Things!

[lizbee]

1. We took Harvey to the vet yesterday, where he was very popular with the nurses ("Oh yes, he was neutered here! He's such a handsome boy! And so well-behaved!") and with a kitten that was looking for a new home. (Name of Eevie, found as a stray at Essendon Airport, now nine weeks old, spayed, immunised and ready to be Harvey's best friend. Harvey retreated to the back of his carrier and looked faintly overwhelmed.)

Now we have a two month supply of anti-depressants and the number of a cat behaviourist if the pills don't work. The medication solution seems to be going well so far, though. The vet said it would be a couple of weeks before the pills took effect, but he had one, and spent last night curled into a ball, sleeping. This is a bit of a change from his usual night time routine of (a) cry outside baggers's door, (b) attack passing ankles, (c) cry some more, so we're in favour.

2. I have purchased Christmas presents! For family more than friends; we've decided to postpone Friendmas until after piecesofalice, yiduiqie and the Js get back from Japan. But as of this afternoon, the family shopping will be done, and my father, who is usually impossible to buy for, was surprisingly easy this time.

3. Currently watching: Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Avatar commentaries. In the absence of 15+ years of fandom and volumes upon volumes about the creative process and the life history of the extra in episode #221, I'm down to this. Which, commentaries aren't my favourite thing ever, but I'm really enjoying the Avatar ones. Even though, as the series goes on, I'm getting all, "STOP TALKING, THINGS ARE HAPPENING."

But I am learning new things which I hadn't yet absorbed from the fannish hive mind. Like, the network baulked at the end of "The Beach", because apparently you can show a bunch of teenagers capturing a city, but trashing a party might be going too far.

(I'm so glad that ending survived, because I love that, a few months ago, these teens were taking a city, effectively capturing a whole continent, not to mention the bit where Azula took down the Avatar. And now they've been packed off to the beach and they're reduced to socially interacting with normal people, and they just. can't. do it. HILARIOUS.)

4. Currently reading: Dead and Buried, the new Benjamin January novel by Barbara Hambly. It's a bit slow to get into, mostly because I always need to draw up a chart to remind me who the characters are. These books always work better on the re-read.

5. Just finished reading: Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg. It wasn't a bad read, but the best chapters were when he was talking about pop culture he loves. More Star Wars, less formative sexual experiences, pls. I did enjoy the fanfic he posted as an appendix. And it made me actually want to watch Spaced, so good work.

Comments

[chagrined]

Like, the network baulked at the end of "The Beach", because apparently you can show a bunch of teenagers capturing a city, but trashing a party might be going too far.

Ahaha, oh my gosh, that is HILARIOUS. Now I feel like I should watch all the commentaries too, even though I'm a little burned out on Avatar atm after spending 150 hours or whatever making the vid I just made. Drrrrrrrrrrr.

[lizbee]

I've found the great thing with commentaries is that they don't really need for me to have my eyes on the screen, so I can quilt as I listen.

[sonofadiddly]

Did you end up getting another kitty to be Harvey's frand? I am still trying to convince woot that Gigi needs a friend but he disagrees :(((

[lizbee]

Not yet - we want to sort out his anxiety first, because otherwise another cat will probably just make him worse.

But Gigi totally needs a friend! Tell Woot I am 100% pro new cat!

[jaydeyn]

Spaced is pretty awesome for the geek-inclined.

I hope Harvey does a little better without the need for the therapist!

:)
Jaydeyn

[lizbee]

Me too! I'm pretty sure cat therapy isn't cheap!

[umadoshi]

Now I want to listen to Avatar commentaries. ^^ But I need to finish my actual rewatch first!

[thedorkygirl]

So will Harvey be better after he takes these pills? And how long will he be off them? Do you think you'll have to taper the dose down like humans do so that he doesn't get terrible withdrawals?? How was he diagnosed??

I'm asking because I can think of 2 older male cats that probably could have done with pills as they aged and become more and more angry and upset. And also actually the one was a paranoid little shit from kittenhood and would a) push my dolls off my bed b) rip up the books I liked to read c) masturbate on me/my hair when I slept. So we should have drugged him forever.

[lizbee]

The vet says that the usual course is to start with putting him on the pills for a couple of months, then stopping and seeing if the more mellow behaviour has become habitual. (I asked about SSRI-withdrawal syndrome, and he said there was no evidence for it in cats.) The next step would be to try the pills in conjunction with the behaviourist.

It's not considered idea for a cat to be on pills all its life, but I understand that's more because of the expense and effort, rather than any side effects.

And he was diagnosed through our reports of his behaviour, and the fact we had been discussing similar behaviour for a long time, and had been trying less aggressive means of treating it.

[lizvogel]

Yay for Harvey responding well to the chill-pills! (Although when the time comes, you might want to wean him off over a few days anyway. Can't hurt.)

There's a new Benjamin January? Well, now I know what I'll be spending any Xmas money that comes my way on. I too tend to need a scorecard for the characters, but they're still a reliable read.