A note from Jellicoe

 

A note from Jellicoe

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for all your good wishes - you’re truly kind. I feel as though I’ve got friends all over the world.

I have had an interesting couple of weeks. I’ve met some really nice vets and nurses who made a great fuss of me, even though they shaved off so much of my fur and sliced lumps out of me.

I spent a few nights away from home, which was strange, and quite lonely, because I’m used to cuddling up with the dogs and The THINKER and The MAID. I wasn’t feeling very well, though, so it was as well that I was sleeping on my own in a nice secure kennel. I even had to spend some time in an oxygen tent because I was having difficulty breathing, and everyone was worried about me.

Soon, I was well enough to go home, but I couldn’t see out of my eye- the one below where the lump and the lymph node were taken out – as it was very swollen. I really looked a terrible mess. The THINKER and the MAID took photographs of me, but they haven’t shown them to anyone because they’re not nice. 

I had a tube in my neck, which seemed odd. I had to have that because the nice vets had taken some tissue from my mouth to build up my eye-lid, so my mouth was sore. I was wearing a soft collar round my neck to keep the tube in place, and a collar of shame to stop me scratching and licking where I shouldn’t. The THINKER and the MAID had to feed me through the tube, and it took forever, especially the first time.

After a few days, I went back to the hospital to have the tube removed. The nice vets and nurses were very pleased with me. It was so good to be able to eat properly again. I had lost quite a lot of weight, so I had to and see Selene-the-Vet. She was rather shocked when she saw me as I wasn’t my usual handsome self. My glucose curve had to be checked and now I’m back to my normal insulin dose.

I still don’t look very lovely, but the swellings are all going down and I can see out of my eye now. I look more like a cat than a battered old football, and my fur is growing back quickly. Next week I have to go back to have my stitches out.

The MAID and The THINKER discussed whether they had done the right thing in letting me have an operation, but agreed that the alternative, of letting the cancer take its course, would have been far worse. They took the advice of Selene-the-Vet first of all, and then the recommendation of the nice vets at the hospital.

I’m just glad to be home, where I belong.

(The MAID speaks: you can learn more about why we’re called The MAID and The THINKER in this blog post.)

Off to the vet

 

Off to the vet

Arthur cuddles his mistress

Jellicoe, our delicate diabetic cat, likes to keep us on our toes. Normally ravenous, any change in his approach to food is a hint that something is amiss. Last week he began to show signs of a diminishing interest in his elevenses. There were no other indications. Breakfast had been consumed with sufficient enthusiasm, but we have learnt not to ignore subtle changes. Cats can become ill very quickly - Jellicoe has proved that more than once

A visit to Selene-the-vet showed that he had an infection, so an antibiotic injection was administered, his ears were thoroughly cleaned, and his claws were clipped. The claws were nothing to do with his health, but more concerned with his method of attracting notice to his need for breakfast. After a twelve-hour fast, he is more than ready for a meal. He draws attention to his hunger with sharp-needled taps and gentle nips on any adjacent adult.

Having settled his requirements, we thought his brother Herschel really ought to have his teeth checked. He hasn’t shown any signs of discomfort, and his breath is as acceptable as any healthy cat’s, but he is thirteen now, so an appointment was made for Monday.

 He accepted his temporary imprisonment in the cat carrier nonchalantly, sniffing carefully because Jellicoe had recently been transported in it. The result was that he needs a couple of extractions. The vets will pre-authorise it with the insurance company and then Herschel will spend a day with them in the near future. It’s always worrying when pets have to have surgical interventions, particularly as they grow older. However, it’s better to do it before problems arise.

Roxy relaxes elegantly with Herschel

In the afternoon, Roxy had her annual medical. She’s nearly eleven years old, but behaves as though she’s eleven months old. She had a clean bill of health, and is just the right weight, though she’d love the opportunity to overeat and pile on the pounds.

We could have sung ‘In and out the dusty bluebells’ as first one animal was seen and then another and in between whiles, there was a refreshing walk in the rain.

 

Gilbert the Good – enforced rest

 

Gilbert the Good – enforced rest

Roxy, Gilbert and Jellicoe

Barry and Janice went out this afternoon and left all us animals at home, but before they went, Janice noticed I was limping and holding my paw up. They had an appointment, so couldn’t look at me more closely then, but when they reached home again, they tricked me with words like ‘Treats’ and ‘Chicken’ and ‘Chews’ just to make me get up and trot towards them. I wanted to stay in my bed because my paw hurt, though I wasn’t whimpering or shivering. They thought I was a bit quiet, though, so Barry ‘phoned up and took me to see Selene-the-vet. She’s only five minutes away by car.

