. I had a mini heart attack today. (Not a real one.)
Earlier in the day, I was wrapping Xmas presents on the dining room table. This year's theme is "organic" and "natural," so I am using plain brown paper wrapping and dressing it up with fern seed fronds I collected from the yard as well as oats (which I also grow), and a few bows.
I had a piece of plain white string, the kind you use for household stuff. I had cut it and was dangling it in front of Luther, who loves to play whenever, however. He leapt at it,and then I remembered I had some name tags upstairs, so I dropped the string to Luther, who has at least 3 other assorted strings laying around the house, while I went upstairs. I came back down in less than a minute, JUST IN TIME TO SEE LUTHER LICKING HIS CHOPS, the way he does when he's just eating something really good.
The string. I looked all around. Could not find it. It was a mighty long string. That's why I hadn't imagined he would actually swallow it. It had to be at least 15 inches in length.
I began freaking. The thought occurred to me that he might need surgery becus the string could become an obstruction or get all tangled up in his bowels. I went online and began looking for information, imagining the many hundreds I'd spend when I don't have the budget for this. Somewhere I read that others had given their cats laxatives daily until the cat passed it, but sometimes they didn't and they had to rush their pets to emergency surgery when the cat stopped eating in a day or two.
I gave Luther the laxative treats, which he loves. They don't call him "Hoover" for nothing!
A little later, i went down to the basement to do a load of laundry and I noticed either cat poop or vomit on the concrete floor. I went to clean it up with a paper towel and I saw that it was vomit.
Lo and behold, an early Christmas miracle...there was the long piece of white string covered with some cat food and a few of those laxative treats.
I feel SO relieved. I immediately threw away 2 of the strings I had laying around the house.
That's him, on the right.
In other news...
Got together with my friend and we drove down to a neighboring town to check out a brand new health food store. They had a huge selection of everything. Now while I'm used to health food store prices, this store was way too expensive for me to consider visiting with any kind of regularity. They did, however, have lots of free samples of stuff, everything from cereal to lip balm to organic raisins to vitamin supplements, so i grabbed one of everything 
After that, we hit a gift shop for holiday browsing and then, after debating whether to grab a bite at a cheap diner somewhere when i really didn't want to spend the $$, she invited me over her house and we had a cup of tea and caught up. I gave her her Xmas present early (a collection of chocolates from Trader Joe's) and we broke into a Peruvian chocolate, which was pretty good.
Then, becus I desperately need the exercise, I walked home from her house, about a 15-minute walk, right before dark. It was cold, but I'm so glad I did it.
Last night i watched a good netflix movie, As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me. It was a WWII movie about a German soldier who landed in a Russian concentration camp, escaped the camp and walked 8,000 miles across Siberia back to Germany. It took him 3 years and is based on a true story.
A Close Call With Luther
December 19th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
December 19th, 2010 at 10:18 pm 1292797131
December 20th, 2010 at 01:19 am 1292807994
WARNING - SOMEWHAT GROSS STORY BELOW!
When my best friend's kitten was small, we were out shopping & got a frantic call from her boyfriend. The little kitten took a long piece of floss out of the trashcan & ate it. It had made it all the way through his system & part of it was out & part still in. Long story short, he panicked & she had to go home & manually help get the thing out. EW! lol
December 20th, 2010 at 03:01 am 1292814089
OMG! Those cats look like they are holding hands, er, paws, in that photo!!
December 20th, 2010 at 03:08 am 1292814502
December 20th, 2010 at 06:03 am 1292824982
December 21st, 2010 at 03:05 am 1292900701
December 21st, 2010 at 06:07 pm 1292954824
Yes, that is scary. When we moved, my mutt got a hold of a needle and thread hanging from a bulletin board that was leaning against the wall. Thankfully I was standing right there when she did it!! Eek.
December 24th, 2010 at 07:48 pm 1293220107
January 5th, 2011 at 05:59 pm 1294250380