Pobrecito Titi

A week ago, while we were still in San Diego, Titi came home one night [after exploring outside for a few hours] without his collar.   

We thought maybe it came off while he was squeezing through a fence.   Later that night I pet him and he made some strange noises and moved from the bed to the closet.  Weird.  In the morning he didn't wake up with us as usual, instead he stayed in the closet for 2 hours.  I investigated and there was a bump on his back and it seemed painful.  The next day the the pain seemed to subside, so I thought it was getting better.

After a couple days, I started to get worried.  Titi didn't have as much energy and the bump that had seemed to be going away was now bigger and more painful.  I made an appointment at a vet for Saturday morning. 

WARNING!  THE FOLLOWING CONTENT MAY BE UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR PERSONS WITH A WEAK STOMACH. 

The vet said he would have to shave Titi's beautiful fur to take a closer look.  What they found was this:

We left Titi there for a few hours because they had to drain the abscess (an infected puncture wound, usually from fighting with another cat).  When we picked Titi up a few hours later, I was horrified to see this:

A rubber pipe was pushed through Titi's skin to drain out the liquid from the TWO abcesses they found under the fur.  I cried.  

"What in the hell did they do to my sweet kitty?"

 I was equally horrified at the bill. 

We were sent home with pain killers and a bottle of disinfectant to clean the wound 2x a day.  Titi has to wear this pitiful cone on his head.  I feel so bad for him, he is trying to groom himself and just ends up licking the plastic.  Pobrecito!

{my pitiful little cone head}

The good news is that tomorrow the drain comes out and they'll stitch him up.  He is sleeping a lot and seems to be healing.   He will still have to be a "cone head" for a few days so he doesn't tear out the stitches. 

My heart aches for my little Titi. My poor helpless Titi.  I have been babying him, I guess my motherly instincts are starting to kick in:)

WHITE CHRISTMAS!

Even though my alarm didn't go off until 7am (when I set it for 5am) I made it to the airport [with my little Titi in tote] by 730am.  I barely squeezed on that Canton flight too.  Thank God there was a mother-daughter pair flying standby that was not willing to split. Delta called my name for the one seat that was open and I quickly boarded.  Titi was a good little kitty and only cried for a minute.
Home for Christmas with only one small mishap...... my phone was still plugged in charging at gate D36 in Atlanta. Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Delta in Canton tried calling the gate in Atlanta, but there was no answer.  Hmm what about my old friends at the Crown Room [now Sky Club]?  Luckily someone I used to work with answered the phone and walked from C to D concourse and found my trusty little phone still plugged in at the gate 2.5 hours later!  Just my luck right!?  Thanks to Sihaya! I think she deserves a special reward, don't you!
Ernesto is flying in tonight or tomorrow morning.   In the mean time, I am having a great time hanging with the familia and watching Titi jump in the snow!  

The fun has just begun too!
Im looking forward to seeing my niece Eleanor (cheeker-cheekers) and the rest of the Wooster clan later today, a fancy-shmancy cocktail party at Bill and Barbie's tomorrow night, and then not leaving the house all day on Christmas.  Arnold family fun!  We will miss Brrrian and Tim's family this year:(

Ti ti and Bruno Play

My kitty is no pussy! He held his own with Brrrian's dog Bruno, who is 10x his size! It's pretty funny.
Go Titi!

IT'S A BOY!

Good news!  I have figured out the sex of Rare rare rare ti ti ti.  At first I thought girl then boy then girl.  I kept going back and forth, but after reading and looking at the [graphic] pictures on this site I was able to determine that Ti ti (for short) is in fact a male. 

 In the 2 weeks that we have had him, he has grown a lot, and I want it to stop.  He is so damn cute, and I know that is not going to change, but still, little animals are so precious!  Stop growing Titi!

