by Rondo, aka Chatty Charlie,

Well, folks, this has been quite a week!!!  As you know we, all but Gentle Mousie, were on an adventure to see Dr. Whitecoat recently.  It was time for our rabies shots and annual checkups two weeks ago.

Well, I don't like to brag but I am a healthy boy.  Weight stable, all bloodwork normal and nails trimmed.  You can call me Mr. Perfect, if you like.  *Giggles*  Yep, that's me. Mr. Perfect.

As for Sweetie, we'll leave that for another time.  BUT....

Let me tell you about my brother.  Etude, like me had a weigh-in, blood work and his nails trimmed and that was all good... but he hasn't been brushing his toofies properly.  He had to go back last week to have a whole bunch (well, it was only 5) removed.  I think the doctor said it looked like he'd been smacked in the cheek and cracked a few.   Surgery went well and dopey Mr 3-Fangs Gummybear has been on meds and will be until he goes back for his follow-up appointment next week. 

Now, the main instruction on his returning home was 'NO JUMPING ON OR OFF THE FURNITURE'.  Not a good idea when you've just had mouth surgery and you're still loopy from the meds.  And as he wouldn't obey Grammy was forced to assemble the puppy crate ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE and pop him into it.   Well, you'd think he was at the Ritz.  Big comfy bed - warmed, no less. A curtain to keep out the drafts and 24 hour room service.  Mr Sultan of M&M Central was a model guest at Hotel Ritz.  

Saturday he did give Grammy a bit of a scare though... when he checked out that morning he refused to pee or poop.  Had he figured he's lost enough (his teeth, you know) and wasn't parting with anything else?  Meds bunged him up?  We didn't know.  So, Grammy was on edge all day.  She popped him back into his ritzy room and was on Pee alert ALL DAY.  FINALLY just before lights out bedtime the effluvia in here was thick.  BUT Grammy was over-the-moon happy and relieved. Phew!  So after his 3 night stay he's checked out Sunday morning and we have a dining-room once again.

Only one problem... he skipped out without paying the bill.  What a scamp!

by Sweetie, intrepid defender of family and mischief maker

Hello, friends. 

Well, the merry-go-round has begun.  Yes, our wee Gentle Mousie keeps Grammy on her toes.  Grammy thought she had a reaction to her glaucoma meds. So, after a call to the vet, stopping the meds for a few days they had to trek off to see Dr. Whitecoat once again.

It turns out her eyes are inflamed and the tears are not draining properly, thus the buildup of mucus and junk.  And despite being on the meds for a few weeks her eye pressure in the left eye had gone up.   Poor wee mite. 

Not only do we (Grammy, that is) have to administer Mousie's glaucoma meds in the bad eye twice a day but now she needs an anti-inflammatory in both eyes three times a day.  Good luck Grammy.     AND she has to be kept separate from the bouncy, pick-on-Mousie boys.  She is so fragile that any bump on the head could do irreparable damage to those eyes.  Between that, her heart and a propensity for bladder stones the little miss is a mess.

Mousie has to continue to be  confined to the bedroom whenever Grammy is unable to supervise the boys around her.  Such a lonely life, though for the most part she doesn't seem to mind.   Luckily Grammy is home a lot so she joins and snuggles with Grammy while she knits in the livingroom.  Because I'm a good girl I am allowed to join her in the bedroom to keep her company except at mealtimes.  We usually just find our favourite spots to sleep and settle down for an afternoon snooze-fest.  

Night times aren't a problem as the wee Mouse sleeps head to head with Grammy on her pillow and the boys don't dare go near her.  Grammy is quick to react if they try.

So, bi-weekly visits to the vet for the foreseeable future.  

All I can say is, "I'm glad it isn't me!" 

Oh, and as for the rest of us... We are all well and full of mischief. 

That's it for today.

by Mousie, 'giggling all the way' blogger

Good morning, friends.  I'm having a great giggle today even though the topic at hand isn't really funny.  But my imagination has run wild with this.

