Forest Gump is a Cat Model

Forest Gump is now a cat model!  His photograph won a contest which is hosted by Staff for Cats (Dogs have masters... Cats have Staff!)

The excitement of Forest's photo gaining recognition inspired me to take more photographs of Forest.  He was a very good sport about getting dressed up for this latest photoshoot...

There are a surprising number of contests for pet owners out there.

A Big Fat Easy Button

Little Forest has a very interesting way of perceiving life.  Forest has the idea that body parts are separate creatures that are not part of a whole.  

He believes my left hand is another kitty that can play with him.  He's always ignored my right hand, probably because up-until Wednesday I had a brace on it and haven't used it much.  But anyway, he'll randomly decide to play hide and seek, and while pretending he's the seeker he'll pounce on my left hand and arch his body into the defense attack stance (where a cat tucks in their chin, puffs up their fur, turns sideways a little) and stand up on his hind legs and bat at my hand with both of his forearms.  

And no... I don't encourage this, I've never played with cats with my hands because I believe it promotes cats thinking that hands are for biting and playing with.  But Forest just perceives the world differently than any other kitty I've ever had.  

He's the only one I've ever had that I have been unable, thus far, to teach the word "no" to.  And when he gets something fixed in his head, it stays for a long time.  An example of this... is that it took me to the middle of November to teach him to consistently use the litter-box (which he now uses perfectly).

He thinks his tail is not his, that it is a weird moving feather following him.  I'll be holding him so he's facing me with his butt vertical to his head... and he'll look me in the eye and always... always notice his tail is moving underneath him and appear shocked that something fluffy is moving.  He doesn't know that his tail, is his tail.  He plays with it a lot.

What's very different for me is learning that to Forest, my nose is one big fat easy button.  When I'm sleeping and Forest wants to eat or play, or just wants me to be awake, he'll take his paw and press my nose so I wake up.  It doesn't matter how I hide my head to try to sleep longer, he'll stick his paws under whatever is covering my face (my pillow... my arm... etc...) and wave them around until he hits my nose.  And he seems to know without seeing my face where my nose is... and whether or not he's hit it yet... because after he has, he'll just sit there next to me, quietly looking at me until I look at him back.

And yes, I fully agree with Forest, my nose does seem to be an easy button... because I do wake up when it gets pressed by him.

A Fatter & Healthier Forest Gump

Little Forest is still teeny-tiny, but most days he gets a tad fatter. Or if he's "lost weight," his average weight is still either constant or growing.

This is not to say that he doesn't have his bad days, because he does. He's still a picky eater and is prone to throwing up. He's still being fed 4 times a day. Today, the scale registered his weight as 3.8 lbs. 

This "high" weight was a very happy surprise and shows me that I'm right in that he can still continue to improve... and he is just "slow" at growing physically and mentally.

The photo above show how nicely "fat" Forest is getting. His fur is filling out nicely, with how fluffy it is becoming, it hides the appearance of his true (low) weight and size.

And this last photograph shows much older Forest is starting to look... he looks a little less like a kitten and more like a young adult cat (which he sort of is). I say sort of, because I measure time a lot slower with this little boy. It took him months to learn things his brother and sister picked up in the 8 some weeks I had them. It took half a year for him to learn how to clean his face. So I do believe that I measure age and time for Forest differently than I would for any other cat. I just hope that this translates to him having a long life.

Remembering Abby on her Birthday

This is one of my most favorite photographs of Abby.  Today would have been her birthday.

The Internal Medicine Specialist

Forest Gump @ 3.2 lbs (1/21/2009)

A scene that will stay with me forever is how I learned Forest hates needles.  Poor baby was having a wonderful time at the vet's office exploring and playing until he was taken away to have his blood drawn.  When he came back, his teeny little hind leg was all wrapped up and he ran away from the technician and into his carrier.  He poked his head out of it after a minute and when he saw me, he cried and ran under my legs so I'd hold him.  

I telephoned the Internal Medicine specialist's office today.  Forest's lab work came back as being perfect.  Additionally, he tested negative for being a dwarf.  

The specialist says the next step would be to go to rarer tests to see if Forest is able to process certain enzymes correctly.  There is research being done at a children's hospital in PA on growth problems in felines- in the hopes of helping human children eventually.  The only problem is that even if they can figure out which enzyme Forest is not able to process (if this is even the problem), there aren't many that they can supplement or treat.  The test costs around $50, not including collection and shipping fees of Forest's urine.  

Otherwise, depending on how far we want to pursue figuring out what the problem is, they could put an endoscope down through Forest's throat and digestive system to take biopsies and take a closer look at his insides.  It would cost around $1,200 to just take a look.  The vet wasn't sure they'd even find anything because of how good his blood work and x-rays were.

Forest is just an odd little boy, even to a vet specialist.  As the vet said, there is obviously something going on with him because of his slowness to grow physically and mentally, his inability to keep down most foods, and random bouts of throwing up bile.  And this is made even more clear with how well his siblings have and are doing in comparison.

To change the topic slightly...

Forest has captured many hearts and had help in different ways from different people.  The latest example of this is why Forest was able to go in to see the Internal Medicine Specialist.  A lady met Forest a weeks ago and was taken by him- she decided to sponsor him for seeing the specialist, she has five cats of her own so she couldn't adopt him.  Her sponsorship of his visit is the only reason he was able to go- as much as FancyCats would like to, they simply wouldn't be able to afford to without special fundraising.  Financially, FancyCats has been hit hard the last few months.

I need to learn more about fundraising for a non-profit.  I currently post many ads for FancyCats' felines on Craigslist, but I don't currently know how to post ads with a donation button for specific (or general) causes.

Forest Has an Internal Medicine Specialist Now

Forest had his first visit with his Internal Medicine Specialist.  It went very well in the Vet listened to his history and explained very well what types of issues Forest may have with his internal development.  We got an X-ray and had a full panel of blood work done.  X-ray shows no physical abnormalities with Forest's organs (this includes the other vet's idea of a diaphramic hernia).   In addition to looking at a wide range of values to check organ functions, Forest's blood is being tested for Dwarfism markers.

It will take some time for the blood work to come back from the lab, Forest's specialist will use that information to decide on the next step for figuring out why Forest is the way he is and if there are any ways to treat him.  Before we left, the specialist said we've done the right things with Forest and to continue with what we're doing.  Our visit was 2 hours long.

Incidentally, Forest weighs 3.2 lbs.

Forest's Record Breaking Adoption & Return

Little Forest Gump and I had quite an adventure  this week.  

Saturday we did a home visit where I spent 2 hours talking with his new potential family.  They said they really wanted him as a part of their life and they were okay with his special needs since all of their animals are special needs.  I exchanged lots of emails to help prepare them for caring for him and integrating him into their lives.  Forest was adopted Monday night.  

Tuesday morning I learned that they had taken him to the vet and why hadn't I told them he was a special needs cat?  They said they were not willing to live with him just the way he is.  

Tuesday evening Forest was back at home with me.  After talking with the vet more, the couple said that the vet believes that forest has a congenital diaphragmic hernia.  The surgeon they found said that it would cost 2,400 to repair if that's really what he has.  He is too little to x-ray and so little that surgeries have a lower success rate and higher probability of death.  The vet performed no tests and said that he could very well be healthy/fine.