Official Squatch Watchers

[staceyj]

Ok folks I'm a bit irritated at family. Apparently my grandfather was in a car accident a couple weeks ago. He passed. They scheduled the wake for yesterday and the funeral today. How on earth could I make it? He adopted my parents before I was born so that I could carry on his name. My eldest grandson probably hates us as we've had no access to him since he was three. My other grandson has MD and most likely won't out live me. I feel like I've totally failed him.

Oh gosh.
I’m sorry Bob.
They should have contacted you sooner.
That was wrong of them.

“Family stuff” gets so complicated with hurt feelings and what not.

You can’t beat yourself up.
You didn’t know. And I’m not being callus.
Buying a last minute plane ticket won’t bring the man back, nor will it make the jerks happy.

Spend some time today outside or doing something you enjoy and recall memories of your grandfather.

I’m always game for a good story. Tell me one or two or ten.

 

[staceyj]

Hi @Anansi

I see you working through the pages.

I’ve been up with my cat.
Waiting for the vets to open at 8 am eastern.

He put him little arm under the stove while I was doing the dishes after dinner (piece of dog cookie shot under there) like under the warming drawer, and sliced the helllllllll out of it.

I looked over and he was just sitting there with a perplexed look on his face holding his arm way up high while the blood ran everywhere.

I got the bleeding to stop.
Cleaned it. Neosporin-ed it. Gauze. Then wrapped it with vet wrap.

Fun fact. The 3M brand vet wrap I recently bought from chewy.... it’s worthless.
Hardly sticks.

I’ve literaly been holding him and wrestling with him all night because everytime I let go of him he tears off the bandage and goes at the gash which is all the way open.

Pretty sure he’ll need a couple of stitches or a good glue job.
AND DEFINITELY A CONE OF SHAME!!!!!!!
DH wasn’t up to the task of holding for any procedures.

If there’s blood involved, or you can “see the inside” he’s not available to assist.

Can definitely “see the inside” of this kitty’s arm.

 

[Molpet]

Hi @Anansi

I see you working through the pages.

I’ve been up with my cat.
Waiting for the vets to open at 8 am eastern.

He put him little arm under the stove while I was doing the dishes after dinner (piece of dog cookie shot under there) like under the warming drawer, and sliced the helllllllll out of it.

I looked over and he was just sitting there with a perplexed look on his face holding his arm way up high while the blood ran everywhere.

I got the bleeding to stop.
Cleaned it. Neosporin-ed it. Gauze. Then wrapped it with vet wrap.

Fun fact. The 3M brand vet wrap I recently bought from chewy.... it’s worthless.
Hardly sticks.

I’ve literaly been holding him and wrestling with him all night because everytime I let go of him he tears off the bandage and goes at the gash which is all the way open.

Pretty sure he’ll need a couple of stitches or a good glue job.
AND DEFINITELY A CONE OF SHAME!!!!!!!
DH wasn’t up to the task of holding for any procedures.

If there’s blood involved, or you can “see the inside” he’s not available to assist.

Can definitely “see the inside” of this kitty’s arm.

Poor Kitty

 

[staceyj]

Poor Kitty

Yeah. Thanks. He is a poor kitty right now.

You know what makes me
Angry as all get out?
This Stove!
The bottom of the frame is so razor sharp under there!

2 years ago the same exact thing happened to our OTHER cat. (the one who passed away last spring).
Same arm. Same location. Just not as BAD as this one.

I don’t know what to do about it except take out the drawer and maybe put a couple layers of duct tape everywhere.

You’d think Samsung would have rolled the edges of the metal or SOMETHING for safety!!!!! The same thing could happen to me if I removed the drawer and reached under there with my hand to wipe the floor.

 

[Anansi]

Yep, just catching up, Stacey. Ouch, poor Kitty. Try wrapping it, then using tape to keep it on, making sure that the tape sticks to some of the fur.

Gurtrude is doing much better, gaining some weight back, actually eating some food during the day, acting like herself. We even had a "Who's the bigger chicken?" contest after Bailey got them going with his barking. She's still on antibiotics, maloxicam and metronidizole, but the egg peritonitis is a lot better. We'll be spaying her in a month or two so the issue is permanently resolved. In the meantime, I make sure to fill her up every night with a baby food and crushed layer pellet mix that I can roll in to balls, which I put in the back of her mouth past her tongue so she swallows it. She also gets her meds at that time, 2 by mouth and a shot in her breast muscle. She also gets about 18 mL of probiotic enhanced water, and then she gets to go back to her out time.

@rjohns39 Don't feel like you've failed, you haven't. You've done everything that any other good parent, or child, would have done. You can't be at the funeral because you weren't given the information early enough to make the needed arrangements. You don't have contact with the one grandchild for reasons beyond your control. When they are old enough and wise enough, they will know why, and they won't hold anything against you. Absence doesn't mean hate, that comes from untruths and omissions by those who are there. Once they are a legal adult, it will be easier to be a part of their life again, if they choose. Just remember, you are loved for who you are, not for the progeny that keep the name going, nor for their progeny. A family name is nothing more than letters strung together so we can get the right person, but names eventually die out on some family trees even when the bloodline doesn't. My branch of the family tree will see the name die out when my brother dies, as all of my cousins in that side are female, but the bloodline continues because among those of us with kids, there are 10 more that could have kids of their own if they choose. Yes, having the family name continue would be nice, but having a family that knows they are loved, regardless of actions, is worth more in the end. You are doing your best, and I know you love all of your kids and grandkids, even if they don't know for whatever the reason is. So don't feel down or like you're a failure, cuz your grandpa wouldn't think that way, and neither do we.