Firstly, you all know that Etude has suffered from PTSD since Grammy's accident last August.  As we've mentioned before, he clings to his brother or Grammy like Velcro. AND despite the fact the ol' girl rubs topical Gabapentin to the inside of his ear flap to calm him.  Still, he chews the fur off his legs when Grammy isn't watching.   He looks pretty goofy from behind  with  his pink 'udder' swaying side to side.  It is whitening as fur regrows but still looks ridiculous.  *stops typing to roll on the floor laughing*  Add to that his bare spindly legs and it is totally hilarious.  *stops to giggle again*

SO, like the helpful kitties we are, we decided maybe a onesie would be the answer.  Great idea, don't you think?   So, we've passed the task to Grammy to find a onesie for a sixteen pounder with long sleeves and legs.  Oops, I mean, a onesie with long sleeves and legs for a sixteen pounder.  

Well, she went searching and found the greatest onsies. - pink flowers for a pink tummied boy, or covered in llamas or bunnies, or maybe even bumble bees or dragon flies.  Oh, no, those are too much.  Go for the flowers, Grammy! 

Then, the image *giggles uncontrollably* of Grammy trying to dress him in it was too much.  Can you see it?  Grammy wrestling with a slippery-furred dude with claws like knives and razor sharp teeth?  *suddenly sobers up*  but then I thought, what if that makes his PTSD even worse?  Can't take a chance.  KITTEN WHISKERS

Oh, too bad! Thought we had a solution.  I guess Grammy and Rondo will just have to put up with velcro-cat clinging to them.

Well, that's it for now, folks.

by Rondo, chronicler of the ridiculous

Good morning, friends.  So nice to be in the zone again.

Well, the latest in a long line of stupidities... first, Grammy and now, my brother Etude.   I guess you  have heard that Etude and I have been on a diet - special food to help make us feel full but also it helps us lose weight.  Well, it has worked.  BUT, Etude has started supplementing his diet with a little extra fibre.  FUR, to be exact!  He's been eating his fur - first off his front legs, then the back ones were nibbled at and now his belly is pink and bare.  So Gross!  Disgustingly Gross!

What's that Grammy? 

He's stressed?  Nahhhhh!  That's silly.  What could there be to stress about? 

What?  You must be joking.  He doesn't like to be picked on by me?  AND he doesn't like all the commotion that began when you fell, Grammy?  Pshaw!  That's Hog wash!  We needed a little excitement around here.  It's been pretty boring since Spring and COVID hit.

Well, maybe I should distract him.   Now, that's a great idea.  Distraction'll do it!

Etude, come here!  Yes, come here!  I want to nibble on your neck. Oh, gross!  No, of course not!  I'm not going to eat your fur!  You've eaten enough of that yourself and Grammy doesn't have time to knit you a sweater. 

But, If I nibble your neck it'll distract you from chewing your ankles and belly.   Oh, you're no fun!  Well, then, your only other option is to wear the CONE OF SHAME!  *giggles*   So, the cone of shame it is?  

So, let me see.  How about some nicknames for you.  Hmmmm!  Think! Think! Think! Speak up if you like one of them. 

How about Flashlight?  *giggles*  Blink you're eyes and you could send Morse code messages to us at night so we don't disturb Grammy's sleep.  *Silence from Etude*

Or, Megaphone?  Yes, that's a great one.  Have you noticed the radio or television are louder than usual.  Me thinks the old girl is a little hard of hearing... well, a little more than usual. *giggles*  You could be our spokescat... and with the cone on you wouldn't have to shout and damage our ears.  *Deeper silence from Etude*  

Or, we could pretend you are an ice cream cone and lick your face.  Yep, Sweetie would like that.  She loves to wash faces.  Now what?   Oh, I got it wrong?  She like's having her face washed.   Okay then, you wear the cone, Sweetie. 

Not a chance, Rondo.  I'm out of here!  *Sweetie scampers away while Etude blinks light daggers:   -. ---  stop ...-- -- .--. .... -. - .- -.-. -. --- stop  (Translated:  NO!  and  an EMPHATIC NO!)

Or,  Here we go!  How about this? Put the cone on upside down and we will decorate it with ornaments and garlands and you can be our Blue Spruce Christmas Tree.  Of course, blue spruce, silly.  The cone is blue!   Ooooh!  Hear that, Grammy!  GRAMMY?  DID YOU HEAR THAT? *aside - the old girl needs a hearing aid*  You don't need to put up a tree this year.   ETUDE'S 'VOLUNTEERING' TO BE OUR CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR!

