My Journey With Noodle

Caring For Your Cat After Surgery

2009-06-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

People often ask my advice on pet care, so I thought I would start adding posts on cat care to our blog. I originally started our blog to keep our customers up to date on Noodle's progress. I also wanted to give other owners who were dealing with the same problem information that might help them. Caring for an injured or ill pet is not an easy task, but it can be very rewarding. As those of you know, Noodle and I have had many ups and downs in his journey to wellness. My decision to change his care to a holistic approach came when the only alternative left for him was very expensive shots that would most likely damage his kidneys. At that point, I could not afford the shots, but even if I could it made no sense to me to give him a treatment that would most likely result in kidney damage. He was eating well, and was not in any distress, so I did not want to put him down. After doing extensive research, I decided to try a holistic approach. I'm very glad that I did, because he has responded far better to this treatment than any others, and I do not have to worry about damage to his system from med's. He has one more nodule that needs to rupture, and when it does I am hoping to get a good sample of the fluid for a culture, so I can study it. I want to test the various herbs and other things that I am using to see which one eradicates the bacteria the best. That way I can develop a salve that will be the most effective in the event that it reoccurs.

Today I'd like to talk about caring for your pet after surgery. Bringing your pet home after an operation can be very stressful, especially if it is your first experience dealing with an injured animal. Before bringing your pet home you'll want to prepare a quite resting place away from other animals where you can check on him frequently. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature away from drafts and dampness and provide a clean litter box close to him. The litter box should be kept clean at all times. I placed Noodle in a medium-size dog kennel on my bed, so he was by my side in the event that he needed anything during the night. The kennel was kept closed to prevent him from falling in case he got up while I was asleep, not that he was moving too much at that point. I also placed a soft bed with rolled sides in it to keep him comfortable. I placed a waterproof pad on top of the bed, then a thick terry towel over that. You will want to have plenty of pads and towels on hand as you will be changing them often. It is imperative that the environment remains clean and sanitary. All of our cats love music, and I kept the radio on for Noodle at a low level which helped to calm him. (Cats have extremely sensitive hearing so be sure to keep the music at a low level). Many cats are skittish and may resort to biting or scratching, making treatment downright hazardous to the caretaker. If your pet is difficult to handle, have your vet instruct you in the best method of restraint for his wounds. Above all, you do not want to add to his pain. Keep a box nearby with all of his med's, and supplies so they will be readily at hand when you need them. If you have small children, be sure to keep it out of reach of curious little hands. I coordinated Noodle's med schedule with cleaning and dressing his wounds. I gave him his med's about 45 minutes before changing the bandages to alleviate his pain as much as possible. Giving your pet a pill need not be difficult. The easiest way, is to get some pill pockets. Just slip the pill into the pocket and place it down in front of him. He will readily gobble it right up. If you choose not to use pill pockets, or have liquid medication, have your vet instruct you in the proper administration of his med's. Because Noodle had so many incisions and drains when he came home from the first operation, finding a comfortable way to pick him up was difficult at best. I finally decided that leaving him in his bed and picking it up by its sides was the most comfortable way for him, while transporting him to my lap. Your vet will tell you how to clean and dress your pets wounds, and will most likely give you an Elizabethan collar to keep him from biting or licking at the area. Do not change the bandages unless the vet instructs you to do so, and always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling your pet. Gently remove the soiled bedding from under your cat and place a clean waterproof pad under him. Follow your vets instructions for cleaning the area, and talk to him soothingly as you work on him, petting him gently from time to time to reassure him that all is well. Once you finish cleaning and dressing the wounds, clean any other areas that need attending to, especially the genital area, as your cat will not be able to groom himself. When I am finished cleaning Noodle, I like to take a warm wet washcloth and rub it over his face in a grooming motion, similar to a mother cat grooming her kitten. He really enjoys that! Remove the soiled pad and place a clean waterproof pad over the bed, followed by a clean towel and help your little one into a comfortable position. Spend a few more minutes petting him and gently place him back into the quite area you prepared for him. Your goal is to make this a positive experience for him rather than a traumatic one, and you will build a bond with your cat that will last a lifetime. When Noodle's wounds had healed over (formed a scab), I applied a thin layer of vitamin E oil or Castor oil to the area. It really helps to heal the wound and keeps the skin supple. Ask your vet if it would be suitable for your pet. If you have a pet that is difficult to handle like my little Misty, I have had great success with a product called Quiet Moments Natural Herbal Calming Spray for cats. When Misty had her stroke she was more impossible to handle than ever. I remembered that I had bought a bottle of this, but had yet to try it. I sprayed it in her kennel and let it dry, then coaxed her into it. Our vet could not believe how calm she was when she saw her. She called it a miracle in a bottle, as Misty is usually quite wild and you risk some vicious bites and scratches when trying to treat her. She was not only calm, but she was letting everyone pet her, and purring to boot! Imagine that! She felt so secure and happy in the kennel, I had a very hard time getting her to leave it! The spray is also great to use when traveling with your pet. Just spray it on their bedding and let dry thoroughly before placing your pet in the kennel.

I hope these tips prove useful to you and make you feel more comfortable caring for your pet. We wish your little one a speedy recovery!

Suzy & The Babies

Please Note: If you have a sick or injured animal, please seek immediate medical care from a qualified professional for an accurate diagnosis. Information posted here is not intended to diagnosis, or replace treatment by a licensed veterinarian. It is exclusively meant as a general reference for pet owners. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of information on this site.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2009-06-21T02:24:00.000-07:00

My Father

So much has happened since my last post. My father was in the hospital after losing a considerable amount of weight in a very short time. They discovered some minor problems, and started him on some medication. He is feeling much better now and has regained some of the weight he lost. I was very scared that he might have cancer, and was so relieved when the biopsies came back benign. I wish he lived closer to us so we could watch over him, but he is set in his ways and doesn't want to move. He has been so supportive of me during my illnesses, and through my long journey with Noodle and I want to take this opportunity to thank him for being there for me, and wish him a very Happy Fathers Day!

Noodle continues to respond well to his holistic treatments, but he had a bit of a setback after our trip to Kentucky. Traveling with five cats is always an adventure, but they did real well on the trip. Noodle however slipped out of his onesie and really gnawed at his wounds. How he did this without making a peep is beyond me, as his kennel was right next to me. I don't know if they were itching or if he was stressed out from the trip, but he did one heck of a job on himself. He was pretty sore for about a week, especially while I cleaned and dressed the area. It really set things back, and I desperately searched the web to see if I could find something to speed up the healing. I discovered a product called Dy's Liquid Bandage which looked promising and I went ahead and ordered some. I'm so glad that I did because it is working like magic. He had three small areas about the size of a nickel that he opened up on the trip and after just a week of using Dy's Liquid Bandage they are about 50% healed. At first I tried using it alone on the wounds, but it does not relieve pain, so Noodle was rather uncomfortable. Now I apply a layer of the salve I made up for him, and then the Dy's Liquid Bandage over that. It is working well that way, and I am very hopeful that this will all be behind him by the end of the year. He will be in his hat until he heals completely to avoid any more setbacks. The little devil, bolted out the door on my husband again. Poor guy was just beside himself when he came in to tell me. I went out and called Noodle and he came right to me. It was all fun and games to him and he was quite proud of himself. You can always tell when Noodle is feeling better as he wants to go outside and play.

Katie and Max have taken to chasing each other around the house at night and I imagine when Noodle is well that he will be joining them in their fun. Good thing I'm a night owl. Misty and Reggie had been spending more time in the house since we returned from Kentucky. They both come in and greet the babies with gentle head nudges. They really seem to have bonded on the trip.

I discovered a site awhile back that I want to share with you that has been a very big help to me. It has a lot of folk remedies on it that work very well, and I also found out about the Dy's liquid Bandage there. Given the state of the economy and the rising cost of healthcare, we could all use a little help in saving money! I hope that it will help you as much as it has me. Have a look at http://www.earthclinic.com/

Thanks for checking in on us and Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there! I hope your day is very special!

