also loves cuddle time (although she still occasionally gets a bit riled and rough during cuddle time, she is doing much better with being taught that cuddles don't have teeth). What's more, Eddy absolutely loves her kitty housemates (Evan, Thimble, and Toby), and they play and play and play like there's no tomorrow. Eddy also has no problem playing by herself if need be, though, such as in this admittedly low quality video (and yes, she is playing with wadded up pieces of paper, which, just like Thimble, have become her favorite toys):
Isn't she adorable? (Not that I'm biased or anything.)

That all being said, the only real issue is that I'm just not sure Eddy will ever really like dogs (poor Astrid!). It's obvious that Eddy was not accustomed to the presence of dogs during her wild country lifestyle prior to being rescued. Sometimes I'll actually think we've made progress, such as when Eddy allows Astrid to approach and chew on a chewbone or even snooze near her. But then the next time Eddy will hiss and growl and give Astrid a well-aimed right hook. The saddest part is that Astrid, who is used to all of her kitty housemates adoring her, simply cannot fathom Eddy's aversion (and I'll admit that, as a result, sometimes Astrid gets a little too insistent with her friend requests).

Although neither of them seems interested in doing any real damage (it's actually Eddy that I'm most worried about doing damage, as she puts a lot of gusto into her hisses and swats), unless carefully supervised I do not yet allow Astrid and Eddy to have direct contact with each other. They can see and meet each other through baby gates, but I'd really rather not have my furbabies living in a segregated home. I hope that soon my continued efforts will spur Eddy to even begrudgingly accept Astrid's existence, even if only from a distance (at which point I'll have to convince Astrid to give up on those overkill friend requests).

Have a great week, bloggers!

3 comments:

Annie Bear said...

Yes, Eddy is super adorable! I love the video! I wonder if with time the Eddy-Astrid situation will improve. I totally understand not wanting a segregated home. It took a long time for Annie to not be terrified of Pierrot and there was a time I despaired of it every happening. (She still doesn't like him but does tolerate him so the household is peaceful thankfully.)

If Eddy's symptoms have improved, I wonder if that means they'll continue to improve more. She's so lucky she has you! It's so great that all the kitties love each other and love to play with each other!

meowmeowmans said...

Eddy is SO cute! And you're absolutely right ... she's fast as lightning! :)

We're sorry she's still not sure about poor Astrid. Hopefully, with continued exposure and modeling by your other kitties, Eddy will learn that Astrid is her friend.

Hugs!

pilch92 said...

I am glad Eddy is doing well. Cats are so amazing at dealing with whatever difficulties they encounter.