Oh, oh, oh - or better yet, we could put Etude on a Lazy Susan, add some cat toys to the 'tree' and  spin him like a whirling top?  I like that idea.   Yep, best idea yet!  *Etude's eyes go wide and he faints*   Well, at least now he won't chew his legs for a while. 

Glad to be of help, Grammy.

Well, that's all for this week, friends.  But if you have any suggestions, please comment.  We all want to make him feel better, don't we?

by Mousie, chronicler of mischief and mayhem

Good morning, friends. 
 
I'm a little bemused and dismayed.  We just the results of my latest bloodwork.  Bemused because Dr. Whitecoat just called to tell us nothing showed up in the bloodwork.  BUT, because I've been  throwing up a small amount of bile in the mornings despite Grammy making sure we eat after midnight.  This is upsetting to both the vettie and Grammy. 

So, I'm dismayed because for the next three days I have to have oral meds to settle the tummy.  This is a two person job and if that doesn't work then Grammy has to stick me with needles for an additional three days.  Grammy says it is a two person task because I am a wriggly little 'monkey' when it comes to taking medications.    I agree.  I am a wriggly little monkey but that's 'cause I don't like medicine. So there, Grammy!   BUT forget me.  I have lots to tell you about the sibs and mummy.

Grammy ordered Mummy Whiskers a new marshmallow bed.  I can attest to you that it is extremely comfortable.  Now, we all have tried the bed out and while we know it was purchased with Whiskers in mind, she's been kind enough to let us give it a test run.  Since then though, mummy decided it should be ours (hers and mine) exclusively.  I'm quite happy about that.  *giggles*

When Grammy checked our room she was so pleased to find mummy curled up in her marshmallow doughnut sleeping soundly.  It was the first time in weeks that she totally relaxed, so much so that she didn't stir when Grammy got out the camera and took photos.  Great choice, Grammy.  Good on ya!

The other item Grammy purchased at the same time was a fishy for us.  The company was quite generous and sent two since our parcel would be delayed in shipping.  We thought that was very sweet of them.

Now here's the thing about these fishies.  They are pretty big, in fact bigger than a catnip banana and almost as big as me.  Our usually intrepid Sweetie was a little put off by it as you'll see in the video collage posted at the bottom of this blog. 

Quite surprisingly, Rondo likes it though he isn't as active as Grammy would like. He reassured Sweetie that it was safe to play with but she is a little skeptical.  She doesn't trust those boys completely, and who can blame her.  They regularly entice her to snuggle with them and then pounce on her and bite her neck.  Nasty little twerps that they are.   Oh, don't get me wrong.  We still love them BUT they can be sweet and cuddly and absolutely adorable for ages.  And just when we let our guard down suddenly they snap and whichever of us is closest, Mummy, Sweetie or little darling me, get the bitey treatment. And it hurts.

So, back to the fishies.  They flip and flop around on the floor enticing the boys to play.  At least that was the idea.  Grammy opened the packages and there inside was a USB cable and inside the velcroed belly of the fish is a device that when charged and turned on will act like a fish newly pulled from the lake.  FLIP, FLOP, FLUTTER.  It is very funny. 

Oh while I remember, if you order one, you need to be able to plug it into a USB port either on the computer or with an adapter for the wall plug.  The wall adapter does NOT  come with it.  The good news is the android adapter for cellphones and apple adapter for the iPad will charge them.  A red light comes on while in charging mode and shuts off when fully charged.   Both fish charged quickly and have lasted a more than 4 days.

Also, there's an internal on/off switch so you can turn it off if the flipping and flopping is too scary for kitties or while they adjust to the action.   Leave it off over night unless you don't mind us playing with it at three in the morning.  It isn't loud but can be disturbing to sleepy humans or startling to sleepy kitties if accidentally kicked by a dopey Grammy.  

So, the fishies are a hit with Rondo, a curiosity for Etude, ignored by Whiskers and me and to be wary of according to Sweetie.  I think after watching the ads of kitties going wild with the fishies that our family is weird. 

Well, that's all for today, friends... except THIS VIDEO Grammy put together for you.  Enjoy.

Your wee Gentle Mousie signing off.

by Sweetie, chronicler of mischief and mayhem and the good stuff too.