Suzy & The Babies

The Long Road Back

2009-03-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Daddy says I'm very spoiled...Mommy says I'm just well loved:)

Noodle continues to get stronger each day and is eating and drinking well on his own. He is going through his “Mommy hold me” phase again, following me around wanting to be picked up and rocked. The little guy deserves it, as he has been through so much on his road to recovery. He continues to respond very well to the holistic treatment, and I am very hopeful that once he completely heals that this will finally be the end of his mycobacterial infection. What I find most interesting during the course of this treatment, is that you can actually see the perfect form of the mouth that bit him as well as the claw marks as the infection works its way to the surface. I am more inclined than ever to believe it was a small raccoon that attacked him as the claw marks match the raccoon footprints in the laundry room. The darn critters are back again, coming through the pet door and making themselves right at home. Judging by the large footprint that I found the other day, I believe one of the red foxes has also found his way in. We tried closing the door from the outside, but leaving it open inside so Reggie and Misty could go back out, but those sly little raccoons, simply lifted the door and came in anyway! I caught one red handed and cute as he was, this is just getting out of hand! Needless to say, we are sealing the entrance completely with metal plates and screws. Misty and Reggie are quite beside themselves, not having the freedom to come and go as they please, but they will adjust. Noodle has been very good about keeping his onesies on, and has been able to be out of his hat at last over the past week. The onesie keeps his wound protected and clean, so it is imperative that he keep it on. It is looking very good, and the salve has kept any necrotic tissue from forming. If he continues healing at his present pace, I believe it will be healed over by the end of April. He has been kept comfortable with Anxiety, Trauma and Rescue Remedy and is not experiencing any distress. The formulations have proven to be a good substitute for Ace and Torb, with no bad side effects and I highly recommend them. The salve is similar to one that I made up for myself after one of my operations, and relieves his wound pain as well as promoting healing. When I had my operation, I kept exclaiming to my husband and doctor that I just could not believe there was no pain! It wasn’t until many months later that I remembered that one of the ingredients I used was a natural pain reliever. My voice has pretty much given out on me these days, so I have started telling Noodle stories instead of singing to him. He seems to enjoy it just as much, and he is so precious the way he gently touches my face and looks up at me so adoringly. You just can’t help but love the little guy!

Max and Katie are quite grown up now, and Max loves to jam with my husband when he plays the guitar and piano. He just rolls around like he’s dancing on the floor and can’t get enough of the music! Miss Katie is still nursing on herself, but not quite as much as before.

The pollen from the oak trees seems to be particularly bad this year, blanketing our yard and driveway and my sinuses have been giving me nothing but trouble. I bought a neti pot which has helped, but I need to make an appointment with an ENT doctor to see if we can’t get the problem resolved completely. I never realized how miserable sinus problems could make you! I am allergic to oak trees, and I think the overabundance of pollen is what is causing all the trouble. Our neighborhood is known for the majestic grandfather oaks that line the streets, so they are everywhere! Of course when we moved here I didn’t know I was allergic to them and we were both captured by their beauty.

I’m still working on the web site, but loading the products is slow going with caring for Noodle. Until just recently I was spending about five hours a day just caring for him and keeping everything clean and sanitary. I put up many new items in our Bonanzle booth and will be adding more in the days ahead. If you haven’t visited Bonanzle be sure to stop by. It’s a wonderful community of buyers and sellers and you can find some lovely things there. Cabana Lolita’s booth has a beautiful Goebel Hummel for sale that really caught my eye. I just love Hummel’s and this one featured a little girl and a cat. It is so cute! I can’t afford to get it right now, but you might want to steal it away especially since she’s offering 30% off with coupon code “Save”. If you’d like to help a furry friend, you can sponsor a pet at Forget Me Not Animal Shelter. You can find a multitude of extraordinary items on Bonanzle and I hope you will stop by and see us, if only to window shop and meet some new friends.

I was deeply saddened by the tragic death of Natasha Richardson last week and my heart goes out to all of her family and friends. She was a wonderful actress and she will be sorely missed.

Hope all of you are doing well, and as always we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us to save Noodle!

All Our Best,
Suzy & The Babies
http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/justmehobbit

Noodle Is Doing Better!

2009-02-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Noodle in his herbal mud bath

Shortly after my last post, Noodle took a turn for the worse and completely stopped eating or taking fluids. He was cooperative in letting me tend to him, so I started giving him fluids and pureed food with added nutrients with a dropper every few hours. It was a very difficult time for me and I spent much of the time crying my eyes out and praying that I wouldn't have to put him down. I took a fairly aggressive approach with the nodules, attempting to heal him from the inside out, since nothing else has helped. I started him on goldenseal, turmeric and terramin clay, along with a variety of nutrients, and continued to treat the nodules with the salve that I made up for him, bag balm and terramin clay mud packs. After feeding him with the dropper for 10 days, I was delighted when he came hurrying over to eat as I poured kibbles in the cat bowls the following morning. He has continued to eat and drink fluids on his own, and has gained back some of the weight that he lost. He is back to his sweet little self, and all but one of the nodules have ruptured and drained and are healing well. The last one that I can feel, has been draining, and has diminished significantly in size. He still has a long way to go, but I am hopeful that once these areas completely heal, that he will finally be free of the mycobacterial infection. I plan on keeping him on the herbs in smaller doses, for a few months after he is all clear, and then on the turmeric and terramin clay indefinately. Although, there is still the possibility that he could relapse, and have to be put down during his recovery, I continue to be cautiously optimistic that he will pull through. I have not been able to work on the website, as caring for him takes up most of my time but we continue to keep our booth on Bonanzle and I add new items intended for the website when I can. If you are looking for an eBay alternative, you owe it to yourself to check out Bonanzle. After being named the best eBay alternative in July by Ecommerce Guide, Bonanzle was again named the best eBay alternative last week, this time by SmallBusinessComputing! This is no mean feat! I cannot believe the explosive growth of Bonanzle over just a few short months and I believe that they are indeed the best eBay alternative out there! I love their clean, easy to use interface, the warm and friendly atmosphere and wide variety of products. We hope to see you there!

Above is a picture of Noodle in his herbal mud bath. As you can see he has lost a good bit of weight. He is so good about taking his baths. I can walk away, and he will just sit in the water waiting for me to come back. He is such a special baby!

Our new Bonanzle friend Denise sent me some darling pictures of her babies. When I saw the one of her German Shepherd (above), I told my husband, "Look, at his cute little dog toy!" It took me a few minutes to realize that the "toy" was actually one of her toy poodles! I thought the pictures were just too precious and she was kind enough to let me share them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Well that’s all the news from our camp. I hope that all is well with you and as always we thank you for your continued support in helping us to save Noodle. Have a lovely day!

Suzy & The Babies

Happy New Year to all of our friends!

2009-01-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

The past few months have proven to be very challenging for both Noodle and myself. Shortly after my last post I injured my back and was unable to sit at the computer for some time. It was rather frustrating as I was about to open our website and I was knocked out most of the time with my meds. I am doing much better now, and barring any other unforeseen circumstances; we will be opening this month.

Noodle continues to do poorly, especially over the past several weeks. A few days ago I mixed up a new salve for him, and I have put him back on the supplements that he had been on previously. He has not responded at all to any of the antibiotics that he has been on, and if things do not improve soon, I will have to consider putting him to sleep. As difficult as that will be for me, I have to take his well being into consideration first. He has fought a long, hard battle for more than 2-1/2 years now. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed a measurable difference in his demeanor. He has become very uncooperative in taking his meds, and letting me tend to him. He seems to be very weary of it all, quite understandably, and seems to have lost his will to live. The only time he seems happy is when I rock him and sing to him (even though these days I only croak like a toad.) He has been in his hat for the better part of the last 3 months, but that doesn’t seem to bother him much and he is very cooperative in putting it on. The salve seems to be helping the wounds, but whether they stay away after they are completely healed is another matter. At this point I am cautiously optimistic, but preparing myself emotionally in the event I have to make the difficult decision to euthanize him. I’m crying as I type this, so I know it won’t be easy if it comes to that. It never is. Your prayers for him would be so much appreciated.

