Spring In Michigan

It's been a very interesting week for Six Toes.  He's never been through spring before, being born in the summer, so everything is new to him.  In Michigan we've had a lot of rain...a whole lot of rain.  And melting snow.  And thunderstorms.  Normally the rain would mean nothing to Six Toes...except his basement suddenly had water creeping across the floor.   He seemed rather puzzled at this event and climbed up to a high perch on a shelf to look over the situation.  His master did all sorts of interesting things:  vacuuming up the water (he did NOT like the sound!), picked up and threw out damaged things, build a platform for the litterboxes (that was REALLY interesting for him, he got his nose as close to the drill as possible) and hauled water upstairs to throw outdoors.

On a very windy evening, we had a loud thunderstorm.  Six Toes was determined to see what was making all that racket and kept looking outside.  He wasn't scared at all.  He just wanted to figure out what was making the noise that was disrupting his night-time stroll!

One afternoon, he got a real treat.  He's always loved to look at snow falling and was just beside himself at seeing hail bouncing off the front deck.  The sound fascinated him.  After it finished (it was smaller than a pea), I went outdoors and got him some to look at.  He didn't know what to make of it.  It was cold, like ice cubes, but very small.  Finally after pawing it and sniffing it he ate some.

So far, Six Toes is finding spring pretty darn exciting!

What IS a six toed kitty?

Someone recently asked the question "What causes a cat to have six toes?  What is a Hemingway cat like Six Toes and how is he different?"

I'll explain.  Six Toes and cats like him are genetically challenged due to an inherited genetic trait that gives them six (or more) toes.  The condition is called Polydactylism.  Cats with this condition exceed the normal toe count of five toes on the front paws and four toes in back.  In the case of Six Toes, he has six toes on his front paws and five on his back paws.  Polydactyl cats can also have as many as seven toes on their paws, depending on the genetic mutation.  It seems to occur most often in cats living in the east coast of the United States and southern England, although the reason for that is unclear.  The polydactyl cats became more commonly referred to as "Hemingway cats" because famous author Ernest Hemingway collected polydactyl cats and kept them as pets in his home in Key West, Florida. 

Polydactyl cats have great difficulty as kittens learning to walk and groom themselves as they tend to be clumsy with their big feet.  It took Six Toes a while to learn to walk and groom himself without constantly hitting himself in the head. 

Because of the abnormality, some Hemingway cats have other genetic deficits as Six Toes has.  My Six Toes has in addition to his polydactylism deformed eyelid margins (half of his eyelashes didn't form) and a heart that does not function correctly.  His brother, Buddha, is NOT a polydactyl cat, but has other genetic malformations of the skull and feet which have been difficult for him to master. 

Despite their differences and challenges, Hemingway cats are still lovable companions and great cats to snuggle with.  And some folks say they'll bring you luck.  I don't know.  I just know I love my Six Toes!

Flood! Thunderstorm!

Poor Six Toes.  It's been a couple of days where new experiences have left him confused and bewildered.  At his home we've had inclement weather to put it mildly.  Lots and lots of rain.  And one evening, a thunderstorm.  A really LOUD thunderstorm.  And Six Toes was determined to figure out what it was outside that was making all the racket.

He poked his head through the curtains as the thunder crashed and rolled.  Then he sat up like a squirrel to see more.  He just couldn't figure it out.  What mystified me was that most of my other cats were either hiding or ignoring the noise.  But not Six Toes.  He was determined to find out what all the hubbub was and do something about it.

After the storm, it rained.  And because the ground is saturated and somewhat still frozen, the water leaked into my basement.  Not much, you understand, but enough to cover the floor with about a quarter to a half inch of water.  And that's where the litterboxes are.  So after moving the litterboxes to higher ground (on top of milk crates) I began to bail out using a Shopvac.  If you've never used one, they are very loud.  Most of my cats run for the hills when it's on. 