Everyone at the vets made a fuss of me, and I was pleased to see them all – they’re so friendly and always give me a couple of yummy biscuits.

Anyway, it turned out that my paw has a cut on the pad. I’ve just come home and I’m a bit fed up because I’ve been told I mustn’t go out for a walk for seven days! SEVEN days!! AND I’ve got to wear a boot on my foot every time I want to go out to do the necessary – that’s going to be a bundle of laughs, I can tell you.

Jellicoe, Gilbert and Herschel

I’ve got some medicine to have once a day with my food to take away the pain and make sure the cut doesn’t get infected. There’s also some stuff to mix with water to bathe my paw. Janice groaned when she heard that, remembering Dominie-who-went-before me and how when her paw was bathed, she shook the mixture off her paw and all over the place, principally over Janice. I’m sure I shall be a good boy, though. My paw has to be bathed twice a day for five minutes. I think Janice is looking forward to that, because she laughed when she read that out to me.

It's going to be hard seeing Roxy go out for a walk, knowing that I can’t go out for SEVEN WHOLE DAYS! Roxy says it will soon pass, but I will miss it, especially the ponds.

Yesterday, Barry threw a big stick into the pond for me to retrieve. (They have to be big sticks, so they don’t get caught in my throat.) The stick must have been quite old and damp because it sank, and I spent ages diving under the water to find it. I could smell it, but I just couldn’t locate it. Eventually, Barry called me out because he was getting worried about me getting too tired.

When we went back this morning for our walk, he wouldn’t let me go in the pond. I think he knew I would be hunting again for yesterday’s stick. He told Janice I’m the most persistent retriever they have ever had, and that’s quite something. I am a very good boy – well-bred, don’t you know!

Time for supper now and my first dose of medicine. Seven whole days! SEVEN whole DAYS . . .

TTFN

Gilbert

Jellicoe, Gilbert and Herschel 

 

Jellicoe goes to the vet

 

Jellicoe goes to the vet

Jellicoe’s breath has been less than sweet lately, a fair indication that his teeth need attention. He also has a small cyst on his head that swells and recedes periodically. Thus, today he has spent the day with the vets. He was most put out this morning because he wasn’t allowed any breakfast and yowled loud protestations when put into his carrying basket, and all the way to the veterinary surgery. Fortunately, it’s less than five minutes away by car.

Selene-the-vet ‘phoned later to say that Jellicoe has had some extractions, and the cyst has been removed and sent off for analysis. He will soon return home to Herschel’s annoyance. Herschel rather enjoys being an only cat, though recently he has been sleeping alongside his brother, which is quite unusual. They will often both sleep together with one or other of the dogs. Dogs are big and warm and comfortable.

When the brothers squabble, one of the dogs will step between them, as they would between two arguing dogs. 

The cats treat the dogs like oversized kittens, grooming them, which the dogs seem to enjoy. Gilbert will often nudge whichever cat has been cleaning him, if it stops, asking for more attention. I suppose the rasping tongue is somewhat akin to a massage.

Poor Jellicoe is looking a little ragged, some of his fur having been shaved off, but it will soon grow back.

He is very happy, chirruping and purring and rubbing round everyone and everything . . . and starving, as usual! 😺

A Funny Month

 

 A Funny Month

It’s been a funny old month. I usually like April – sunshine, flowers, warmth – but this year has seen little sun so far and some days have felt more like January than April, with teeming rain and low temperatures. All will improve, I’m sure.

Our littlest great-grandchild, Melia, 8 weeks old, has been found to have a hole in her heart. It’s one of the commonest conditions in babies. Sometimes the holes repair by themselves and other people live their whole lives not realising they have this condition. However, self-repair seems unlikely in Melia's case and so she will have surgery in the next couple of months. Surgery is well advanced in this field; nonetheless, the prospect of your tiny child having surgery is a sobering one. Her parents are both very positive. Melia is thriving and happy, but there must be a large element of concern and worry, so we're all crossing everything and hoping the time passes quickly and life can return to normal.

Speaking of surgery, our son-in-law Robert, who’s a bit more than 8 weeks old, had to have an operation on his shoulder on Thursday. On Friday Bethan said, with remarkable understatement, that it was ‘a bit difficult’ on Thursday evening, but he was now recovering fine at home.