Reggie, Misty, Katie, and Max are all doing well. Max has been sweetly standing watch over Noodle and seems very concerned with him. Misty continues to do well from her strokes, although she has some residual effects from them. However she is able to be outside again, which makes her very happy. She spends about half her time inside, but still doesn’t want anything to do with the other cats. Every now and then she will get a toy and start playing with it like she wants to interact with them, but as soon as they approach to play, she lets out a vicious hiss and that’s the end of that. Reggie and Misty took a little bunny under their wing and Reggie refused to come in, even on the cold nights, and would sleep with the bunny cuddled next to him in the thicket by the pond. I was so surprised to see that Misty slept with the bunny too! Imagine that!I named it Autumn Hope, and we started caring for it. Later I discovered that it was a boy, so in hindsight I guess that wasn’t an appropriate name for him. After a few weeks Autumn, would come running to me when I called and look up at me as if to say “I’m so happy to see you!” It wasn’t long before he let me pet him. We checked around the neighborhood, to see if anyone had lost their rabbit to no avail, so someone must have released their pet. We have had a few foreclosures in our neighborhood, so he could have come from one of them. I contacted a rabbit rescue and they said he most likely would not survive outside since he was a domestic rabbit. Unfortunately, they did not have an opening to take him. I called around and found two vets that were willing to take him in. One of them was looking for a girl as a companion to one of her rabbits, and the other one rescued animals. I didn’t know if he was a male or female at that point and I wasn’t familiar with handling rabbits, so I made an appointment with the first vet, hoping that it would be a little girl and that she would have a permanent home. Getting him there was quite a feat. I got a kennel ready for him and started putting food in it to coax him in. I was delighted that he went right in and made arrangements to take him in the next day. After 2-1/2 hours of playing chase, I gave up and the vet and I agreed to try again the next day. I wasn’t aware that rabbits lied down on their sides stretched out like a cat, but I sure learned that they did that day! After playing chase the rabbit for a while, Autumn would sprawl out on the deck and look up at me as if to say “I’m not going anywhere!" It was quite comical although I became less amused as the game continued. I finally decided that I would have to pick him up to get him in the kennel, so while I was petting him, I quickly grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and scooped my hands under his hind legs and placed him inside. He retreated to the corner and sat there shaking. I felt like such a heel! I kept checking on him during the ride to the vets and tried to pet and soothe him once we were there. Unfortunately, as you know, he turned out to be a boy, so off we went to the second vet where he was quickly settled in and I was able to say my goodbyes. The next day, I checked in on him, and they had treated his ear mites, neutered him and contacted a rabbit rescue. They will make sure that he gets a good home where he can be properly looked after. I really miss the sweet little guy and the ray of sunshine that he brought to my life, but we could not possibly take on another animal at this time. I know whoever adopts him will get a very sweet bunny that will fill their lives with happiness. Reggie in particular was not too happy for a while, having lost his little friend but he is doing better now. I will be selling some bunny t-shirts on Bonanzle shortly, and half of the profits will go to the vet that took him in to help with his expenses and her rescue efforts of other animals. If you come across an abandoned rabbit, please check with a bunny rescue for proper care and handling, as they are delicate creatures.Thank you for your continued support and prayers and have a very Happy, Healthy 2009!

Happy New Year,
Suzy & The Babies

Noodle's having A Rough Time

2008-10-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

Since my last update, things have gone downhill for Noodle. He developed multiple nodules around the last one that developed in his lower quadrant, and one is about the size of a small orange again. Yesterday it started draining through one of the surrounding areas, which gave me some hope that it won't entail another operation, but today it is unproductive. I am going to try warm compresses tomorrow to try and get it draining again, and I'm keeping a close eye on things for any signs of trouble. He is sedated and resting comfortably with his boo boo bear right now, and I expect he will sleep through the night. I'm feeling a bit blue, because it seems that no matter what I do, we just cannot get this infection to go away. It just breaks my heart, and I feel like I have completely failed him. As always he remains my brave little soldier, as sweet as ever, snuggling up against me and purring as I tend to his wounds. I will try and get some new pictures up soon of him for you.

I have been busy loading products into our website, and at long last, we should be opening next week. Currently, we have a booth at Bonanzle.com, a very warm and friendly community filled with many unique products. You can find a wide array of things such as beautiful quality throw pillows, from Cabana Lolita's Booth, exquisite children's clothing from Canada at South Hampton Creations and authentic designer fashions & accessories from Upscale Resales Booth. We have added a line of quality pet fashions to our booth, and you will find many of the craft books that we carried while we were on eBay. Bonanzle has grown so much in such a short time, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. Hope to see you on the boards!

Misty continues to do well, and spends more time indoors than she does outside. She has gotten very playful with me, but not with the other cats. I'm beginning to think it's a lost cause. She's long forgotten any tender moments shared with Katy on the trip home from Kentucky. Reggie can't quite make up his mind whether he wants to be friends with the little ones or not. One minute he's sweet to them and the next he's hissing at them. Poor babies just don't know what to think!

Max is still obsessed with the bathroom sink. He has now taken to bringing his toys and anything else that catches his fancy into the bathroom and placing them in the sink. My sink now looks like his toy box! I've come to the conclusion that he is trying to entice the water to come out of the faucet to play, as he is quite fascinated with it when I wash my hands. He also takes the bars of soap and puts them in the sink. Never a dull moment at our house! He recently learned how to play fetch from Katie, and will bring back the ball or wad of paper endlessly like a little puppy! They are both so cute! Katie is still nursing on herself. At this point, I'm beginning to think that she will never wean herself; she certainly shows no signs of it anyway!Well, that’s all the news from our camp. I hope you'll stop by and see us at Bonanzle and also our new shop when we open next week!

Wishing you all the best,
Suzy & The Babies

Cats and Dogs being Skinned ALIVE!

2008-09-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Recently while researching a project, I came across a very disturbing video on the faux fur industry in China. I felt it was important to share this with other animal lovers to make them aware of what the faux fur could be that is on garments these days. These cats and dogs live a life of unimaginable cruelty, only to be skinned alive and turned into gloves, coats, hats or fur trim. Their skins are also used in the production of drums and other musical instruments. This video is extremely difficult to watch and just heart wrenching! I had to force myself to look at it, but had to often turn away unable to bear the horror of what I was seeing. As long as I live, I shall never forget, the face of the poor raccoon dog that was still alive at the end of the video despite the horrific cruelty that it had just endured. That frame will haunt me until the day I die. Even if you cannot bear to watch the video, please visit the sites and educate yourselves before doing your winter shopping this year. I know many of you that read my blog are animal lovers and I know you would not willingly want to contribute to such a barbaric industry. You can watch the video and get more information at:

http://www.animal-protection.net/

For further reading visit:

http://www.caft.org.uk/factsheets/cats-and-dogs.html

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Now I’m going to go and hug my babies and thank God that I don’t live in China!

All My Best,
Suzy

Noodle Has The Blues

2008-09-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like we are finally making some progress with the nodule in Noodle's lower quadrant. It is still draining, but looks like it is coming to an end at last! The one above it drained and healed over quickly, but that lower one has been a real bear! Noodle, has been spending a good bit of time in his kennel sleeping, as he needed to have some pain meds during this time and he has wanted to snuggle with me more than usual. He has been a little more active the last day or so and his eyes are looking bright again, so I think the worst is behind us. I still have not been able to give him his herbal bath, but I'm going to give it a go as soon as this nodule has closed up completely. That ought to be fun!
I've been completely stressed out over the hurricanes and hurricane Ike is turning out to be a very bad one! My heart goes out to everyone affected by the hurricanes this season. May God watch over you and your families!
It seems that Misty has had enough of the outdoors. She is back to spending most of her time in my room with me. She's such a character! If you heard her meows you'd think it was a baby crying! She is more possessive of me than ever, and is once again quite intolerant of the other cats. My sweet little Reggie, went after her the other day, when she approached us while I was petting him. That was really unusual, as he is usually quite laid back. I think he just needs some extra attention, so I am going to make it a point to spend an hour a day just with him. Max and Katie are doing well. Katie is still nursing on herself and doesn't show any signs of stopping. As soon as she's on my lap, she snuggles in next to me and starts nursing on herself. I've tried to "wean" her by setting her down off my lap after a few minutes, but she is having none of that! She gives me a bewildered look and hops right back up to try again. Max has given up hopping in the sink when I go to wash my hands. Now he stands dutifully next to the sink to "supervise" my hand washing and brushing of my teeth. He's such a card!
I've started listing some items again on eBay. I'm still working on scanning my patterns, and hope to have more new things up this weekend. It's going to be a struggle this month to meet our expenses, so please invite your crafting friends to visit us and see if we have something that they would like. We would so appreciate your help.
Well, that's all the news from our camp. I hope all is well with you and yours and many Blessings to you all!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

After The Storm

2008-08-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Katie and Max snuggeling.

Well that wasn't too bad. The storms bark was a lot worse than it's bite Thank God. This new hurricane just looks so bad. it's already up to a Cat 4, and once it hits the Gulf of Mexico it's probably only going to get stronger. I just feel so terribly bad for the people of Louisiana and Texas. How ironic is this that it is falling on the anniversary of Katrina? In all my years, I've never seen the weather this bad. If its not one thing its another! It seems like there is just no place safe to live anymore. My prayers are with you folks!

Noodle is resting comfortably in his bed with his new Halloween snuggly. He may not be ready for his herbal bath, but boo boo bear is going in the washer tonight! Poor little guy is looking pretty raggedy after almost two years of snuggling with Noodle. I hope you enjoy the babies new pictures. Misty and Reggies didn't come out well, so I will have to try and get some more later. Have a lovely holiday weekend!

Suzy & The Babies

Aw mommy, can't I go out to play? I'm soooooooo bored!

Hurricane Weary!