But not our Six Toes.  First, he came to the basement to find out what was going on.  He watched me put the litter boxes up and decided to check it out.  So the first thing he does it put his toe in the water. And pulled it back.  Clearly he was confused.  Why was there cold water in the house near his litterbox?  But after watching me working, curiosity got to him and he made the plunge.  Two or three bounds across the wet floor and into the litterboxes up on the crates!  Which led to another problem:  Six Toes feet.  You see, his big paws were WET.  Really wet.  So when he leaped into the box, he got litter on his paws that turned to a muddy, clay-like mess!  He wasn't happy.  He found another safe perch to sit and watch me vacuuming up the water.  Which was fascinating to him, as he tried to attack the vacuum attachment repeatedly.  When I finally took a break, I got Six Toes, took him upstairs and cleaned off those muddy paws.  The cad.  And even though we've made a dry path for the cats to get to the litterboxes, he still insists on exploring this new wet world.

So for the past couple of days now, he's had a lot of new experiences and entertainment.  He's watched his humans bailing water and for some reason, always washing his toes!  And it's been noisy. 

I'll be glad when Spring is over....

Six Toes Gets Lonely...

Poke. Poke. Poke.  BITE!

It's Six Toes.  He's really unhappy that I was gone this evening working.  So while I was sleeping, he decided he needed my attention. 

First, he laid down by my head and scooted his feet towards my face.  Poke.  Poke. Poke.  On my face, in my eye, on my cheek. Poke. Poke. Poke. 

When that doesn't work, he pokes some more, causing me to lift up my hand to brush him away.  For him, it's play time.  BITE!  He latches onto my arm, not enough to break the skin, but strong enough to hurt. 

Poke. Poke. Poke. BITE!  BITE!

He's enjoying his little game to get my attention.  Really. 

Finally, after getting me awake enough to know what's going on and that he wants attention, he curls up in a contented ball near my head and goes to sleep....SNORE.  SNORE. 

Cats......

Spring with Six Toes

Well the days just got longer and the weather is moderating.  The snow is melting.  The sun shines brightly on my floor in the afternoon...the perfect place for my buddy Six Toes to have a sunbath!

Watching him stretch out on the floor, luxuriating in the sunshine, with a blissful smile on his lips was worth all the tea in China.

His brother Buddha played tag with him later.  Six Toes runs on by and 'tap!'  Buddha tags his brother it.  Then it's king of the mountain...Six Toes on top of the couch.  Buddha trying to knock him down.  Finally, after a good run and several small fights over who's on top (but nobody gets seriously hurt), the brothers both settle down for an afternoon nap in the sunshine. 

Six Toes probably doesn't remember summer.  He was just a tiny kitten when we got him last year during the summer months.  Wait till he sees grass and butterflies and flowers....he'll go bonkers.  Ditto flies, which I'm sure he'll swat with his great big paws if they get in the house.  Wham! 

Now if he'll just refrain from eating them....

Six Toes Has a Miracle....

Took Six Toes back to the vet to get some bloodwork and see how he's doing.  And guess what?  All the tests come back normal or near normal!  The medicine worked.  His vet said that is was better than she expected, almost miraculous.  I wouldn't say almost...definitely miraculous!  Six Toes has more energy these days and looks happy and content.  His purr is louder.  And we're so happy that he's well.

Watching Six Toes just this morning playing with some string, I just thought of all the people he has to thank.  The vet, who diagnosed the problem and treated it promptly, using her knowledge; the pharmacist, who probably thought it was really weird to give heart medicine to a cat, never mind his odd name; the fans reading this blog, who prayed unceasingly; Christopher Penczak, who lent his expertise in Reiki to us in treating him at home; the elders of my church who prayed for a blessing upon him; and all of his animal playmates Buddha, Stormy, Torchy, Kali, Braveheart and Buddy, who love him and care for him always. 

Six Toes is one lucky kitty.

A Reiki Master, A Cat, and a Community

Six Toes is indeed a lucky kitty.  This weekend he was fortunate to secure the services, however indirectly, of one of the most important Reiki masters in America...Christopher Penczak.  You see, my daughter was attending a convention where Mr. Penczak was teaching.  She was able to consult him about Six Toes and how to heal him from his heart problem and other difficulties.  Mr. Penczak offered many suggestions based on his teachings, which she will attempt.  Frankly, we'd do just about anything to save Six Toes...even thought right now he seems to be doing fine.

Reiki is the practice of healing the body through energy manipulation.  It is Japanese in origin and focuses on stress reduction through relaxation techniques.  It is done by laying hands on the person being treated and balancing the energies of the person.  Exactly how that happens, I'm not sure.  But I know people who have undergone Reiki treatments say it works.  I've never seen it applied to a cat.  I guess we will find out if Six Toes is interested in Reiki.

