Cat Stories

This story is about my new cat, Paxon, and his health problems since the adoption. I'm writing this post thinking maybe it will help other cat owners.

We adopted Paxon at the beginning of April 2015. I decided to adopt him as soon as I saw him walking in with his previous owner to the ASPCA. Paxon had to spent two days at the shelter before we could pick him up. At the beginning he was doing okay (mostly hiding in his litter box), but a few days after the adoption his diarrhea started. Other than that he got used to his new house and he was doing fine: playing, eating, drinking and sleeping.

The pudding-like stool was very smelly and he was straining to get it out. I quickly learned to recognize the times he needed to go for number 2 as he would restlessly run around the house. Also, he choose not to do his business in the litter box and went to the bathroom instead. As a result I placed another litter box for him to use in the bathroom.

I knew that a vet saw Paxon before we adopted him, I also knew that he got wormer tablets so I wasn't worried about parasites. After doing a little research I came to a conclusion that the diarrhea situation is because of the change in food, so I bought him the same food they gave him in the shelter. That didn't help. I removed all of his food for 16 hours and afterwards gave him boiled chicken breasts and white rice for a few days. It helped a little but then the diarrhea came back and I saw blood in his stool and some live tapeworms. I rushed him to the ASPCA hospital. They were extremely efficient and kind and also, since I only adopted him less then a month ago, they took care of all the fees. After a technician took his vitals we went to see the vet who gave him wormer tablets.

The stool sample I brought to the pharmacy a few days later came out negative for parasites so I removed one of the litter boxes. Things got better for a few days, but soon enough we were back to square one. I took him to the hospital (again they covered all the fees) and we got a prescription for Metronidazole (cat antibiotic) and for Hills i/d dry food diet. I needed to give Paxon his pills twice a day, so I bought him pill pockets (special treats for hiding the pills and outsmarting your cat). The pill pockets worked great the first time and on the second time he ate the pocket but didn't swallow the pill. Later on he refused to eat the pockets even if there were no pills in them. Therefore, I started giving him the pills the old fashioned way (by sticking them down his throat) but I still covered them with the pill pockets, so he wouldn't taste the pills and start drooling. Things got significantly better, but after taking the pills for 2.5 days he completely lost his appetite.

I talked to the vet over the phone and she said I should try to find something that Paxon will agree to eat, like cooked chicken breast or tuna. She also said that if he still refuses to eat I should bring him back to the hospital. I mixed some of Paxon's regular food with his new food and he ate some of it. Hopefully, he will agree to eat that for the remaining 5.5 days without getting his diarrhea back. I'll keep you posted.

Update: Paxon gain back his appetite on the third day of taking the Metronidazole. Therefor, since then, he was getting only the Hills i/d dry food and the pill pockets. After finishing the Metronidazole he still had some diarrhea and also blood in his stool so I took him back to the hospital. He is now treated with Panacur C Canine dewormer powder. I need to apply it on his food, so I mixed it with standard wet food which made things even worse. As for the moment I set up for him another litter box because he avoids peeing in his usual one. Since the dewormer doesn't seems to help, I'm going to try switching his food again to a special hypoallergenic food.

Update II: The hypoallergenic food didn't work. I took Paxon for a biopsy and we run some blood tests. After getting the results back, it looks like Paxon has inflammatory bowel disease. He is now treated with Prednisolone (which is a steroid), 10 mg per day. I use the pill pockets to give him his medicine and he loves it. It has been over a month on steroids and he feels much better, all of his symptoms are gone. I still however need to monitor his condition as his latest blood tests didn't come back as good as we hoped.  

Heaven on Earth

One of the reasons I love photographing so much is that wherever I go I find magical moments. Even if the place is crowded, covered with fences or has a terrible weather, I can capture something special. Most of the moments I capture are more beautiful than what I saw in real life. This is because, in reality, there is too much information and a lot of different angles to look at things. However, while photographing , I always choose a focal point as well as an angle. For instance, in the image above, taken at Yosemite National Park, you don't see the dozens of people standing by my side. This is my way of creating heaven on earth.

At Yosemite it was very easy to find little pieces of heaven and every creature I met represented an opportunity. At the park, I photographed two species of reptiles: Sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) which pose nicely for the photo and Gilbert's skink (Plestiodon gilberti).

The skink had a beautiful blue tail but the tail was hidden between the rocks. Also, the skink was too illusive, I had to wait quietly for several minutes before I could snap his photo.

The flowering Dogwood tree was a much easier target. But sometimes, when I know the object is immobile, I have less motivation to get an exceptionally good photo of it.

