Follow the Stray

The stray has no master, no rules, and no limitations on when and where it may go, nor what it can do. It is a wanderer, an adventure-seeker, and a survivor. The world is the stray's family, teacher, home, and playground. Follow the stray and let the journey begin.

[followthestray]

About to leave now on a road trip with the fam! I almost cancelled the whole trip because of this Kitty, but thankfully he has made a full recovery. I am happy to report he is currently eating heaping portions of food and has already started to put back on the weight he lost when he was sick. He's finished his antibiotics and doesn't seem to need the appetite stimulator anymore. He's back to only bothering me when he wants to eat and fighting with his human and furry siblings. I'm so happy he's recovered so well. Now I don't have to worry about him at all while on our trip. Thank you again to everyone who helped him out. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B0AwFD0HDQR/?igshid=ynz8k8dsedeg

[followthestray]

Otto has been eating normally and happily harrassing both animals and people. So I'd say he's recovering well. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz1idGqHHuI/?igshid=rr9taklhjjq3

[followthestray]

My handsome boy. He's so clingy now but I kind of love it. If he can't get comfortable laying next to me or on me he just cries and cries. He is eating and doing so much better now. One problem I have noticed is that he can't jump very well and has a funny walk. I don't know if it's because he's still recovering or what but I'm going to bring it up when I check in with his vet. I hope this isn't permanent because my boy loves high places. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvNjdUnulB/?igshid=c75knc5vd4ba

[followthestray]

Appetite stimulant must've kicked in. He started doing his "I'm hungry" cry and dove right in. https://www.instagram.com/p/BztrWrqn_zS/?igshid=9bqk20xiop6r

[followthestray]

Otto took his first few bites of food all on his own today. It wasn't much but it was a start--and it was without any stimulant! He showed his vet how much better he was doing by biting him hard while getting his temperature taken. Floopy Droopy Otto is gone now, the fierce Kitty is back. He was prescribed an appetite stimulant. Hopefully that plus his growing interest in food will get him back on track by the end of the week. We are actually still waiting to see if he may have Addison's disease as the test results for that have not come back yet. It seems with his recovery and the antibiotics he's been given it was likely pancreatitis. Either way, his vet is sure that if we hadn't acted when we did this wouldn't have been a happy ending for him. Even though Otto is becoming more like himself he has picked up a new habit. He wants to be near me all the time. Cuddling me, laying beside me, sleeping with me, sitting next to me. I don't know if he will go back to his "I'm too cool to cuddle" personality when he's fully recovered but I'm enjoying the attention. Thriller, on the other hand, is very annoyed. He wants all the loves lol. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzte_FXHGZI/?igshid=1uaopv492shca

[followthestray]

Otto's follow up has been rescheduled for tomorrow. He's still not eating on his own but is gradually becoming more like himself. He's sleeping a lot more than usual but considering that he hasn't been eating this doesn't surprise me. One new thing he's started doing is snuggling with me at every opportunity. He sleeps beside me when I'm in bed and as soon as I'm up and moving he goes to a spot he's found lying on some comforters. I just want him to be comfortable so that's his spot now. Usually Thriller and Otto don't get along and Chase each other. But Otto doesn't have the energy to chase or run. So gradually Thriller is actually learning to respect his space. Maybe once Otto has recovered they'll actually be able to co-exist without bullying each other. Thanks for the food suggestions, but none of them worked. 😭 Otto has always been very picky about water but never about food so I don't even know what special treats I could offer him to entice his appetite. He used to catch birds and mice and eat them, which is why he got banned from going outside. I'm hoping he's not waiting on fresh meat. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzqX2sAHWN9/?igshid=1bms0u9xlqt11

[followthestray]

Otto's home now but it's clear we are not home free yet. He is very slow moving and when he walks his feet slide around like he cannot balance well. His belly is bloated from, I'm assuming, the food he's been forced fed and all the IVs. However he has lost soooo much weight you can clearly feel his skeleton underneath. I don't want to even want to think what he would look like if he wasn't so fluffy. He's still refusing to eat, even after I have offered him all his favorite and forbidden treats! So now I have to mush up the urgent care meal the vet gave me and put it in a syringe to force feed him. Needless to say, neither of us are looking forward to breakfast this morning. Catnip is often compared to cannabis. I know it makes cats kind of goofy but does it have the same appetite inducing qualities as cannabis? Does anyone know any other way I may be able to increase his appetite? I have tried meaty baby food, chicken, tuna, stinky seafood cat food, and turkey. I have tried his regular dry and adding the fish juice to his dry food. Nothing works. He just sniffs and turns away. 😭 After I get him to eat this I'm going to have to schedule his follow-up for tomorrow. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzncCPenEdD/?igshid=zokbknflhryp

[followthestray]

The fuzzy one is home now. His balance is a bit wobbly and he is not moving very fast but he has more of his spunk back and is a bit more alert. I have to force feed him until he starts eating on his own. He has a follow up appointment on Monday to check in and see how he is recovering. He seemed pissed off when I got there because they had given him some shots but perked up when he saw his mommy. He still has a way to go before he's completely better but I am so happy to see he's making progress. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzlljTrHS5z/?igshid=45i2vuhd5lu9

[followthestray]

Otto should be coming home this afternoon. All the tests have come back and it looks like it wasn't Addison's but an infection in his pancreas. The infection led him to stop eating and drinking, which led to him getting dehydrated, which led to his kidneys failing. He's still not eating but is well enough to come home with an antibiotic. We are going to have to work on getting him to eat and will check in with his vet on Monday. If he starts eating by then we can finally put this behind us. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzk_CzaHAJa/?igshid=1qwa214jfpmkb

