Are you singing it in your head yet? Maybe not, but by the time I am done you might be itching all over.
About 3 ½ to 4 weeks ago the boys and I decided to adopt a kitty. After some research and thinking, I chose the local humane society as the destination of choice as they have many that need homes and the fee is only $15. That is one hell of a price for a kitty, pre-vaccinated, neutered and micro-chipped, can’t be beat right? Wrong. Kitty came home and was bestowed the name Mr. Paws McLongbottom, now on referred to as Mr. Paws because I refuse to write his last name that many times. About 1 ½ weeks into having our new baby, I noticed that he was missing a little hair on his ear. No biggie right? Stuff happens to little kitties especially when they are so happily terrorizing their new home. Another week goes by and I notice that he has another small spot and a very small portion of hair all the way around his tail. I will take “things that make you go hmmmm” for $500 Alex and then turned to the internet.
At the onset of my search I found several disgusting pics with which to compare these spots. My two personal favorites were mange and ringworm but the pics were so horrible and none matched what I was looking at. I came across several articles that stated a nervous disorder could be the culprit but Mr. Paws wasn’t nervous at all. The damned cat spent his days doing anything he could to upset my OCD and part of his night stalking, attacking and chewing on my feet. There was clearly no nervous condition here. It just looked like dry skin and several opinions were that it could be an allergy of some sort but what? The only thing I could think of in the house that he could be allergic to was our chronically depressed Pug, Hank. Nothing made sense.
A couple of days after returning from Las Vegas from the trip with pseudo hubby RJ, I saw that Hank had a spot on his foot. Alright what the hell is really going on now? I have a friend, Stacey Q, that has a vet supply place that’s always helping out with her animals ailments so I called her up. She told me where to go so I rushed off with pics on phone to solve this mystery. The man I saw at the store looked at my pics and said, “looks like mange to me” and promptly sold me a tube of cream for $22. I was told to put it on the spots a couple times a day until the hair grew back. YAY!! Problem solved, right? Drat, wrong again!
I woke up about 5 days ago with a very noticeable red, round, crusty, yummy spot on the inside of my left knee. HOLY CRAP, its ringworm. There was no having to guess or wondering what it was. Nope, this was definitely ringworm and I now had it. New game plan. We needed 2 visits to the vet, one for each animal and a visit to the doctor for me. Our $15 kitty had now turned in to an “over $200” kitty. I now spend my days cleaning, more than usual, disinfecting, keeping animals out of the bedrooms, administering oral and topical medications and praying to the universe that the kids wouldn’t get it. Days have gone by with no signs on the kiddos UNTIL, yes UNTIL this weekend. Thing 1 ended up with 2 spots. Cancel birthday party they were to attend. This morning Thing 2 woke up with 4 spots, one on his forehead and 3 next to his ear. The only survivor so far is Z-Fred, the oldest child, who may be spared since he showers 3 times a day and refuses to use the same towel each time he does as it is. I so far have only popped up 3 spots but DAMN they are no fun. Itching, burning and ugly as hell. I am vain enough to be canceling my participation in the Inland Empire Corset Run next weekend because the beauty of a pretty corset on the back of a Harley will be totally killed by the spot on my right bicep.
I guess the bottom line is this…my house is in isolation just waiting, for the worms.
Angry Pumpkin Out Of Control 