I can't tell you how many times I've worried about him since this started...when he sleeps, if he stops purring, I sometimes wake him in panic, thinking he's stopped breathing.  I watch his breathing and when he's busy chasing his brother Buddha around the house. If he seems too active, I'll stop him by picking him up and petting him, trying to calm him down so he doesn't hurt himself.  He spends a lot of time in my lap or lying by the computer as I write...although why he sticks to me like glue when there are other people and cats in the house I don't know.  He's picked me.  So I guess I owe it to him to do the best I can by him.

Others in the community have been supportive of Six Toes as well.  The pharmacist asks how he's doing.  Friends always reference Six Toes.  The vet checks in from time to time.  He is a loved cat, no question.  But then, look at his picture!  How could you not love that little face?

Bubbles!

Six Toes has a new obsession.  It isn't belly rubs, string or catnip.  It's bubbles!  Much like the yellow fish in "Finding Nemo".

If you pour a glass of pop and set it near you on a table, Six Toes will sneak up when you're not looking and put his face over the glass.  If you're still distracted, he'll even put his face IN the glass, just to get closer to the bubbles!  Then, if you STILL haven't noticed him, he'll sit up and put his paw IN the glass, IN the pop, in an attempt to capture or maybe stop the bubbles!  Which usually results in tipping the glass over.

So what is it he finds so fascinating?  The sound?  The feel? 

We  may never know...

Getting better? Maybe.

Got Six Toes his new medicine.  It's called Atenolol and it's given to humans as well.  It's a beta blocker used to treat high blood pressure and for people suffering a heart attack to improve their survival.  The first day or two after he started this medicine, Six Toes was groggy.  Really groggy.  He had trouble walking a straight line and his butt wiggled.  He slept a lot more and ate voraciously when he woke up.  But after that he started seeming more like his old self, sleeping less and playing more.  The groggy/wiggly thing was over.  He's alert and having a grand time chasing his brother in the house.

Got to take Six Toes back to the vet in a couple of weeks for a quick blood draw to see if the medicine is working.  I've got my fingers crossed that it has.  It's nice to have my old Six Toes back and happy to sit in my lap when I sit down, poking me in the eye to wake up in the morning.  My buddy.

The Story of Six Toes

Greetings cat lovers.  This is the story of my mutant kitty, Six Toes.  How is he a mutant?  Simple.  He's got deformed eyelids, a really messed up heart, and six toes (hence his name).  He's seven months old now, but I got him when he was just two weeks old.  Seems his mom left Six Toes and his brother Buddha (whom I also own) after she was run off by a dog.  They were brought to me because they really needed help.

Six Toes was and is a character.  He was the biggest of the two kittens.  He ate the most.  Six Toes had a habit of sucking off his brother Buddha's chest while he slept because he missed his mommy so much.  I cleaned them up and kept them warm (fortunately it was summer).  Buddha was in bad shape, being a lot smaller with a massive hernia on his tummy.  I took both kittens to the vet.  She didn't give Buddha much chance to live, but Six Toes, she said, was darn near indestructible.

So I fed them, kept them warm and let them walk out in the sun on the grass.  Buddha got better and his hernia healed.  Today he's a very quiet and thoughtful cat.  And Six Toes got bigger too, getting into mischief at every turn.  He developed a habit of sitting with me, wanting pets.  He's always been there whenever I sat down to sew. He became my buddy.

Transition to this week.  I took Six Toes in to the vet to get his shots when the vet, after listening to his heart, looked up at me.  "He's got a heart murmur."  She listened again.  "A bad heart murmur."  She listened a third time.  "I'm really sorry..."

In my mind, I thought 'It can't be that bad.'  So I said "What do you mean?" 

"He's got a really bad sounding heart murmur.  I recommend we do a cardiac workup on him as soon as possible.  We might be able to put him on medications that could help, but aside from that, there's nothing we can do."

Again, my mind was slow to take this in.  "Are you saying he could die?"

The vet was slow to respond.  "I don't know.  A lot can happen.  I've seen cats live a long time with a murmur like that and others die from cardiac arrest pretty quickly.  I won't know until we get him checked out."

You can understand how I felt.

So I started this blog to follow the life of my cat, Six Toes, however long that may be.  Because, well, he's Six Toes.  My mutant kitty.