Dear friends, 

As you may know Whiskers and Mousie were at the vet again last week. Whiskers has lost on average an ounce a week... which doesn't seem a lot but when you clock it out over the long-term she's losing a pound every 3 months.  THAT ISN'T GOOD. 

Mousie over the past few months gained one ounce. Better than losing but not great.  She is still under her pre-bladderstone weight.  She eats well, most days, but isn't gaining as we hoped she would.  In addition, her heart is beating very quickly.  Her issues are a challenge.  She needs a high salt diet for the kidney/bladder flushing but that raises her blood pressure which isn't good. Add to this her heart murmur and things are dicey at best.  So, more blood work has been ordered and we await the results.  

The reason we headed to the vet last week (besides their 6 week checkup) is because these two continue to throw up occasionally.  Grammy tries to ensure they get 6 meals a day and no more than 5 hours apart but occasionally she cannot manage it.  At those times it is very likely but not definite that one or the other will throw up foamy bile the next morning.  This is irritating Whiskers' throat.  So...

The new routine is to give Whiskers, the main culprit, a small dose of a tummy settler before her breakfast, give the other meds daily for a few days then switch back to alternate days and increase her pain meds to up to twice daily.  It seems to be working.   Only had to administer the tummy settler routine once and she was fine all day and the next morning despite Grammy sleeping 8 hours straight.  This is good as Grammy herself has been unwell and needs her own meds and rest.  

Meantime, both spend most of their time in the bedroom, sleeping and snuggling, cuddling and sleeping some more and join Grammy in the family area in the late afternoon and evening and sleep with her through the night. Of course, overnight the boys join Grammy on the bed too which makes for a crowded bed.

The boys seem to be losing weight slowly, which is how Grammy wants it... and despite regular attempts to snaffle an extra meal by harassing Grammy with mriaows of  60 decibels or higher they are doing well.  Neither is starving, I can assure you, though they would beg to differ.

Entering the kitchen seems to activate a stampede to said room and scream response.   Grammy is learning to ignore them when she enters the kitchen and she has also learned to avoid that room except at their specific meal times trying to plan her own mealtimes immediately after they've been fed.   Too bad we can't get them to race madly around the condo to get fit instead of to get food.  Silly boys.

I, Sweetie, am my usual sweet cuddly self.  I nuzzle Grammy's robe in the morning and again mid-afternoon if the boys haven't usurped my spot for a grammy cuddle. Nights are spent prowling the perimeter for errant dust bunnies and oak leaves.  I must protect the pride.

​Well, other than a few photos that's all for this week.  We'll update Facebook once we get the results of Mousie's bloodwork.  Meantime, life goes on.

by Mousie, wee, but feisty blogger.

Good Monday morning, dear friends.  

Last week was quite the eventful week, let me tell you.  I think Grammy has a few thousand more grey hairs than previously.... and we think that's okay because salt and pepper hair looks much better than mouse coloured hair.... and now we match, sort of.

So... Grammy is pressed for time.  Whiskers has to have an ultrasound today... do I'm cheeting and sharing my Facebook post.  We promise to get back to new stuff soon.
 
***********

Wow!  What a week.  I went to see Dr Whitecoat and she Kittenapped me from Grammy and took me home for a night.  Next day I had a really long sleep and when I woke my tummy was sore ... but I got some medicine and the pain went away. 
After Grammy paid a ransome I was allowed to go home with her but I couldn't be with my family.  Just Grammy.  And she kept putting yucky medicine in my mouth.  Gross.  But  at night it was okay because we could cuddle without the brothers bugging us.  I really missed my mommy though.
Then I had to go back to see Dr Whitecoat again 'cause my poopy got stuck.  They pushed this stuff in my bum and now the poopy is gone.  Wow, it was almost as big as Rondo's paw... and that's BIG. 
Now I'm home again and this morning mommy and Sweetie came in to join me for breakfast. Yeah company!
Grammy says I can see the boys tomorrow.  I'm not sure I want to.  They're terrible teases and they might eat all my food. 
Well, I think I'm all better now but Grammy says more meds are needed for a few days. Yucky.
Thank you for all the prayers and for being my friend.  Love you, Gentle Mousie

And so, here it is Monday noon hour and a little update.