2008-08-30T12:29:00.001-07:00

Just when Fay has finally decided to wrap things up, in comes Gustav and Tropical storm Hannah! I will be so glad when December rolls around and hurricane season is over! My heart goes out to all of you that are in Gustav’s path. Please do not take chances and try to ride this one out. It looks like it is going to be a real monster of a storm! Get your family to safety now; don’t wait until the last minute when you may not be able to get out. Things can be replaced, lives cannot. May God watch over all of you!

The last few weeks have just been an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. Between taking care of Noodle, hurricanes and the news of eBay’s new policies, I am stressed out to the max. For weeks now, I have been scanning and preparing items to list in my store and at auction for the upcoming season. I wasn’t able to put my new items up last week, because I can no longer afford eBay’s fees for my best items. My whole purpose in selling on eBay was to pay off my hospital bill and Noodle’s vet bills, but the majority of my profits have been ending up in eBay’s and paypal’s pockets. I will still be selling some items on eBay to try and keep up with Noodle’s and my bills, but I will no longer be able to sell my best items on eBay. I have closed my eBay store and reopened elsewhere, and I will be opening my website soon. I hope you will come by and see me and continue to follow Noodle’s story.

Noodle is still having a rough go of it. He has developed more nodules and that pesky one in his lower quadrant is still draining! It has grown to a large size again and there is another large one above it. I’ve been giving him his pain meds to keep him comfortable, but I don’t think he’ll be getting his herbal bath anytime soon. I’ve posted new pictures for you and you can see them by clicking on the links. Misty is enjoying the outdoors again, and even though she has some residual effects from her strokes, she is pretty much back to her old self. The babies are doing well and so is Reggie. Darn it, the outer bands are coming in from the hurricane, and we’re getting a bad storm coming through, so I will have to sign off and finish this later. I will link to the new pictures when I sign back on. My very best to all of you!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Goodbye Fay!

2008-08-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we skirted another one! Tropical storm Fay passed us by without any problems much to our relief. I'll sure be glad when December arrives and the 2008 hurricane season is over. Others were not as lucky and our hearts go out to all the families that have been and continue to be affected by her. She sure doesn't show any signs of dying out anytime soon and she may even make it back into the Gulf of Mexico! Enough already Fay!

Not much new with the babies since my last update. Noodle is still recovering from the nodules, with a few new outbreaks on his tummy. I have been waiting for them to stop draining and close up so I can give him a nice soothing herbal bath. On second thought, knowing cats and water, I'm not so sure how soothing it will be for either one of us. I think a nail trimming is in order! :)

I started a new Blog today called "What's Ticking Me Off Today" to vent my current displeasure's of the world. I hope you'll stop by and have a look. I have set up moderation on all of my blogs to prevent spamming and to keep it "family friendly" if you know what I mean, but please feel free to post your comments.

Thanks for keeping up with us and have a lovely day.

Kind Regards,
Suzy & The Babies

Update on Noodle & Misty 8/17/08

2008-08-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

The past two months have been particularly trying for both Noodle and myself. He is continuing to recover from the last outbreak of nodules on his back and tummy. The large one, in the lower quadrant is still draining, and I can feel multiple lumps developing in other areas. His back is doing much better, but hasn't quite cleared up yet and I had to shave him once again to facilitate the healing process. He continues to be good-natured even when he is in pain, and I have had to give him pain medicine off and on when I could see that he needed it. This is usually when he has a very large nodule, or clusters that prove to be very uncomfortable for him. He still has to wear his baby shirts and hat off and on, but after almost two years of dealing with this, seems to be quite accustomed to it. Often when I take the hat off for cleaning, or to allow him to eat comfortably, he will come and nudge it, or try to put his head through it until I put it back on. He's such a sweetie!

Misty is back to her former self again. She has bolted past us twice now and ran outside before she could be stopped. She has been spending time on the deck, but also a good bit of time inside. She has reverted back to hissing and swatting at all of the cats except for Max. Poor Katie will be lying about a foot away from her and she'll just reach out gently to touch Misty with her paw, only to get a vicious hiss or swat in return. Katie just looks at her so hurt, as if to say "why don't you want to be my friend?" Misty is so unpredictable. One day she came in and rubbed noses over and over with Katie, like she was kissing her, and the next day she was being hateful to her again. Poor Katie is so confused, but she doesn't give up. She follows misty everywhere, even if she just swatted at her.

Max and Reggie are doing real well. Reggie spends a good bit of time outside, and when Misty is outside he stays right with her as if he is watching over her. Max is our little groomer and makes sure that all of the babies are clean. He is such a card! Every time I head to the bathroom sink to wash my hands he jumps in, rolls on his back and coos up at me. Not sure what that's all about but it has become his favorite game.

We had a bad storm come through here a few weeks ago which damaged our roof. Water was just pouring in through the air vent in the kitchen and then it started coming in over a few other places. We drilled several holes in the area to direct the water into buckets to prevent the ceiling from collapsing and to keep the damage minimal. The roofer was out first thing in the morning, and said that was an excellent idea; so if you ever get a roof leak remember to do that. Just be sure to use a cordless drill, or if you don't have one available, you can take a Phillips screwdriver and punch a few holes through with a hammer. Water and electricity do not go well together! The roof is repaired now, and all we have to do is spackle and paint the holes. We dried everything out real well to prevent any mold from developing, and there is no sign that any is brewing. What a mess! I'm just so grateful that it was over the kitchen and dining room and not the rooms that I store all of my books and eBay items. Now we have Tropical storm Fay on her way, which is expected to turn into a hurricane. Tampa is right in her path, and I am just praying that she will not gain strength. This feels like hurricane Charlie all over again and I'm a nervous wreck! We are preparing for evacuation if need be. If you have bids on my auctions, no need to worry. I will be packing the books to take with us and will check in on the laptop. She's due here on Tuesday, and we should know more by Sunday evening, or Monday afternoon if we will need to evacuate. I sure hope not. If I don't respond to emails within a day, it means that our power is out and I will get back with you as soon as possible.

I am planning on scheduling my IV for the Reclast for early September. I had to postpone it for a bit because of the roof. Keep your fingers crossed.

Well that's all the news from our camp. I hope all of you are doing well and as always, we thank you for your interest in our auctions and wish you the very best. Have a lovely day!

Warm Regards,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle & Misty 7/17/2008

2008-08-16T00:04:00.001-07:00

Katie enjoying her fish tunnel toy

Noodle has been having a very rough go of it since my last post. The outbreak of nodules on his back continues and has extended to his tummy again. He has a large golf ball size one in his lower quadrant that has been draining from two areas for several weeks now that you can see in the picture. I did not photograph his back, as it still has not healed to an appropriate level for pictures. He was on pain meds for a while but has not needed them for the past few days. I was just crushed to see the darn things return with such a vengeance, and of course my heart just went out to my poor little guy. As you can see, he is back in his baby shirts again and often has to wear his hat to keep from picking at his wounds. For those of you unfamiliar with this sort of thing, it is similar to having something like a diabetic ulcer. It is difficult to deal with, but not something that you would put him to sleep for. I would never let any of my babies suffer needlessly. Noodle has never been at the point where one would consider putting him to sleep, except when he was attacked. Since he was expected to make a full recovery after surgery, I opted for that rather than ending his very young life. This problem is completely unrelated to the attack and goes back about six months before it. I am still hopeful, despite the setback that he will make a full recovery.

I recently decided to put all the babies on a raw food diet. I can certainly see why they named it the B.A.R.F diet, as it quite looks like someone barfed after it is mixed up. Katie, Misty and Reggie however, just love it! Max thus far has refused to eat it and I swear Noodle gags every time I put the bowl in front of him. It’s really quite comical! Of course he too has refused to eat it. I have to say however, that the improvement in Katie, Misty and Reggie’s coats is remarkable, and Reggie, who has always had trouble with hairballs, has also had a substantial improvement in that area. Why is it that when the little darlings decide to throw up, that it is always on the carpet? We have ceramic tile, wood and carpet floors in our home, and inevitably, it always ends up on the carpet! So out comes the carpet-cleaning machine again! Oh well, at least the carpets get cleaned on a regular basis and I get a little exercise. Why stop at one spot when you can do the whole room! Speaking of cleaning, I bought a neat little Green Tea Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop awhile back to clean and sanitize the floors. If you are in the market for a hard floor cleaner, I highly recommend it! We have white ceramic tile floors, and it does a great job keeping them looking like new. I just love it!

