A Birthday Boy...with L and M on the Side

We're going to kick this post off with the most important part, and that is...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVAN!

My sweet, sassy, amazing orange boy turns 11 years old today. I'd be lying if I said that number didn't scare me a little, but I'm so blessed to have enjoyed those 11 years with my boy. And I'm hoping and praying for 11 more.

For anyone who doesn't know, let me try to give a short version of Evan's lengthy life story. I met Evan when he was 6 weeks old. From what I learned, for his first few weeks of life he was living in a barn with his mama cat and litter mates. However, a coyote made its way into the barn. Tiny kitten Evan was the only survivor, though he was left with paralysis in his hind limbs.

Over the years, Evan has also become urinary incontinent, he had a urethral blockage at the end of 2022, he now has megacolon and struggles with occasional constipation, and he also currently has a slowly healing hematoma on his right ear. The latter is obvious in that photo above.

Evan is on 7 medications, some of them given multiple times a day, some of them only given as needed. He also gets groomed roughly every two weeks, to keep his back end spick and span. My Evan has been through a lot, but he is a tough little guy. He's my hero.

If you'd like to hear Evan's story from his viewpoint, you can actually read it and many other amazing kitties' tales in the recently released anthology Purrseverance: Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience and Hope, compiled by Sierra Koester of Fur Everywhere. Evan's story is called "My Name is Not Scooter", but the book is filled with 16 wonderful short tales from the eyes of amazing cats.

That's not even one of the new toys Evan got for his birthday. That's a toy we've had for years, and Evan has recently grown a newfound love for it. He'll surely be giving it lots of birthday playtime today.

Admittedly, Evan did pee on that very carrot recently. When I put it through the washer, it came out with its catnip smell very much so reinvigorated, which might very well be what has Evan so enamored with it. Perhaps he peed on it for that very reason. Actually, he peed on it when he was unhappy with me medicating him one day, and the carrot was a casualty of what I call Evan's rage pee, but I digress.

Once again...Happy Birthday, Evan! I love you so much, my perfect little momma's boy. I hope your day is as amazing as you, and I promise you endless cuddles and lots of treats.

***

Now, we again failed to post this weekend. That's a problem I'm really trying to fix, but it's obviously still a work in progress. That said, we missed Saturday's April A to Z Challenge. So, today we have for you that letter and today's letter, those being L and M.

Our alphabetical theme is All Things Cat. I've been doodling up items in the shape of cats, so can you guess what we have for L and M? We'll actually get right to it. L is for laptop...

And M is for music...

Can you guess what N will stand for tomorrow? Honestly, I don't think anyone will guess it. It's a slightly weird and rather random one.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

Today we're talking about another intestinal parasite. This time, though, it's not a worm. The parasite we're talking about today is Giardia, which is a single-celled protozoa. In short, Giardia causes diarrhea in cats and dogs, as well as humans. Diarrhea caused by Giardia is often very malodorous, sometimes somewhat green in color, and may contain mucus or blood.

How does a cat or dog become infected with Giardia? It is passed in the feces of infected animals. This means that eating the feces of an infected animal, or eating grass or other debris near where an infected animal has defecated, can result in infection with Giardia. Drinking water near where infected animals have defecated is another way that Giardia can be passed from animal to animal.

This all being said, many healthy animals can have Giardia present in there intestinal tract and not show symptoms. It more commonly becomes a problem in very young, very old, or otherwise sick animals. It is also more common in highly populated areas, such as in a shelter. If diarrhea resulting from Giardia is severe enough, the situation can become life-threatening, due to dehydration and other complications.

So, though we can't always put protective bubbles around our furbabies, do your best to help prevent Giardia from affecting your furbaby. Try to keep them from ingesting the feces of other animals, of course, or from ingesting grass or water in areas where other animals may have defecated. Also be sure to keep their feeding, sleeping, and play areas, especially those outdoors, sanitary.

If you do notice your kitty or pup has diarrhea, do not hesitate to take them and a fecal sample in for an exam by a veterinarian. Especially if your furbaby is very young, geriatric, or sick, do not hesitate to have them seen if they are displaying diarrhea. Your vet can test a stool sample for Giardia, as well as for other parasites. Of course, also be sure to administer medications and follow other treatments that your vet prescribes for your furbaby. Also, as we always say, never hesitate to ask your veterinarian about any concerns you have regarding Giardia and your furbaby's risk, treatment, or prevention.

It is also worth noting that, though nowadays is is believed not as prevalent as originally thought, it is still possible for humans to get Giardia from cats and dogs. For this reason, always be sure to wash your hands after cleaning up their waste, especially if they are known to have Giardia. Giardia is not something to take lightly, neither in our furbabies nor ourselves.