I did a lot of online reading about how to take care of my new kitty, during which I found an organization called SNAP 2-IT.    SNAP-2 IT  is a non-profit and offer low cost spay/neuter services to Georgia residents.  They operate out of Fulton County Animal Services (managed by Barking Hound Village Foundation, Inc.) They are committed to decreasing the number of unwanted pets in Fulton County.  This is why low cost spay/neuter and vaccinations are made available. I paid $25 for registration tags, rabies and booster shots, and neuter. (plus the small donation I gave to SNAP) At a "normal" vet I would've easily paid over $200.   Note: all surgeries are preformed by certified vets.

I was able set up the appointment to get Titi neutered and his first shots for yesterday.  I felt nervous for him all week, and when I took him into the clinic I actually broke down and cried to the tech.  I know, what a crrry baby crrry baby. But he was crying in the crate and I felt so bad to leave him.  pobrecito.

They called me 4 hours later to pick up Titi and everything was fine! He weighs 2 lbs 4 oz and is very healthy!  He seemed a little groggy, but as soon as we got home he was ready to eat and play.  After which he slept the rest of the afternoon until his papi came home.  I love you mi Titi!

Fit Fridays: Ti ti

This week just flew by, didn't it?  Mine was filled with joy.  I think this picture will explain it.
Look at my cute little babies:

TI TI & HIS PAPI HAVE A LOT IN COMMON

I didn't even want to leave the house all week so I could spend time with my little Ti ti.  He is doing really well.  He's using the litter box and eating kitty food.  He is really funny too.  He's chasing around his toys: balls with bells and a squeaking mouse, jumping up for feathers and climbing his way up the bed, chairs and legs.   I already have him trained to come running when I call him.  He likes to hide in my Tico pot.

He also likes to sleep a lot, especially on my sheepskin rug. 

Nothing seemed more important as giving lots of attention to my new kitty.  However we did manage to get a lot of work done for The Christmas Light pros,  do a few more estimates and get our workouts in.

Saturday: rest
Sunday:  Run Atlanta Belt Line to Piedmont Park
Monday:  Run 4 miles
Tuesday: Crossfit: 5 rounds:  run 800 meters, 30 wall balls, 30 box jumps,
Wednesday: Crossfit: 9-27-27 /6-18-18 /3-6-6 of thrusters, pull-ups, bar dips
Thursday: Crossfit:  4 rounds or 50 sumo dead lifts
Friday: rest

A New Addition to the Espinoza Family

Yes!!! It's a baby!
A little kitty named Rare.  Or Ti Ti, I can't decide.  (Ernesto said he wants to pick a "real name" whatever that means)

When I saw this ad, I knew she was the one.  After weeks months of searching Craigslist, I finally found the fluffy tabby kitten I wanted.   It pays to be patient and persistent.   I knew I would get lucky. I had even bought a cat bed at Marshalls a few weeks ago to prepare.

Cynthia Rowley Cat Bed -clearance $12

I had to drive to Duluth, (20 some miles north of Atlanta) to pick her up.  She** and her 5 siblings were born in the bushes in front of this sweet lady's house.  The mom is a feral cat, but Heidi took the kittens in is trying to find loving homes  for all of them.

As I drove home last night, Rare was in a box [with a blanket] in the passengers seat.  I could not remember being this excited about something.  The 25 minute drive home was killing me.  I just couldn't wait for Neto to see her.....and to my relief, he really thought she was cute, I mean, cat lover or not, look at this face.

I felt like a new mother last night as my "baby" was up then down, tossing and turning.  She is so small(about the size of my shoe) we were scared we would roll over on her.  Yes, Nester allowed her to sleep in our bed.  Amazing!  I love to see him affectionate with an animal.  It was so exciting!  I don't think I have ever had a more interrupted night sleep.  I guess this was a good test for human babies, and the fact is, it didn't bother me at all.  She is so cute and small, I just want to cater to her and give her love.  I have heard this is how it is being a mother. 

I woke up early with her.  (3 hours earlier than Ernesto)  We enjoyed each others company.