Misty is doing very well! She is at about 95% of her former self now. Although she still has occasional relapses, I am very pleased with her progress and she has adapted well to the other cats, as well as to being in the house. Recently I had to go out of town and all of the babies accompanied me. I’ve never traveled with all five of them before, but they did beautifully on the trip. Reggie absolutely refused to share his large kennel with anyone, so he traveled quite happily alone. Noodle and Max traveled in the second one and Misty and Katie traveled together in the third one. When I checked on them one time, she was actually snuggled up against Katie! Where is that darn camera when you need it! That was definitely a Kodak moment, and one that I hope to see more of in the future!

It has become apparent that neither Noodle’s or my medical problems are going to end anytime soon, so I have started putting stock intended for my website into my eBay store. I need to sell a lot of things to come up with the co-payment for a treatment that I need, so please invite your friends to have a look around. I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis a few months ago on top of everything else, and I cannot take the pills because of other health problems. So my doctor wants me to get the once a year IV treatment called Reclast. I’m a little nervous because it can cause a certain kind of abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. There is a very strong history of strokes in my family, and I just quadrupled my chance for having one when I developed diabetes. At this point however, I feel it is my only option since calcium supplements have not worked to prevent it. I’ve already had one spinal fusion, and although my outcome far surpassed what I had hoped for, it’s not something that I care to repeat! My dearest friend Olga, is also in the same boat, so I told her I would be the guinea pig this time around. Keep your fingers crossed, and please keep us in your prayers. I’ll let you know how it works out.
I will be redoing this page in the near future, with hyperlinks to most of the pictures to facilitate faster loading for those still on dial up. Please click on the links to see the babies pictures. Well, that is all the news from our camp. I hope all of you are enduring the economic downturn our nation is facing. I will be doing a blog soon, with helpful advice on stretching your dollar and I hope it will benefit you. We are all in this together, and if we can keep a cool head and try to help one another we will persevere! As always, I thank you for your kind bids and emails, and wish you and yours the very best. May God Bless you all!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle & Misty 5/28/2008

2008-08-16T00:02:00.002-07:00

I want to apologize for not posting pictures yet. I have been trying to get some for you, but I injured my neck and back shortly after my last post and I have not been able to get any good shots. Noodle is doing pretty good, but had a rough go of it for a few weeks. He developed a cluster of nodules on his back again and these seemed to be particularly painful for him, so he was on pain meds for a while along with his other meds. I had to shave him again and I shaved a larger area than I normally do to make sure there were no more developing. He is healing well and has started playing with the babies again. Right now he is sleeping in his bed under my desk snuggled against my feet. We don't seem to be having much luck in the weight loss department, so if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears!
Misty had another relapse yesterday and is really struggling with her balance today. She had been doing much better and I hope that she will bounce back once again real soon. She is eating and drinking well and is not in any distress other than her balance problems. She is very content living in my bedroom and sometimes goes out to be with the other cats. She sometimes nudges them gently in the face and miracle of miracles; she even shared a bowl of food with Max! Now that is something I would have liked a picture of! Katie and Reggie are doing well too, although I think Reggie misses having Misty outside with him. I am trying to get new items up for you, but I am pretty sacked out from the pain meds and muscle relaxers, so it is slow going. If there is anything in particular that you need, please feel free to contact us. I will be a little slower at responding to emails until my back and neck problem are resolved, but rest assured your packages will still go out on time thanks to my dear husband. As always, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help in saving Noodle and wish you all the very best.

Kind Regards,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle & Misty 5/4/2008

2008-08-16T00:02:00.001-07:00

Misty continues to hang in there with me. She has good days and bad as far as her balance goes, but she is eating and drinking well and is not in any distress. She is very content living in my room, and quite happy to have me all to herself in the evenings. The others go in and keep her company, and she has even nuzzled Katie and Max's noses. Imagine that!! No luck for poor Noodle though. He is still head over heels in love with her, but she won't have a thing to do with him. He is doing very well these days and I am very pleased with his progress. He has had a few small nodules develop and rupture, but they have healed over very quickly. He is actually running through the house playing chase now. It's rather comical to watch because with his weight it's more like a very quick waddle. Now that he is feeling better, I have been playing games to exercise his body like chase and catch the laser beam. Hopefully it will result in some weight loss. He doesn't really overeat, and he doesn't get extra treats, so I think he may just have a slow metabolism. I am hoping that he will be off his meds by the end of summer. He has been such a sport about taking them, even when he doesn't want to and has remained his sweet lovable self throughout this whole ordeal. I couldn't be more proud of him! I finally got a new battery for the camera, and I will get some recent pictures of all of them up this week. As always, we thank you for your help in saving this little fellow and wish you all the best!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 3/30/2008

2008-08-16T00:01:00.001-07:00

Very early Wednesday morning, I discovered that our cat Misty was quite ill. She was unable to walk or stand and had her head tipped to one side, and was acting dazed and confused. At first I could not examine her because she did not seem to recognize me and was hissing and growling every time I approached her. I had a clean paint stick nearby, and I began gently stroking her with it to try and calm her down and determine if she was injured in some way. I was afraid that she had been bitten by a snake or hit by a car. I had no idea how I was going to get her into the kennel to take her to the vet! Then I remembered that I had a calming spray called NaturVet Quiet Moments. I put her bed in the kennel and sprayed all around it and waited for it to dry, then gently coaxed her into it with the paint stick. All I can say is it was a miracle! Normally, she would go berserk, but she settled right in! By the time we got to the vet, she was in quite the friendly mood! Dr. Skandera couldn’t believe it! Normally, no one can touch her without risking vicious bites or scratches, so to let anyone other than myself pet her was quite amazing! If you have a little wild child like her you might want to give it a try. Now the kennel has become her best friend and she doesn't like leaving it! After examining her, it was determined that she either got into a toxin or that she had a stroke. They ran labs, which came back very good and it appears that she most likely had a stroke. This has been extremely difficult for me, as I rescued her when she was just two days old after her mother abandoned her in a ravine, and raised her by hand from a bottle. Yesterday was a particularly bad day and I really didn't think she was going to make it through the night. She is doing better today however, and is holding her head up almost normally now. She still has a great deal of difficulty walking and standing, but will scoot along on her belly to move about. I have been spending as much time as possible with her, and I apologize for any delays in answering your emails. I usually try and ship out the same day I receive payment, but for the next week it may take up to my standard three business days due to caring for her. There is a good chance that she can recover from this, and as always, your prayers would be most appreciated.
On a brighter note, Noodle continues to do much better, and is getting more playful each day. I still have not been able to get a battery for my camera, but as soon as I can, I will put up some new pictures of him so you can see how well he is doing, thanks to all of you. Reggie and the babies are doing well too, although Reggie has been fiercely defending his territory with any other cats that come around! I don't know where they all come from. In the summertime, I often look out the window and see 6 or 7 of them lounging around the pond, like they're over for a party! I doubt they will be doing that this summer though, given Reggie's new attitude! It's times like these that I really wish we had kept them as indoor cats. I had planned on putting some new titles up this week, but have not had the time to scan or write them. I have some great new items that I have unboxed and I will get them up for you soon. As always, we thank you and deeply appreciate the role you have played in saving Noodle. Have a lovely day and pets and hugs to all of your babies!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy

Update On Noodle 3/30/200

2008-08-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Noodle continues to do better. Knock on wood, he has not had any outbreaks on his tummy for a while now, and the last ones that ruptured on his back have healed nicely. He is very playful these days, enjoying chasing the kittens all around the house. I'm sorry that I have not posted new pictures yet, but my battery bit the dust on my camera and I have not been able to get another one yet. I hope to get a replacement this week and will take some pictures for you. Max and Noodle are getting difficult to tell apart at first glance. I do believe that Max may be bigger than Noodle when he is full grown! Katie is a sweet, gentle baby and Cisco has discovered his voice. He likes to have the radio on and "sings" endlessly with the music. It's quite comical as his tones vary with the music and he seems to like some songs much better than others. He has been enjoying a little time outdoors and likes to sit in the grapefruit tree and eat the newly developed leaves. I started a new medical treatment last week which is making me feel quite bad, so I hope you will bear with me as it may take a little longer to answer your emails and get new items up. In a few months, I hope to be feeling much better. Hope all is well with you, and as always we thank you for your kind bids on our auctions. Have a lovely day!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 3/14/2008

