Mama Gets the All Clear

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here. One of the Guardians came home early from work yesterday to take Mama Cat to The Bad Place again. I gathered that this was a planned visit to ensure that her eye had healed well after the grass seed was removed. Planned or not, she was not happy to go. I saw a photo of her that was taken by the Guardian while they were in The Bad Place exam room. Mama looked pretty angry.

Mama did not look happy at The Bad Place.

Fortunately, I found out from Mama when she got home that the good people at The Bad Place said her eye had fully healed. She was excited because it means that she will no longer have to endure the Guardians putting drops in her eye every 6 hours. I thought that was pretty awesome too! So, to review, here is how Mama looked about two weeks ago:

Here’s Mama on July 6, when she came and asked us for help.

And here’s Mama yesterday, about two hours after she got home from The Bad Place:

Here’s Mama yesterday, after she got home from The Bad Place.

Oh, and not only does she now have two beautiful eyes again, she has also gained a half pound during the time she has been inside. That’s a good thing, because she was skin and bones before, but I wonder if that additional weight will affect her ability to perform the Flying Squirrel!? I guess time will tell. I’m just thankful she’ll still be able to see the artificial bird with both eyes, and that all of her future Flying Squirrel attempts will be made within the safely confining walls of The Promised Land.

Thanks again to all of you for your kind words and support during Mama Cat’s ordeal. And many thanks to those of you who gave to help fund her medical expenses. All of us, especially the Guardians, were humbled by your generosity which covered nearly three-quarters of Mama’s bill. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our feline and human hearts!

So Says Brother Henry

 

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No News On The Leader, But Good News On Mama

Disciples of Otis,

Brother Oliver here. First of all, let me tell you what is going on with Leader Otis. The Guardians took Him to the specialty Bad Place yesterday, and He was not with them when they returned. I heard them talking, and it sounds like The Leader is going to be gone overnight for a whole bunch of tests. Some of them require him to be anesthetized even. I’m very worried about him, and I know the Guardians are too. Please continue to keep Him in your thoughts and purrs, as I know He can use the support right now.

The Leader is at The Bad Place for a bunch of tests. Please keep Him in your thoughts and purrs.

After the Guardians got home from dropping off Leader Otis at the specialty Bad Place, they looked at Mama’s eye together. They must have decided that her eye still looked bad, because they loaded her up in a portable kitty jail and took her to the regular Bad Place. They were gone for about an hour, and not too long after they returned I got a full report from Mama through the door.

Mama said that they had once again poked prodded and examined her at The Bad Place, and they again focused in on her eye. She said it was scary, but the good people at The Bad Place were very kind, just like last time she was there.

Mama Cat said that this visit to The Bad Place was a lot like last week’s visit.

Mama said that there was one thing very different about this Bad Place Visit though. I guess the good people that were looking at her said they could see something in her eye. They didn’t see it last time she was there because her eye was so swollen, but the swelling had gone down and now this thing was clearly visible. They used a big pair of tweezers to reach into the corner of Mama’s eye and extract the thing they saw. It was a grass seed! That’s why Mama’s eye had been hurting! She had a seed in it!

Here is what they pulled out of Mama’s eye, and what they used to pull it out.

Mama said that she felt much better now that the seed was no longer in her eye. She also said that the Guardians seemed to really feel better too, and that they had given her a big bowl of food and a brushing as soon as she was home from The Bad Place.

Mama Cat said that the Guardians brushed her and fed her as soon as she got home from The Bad Place.

So I think Mama Cat is finally on the true road to recovery now that she no longer has a plant trying to grow on her eyeball. Now we all anxiously await Leader Otis’s tests, and the news they may bring. I know we will probably not have anything new to report by tomorrow though, so I have decided to push up the release date of the second photo in my Whiskered Gallantry series. Hopefully a massive dose of feline handsomeness will make the wait for news about The Leader’s health a little more bearable.

So Sayeth Brother Oliver

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Mama’s Clear Communication Style

My Disciples,

Mama’s been inside a few days now, and so far so good. I think her talk with Thomas really helped her realize that she’s going to be safe from now on. She’s relaxed and playing with toys (even a catnip banana!), and she uses a litter litter box like a champ. We all suspected she would, because while she was in Limbo she was using the loose dirt in the Guardians’ garden like a champ. Ummm… yuck.