A week ago, we went for a walk with Susannah and James and their two dogs. We were intent on showing James a hidden pond we had rediscovered recently and that we had taken Susannah and Martha to a few days earlier.

The ground was very rough, full of tussocks. I was busy warning everyone to be careful, as we were in ankle-turning territory, when I misstepped and twisted my knee painfully. Serves me right for being so bossy!

As I was wondering if I would be able to walk – I was still standing, so the prospects seemed favourable - the dogs, theirs and ours, were racing in and out of the water, having a wonderful time. When we judged they had had enough – for Gilbert, anyway, as he’s still only a little chap – we made our way home, personally walking slowly and very cautiously.

The next day I could hardly walk and my leg was very painful, but it is much improved now and I don’t need to use a stick any longer. Fortunately, there was nothing planned for my birthday on Tuesday – there rarely is, as I don’t much care for birthdays and don’t like fuss – so I didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything but I had a pleasant, quiet day, sitting still and taking painkillers at regular intervals.

Meanwhile, Jellicoe, the miracle cat, was coughing, as cats do from time to time. He wasn’t quite his usual noisy demanding self on Thursday morning, shaking his head and spreading his food everywhere, and not quite managing to eat it, although he was keen to try. We thought there might be something stuck in his mouth or throat so off to the vet he went, but Selene-the-Vet couldn’t see anything. That evening, he didn’t want to eat, which is always worrying with a diabetic cat.

Jellicoe had already been booked into the vets for the whole day on Friday, to have a glucose curve test, for which he required sedation, so it was decided to use the opportunity to examine him more closely. He had a loose tooth with some infection. The tooth was extracted, antibiotics administered, and lo and behold, he was back to normal, almost. His glucose levels were higher than was acceptable so his insulin dose has been increased. 

Now, he is his normal ravenous self again, breaking into the bins if they’re not battened down, stealing the dogs’ food from under their noses – Roxy is tolerant, Gilbert isn’t – swiping at us if we’re eating something he fancies, which is actually most of what we have on our plates.

It’s good to have him back!

Gilbert the coal merchant

 

Gilbert the coal merchant

Gilbert with his friend, Herschel

We think Gilbert may have been a coal merchant in a previous existence. He has a fondness for selecting lumps of coal (actually anthracite) from the scuttle and taking them to his bed, his crate, the kitchen, the conservatory.

He enjoys munching them, though it’s not something we encourage. If he were a human female we might think he was ‘in an interesting condition.’

Gilbert with Selene-the-vet (left) last week

Playtime 

We’ve told him that Saturday is going to be very exciting for him but he looks quizzically at us, wondering if it means food - hoping it means food. So far, he’s liked everything he’s tried. Carrots are a particular favourite, but he also likes bananas, apples, pears, peaches, scrambled egg . . . well, anything, really. He takes his lead from Roxy, who considers that if the humans are eating something, it must be good. However, Roxy doesn't realise that the humans don't always eat things that are good for them - or for her.

Falling asleep with toys

Gilbert has been trying his paw at creative paper crafts, though we shall have to wait to see if he displays the same talent as Gus. The following is a critique of Gus’s work when he was 14 months old. It was published on February 10^th, 2011.

Gus is an artist who displays distinction and diversity as he practises in different media. Still young, he has nonetheless shown great imagination and skill in his works to date and the art world expects great things of him as he matures. Below are two examples he intends to enter for the 2011 Turner Prize. As in previous years the Turner Prize Exhibition will be held at the Tate Britain in October. 

Gus's first exhibit is a wood carving he finished in the autumn of last year. Note the delicacy of the work and the contrast between the apparently random shapes and sizes. Some elements are so small as to be almost unnoticeable were it not for the strong background colour of the mount he chose for his work.

For his second piece Gus chose to work with found materials and selected a small tea carton on which to work his magic. He had intended to attempt an origami structure but discovered that the different textures he achieved made a more pleasing display. Note how some elements are roughly, almost crudely, torn, while others retain approximately their original form. Yet other components have been subtly punched to give an embossed texture. Again, the background has been cleverly selected to show the work to its best advantage. The dust and hairs are an integral part of the whole oeuvre.

Be sure to look out for Gus's name in the shortlist for the Turner Prize - we have high hopes for him.

 Sadly, Gus’s genius went unrecognised and he focused his attention elsewhere.

Yesterday, Gilbert tried gardening but then decided that playing with the empty pot was more fun, tossing it in the air and pouncing on it, rather like a cat. Bit confused, Gilbert?