In which Socks needs solving

[rolanni]

As you know, Bob, last April we drove to Connecticut to pick up a new member of the family, a recently retired Maine Coon stud, Upper Valley Bahzell P of Blueblaze, call-name Socks.

This is Socks:

Socks at home, November 12, 2012

Socks is polydactyl (that means he has extra toes; this is pretty common with Maine Coon cats, who trace their Lines all the way back to the barns of Maine, where they sometimes need to open doors and operate  equipment.  I know some people think that extra-toed cats are "deformed;" this is not the case.).  He has papers to go with his fancy name, from TICA and from the Cat Fanciers' Association; and his official color designation is Silver Mackerel Tabby.  Socks will be seven years old on April 12.

So, that's the technical stuff.  What you really want to know is that he's a sweet and attentive individual.  He likes to watch movies with his people; he likes to read, and he likes Classic Rock. He likes to help, and can pretty much be counted on to be in the middle of whatever it is that's going down.  Despite being a rather large cat (Maine Coons are called The Gentle Giants of catdom), he's often a lapsitter and a sleeper-with-people.  He takes his flying mouse play Very Seriously.  He has a charming, growly little voice, rather than the classic Maine Coon squeak.  Think Humphrey Bogart.  With extra toes.

Maine Coons are known for their good nature, but Socks goes above and beyond.  I have never, ever heard him growl or hiss; he has never, to my knowledge, lifted a paw in anger.  In fact, if fault could be found with such a sunny little person, it would be that he's a little too unassuming; he tends to disappear into the crowd.

Socks came to us as a semi-rescue -- he was recently neutered and out of a job; he had a sniffle, several bad teeth, and he was seriously skinny.  We figured to get the dental situation fixed, feed him up, get the sniffle under control, do a little immune system boosting.  We have managed the teeth (he lost seven); we've fed him up; and he's markedly less. . .depressed than he was when he arrived.

The chronic sneezing, despite daily doses of antibiotic (which he takes with minimal protest), continues.  Lately, he's developed a constipation problem -- apparently, in order to accommodate his long trips from harem to harem, he developed a larger than normal colon.  When he was a young guy, in top athletic shape, he could bring the necessary muscle to bear to operate this organ, but as he's aged, he's let his stomach muscles go (don't laugh; many of us here today have let our stomach muscles go).

All of this is to say that, though Steve and I love Socks, we're looking for another situation for him.  Ideally, this situation would be with a person who was home more than away, and in which he would be the Sole Companion and Supervisor, or one of two.  He does like the company of other cats.  We do not believe that he is a dog lover, nor have we seen him with small children.

We have spoken to the cattery with which he was last affiliated, and the owners have said that he can go to them.  We're reluctant to do this because of Socks' extreme good-nature and his ability to fade into the crowd.  I think the reason that he got into the shape he was in when he came to us was that he traveled from place to place and was so compliant that no one really paid attention to Socks, as Socks.  So, we'd rather try to find him a better condition.

Please pass this note around to people who may be interested in acquiring a really special friend.  And if you can help, please let me know.

Thank you for listening.

Comments

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

I'm not chiming in with the "I would if I could but I can't" chorus. Instead I'm going to discuss Sock's health issues. Not because I think you don't know what you are doing, but because Socks sounds very much like my sister's cat, and I want to share that such cats can live long and happy lives even with these chronic symptoms. Shaolin had the "sniffles" from shortly after birth. She'd get antibiotics and be good for a few months then back to the runny nose & sneezing. When she was 6 or 8-ish, it started affecting her breathing and she was finally diagnosed with a resistant fungal infection in her lungs. She was put on the relatively expensive Clavamox ($1/day) daily for about 5 years. When the vet had run out of Clavamox at one of our refill times, we switched to generic children's Amoxicillin ($5/month) with equally good results and never went back. Shaolin actually preferred the bubble gum flavor! She was on the antibiotic until she passed at age 16 (from a completely unrelated cancer). Shaolin also had intestinal issues (gas as a youth, so she was given daily yogurt from a very early age) and hard poops in her later years, for which we fed moist food which helped keep things soft and moving. So it is definitely possible for Socks to live a long and happy life even if he has a few health challenges. Sniffles are a lot easier to deal with than something like diabetes.

I join with the others in hoping that Sock finds a more mutually satisfying permanent position, soonest.
And my I express my continued sadness over the loss of Hexapuma.
(Okay, my "I can't take him" excuse is that I am allergic to cats, yet I live in a house with 3 of them. But I don't touch them.)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

If it were only the sneezing, we would cope. It's the needing to run him to the vet ever 6-8 days for an enema at approximately $250/per. We cannot afford this, plain and simple. I hate it, but. . .not made of money.

...and yes, still grieving for Hex, here...

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear! Is Socks a candidate for medical managment -- if I recall correctly, lactulose (a liquid given daily) and, uh, metaclopramide (a pill)? Or is he a candidate for the surgery to correct this condition? My experience is some years out of date; if I recall correctly, the meds were not expensive but the surgery ran about 2K.

I can't take a cat right now but if medical management or surgery would let Socks stay with you, I would contribute to a fundraiser to help that happen.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

We've been trying the drugs, and feeding wet food, and pumpkin (Socks loves him some pumpkin, which may be slightly weirder than Max!'s love affair with blueberry yogurt...) but (so far, at least) haven't had any luck controlling the situation. The vet did offer the surgery as an option, but said upfront that it was pricey -- involving specialists in Portland, as it would.

I think it would be best if Socks could stay with us; he's comfortable here; we want him; and...

Where we are right now is researching how pricey is pricey, and talking to other cat owners whose cats have had the surgery. Many people have expressed a willingness to contribute to the cost, so it may be that we can do this thing.

Socks has a follow-up with his primary doctor on Monday, so we'll know more, then, too...

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it would also be worth talking to the primary (or a specialist) about the pumpkin: apparently some cats do better with it (because the fiber helps absorb water and softens stuff up) and some cats do worse with it (because, hey, fiber means more stuff in there!). The last I knew the only way to tell which cats did better with the added fiber, VS as low a residue diet as possible, was trial and error. The field may have advanced since then, though.

Does he drink water OK? One cat I used to take care of had to be tricked into drinking water by adding tuna juice to it (with her vet's agreement).

Do keep us informed!

[catlinye-maker.livejournal.com]

I was going to mention the low-fiber option, but I see someone more knowledgeable has already weighed in. :)

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I would contribute, as well. If Sharon can get an estimate of how much the surgery would cost, it would help.

[catlinye-maker.livejournal.com]

And ditto, ditto, I'd love to chip in for Socks' medical care.