2008-08-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

Noodle has been doing better, but is still developing nodules. Currently, he is healing from 3 that ruptured a few days ago. They are becoming less frequent and less severe, and he is healing quickly from the outbreaks. He is in good spirits and doing his level best to get out the door to have a romp with Reggie. He has managed to slip between our legs twice over the past two weeks, but was quickly scooped up and brought back inside. We are going to have to restrict him from the area with access to the front door to prevent any future escapes outside. We were really hoping that he would have forgotten all about the outdoors by now, but despite all kinds of toys and the babies to play with, he still longs for the outdoors.
I'm sorry that I am so late in posting his update, but I have been having medical problems for a number of months now, and have been a bit overwhelmed with things. I will try and get some good pictures for you this weekend as well as some new titles up at auction. The babies are doing well and are growing so fast! Miss Katie took to nursing on herself shortly after we brought her home and doesn't seem to want to be weaned! My husband gave me a big stuffed dog on Valentine's Day and she thinks it's the perfect surrogate mommy! It's really quite comical to watch. Max will hear her nursing and comes running, thinking he is missing out on something and for a few minutes he licks his chops and pokes his nose in looking for the milk. He just can't figure out why she is nursing so contentedly and he can't. Oh well, I guess if she is ever ready, she will wean herself.
We have a little stray outside that has been hanging around for over a year now. We watch him play with Reggie from the window, but if one of us is outside they start a confrontation. I have never gotten over how possessive Misty is of me, but until now, Reggie has never displayed any signs of it. He has always been like a big laid back cuddly bear, so this is highly unusual. Misty still has no intentions of making friends with any of them and is quite content to be outside even in the rain. She actually lies on the bench on the deck when it's raining as if she were basking in the sun! I've never seen anything like it!
My niece Bridgette, received a darling little cockatiel which she named Cisco from her significant other for Valentine's Day. He is quite adorable and Max is in awe of him. He gently reached out to touch Cisco with his paw (carefully supervised of course) when we introduced them and just can't quite figure out what he is. It is so darling to see how gentle he is with him. Misty is afraid of Cisco and Noodle licked his chops and assumed a hunting position the moment he laid eyes on him, so there won't be any introductions there, nor of course with Reggie or Misty as they have all hunted outside. Bridgette is getting ready to get a place of her own so I will have to go and visit the little fellow when I want to see him. I think she is a little nervous about being on her own, and she says she wants me to come over everyday to see her. She is just going to be a few minutes away from us so that won't be hard, but I imagine that she will get accustomed to it soon and not want us hovering over her. Well, that is all the news from our camp. I hope that all of you are doing well and enjoying a good New Year. As always, we thank you for your help in saving Noodle and wish you all the best!

Warm Regards,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 1/23/2007

2008-08-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

Noodle had a few rough days this past week. He was running a fever and not feeling well at all, but is doing much better now. I had to shave him again so the developing nodules will drain properly when they rupture. That was sad, because he had finally gotten most of his fur back in. He'll have to wear his baby shirts again for a while but hopefully not the hat. Misty, Reggie, Katie and Max are all doing fine. Misty comes inside several times a day now, but still won't have a thing to do with Noodle and the babies. She had quite a tizzy when Max came up to snuggle with me. I've never had a cat before that was so jealous!
Today, I received the very sad news that our friend and neighbor in Kentucky is very ill. Jean fell over a week ago and hit her head and developed bleeding on the brain. She spent 4 days in ICU but was able to come home on Monday. She did well that day but has started having seizures every 15 to 20 minutes. Her situation looks very grave and I would so much appreciate your prayers for Jean Collier and her family and I know they would too.
The power of prayer was certainly with my brother-in-law Randy. He fared very well with his Chemo and things look very good for him. Thank you so much for your prayers and as always thank you for your kindness in helping me to save Noodle.

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 1/13/2007

2008-08-15T23:57:00.001-07:00

Noodle continues to do well and is quite playful with the babies. Misty has taken to coming in the house several times a day and he is still quite smitten with her! He still has nodules rupturing, but they are quite small and other than one marble sized lump beneath his skin, the others developing are quite small as well. He still has a long way to go on his meds, but I am confident that he will not need any more operations. As always, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart in helping me to save him. We wish you all a wonderful New Year!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 12/15/2007

2008-08-15T23:55:00.002-07:00

Here at last are the new pictures of the babies! I'm sorry for the delay, but I had to be put to sleep for some medical procedures and I'm afraid I just don't bounce back the way I used too. Noodle has been doing much better over the past week and has been much more active and has enjoyed romping and playing with the babies. He continues to have nodules, but the new ones are much smaller and are healing quickly after rupturing. The antibiotics are a little rough on his system, but the probiotics and Primal Defense are helping a great deal in that regard. He still has a long way to go, but I am encouraged by his recent playfulness and increased activity. I'm afraid they weren't in the mood for pictures today, but I will try and get some more when they are playing. Just click on the hyperlinks to see the pictures.

Katie enjoying some catnip
Max on the left with Noodle (sleeping)
Noodle trying to nap

I received the very sad news that a friend and fellow eBay member lost her husband due to a sudden heart attack. I know this is a terribly difficult time for her and your prayers for Marji would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support in helping me save Noodle. We wish you all many Blessings for the Christmas Season and throughout the New Year! Have a lovely day!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 10/25/2007

2008-08-15T23:55:00.001-07:00

At long last we finally have the test results back! Noodle has a mycobacterial infection, the kind contracted through soil and water. It is a particularly nasty infection to deal with and quite difficult to clear up. Unfortunately, it also thrives in fat, which my baby has an abundance of! Of the three types that he could have, I feel fortunate that it is this one. He will need to be on meds for a minimum of 7 months to a year and he needs a sensitivity test to make sure he is getting the right antibiotics. The past 6 weeks have been very trying as this was the worst that it has flared up and I sincerely apologize to all my friends for neglecting their emails. I have been overwhelmed with caring for Noodle, getting listings up to pay his bills, as well as inundated with a multitude of other problems during this time. He is doing much better now and his tummy has once again finally cleared up! I can feel more lumps developing though, so I don't think it will be for long, but they are certainly decreasing in number and size. We just returned from Kentucky, where he enjoyed a little getaway with Max and Katie and I brought back a number of boxes of dolls, books, doll clothes and baby clothes that I had up there that I will be listing over the next several months. I'm afraid I won't reach my goal of paying the medical bills off by the end of the year, given his expenses over the past few months, but I am hopeful that they will be paid off by next summer. I will have new pictures up this week of Noodle, Katie & Max. The babies have grown so much and Noodle seems to be losing some of the extra weight that he put on during his recovery from being so inactive. We are all very tired from the long trip home and the babies are sure happy to be out of their kennel! I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! As always, thank you for your kind bids and helping me to save Noodle!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 10/21/2007

2008-08-15T23:54:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry it has been so long since I last updated Noodle's page. I have been sick and Noodle had a major setback shortly after his last update. When my husband came home from work Noodle bolted out the door before my husband could stop him. Poor man must have been searching for hours before coming in to wake me up to tell me. I got a bag of dry food and shook it and called for him and he came right away. Judging from his appearance I would venture to say that he had been rolling around in the dirt, one of his favorite pastimes! Unfortunately, he had a few small nodules rupture the day before and now he has a very bad infection again. I am just crushed because he was doing so well. He is back in his hat and baby shirts and on 5 medications. We're still waiting on the DNA results, which should be back in mid-November. My niece Bridgette, recently moved in with us and Noodle likes to snuggle with her at night. Max just adores her too and is quite demanding of her attention. Katie is still a "Mama's girl" and my lap baby. The kittens have grown so much! Katie weighs over 7 pounds now and Max is almost 6 pounds. They are both just a bundle of energy, especially Max! I am starting to feel better and will post some new pictures as soon as I can. As always my heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for your interest in my auctions and your kind letters of support and donations. Many blessings to you all!
Warm Wishes,
Suzy & The Babies

Update On Noodle 9/13/2007

2008-08-15T23:53:00.001-07:00

Noodle is continuing in his recovery and although he is still having problems, he is doing better. His eyes are bright and he is very playful with the kittens and quite head over heels in love with Katie! At least she returns his affections, unlike my dear little Misty who has no desire to befriend any of them! The lab was finally able to grow a culture from the last samples that they took about four weeks ago. They were unable to identify it however and are doing DNA testing to find out exactly what we are dealing with. Originally it was thought to be a mycoplasma, but those tests came up negative. Because the cause could not be identified, treating him has been difficult at best. He is still developing the lumps, however they have decreased in number and size. He has not required any meds for several weeks now and is very active, although his energy levels are still not back to what they were before he was injured. I think this is to be expected given the number of operations and all the medication that he has had for the past year. All in all though, I am pleased with the progress that he is making and I am still optimistic that he will make a full recovery, hopefully by the end of the year. We will not have the DNA test results for 10 weeks, and meantime I am continuing the vitamin and herb therapies with him, as he seems to be doing well on them. I hope you will continue to keep him in your prayers and I would like to ask you to also pray for our brother-in-law Randy Vernet who was recently diagnosed with cancer. He has a wife and two young sons, and we are praying for his recovery. The news was quite a shock to us as he has always been very healthy and athletic. He was undergoing a hernia operation when they discovered the cancer. We are hoping that they caught it early and are waiting for his test results. He has a very long road ahead of him and your prayers would so much be appreciated. Thank you and have a lovely day!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & All the babies

Update On Noodle 8/12/2007

2008-08-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

Little Max sound asleep at last!

