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Here is Ziggy paying with his catnip mouse. He likes to pull the fur out with his teeth. It has real dried catnip inside. I only get it out for a few minutes every day or every few days. He loves playing with it!
He also has a catnip chin scratcher on the side of the wall he can use anytime. But he likes his mouse better.
Special note about discontinuation of heparin:
Over the past week it has been really difficult to give Ziggy his heparin injections. Usually he has been taking them with no problems in the past. But he has been crying when I go to give it now and once he hissed, and another time took my finger in his mouth. (didn't bite, but it held the same meaning) another time he growled....he is usually extremely docile so this is very unusual behaviour for him. I had been giving it on left side in the morning and right side at night. I had also tried not to do it in the same spot each time, but generally there is a small area where it was easiest for us, and now even that is causing problems. I try in new places but he doesn't always like them either, and not everywhere is the skin loose. I suppose after 2 months - or nearly 150 injections - he might have just had enough of it! I am thinking of giving him a break or discontinuing it entirely. After around 4 missed shots over the past week, I have not attempted to give another. Currently he is off the heparin entirely - he has not had it for 3 days.
Because of the missed doses, I have increased his Vitamin E and omega 3 intake to try to make up for it, as these also are anti-clotting and blood-thinning. I am in the process of finding out what the appropriate doses of these nutrients might be for him... I hadn't planned on stopping the heparin but he kind of decided for me. He never cries or gives me a hard time for no reason. I feel there must be a good reason for it.. I think that to continue it for now would be doing more harm than good. He had gotten a little swelling or lump at the site where the last one was given and I think when he hissed the needle bumped him probably too far in or in the wrong spot or something! It is going away now, but I realized later that was why he hissed.
Still, I am a little nervous about stopping the heparin, however, they did say that it would not guarantee he would never get a future blood clot, because it was still possible, but it would make it less likely. When a cat gets one like he got, then chances are that at some point in the future they will get another one, that is usually fatal or life-threatening. Even with keeping him on the heparin, this was true. In addition to the heparin over the past few months, he also had daily omega 3s from salmon oil mixed in his food.
Since he has been off the heparin, I noticed over the past few days he has eaten more than usual of his catfood. I am thinking that maybe the heparin could have been decreasing his appetite. He has been eating ALL of his food, and usually he doesn't do that. He usually leaves some of it, but now I notice it is all gone. He is still 8.0 lbs which he has been maintaining.
I have noticed no adverse effects from the discontined heparin. The only thing different I noticed is his increased appetite. He seems very happy!
More updates coming soon! Thank you for checking The Ziggy Page! :o)