 

[staceyj]

Yep, just catching up, Stacey. Gurtrude is doing much better, gaining some weight back, actually eating some food during the day, acting like herself. We even had a "Who's the bigger chicken?" contest after Bailey got them going with his barking. She's still on antibiotics, maloxicam and metronidizole, but the egg peritonitis is a lot better. We'll be spaying her in a month or two so the issue is permanently resolved. In the meantime, I make sure to fill her up every night with a baby food and crushed layer pellet mix that I can roll in to balls, which I put in the back of her mouth past her tongue so she swallows it. She also gets her meds at that time, 2 by mouth and a shot in her breast muscle. She also gets about 18 mL of probiotic enhanced water, and then she gets to go back to her out time.

@rjohns39 Don't feel like you've failed, you haven't. You've done everything that any other good parent, or child, would have done. You can't be at the funeral because you weren't given the information early enough to make the needed arrangements. You don't have contact with the one grandchild for reasons beyond your control. When they are old enough and wise enough, they will know why, and they won't hold anything against you. Absence doesn't mean hate, that comes from untruths and omissions by those who are there. Once they are a legal adult, it will be easier to be a part of their life again, if they choose. Just remember, you are loved for who you are, not for the progeny that keep the name going, nor for their progeny. A family name is nothing more than letters strung together so we can get the right person, but names eventually die out on some family trees even when the bloodline doesn't. My branch of the family tree will see the name die out when my brother dies, as all of my cousins in that side are female, but the bloodline continues because among those of us with kids, there are 10 more that could have kids of their own if they choose. Yes, having the family name continue would be nice, but having a family that knows they are loved, regardless of actions, is with more in the end. You are doing your best, and I know you love all of your kids and grandkids, even if they don't know for whatever the reason is. So don't feel down or like you're a failure, cuz your grandpa wouldn't think that way, and neither do we.

Wow. So eloquently said.
And every word of it so very true.


Someone started a thread about spaying their chicken this morning. Talking to you might be really helpful to them. You have been such an exemplary chicken mama with all you’ve been through with Gertrude!

 

[rjohns39]

Morning folks And thanks

Stacey, you asked for a story. So here goes... Even as a young infallible teen... I had my limits. He was working on the sears tower in Chicago and I had an opportunity to visit the job site. I immediately declared the man was crazy. He was an iron worker and did high work up until he was in a bad car accident that messed up his equilibrium. So, he'd lash a 3/8" cable around an I beam step up on it and the crane would lift him hundreds of feet into the air. He'd step off the I-beam onto one already attached to the structure and have a seat. Then the crane would maneuver the beam back to him. He'd put in two bolts and then shimmy out to the end and wait for the next one. He liked the hazardous duty pay for doing the high work. And apparently, he was very good at it.

 

[Suzi18]

Morning folks And thanks

Stacey, you asked for a story. So here goes... Even as a young infallible teen... I had my limits. He was working on the sears tower in Chicago and I had an opportunity to visit the job site. I immediately declared the man was crazy. He was an iron worker and did high work up until he was in a bad car accident that messed up his equilibrium. So, he'd lash a 3/8" cable around an I beam step up on it and the crane would lift him hundreds of feet into the air. He'd step off the I-beam onto one already attached to the structure and have a seat. Then the crane would maneuver the beam back to him. He'd put in two bolts and then shimmy out to the end and wait for the next one. He liked the hazardous duty pay for doing the high work. And apparently, he was very good at it.

That gives me Vertigo just thinking about it

 

[Suzi18]

Oh @staceyj . That poor kitty.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Hi @Anansi

I see you working through the pages.

I’ve been up with my cat.
Waiting for the vets to open at 8 am eastern.

He put him little arm under the stove while I was doing the dishes after dinner (piece of dog cookie shot under there) like under the warming drawer, and sliced the helllllllll out of it.

I looked over and he was just sitting there with a perplexed look on his face holding his arm way up high while the blood ran everywhere.

I got the bleeding to stop.
Cleaned it. Neosporin-ed it. Gauze. Then wrapped it with vet wrap.

Fun fact. The 3M brand vet wrap I recently bought from chewy.... it’s worthless.
Hardly sticks.

I’ve literaly been holding him and wrestling with him all night because everytime I let go of him he tears off the bandage and goes at the gash which is all the way open.

Pretty sure he’ll need a couple of stitches or a good glue job.
AND DEFINITELY A CONE OF SHAME!!!!!!!
DH wasn’t up to the task of holding for any procedures.

If there’s blood involved, or you can “see the inside” he’s not available to assist.

Can definitely “see the inside” of this kitty’s arm.

Poor kitty! Definitely duct tape the heck out of that drawer.