The past few weeks have been up and down for Noodle. He seems to be making progress and has played with the kittens a lot over the past few days. He still has lumps that are surfacing and draining but all in all he seems to be feeling better. He is still on medication, as well as the special formula and other natural remedies that I am giving him and I am still hoping for a full recovery. Little Maggie went in to be spayed and it was discovered that she was actually a little boy quite to the owner’s surprise! So, Maggie is now Maxwell, and he is just as cute as can be! Noodle, Katie and Max are playing well together and the two kittens never seem to run out of energy! Boy I wish I could bottle some and sell it on eBay, not to mention taking some for myself! Max's previous owner was very kind and took care of his initial shots, tests and neutering for which I am most grateful. He is such a little sweetie and we just adore him! Noodle is quite pleased to have two playmates and he no longer seems to be depressed. Reggie has accepted him, but I'm afraid that my darling Misty is quite beside herself. She just kept looking back and forth between Katie and Max as if to say, "I just can't believe there are TWO of you now!!" Every time she comes in to eat she gets her feathers in a ruffle when she discovers they are still here. I try to give her extra attention, but she is the kind of cat that only wants to be held when she wants to cuddle, and that isn't too often. She has a wild streak in her and prefers to be outside on her own. She is quite the huntress and used to take great pleasure in bringing her catch of the day in to me, both alive and dead. Years ago, we finally had to put a door up between the kitchen and utility room where their pet door is to keep her from bringing anything else in. It took me over two hours to catch the last squirrel that she brought in! Too bad it wasn't video taped because I'm sure it would have been hilarious to watch, although at the time I had quite lost my sense of humor! Ah, the joys of having cats in your life! :) That's all the news from here. I hope that one day soon, I will be able to report that Noodle has completely recovered. It has been such a long hard road for him. Thank you for your continued interest in our auctions and have a very lovely day!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy

Little Max his first day home

Update On Noodle 7/28/2007

2008-08-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

Noodle can often be found laying on his back like this! His tummy is still healing. This area is looking much better, but there are still multiple lumps under the skin :(

Noodle is continuing to recover. He still has multiple areas draining and a number of large lumps remain under the skin. New ones do not seem to be developing and I am keeping my fingers crossed that he will make a full recovery. They are running more lab work on him, but all the results will not be in for about two weeks. We were concerned about his kidney function with all of the meds that he has been on for such a long period, but those results are in and I am happy to report just fine. All of his blood work came back good, except that he is slightly anemic which is not unusual given all that he has been through. I made up a special formula that I have used in the past to boost his system and also started him on Primal Defense and Perfect Food. These seem to have made a big difference as he has been more active, and seems to have significantly less pain for the past few days. He continues to be as sweet and lovable as ever and is quite protective of little Katie. I am posting some new pictures for you of them along with some of Misty and Reggie as they were feeling quite left out :). Reggie has accepted Katie and bumps her in the head when he comes in to greet her. I won't hold my breath with Misty however. If she had her way she would be mommies one and only! Maggie's arrival has been delayed until mid-August, but we are looking forward to welcoming her into our home. I am going to need to sell a lot of books in the next month to meet Noodle's bills and I hope that you will share this page with your crafting friends to see if I might have something of interest to them. I have a number of dolls that I am preparing for auction too and should have them up by next week. There are some really darling ones, just perfect for reborning or play. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you for your support of my auctions and your prayers for Noodle's recovery. I could not have done this without you. Many blessings to you all!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy

Here are more pictures of the babies:
Sharing secrets
Miss Katie grooming Noodle
Miss Katie with Noodle
Do I have to take a nap?
Sir Reginald
Sir Reginald & Her Royal Highness Miss Misty

Update On Noodle 7/18/2007

2008-08-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Noodle seems to be feeling a little better today, and he looks better too, but he still is having a good bit of pain and continues to be on his meds. He has multiple areas draining now and I believe the antibiotics are doing their work. He still has a long ways to go, but he did lightly play with Katie for a while today. He does adore her and on Friday he will have little Maggie to keep him company as well. I think Katie will be happy for a playmate too as she is just a bundle of energy going nonstop all day long! I sure wish I had just a fraction of her energy! Anyway, I was able to take a few pictures of the two of them for you while Noodle was snuggled up on my bed. Katie was afraid of the camera but at least you can see the little cutie! I hope all of you are enjoying your summer!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & Noodle

Update On Noodle 7/15/2007

2008-08-15T23:39:00.000-07:00

Noodle with his Boo Boo Bear

Noodle has been having a very tough go of it for the past week. The nodules have returned and some have surfaced and ruptured, but I can feel a multitude of them developing in his tummy area. I am hoping that the new antibiotic is bringing everything to the surface and that this ordeal will soon be over for him. Two more small ones surfaced and ruptured in the area of his old wound, and I do not feel any more under the skin, so that is progress as that is where everything originated. He is sedated and on pain medicine, and resting comfortably. I have not wanted to disturb him for pictures, but hopefully I will have some for you soon. We adopted a darling grey and white 10-week old kitten last weekend and he is just delighted with her. We named her Katie, and she has really lifted his spirits! Ironically, a few days after adopting her, we got a call about little Maggie. Apparently we were given the wrong information, and she is doing very well! The mother died from an allergic reaction to Frontline, and the wonderful owners hand raised her kittens! We have decided to adopt this very special baby as well, and should be bringing her home soon, so little Katie will have someone to grow up with like Reggie and Misty grew up together. Noodle will be happy to have another playmate, but I'm afraid Reggie and Misty aren't as welcoming. Since they prefer to be outside this shouldn't pose too much of a problem and I'm sure that in time they will adapt. Like Noodle, Katie and Maggie will be indoor cats, and I'm hoping that after the first cold winter in Kentucky, Reggie and Misty will come to prefer being inside too. I hope that you will continue to pray for his recovery and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support and interest in my auctions. May God Bless you all!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & Noodle

Update On Noodle 7/1/2007

2008-08-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

Boo Boo Bear and I enjoying the new bed that Auntie Karen made for me. Thank you Auntie!! I love it and I love you too! xoxoxo

A few days after posting my last update, I was cleaning and applying vitamin E to Noodle's incision when I discovered a lump in the lower right quadrant of his tummy. My heart just sank at the discovery and I took him back in to be checked on Saturday. It is difficult to tell whether this is scar tissue, or another lump developing, but to err on the side of caution, we changed his antibiotic and put him on a good vitamin supplement to boost his system. I will be keeping a very close eye on him for the next several weeks for any more signs of development. I'm not a particularly superstitious person, but it seems like every time I post good news, something else happens. Perhaps I'm jinxing it, so from now on, until he is completely better, I will just say that he is continuing to heal in my updates. I have been feeling rather depressed since finding the lump, and Noodle didn't seem to be feeling too well either, so I have not taken pictures yet. I will get some up in the next few days. His incision has healed beautifully, he is finally out of his hat, and today he has been quite active, trying his level best to sneak outside! I have been trying to find him a playmate for some time now to keep him company since he will never be able to be an outdoor cat again. A few weeks ago I located a kitten for him, but I found out Saturday that the litter that I had planned to adopt from are ill and that the mother had passed away. It's very sad because they looked just like Noodle. I was so looking forward to bringing her home to him and we had even named her Maggie Olgita, after the kitten that he had so much fun with over the holidays and two very dear friends of ours. So now it's back to the drawing board. Dr. Skanderra is looking for us too, but no luck yet.
Many thanks to Elaine for adding us to her International prayer chain. Your prayers are so deeply appreciated! As always, my heartfelt thanks for your kind letters and bids on our auctions. Many blessings to you all!

Warmest Wishes,
Suzy and Noodle

Update On Noodle 6/26/2007

2008-08-15T23:34:00.001-07:00

At long last Noodle's test results came in on Friday with very good news! He does not have cancer! The test results came back just as before showing a very bad infection with lots of inflammation. The two pea sized nodules have ruptured and drained and there are no signs of any more developing in that area or the area of the operation. He will have to be on antibiotics for some time yet, but the good news is, he will eventually make a full recovery! I can't begin to tell you how overwhelmed with joy we are! The past nine months have been very difficult for him, but as always he has remained the sweetest, gentlest cat I have ever known. He will be in his hat for a few more days, but by the weekend he should be able to have it off and enjoy a little more freedom. His wound is healing nicely, and I will be posting new pictures in a few days. I am so sorry for the delay in updating his page but this emotional roller coaster ride has left me physically and emotionally drained. I will only be listing on Sunday and perhaps Thursday
for a little while, while we both get some much-needed rest. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you for your kind letters and support through this difficult time. May God bless you all!