[followthestray]

Guess who is coming home tomorrow?! He is eating a little bit now but still not especially well. However his tests improved so much much the vet feels comfortable with sending him home. They are waiting on one last test to confirm whether or not the cause of his illness was Addison's Disease. After looking it up myself I feel that may be exactly what it is, so he will likely be coming home with a prescription. Thanks again to everyone who helped pay for his medical expenses and all who sent love and prayers. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzjdJGQBIZo/?igshid=egjjb6trxh6m

[followthestray]

We made two different slimes today for our science hour. I wanted to do something else but we did an hour of history beforehand and the kids were about ready to start a mutiny. Blaze's slime: - flour - white glue - baking soda - contact solution - yellow watercolor paint Juju's slime: - pink glitter glue - contact solution - baking soda Once they're done playing we are going to learn about how slime works and why mixing these ingredients creates this chemical reaction. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzircgyH9kb/?igshid=19z7m4jd6rgkr

[followthestray]

Baby Otto ❤️ The vet called today and said that Otto has improved quite a bit. He suspects he may have Addison's disease and will be running tests tomorrow. However, at this point it's up to Otto. If he starts eating he can come home by the weekend. If he continues to refuse to eat he will have to be hospitalized longer and we will have to make some tough decisions. It's been days since he ate anything at all. Hopefully with the progress he made he will get his appetite back soon. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgYr7YhNj-/?igshid=1k4ibayzp5gfl

[followthestray]

Vet just called! Otto is doing much better already. He is taking fluids well and they say he is looking a lot brighter. Even though the hospital is closed tomorrow they'll be checking in on him during the day tomorrow and give me another update. On Friday, they are going to rerun the tests they did on him yesterday to see if there's any improvement. Things are looking good so far. Keep him in your thoughts. ❤️❤️❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/BzeOGd4hx3O/?igshid=i1zkyyfcyfo1

[followthestray]

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT!! In just a few hours since my first post you all have helped us reach our goal. Otto is on his way to the vet first thing in the morning! I am so grateful to all of your who shared, donated, and showed love! There is so much darkness in the world but you guys are the light, for real. Love you all so much. ❤️❤️❤️ I will be posting regular updates on how he his doing because it's very clear many of you care a whole lot! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzbg243nwfo/?igshid=d31r1eu1bt2p

[followthestray]

I’m raising money to save my cat and because I’m someone who doesn’t like to ask for something for nothing--and I need to raise funds immediately--anyone who donates $15 or more will receive a bite sized amigurumi seahorse handmade by me.  Anyone who donates $40 or more may request a custom animal or design. Anyone who donates $100 or more can get 3 custom amigurumi. Want something else crocheted? PM me. Let’s talk. My cat has always been a fighter and now it’s time I fight for him. I’m collecting funds through these services: PayPal via paypal.me/followthestray Venmo @followthestray Cash App @1217terrance Zelle via [email protected]  THANK YOU https://www.instagram.com/p/BzbNkiSnatf/?igshid=ad77peduxtxl

[followthestray]

I brought Otto to the vet today because he has been acting very sluggish and weird the past few days.  What’s worse, he hasn’t been eating or drinking much. I brought him in and they could immediately tell he was dehydrated.  They decide to run some tests. I sit and wait, thinking they’ll find that he is perfectly healthy just in some weird mood that’s making him not want to eat.  Maybe he ate something weird. Maybe he has a stuck hairball. I don’t know. What I did not expect was the vet to come back telling me that he needed to be hospitalized because his kidneys are shutting down.  In fact his test results were so bad that the vet said if just one of those results didn’t look as promising as it did he would have no hope for Otto.  The vet believes that he has a fighting chance as long as we act now. So now here I am.  So broke, honestly, I’ve been contemplating just cancelling all holidays and birthdays this year, faced with $2000 in vet fees to save my cat’s life.  And honestly. If that was the last $2000 I had, I would save him without a moment’s hesitation because life is worth it. The problem is I don’t have it.  Let me be perfectly transparent. I don’t know how I make it through each month. I do what I can to make memories but it takes a lot of sacrifice.   So that’s why, I’m asking--not even asking--straight up begging.  If you can find it in your heart to help my cat make it to year 6, I would be eternally grateful.  I’m not someone who likes to ask anybody for anything, but I am asking now to save a life. I thought about starting a GoFundMe or whatever but we need the funds asap and I don’t want them tied up in whatever mess these things go through and honestly I’m so upset right now I can’t even focus on figuring out how those things work to do all that. If you want to help these are a few ways you can reach me: PayPal via paypal.me/followthestray Venmo @followthestray Cash App @1217terrance Zelle via [email protected]  Anything you can offer is so appreciated, I can't even begin to express my gratitude. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzbJdaFnUyw/?igshid=uag6f96md6w0

[followthestray]

#Repost from @farmer.chris with @regram.app ... Friends, one of my students is missing for 19 days. Previous social media shares turned up some possible leads. PLEASE REPOST. The website below was created to host and share everything we know about Max on the day he disappeared as well as some additional information such as new photos, including one showing Max's birthmark on his lower left arm: http://www.findmaxchung.com In addition to the above website, a facebook group now exists: www.facebook.com/groups/FindMaxChung. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzW7Ahrnt3k/?igshid=159y23dsvyfe