Yesterday when the bigger Guardian returned home, he went in to see Mama and put drops in her eye. Unfortunately, her eye had become crusted completely shut, making administering the drops difficult.

Mama Cat’s eyelid had crusted shut.

Now, this Guardian, who definitely knows better, must have lost his head for a moment. He tried to dab Mama’s eye with a warm, damp washcloth without paying close enough attention to the signals she was giving him. She communicated with him, in no uncertain terms, that her eye was painful and that touching it was neither welcomed nor appreciated.

Mama Cat clearly let the Guardian know what she thought about him touching her eye.

After cleaning his scratches, the Guardian regrouped, gently restrained Mama and gently dabbed her eyelids. The lid separated a bit and the eyedrops were successfully administered. Afterward, he gave Mama much praise and many pets. She purred, sat on his lap for a while and then climbed up onto a soft bed on a bookshelf to rest.

Mama Cat climbed up on the bookshelf to rest after being medicated and soothed.

The good news is, the Guardians only need to do this whole process once every six hours or so! Poor Mama. Still, I have never heard purr so loud or so often as I have in the past three days. That sound is music to all of our ears here at Cult of Otis.

So Sayeth Otis

PS- Thank you all so much for the contributions toward Mama’s care! We are all blown away by your caring and generosity, and humbled by your trust and support.  Again, thank you, from the bottom of our feline and human hearts.

 

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At Your Service M’Lady

People and fur people who like The Leader Otis,

It’s Thomas. Yesterday, after the Guardians went to work, I snuck downstairs to check on Mama Cat. I sat near the office door and shouted, “M’LADY! ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME, M’LADY?” Then I turned one ear toward the door and listened.

I called out to see if Mama Cat was there, then I listened for a reply.

I heard a sound that sounded like a kitty jumping down off of something, and then I heard Mama Cat’s voice say, “Sir Thomas? Is that you? I’m here! I’m right on the other side of the door!”

Mama Cat answered. She said she was on the other side of the door.

I said, “It’s good to hear your voice coming from INSIDE the house, M’lady! How was your visit to The Bad Place yesterday?” Mama replied, “Well, it was a little bit scary. First I was placed on a table in a bright room.”

Mama Cat said that first she was placed on a table in a bright room.

Mama Cat continued, “Next, I remember being looked at from every angle. I was turned this way and that as they checked over every bit of my body.”

Mama Cat said she was looked over very thoroughly.

Mama Cat went on, “They eventually focused in on my eye, which I didn’t like, but I’m pretty sure they only wanted to help.”

Mama Cat said they eventually focused on her eye.

I asked Mama what else had happened at The Bad Place and she said, “Well, I remember being weighed, and they stuck some sharp metal thing in my leg for some reason, and… wait… Sir Thomas, haven’t you ever been to The Bad Place?” Feeling a little sheepish, I replied, “Ummm.. yes, I have M’lady, but I was sedated the entire time and don’t remember any of it. I kind of tend to lose my stuff when people handle me…”

Mama chuckled a little bit and said, “That’s OK, Sir Thomas. I’ve lost my stuff a time or two in my life as well.” Then she paused a moment before saying, “So… when do you think I have to go back outside?” Slightly stunned by the question I replied, “Mama, what are you talking about? There’s no going back outside. They brought me in here over a year ago, and I’ve been back out exactly zero times, I mean, except for outside in The Leader’s Outdoor Domain. It’s safe out there.”

I could hear relief in Mama’s voice as she said, “No more back outside… I didn’t think that was possible… Alright then. If you’ll excuse me, Sir Thomas, I think I’ll take another nap on this nice, soft blanket in front of the window!” I heard her jump back up to her bed and plop down.

Mama Cat jumped back up on her bed to take another nap.

I headed back upstairs to Kitty Valhalla to take a nap of my own. I slept a little bit more soundly knowing that Mama Cat was now within the same walls that protect me.

Thomas Out

*Special Announcement From Leader Otis*

I have had inquiries via email and in the blog comments from Disciples who wanted to know if they could make a contribution to help pay for Mama Cat’s care. The Guardians are fully committed to caring for Mama Cat no matter what, but I know they would truly be thankful for any support. If you would like to contribute, you can do so on the Paypal website. Just put our email address in the “To” field. It is: cultofotis@gmail.com.

What’s Next For Mama Cat?