Warmest Wishes,
Suzy & Noodle

Update On Noodle 6/7/2007

2008-08-15T23:32:00.001-07:00

I just brought Noodle home a few hours ago and he is resting comfortably in his bed. He is still very groggy from the anesthesia, but he came through the operation very well. Dr. Skandera removed a growth the diameter of a grapefruit from his tummy. She did two layers of external stitches with a gauze pack in between because of his reaction to the stitches from his prior surgery, and he is going to have to rest quietly for a while until he can heal. All we can do now is wait for the lab results and keep him as comfortable as possible while he is recovering.
I’m sure that some people wonder why I would go to such lengths to save a cat and indeed, someone even said to me “There are other cats, why don’t you just get another one.” Well, let me start off by saying that there is only one Noodle, a sweet, gentle soul who has filled my life with joy. He is irreplaceable and unique in so many ways! Despite all that he has been through, he has remained the loveable bundle of joy that I have always known. Animals are not disposable because they are sick or have become an inconvenience. They offer us unconditional love and they deserve it in return. I myself have undergone 15 major operations and I am grateful that my surgeons thought that my life was worth saving, even though there were plenty of other humans in this world. I feel blessed to have Noodle in my life, and I will continue to sell books, dolls, or whatever else I can find to provide him with the care that he needs for as long as he needs it. If it turns out that he has cancer, he will be made comfortable to live out the rest of his days surrounded by love. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who have taken this journey with us! May God Bless you all!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy & Noodle

Update On Noodle 6/6/2007

2008-08-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

I took Noodle in for a check-up this afternoon. The areas shown in the previous pictures have healed very nicely, but I could still feel lumps under the skin in the area of the new wound that he had developed. Over the past two days I could tell that he was not feeling well, and one of the lumps has doubled in size. Dr. Skandera aspirated some fluid from it and did not like the abnormal cells she saw under the microscope. Although we were both hesitant about having him go through a third operation, given her findings we both felt it would be best to remove the growths and have them sent to the lab, as the problem seems to be spreading. He will be having surgery tomorrow afternoon and I would be grateful for your prayers for his full recovery. Usually the first week after surgery is pretty rough and I may not be able to answer questions as quickly as usual. Rest assured however that your packages will continue to go out on time. Thank you all for your support and well wishes and have a lovely day!

Warm Regards,
Suzy & Noodle

Update On Noodle 5/13/2007

2008-08-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Skandera with Noodle

Noodle has been having a really rough go of it for the past several weeks. I became concerned when there was excessive drainage from the area under his belly, and I reshaved him to have a look. I was devastated to discover a number of areas that had ruptured and literally just broke down and cried! These are the two areas that are still giving him problems. The first is the old wound that would not heal, which goes back almost a year now, before I owned him and was unrelated to his attack. The second is a new area, located towards the base of his incision. Apparently what is happening is that the external areas are healing, but not the underlying infection, which is why I could still feel the lumps underneath the skin. He will have to be on antibiotics for the long term, but the good news is that he should make a full recovery! Many thanks to Kat for her research which helped get to the bottom of this, and also to Viola for the valuable information she provided. Many hugs and Kitty Kisses to you both and to all of you who have written and helped out with your suggestions and bids on our auctions! I will keep you posted on his progress, and when he is feeling better I will post some better pictures for you. These are a few of his latest.

Dr. Skandera & her assistant Christy with Noodle

Back in my hat again!

Me & Boo Boo Bear

Napping with Boo Boo

Update On Noodle 4/20/2007

2008-08-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Well, as Murphy's Law would have it, Noodle had a setback and was shaved and put back on antibiotics for several weeks. I am almost afraid to say it, but he seems to be doing better now. He had two tiny areas rupture and drain yesterday, but all the other areas have healed over nicely. I can still feel a few soft lumps under his skin and one hard one that concerns me, so I will be taking him in again to make sure everything is alright. Many thanks to all of you that have written in with suggestions. They have been most helpful! I'm sorry it took me so long to update his page but I have been so tired, and I'm afraid he has not been up for having his picture taken. I must say this isn't his best shot, but he wasn't in the mood to be photographed. Misty is still being quite mean to him, and I think his feelings were hurt, as she had just come in and hissed at him. He tries everything to make friends with her, but she is one tough It's adorable how he rolls on his back and coos at her! Unfortunately, she's having none of it! I keep telling him she's just playing hard to get. I wish! She just let my husband pet her for the first time in her life, and she is almost 7 years old! What can I say; she's my little wild child. So here is my little Noodle, with his snuggly. I will try and get a better picture later on for you.I know many of you have been waiting for patterns from my personal collection. I have many to put up, but typing is extremely painful and for now it is easier for me to list books that I have multiple copies of. If there is anything in particular that you are looking for, just let me know and I will see if I have it. As always, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me to save Noodle. May God Bless you all!

Warm Regards,
Suzy

The Journey Begins

2008-08-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. My journey with Noodle began almost two years ago when I discovered him bleeding and severly injured in our laundry room. It's hard to believe that it has been that long and his jouney to wellness continues on. Sometimes it feels like he will never recover and at those moments, I feel like a complete and utter failure. I originally started this journal on my about me page on eBay, but a few weeks ago I discovered that a good part of my journal was getting lost everytime I updated it. I was positively crushed, as I had not made a back-up and it was the only record of our journey together. I have decided to transfer it to this blog now and write the updates here. Although no longer in its entirety, this is my journey with Noodle...

Noodle was our neighbor’s cat and the best buddy of our cat Reggie. His owners decided that they no longer wanted him and he was given to another neighbor who lived a few blocks away. A few months ago, I found him in our laundry room bleeding and seriously injured at about 4:30 in the morning. He had been viciously attacked by a raccoon, I suspect and had come in through our pet door. I found him trembling and shaken on the pet blanket that we keep in there. Even though it was early, I called the original owner, not knowing the new owners number. If it had been one of our babies I would have wanted to be called no matter what the hour. She was real nice about my waking her up and contacted the new owner who said she would pick him up in a few hours because she didn't want to wake her children. Having taken care of many injured animals, I did what I could to clean him up and dressed his wounds, but he really needed professional care. About 10:45 that morning I got a call from the original owner telling me that the new owner decided, "It just wasn't working out". Needless to say I was more than a little upset because in my book you don't adopt an animal and just abandon it, especially when it's injured. The original owners offered to take him to the pound thinking they would fix him up and adopt him out, but I told her he would immediately be put to sleep. This poor baby was only 18 months old, and the sweetest little cat, and I just could not let that happen. So I adopted him and took him to our vet. He was in surgery for more than three hours and came home with so many incisions and drains you just didn't know where to pick him up at. He almost lost his tail and the vet was worried about nerve damage. He was such a good little patient, letting me clean and dress his wounds, purring all the while even though he was in a great deal of pain. He was on a good bit of medication and I tried to coincide the cleaning with his meds, which he was so good about taking. Since his food intake wasn't real good I put him on Nutri-Stat, which he still insists on having every day! He pulled through everything very well, but had to have a second operation about a month ago. There was an area on his side from an unrelated incident, which just would not heal. What we thought would be a simple operation, turned out to be so much more. The vet discovered a large nodule surrounded by many smaller ones. He was cut from his belly, almost to his back on one side. I was just devastated and shaken when I picked him up, and waiting for the results of the biopsy and culture was pure torture. It was hard on our vet too, because we had worked so very hard to save him. God smiled upon him once again however, and we were elated to find out it wasn't cancer, but a particularly bad infection. I'm happy to report that his incision is healing nicely and he is doing very well. To this day I have not heard a word from the owner that abandoned him, not even to see how he is doing. The original owners contributed $100 to his vet bill, as did my father and I had enough open on my charge cards to pay the bills. Now I need to pay them off so here I am selling on eBay again to raise the money. I told my vet what I was going to do and she said it was okay to call if anyone needed to confirm my story. You can contact her at:

Dr. Charron A. Skandera, D.V.M.
4 Paws Animal Hospital
1450 Skipper Road, #26
Tampa, FL 33613
Phone: 813-877-2485

She has taken excellent care of all 3 of our cats and if you are in the Tampa Bay area, I would highly recommend her. She even makes house calls, which is great if you have a little wild child like my Misty. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful New Year!

Warm Wishes,
Suzy