The California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) was less illusive than the lizards and more challenging than the Dogwood tree so I spent a while near the river trying to get a nice portrait of this little fellow. These squirrels seem to be very comfortable around people and they didn't pay much attention while I was photographing them. Actually, two of them got into a fight and ran toward me. Unfortunately, they came so close that I couldn't focus on them with my 300mm lens.

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is one of the largest animals in the park. It is also one of the easiest animals to spot. They are not shy around people and you can see them everywhere if you just keep an eye for them.

My heaven on earth is made from the creatures I meet and their habitat. This piece of heaven in Yosemite National Park is extraordinary, especially when you look at it through the mirror lake.    

Dance Parade

This year the Dance Parade was awesome! Especially since I got a press pass and I could walk alongside the dancers. Once again, I had a hard time choosing between two lenses: the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 and the Canon EF 300mm f/4L. It was a lot easier to take the photos with the Sigma but soon after the parade started I switched to Canon.  

Before the parade started I had some great opportunities to photograph the preparations: practicing, assembling gear and resting. The huge frog vehicle was a must for me. It came inside a yellow truck and they needed almost ten men to carry it out from there. The place was surrounded with some more interesting looking vehicles: a wolf like bike, two giants ponies, a purple bus and a furry little green car.

The scene was very colorful and festive, As soon as the ribbon cutting ceremony was over, the parade started marching on Broadway and 21st. I caught this cute girl popping her head out from the bus's window and went to look for my favorite act.

During the preparations I saw a Japanese act of two girls covered with the cherry blossom, hanging out with a golden man. They were fantastic and I immediately declared them as my favorites. Although I have been twice to the Sakura Matsuri festival I have never seen anything like it before.

Another one of my favorites was a pink-haired girl riding on a gigantic "My Little Pony". The pony was so big that I had a hard time capturing all of it. Finally, I snapped a photo with my cellphone.

As for real animals, at the beginning of the parade, I saw Oswaldo Gomez, also known as Ms. Colombia, with her African grey parrot named Rosita. Also, I saw two dogs walking in the parade, one of them was a Chihuahua named "Little One". I was told that Little One never missed a dance parade in the city.

The parade was fun as well as exhausting. By the end of it I could barely walk let alone carry my 300mm lens. I packed everything, took the city bike and headed to recharge myself at Shake Shack. See you all at the next Dance Parade :) 

Central Park Moments

I love almost everything about New York City, but mostly, I love Central Park. The park is beautiful 24/7 and I can see the sky and feel the earth. Also, the park is always changing and only recently the icy lakes and snowy-leafless trees transformed into a colorful spring blossom. The huge flowers of the Magnolia trees are always a delight and the falling petals from the cherry trees add some magic to the atmosphere.

The park was deserted during the winter, but now it is packed with people, especially during the weekends. However, Central Park spreads on 843 acres, so it is fairly easy to find some hidden places in the park. Also, at night, the park is usually empty and this is a great opportunity to capture some of the park's landmarks, like this Bethesda Terrace.

For viewing spring flowers, Shakespeare Garden, is one of the best places. The garden is covered with flowers on different levels, from ground to tree-top. There I found: the pink flowers of the Magnolia, red tulips, white and yellow Daffodils, blue and purple Lilacs and many more flowers and colors.

The smell is absolutely intoxicating, so don't forget to stop and smell the flowers.

Holi Hai

Spring in the city means not only blossom, warm weather and the change of wardrobe, but also the arrival of festivals, many different, colorful festivals. From Sakura Matsuri that celebrates the cherry blossom and the beginning of spring to the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Holi Hai is one of those festivals and it is a celebration of colors.

Yes! People of all ages buy colors made from natural ingredients and throw them at each other. The event is free but in order to transform to a walking-rainbow, buying colors is a must. The colors were sold at the event and one could either stand in a huge line at the entrance or immediately buy some colors near the stage. Obviously, like all good New Yorkers, most people preferred to stand in line.

I was worried that the color powder that is thrown up in the air will harm my camera, so I wrapped my camera with waterproof bag. I knew that people in this festival usually wear white shirts so I wore a black shirt to signal that I'm not interested in the rainbow transformation.

The performances on stage got the full attention of the crowd and I found a perfect spot on a bench near the stage. I focused on photographing interesting and colorful people in the crowd. My main challenges were the bright sun and finding a clear, unobstructed view. Although I used two lenses - Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 and Canon EF 300mm f/4L, my best photos from the event were all taken with the 300mm.

At the end I did get dirty, my shirt and my backpack got some unavoidable colorful patches. Surprisingly, the best thing at this festival was not the colors but the people; they were happy, joyful and welcoming and I enjoyed spending time with them!