The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Corin Stormhands]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get too personal.

[RMDupree]

Think "Austin Powers."

No thanks. I'll pass.

Now you've gone and done it! I have Fat Bastard in my head now! AAARRGH!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Seamus, is your kitty immunized for Feline Leukemia?

Yes, he is, as of last year.

The problem is financially, I simply can't afford to pay for all the immunizations...the recent rash of Doctor's bills kind of took a toll.

But, again, I don't want the kittens to be born outside and die of exposure.

And, our local animal shelter is rather dingy and nasty. I'd worry just as much if they were there.

[RMDupree]

You know, I can't recall the name but I do know that it is treated with Amoxicillin usually. FIV is pretty serious too so if Seamus' kitty hasn't had his shots for both Leukemia and FIV, I hope she's clear as well. That stuff is contagious as all getout.

[RMDupree]

Actually, I think it is the dewclaw.

I like to have those removed if they are real "danglers". Some grow close to the leg and pose no harm, but the looser dangling kind of dewclaws snag on things and can hurt like heck! Sometimes the nail can get partially or entirely ripped out. Sounds like something like that may have happened here. OUCH!

If you are taking him down for S-h-o-t-s, you might consider leaving him for the day and having those suckers clipped down or removed completely.

[HairOfTheDog]

It is a real thing that pregnant women are supposed to stay away from cat litter. Not cats necessarily, just shouldn't clean the litterbox.

Toxoplasmosis. Very conservative information here:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pregnant.htm

There is also a risk of Toxoplasmosis from gardening in dirt or raw meat, and incidently, really fresh cat poo isn't infective. Takes 48 hours for the poo to become toxic, so as long as the box is cleaned every day, even pregnant women could do it, though no one recommends that.

[HairOfTheDog]

Look for animal rescue organization, not just the county shelter. I am gonna guess there are several, of varying organization levels, in the area.

If you can't find them in the phone book or online, then call a large vet's office and ask them.

Rather than dyng immediately after birth from exposure, I would be more worried that the kittens are born outside owned by no one and end up feral cats, wild and sick, breeding more just like them to end up killed in the road.

I understand not wanting to take her on. It will be expensive to do right. Try to get her to a safe "no kill" foster rescue place right away.

[Corin Stormhands]

Well, sinced the Mrs. can't take him this afternoon, we're going to leave him for the day tomorrow. I'll have them trim the nails.

[RMDupree]

How's Jess doing now? I'm so glad the docs found it in time! For as heartbreaking as it is to be disappointed in one way, I'd much rather it have happened this way than with the loss of so much more.

Nothing else can be said unfortunately, although I wish I could find the words. Just know that you guys are on my prayer list.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get too personal.

It's ok...I consider all of you friends here, and I know that I can say these things.

[Corin Stormhands]

It's ok...I consider all of you friends here, and I know that I can say these things.

Yes, we are friends here. And this is turning out to be the first place I go for support and answers.

Peace to you and your family.

[HairOfTheDog]

Someone up there likes her.

What a saintly outlook after all you've been through!

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Jess is doing ok...as well as can be expected.

The pain is more emotional than physical at this point, but we're taking it one day at a time.

Jess told me (ater it happened) that she feels "like a failure as a woman".

As a guy, what can I possibly say to that?

So, it's been a bit difficult, but we're making our way through it.,

[ItsOurTimeNow]

What a saintly outlook after all you've been through!

Admittedly, I'm slightly more of a spiritual person than she is, so it's been easier for me to accept.

My view has always been, "everything happens for a reason", she sometimes doesn't see it that way, and gets conflicted.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, as a sometimes-failing-to-be-strong-in-faith person myself, the "everything happens for a reason" argument never brought me much comfort either, when my Mom died from Cancer, for example.

I have no idea what words to use to help her with the "failure as a woman" part, because I don't think that way either. I don't measure my own failure to marry (so far) and have children as a failure to be an adequate person, only mourn the joys that I think I am missing out on.

[RMDupree]

As a guy, what can I possibly say to that?

I'd ask her that if you were her, is that what she would think of you. It will help her gain perspective. She'll realize that you don't see her that way and that Autumn doesn't see her that way and God most certainly doesn't see her that way...so who is she listening to? We know who fills the mind with thoughts like those and he is nobody worth listening to in the first place.

A woman's ability to have children is part of her design, but it is NOT what defines her. If that were the case, we'd be designed to simply produce offspring and nothing else.

[Corin Stormhands]

I don't measure my own failure to marry (so far) and have children as a failure to be an adequate person, only mourn the joys that I think I am missing out on.

Send me yer snail mail address Hair and I'll Fed Ex Jr. to you for a month of joys.

Here's the guy perspective Seamus, and I had to learn this the hard way. Sometimes (probably most of the time) women don't want you to say anything. They just want you to be there and to listen.

Guys see a problem and we want to fix it. Sometimes that's the wrong thing to do.

Hold her hand. Give her time.

[RMDupree]

I hereby rescind my previous post and stand behind Corin's assessment. Maybe it is better to just be there for her.

[HairOfTheDog]

Send me yer snail mail address Hair and I'll Fed Ex Jr. to you for a month of joys.

Sure thing!

[HairOfTheDog]

Sometimes (probably most of the time) women don't want you to say anything. ...Guys see a problem and we want to fix it. Sometimes that's the wrong thing to do.

And you've read "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus". Corin, you are a fully modern man.