** I am guessing Rare is a girl.....until I take her to get her shots, I will not know.  Good thing the name Rare is unisex.

 I introduced big Rare to little Rare this morning and and it went swimmingly.

Loquito Lives On!!

What does every home need to make it feel homey? Ok, there are lots of applicable answers but at the top of my list is a pet.
At lunch Wednesday, Kate, Lauren and I went to the Mercado Central to eat/shop. Every time I go there, I walk into this pet/livestock shop. This time I was way more excited though because I know I was picking out a birdie. There were so many, I knew I wanted a blue one.(of course!)It didn’t take me long to pick out the perfect birdie. Blue with a yellow face. Ay Little Loquito! The guy had two hands in the cage trying to catch him. I took more time choosing the cage. There were so many colors all hanging from the ceiling. I finally chose this happy yellow and white one, and got all the necessary accessories.Bonus: Ana from my “knitting” club has an antique cage stand and is letting me use it. Its going to look so cute. Here I am ready to take my new pet home.Before leaving we stopped to get a casado for lunch. This market has it all.Meet Loquito. In just two days, Loquito has already sat on my finger. Watch. He will be talking in no time. (If you are wondering, yes I have had a bird named Loquito before. Birds are named Loquito. Cats are named Rare)

merry xmas Rare mare....

The other day at Target, Nester bought Rarre this lion head for christmas
Smita bought Rarrre a present too.....her first litter box!!! We want to try it out. Can she move into an apartment with us in a couple weeks? She really is an outside kitty, although she loves lounging in the house for hours...sometimes she will be sitting by the door wanting to go out. NO! Mare mare, you stay here! We wont be able to let her out whenever she wants unless we get a leash....she would be easy to train im sure!

Smita filled the box with litter, and picked Rarrre up to "show her" It was so funny, no sooner did her paws touch the litter..she started digging in it...and BAM!! took a shit right there on the spot!! Well, there ya are....shes potty trained!! Next, we may train her to go IN the toilet.

Rarre, you are such a good kitty!! You little mare mare!Neto bought me this parrot for xmas. I have been wanting another parrot ever since Loquito died...pobre sito Loquito! Since we dont know where we will be living, it really isnt a good idea to get one now...right? Anyhoo, this one is funny, actually talks and you can record things too. Nester Brrrian and Bill put some funny things on there....one says "hey blog ass"

When he senses movement or noise he will start talking, moves his wings. its pretty cool. Neto put him on the floor near Rarrres food hoping to start a fight, but Rarrre just rubbed against him scratching his head on his beak. aaaaaaaawwwwwwwww!

Sorry Neto, your attempt to scare my pet didnt work this time!!

Pobre Sito Loquito-R.I.P.

On March 29, 2006 my little loquito passed away. He was almost 7 years old. The most horrible part is that the reason he died was probably my fault. Barbie was visiting us for a few days and we made a delicious mexican dinner (tinga). Lupe was sitting on my shoulder and I was chopping onions. Of course he always wanted to eat anything i had, so i let him nibble on one. I left at 9pm for my dance class and when I came home I scream "hola loquito" (as I always did) I didnt hear him...he usually squacks back. I didnt see him in the cage, or on top. So I started calling for him.....nothing. I looked a little closer at the cage and saw him cuddled in the blanket on top, his head and half of his body was snuggled in. I said to Neto and Barbie "Ay, look how cute, little loquito is cuddling in the blanket." I went to pet him and he didnt move. I screamed and Neto jumped off the couch. I left the room crying, I couldnt look while he opened the blanket.....he was gone. I couldnt figure it out, he was fine when I left. It had to be the onion, Barbie said that onion is toxic in cats and dogs. I googled it and found that to be rare with birds, but possible. I have had pet birds for 15 years and never heard that. I miss him so much. I do still have the two little parakeets, but its not the same. Pobre sito Loquito........lo siento.