Disciples of The Leader Otis,

Brother Henry here. I just wanted to let you know that both Mama Cat and Brother Oliver survived their Bad Place visit yesterday. Brother Oliver’s ack-knee apparently isn’t too bad, and the good people at The Bad Place gave the Guardians some kind of wipes to use on his sores. He should be fine in no time.

Mama Cat’s eye was also not as bad as it could have been. I overheard the Guardians saying that her eyeball was not scratched or punctured, but that her “con junked iva” was infected. I have no idea what that means, but apparently treating it requires that Mama Cat has antibiotic drops put in her eye every six hours. So where’s Mama Cat now, you ask? Well, have a look.

Mama Cat has entered My Indoor Domain.

The Guardians have set up the office and an adjoining bathroom to serve as the Mama Cat Convalescent Quarters. There she will stay while she undergoes her eye treatments. You can never be sure how a kitty is going to react to a sudden change of living situation, but so far Mama Cat is adjusting well. She was a little nervous about the closed doors at first, but with a lot of pets, soothing words and general reassurance from the Guardians, she settled down quickly.

Mama Cat is doing well. So far, she hasn’t even come close to losing her stuff.

So what’s next for Mama Cat? From the discussion I heard the Guardians having, it’s too early to know. Apparently, they asked the good people at The Bad Place to test Mama Cat for a number of different ailments. They wanted to know how her health is overall and if she had any weird combinations of letters. The combinations they seemed particularly concerned about were F, I, and V, and F, E, L, and V. I gathered that either of those combos would be bad.

Anyway, one thing is definitely not next for Mama Cat. She is not getting dumped back outside in the world without walls, not if we here at The Cult of Otis have anything to say about it. And you know what, we do! Mama is currently relaxing on the proper side of a window for a kitty, and she is under our protection.

Mama is now on the proper side of the window, and she is under our protection.

So for now Mama is safe, and you can rest assured she will remain that way. Not only is she now contained by solid walls, doors and windows, she is being defended by 17-pounds of tabby fury and 10-pounds of whiskered gallantry! That’s right, Agent H and Sir Thomas are on the job! Any who seek to harm Mama Cat will be met with the full measure of our combined might!

So Says Brother Henry

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Mama Hurt Her Eye

My Disciples,

It all started when I heard a voice coming from My Outdoor Domain saying, “Leader Otis? Are you in there? I need help!” I made my way outside where I found Mama Cat  sitting just outside the wire.

Mama Cat was calling for Me. She said she needed help.

I asked Mama Cat what was wrong. As she looked up at Me, I could see it immediately. She said, “It’s my eye, Leader Otis. It hurts!”

Mama cat said her eye hurt. It did look very painful.

I was alarmed by the look of Mama’s eye. I shouted out, “Brothers! Get out here! Mama Cat is in trouble!” Brothers Henry and Oliver came running, and when they saw Mama Cat, they too were instantly concerned. She was rubbing her eye with her paw because it was bothering her so much. I had to look away.

The Brothers were just as concerned as I was. I had to look away because I felt so bad for Mama.

Brother Henry asked Mama to come over onto the chair in the Mama Snuggle Shack 3000 so he could see her better. He inspected her and then said, “Guys… we need the Guardians. We can’t handle this alone.”

Brother Henry inspected Mama and then said that we needed the Guardians.

The Brothers and I started yowling our heads off, and the Guardians came running to see what was the matter. When they saw Mama Cat they grew very concerned. They picked her up and inspected her eye closely. One of them carried her over to her guardian’s house and knocked on both the front and back doors. There was no answer. They monitored Mama closely for the next day and continued to try to contact her guardian. This morning Mama’s eye looked more swollen, so the Guardians decided enough was enough. Mama needed veterinary care. Her guardian was clearly not going to provide it, so it was up to the Guardians of Otis. They scooped Mama up in a carrier to take her to The Bad Place.

The Guardians scooped Mama up in a pet carrier to take her to The Bad Place.

We were all very excited that Mama was going to get the care she needed. Well… all of us except Brother Oliver. The Guardians put him in a carrier to go the The Bad Place as well. Apparently he has something called “ack-knee” that they are concerned about. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds like something you get from acking up a hairball on your knee.

Brother Oliver had to go to The Bad Place too because he has an “ack-knee”

So both kitties are at The Bad Place right now. I know they are scared, but hopefully they are getting the help they need to feel better. Hopefully I will have some good news on them to share tomorrow.

So Sayeth Otis

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