But mommy wasn't allowed in with me for one more night... I think they wanted to make sure I was pooping.  Now I AM...  all by myself again.  Yeah!

Mommy and Sweetie spent the weekend in with me and it was so nice to have company.  Well, that was my adventure.  BUT, now Whiskers is getting ready to see the vettie… Dr. Whitecoat AGAIN!  Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, please.

Comments are welcomed.  We look forward to them.

by Mousie, cutest little blogger in history *giggles*

Good morning, dear friends.  
Today we are all discombobulated.  Oh, it is a planned upheaval but it is upheaval nevertheless.  As you know life has had its ups and downs chez Mischief and Mayhem Central for a while now.   Well, today is no different.   

Grammy's day now starts an hour earlier to ensure Whiskers has her morning medication an hour before she eats.  This could be given an hour before her evening meal but Grammy's evenings are not usually stable.  She's in, she's out, she's home early or late.  AND she's usually less focused by dinner time... a necessity when trying to control a cantankerous kitty and administer meds by mouth.  At least, the mornings are somewhat more routine and Grammy is fresh... or sort of.

On top of that we are still in flux about Whiskers' health issues... but we are staying positive and hopeful that it is nothing serious.

So, that having been said, why are we discombobulated?  You may not have heard but our ceiling exhaust for laundry and lave died.   Yes, its little heart gave out and it's noisy chatter has gone mute. Sadly!  

Well, maybe not so sadly.  He was, as I said, noisy... like about a gazillion decibels.   BUT the sadly part is, we need a new one and he was very old.  It isn't a simple, pop out one, pop in another.  Oh no!  Unfortunately, the piping is different and other stuff has to be dealt with before our new exhaust fan can be installed.  This entails removing part of the ceiling.  A dirty, messy job.  Contained, but messy.

Due to the mess it'll create, Grammy has had to empty the bathroom and she will be bathroomless for three days.  Yeeeeew!  She's going to be one stinky Grammy!  No shower.  And even worse, no loo!  We just hope she's not planning to use our litter boxes.  NOOOOOOOOO!  That would not be acceptable.   

What's that, Grammy?   Oh Phew!  She has a backup plan... and wonderful neighbours.   Yes, you know that, don't you!  We have the most amazing neighbours.  In fact, our gem of a neighbour has opened her home to the old girl AND has offered to and is getting a few groceries for Grammy today too.   Talk about a kind, thoughtful lady.  We love her.  

Now you ask what has that got to do with lemons and lemonade?  Well, fan dying is the lemon, of course.  BUT...

Grammy took the opportunity to go through everything in the bathroom, discard what had expired, is no longer used, was superfluous to our lives, well, her life actually .... and it was a lot more than you'd think. Amazing how much you accumulate over the years. How could anyone have thought Grammy was a minimalist?  Not really... She's just tidy and keeps only essentials out but the stuff is/was there... in the cupboards.

So, when the work is finished we will encourage her to do a second go-through and purge some more before putting everything away.  Once back together it'll be like a whole new place.  Clean, fully functional and amazingly ordered.  Lemonade. 

Now where will we be during all of this?  We'll be confined to the bedroom, door closed, kitty door latched during the day and allowed to roam free once Mr Contractor Guy departs.  In other words, at night.  Not the best of scenarios but as Grammy says... it's a must!  Otherwise, Sweetie will be out there supervising and Rondo and Etude will be getting underfoot.  We cannot have that.  

So, I'm off to get some of that delicious lemonade.  See you.

​Comments are welcomed.  Keep them cute, like me.  Okay? 

by Grammy at Mischief and Mayhem Central
​
Recently, as in two weeks ago, we received a Drinkwell Avalon Fountain from PetSafe. We were asked to evaluate it and give our honest opinion.  We are not being paid to do this.

This family has used Drinkwell Fountains for many years: first a plastic model and when that finally wore out a ceramic model.  On setting up the ceramic fountain - the Lotus - all kitties were curious and interacted with it immediately.  (To see video copy and  paste the following link into your browser) - https://www.facebook.com/WhiskersandMouse/videos/311758148961381/ )

The bubbling and dripping noises drew them to it where each chose how they would drink.  Two of them enjoyed drinking from the bubbling top, the others seemed to prefer the overflow spouts.  And the boys loved playing and splashing the water onto the floor.  It was a definite love at first sight.  The bonus for me, their Grammy, is it's compact design which is perfect for small spaces.  While it takes a bit of work to maintain it, it is well worth it to see the cats drinking frequently from it.

The Avalon which we were sent was set up immediately and placed in the kitchen.  Within moments Mousie, our timid, gentle cat drank from the reservoir bowl.  It was an immediate hit with her.  Unfortunately, she didn't stay long enough to get a photo.... but she's a little shy.

The boys, Rondo and Etude, and Sweetie,  aka the cow kitties, were more wary. What was that new noise-maker in the kitchen?  It took a few days of cautious, belly-to-the-floor approaches before they determined it was a fun place to splash and play in the water.  Once over that hurdle they have taken to drinking from it too.

So far Whiskers seems to have no preference.  If she's near the kitchen she'll use the Avalon. If elsewhere in the home she goes to her bubbly Lotus.  Either way, she drinks water which is important.

Grammy is pleased with the Avalon. It is recommended that the fountains be cleaned weekly for optimum performance.  The Avalon is very easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble.  This makes it a pleasure to maintain.  

The water stays fresh longer which can be attributed to the two filters... a foam filter to collect debris and fur and a charcoal filter to remove odours and other contaminants.  

Two things that Grammy thinks would improve the design is a bubbling feature into the upper bowl.... and three overflow spouts - both of these similar in idea to the Lotus.  In small places where the bowl has to be set against a wall or in a corner it would be beneficial to have two spouts which can be positioned toward the front (at 120degrees apart rather than 180) while the bubbling aerates the water... always a bonus.  Not having these modifications in future designs would not deter her from purchasing one.

Two other things Grammy has to say about the Avalon... 

1. A longer cord to the power outlet would be helpful.  It barely reaches from the power outlet to it's place on the floor.  This does not allow for moving it to a more accessible location for the cats.
2. She loves that the main parts are both ceramic. The ceramic seems to keep the water cooler. Minimal plastic parts means less need for replacing aged and easily split plastic - as we found in the Lotus -  and easier cleaning.  Might it be suggested that the Lotus plastic cone be replaced by a ceramic cone?  

Now, having said all that you must know that we are all in favour of this new fountain. For Grammy it is easy to clean, looks classy in the kitchen and comes in two colours (red and white).  The fountain attracts the cats because it makes tinkling noises and the water is cool and fresh tasting.   We give it a 5 paws/one hand up. 

​Read on.... about the importance of keeping your pets hydrated.​

Having had two cats with kidney ailments and renal disease in later life I (Grammy) have learned how important it is to keep our pets at a healthy weight, well-hydrated, and fed good quality food. Here we'll point out a few important facts about animals' needs for hydration - not just in summer but year round.

In a recent study conducted by PetSafe® Brand, it was revealed that 66 percent of Canadians were unaware that lethargy or unusual lack of energy indicates dehydration in their pets.   This is alarming.

These are common signs of dehydration:

• Sunken eyes
• Decreased skin elasticity 
• Loss of appetite 
• Depression

Alarmingly, eight percent of those polled did not recognize any of the signs of dehydration in pets.  

Consider this... pets like humans need plenty of water to stay hydrated.  This is the same whether they are active or sedentary/calm. A simple calculation for pets is  approximately  70 ml of water per kilogram of weight. 

Here are some other tips for keeping your pet hydrated:

• Monitor the weather and exercise pets during the coolest parts of the day
• Maintain a fresh water supply
• Know your pet’s safety limits and the signs of dehydration

So please, keep your pets well-hydrated... not only throughout the summer but year round. Canadian winters can be dry, especially in modern, air-tight, centrally heated homes.

We at Mischief and Mayhem Central recommend PetSafe® Brand which offers several products to help Canadians keep their pets well hydrated.​ ​

Should you wish to... here are links to their website, Facebook and Instagram.

​Website: https://intl.petsafe.net/en-ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetSafeCanada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsafecanada/
​

​All photos in this post are copyright of PetSafe and were borrowed with thanks for this blog.

​Comments are welcomed.  Keep them light and fun.  ​