MSI Press Blog

 Question: What is a precerpt? Answer: A precerpt is a brief excerpt or preview of a book (or other text), used to give readers a taste of the content before they read the full piece. It's like a sneak peek that hooks the reader's interest (or at least, we hope it will hook yours).  This Friday's precerpt is from  Raising Happy Cat Families  by Luna Norwood --  GAINING A CAT'S CONFIDENCE (part 3/final note) Bobolink was an FIV cat. In time, he developed two fatal diseases: autoimmune hemolytic anemia and amyloidosis, for which he had to take medicines. By the time he became very sick, he was devoted to me and trusted me. He spent a large portion of every day sitting in a chair with me while I worked, absorbing my body heat into his anemic body and licking my hands and face in gratitude. When it came to his medicines, he was compliant, no matter how they tasted or how I had to give them to him. Sadly, his blood count dropped wildly as a result of the autoimmune h...

  Bobolink in his kennel at the pet hospital. We should have known there was a problem with Bobolink that related to anemia. A feral cat that we domesticated (over a long period of time, he was always a little skittish until November when he wanted to crawl up in my lap or snuggle next to me all the time, literally all the time. In hindsight, he was cold; he was seeking warmth. Even though I am anemic at times and understand the cold feeling, the thought did not register that cats can be anemic as well. Then, he lost two pounds nearly overnight. Clearly, something was wrong. Worried that his FIV had turned into AIDS, we took him to the vet, who, through a blood test, discovered that he had autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a disease in which the cat's body eats its own red blood cells. Little is known about the causes. The vet suggested some possibilities that seemed not on the mark. I suggested FIV, but she said that was not likely. However, I have since found some vet sites on the In...

  Today we remember the ones who walked beside us, slept near us, and loved us with a purity that only animals can offer. Their paws may no longer echo in our homes, but their spirits remain stitched into our lives. 🕊️ Murjan, our gentle warrior, defied lymphoma for 3.5 years—nearly reaching age 19. His quiet strength and enduring presence were a daily grace. 🕊️ Intrepid, his brave pal, was struck by the same cruel disease at the same time. He fought fiercely for three months before joining his beloved staff, Carl, in rest—both taken by cancer, both remembered for their boldness and joy. Intrepid left us at just 11, but his legacy of fun and fearlessness lives on. 🕊️ Snyezhka, radiant and resilient, battled four kinds of cancer before a sudden saddle thrombus took her in the night at age 7. Her absence was felt deeply by her devoted companion, Happy Cat, who searched for her daily until his own passing from a brain tumor a year later. 🕊️ And Bobolink—our long-haired black beaut...

Bobolink (below) and Wooper (above) are bunked on the catio. We have had two cats lose their fur, each for a different reason.  Wooper licked all of hers off until she had alopecia. Our vet tried one medicine after another. Nothing worked. Another vet suggested it was anxiety, but it turned out it was not. We stumbled upon it by accident when we learned how to give a cat massage. Wooper loved the massage. She would ask for me, and she would want a deep massage. Normally standoffish, she would come and tap one of us on the shoulder. That was her way of asking for a massage. After a few weeks of massaging her, we noticed that her hair was growing up. She now has all the fur she ever had -- but she still wants her massages. Bobolink , a long-haired domestic cat, is sick. He, it turns out, has amyloidosis, in addition to FIV and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. His prognosis is not good. Tonight, I found him lying in a pool of pee, looking up with sad, surprised, and apologetic eyes. I cle...

  Some cats arrive in your life like a whisper. Bobolink was more like a vow. He came to me at six months old, a street rescue with FIV. The SNIP bus rescuer had named him  Boulder —because he wouldn’t move from a single step, trembling and crying when touched. He was considered unadoptable. But once inside my home, everything changed. Happy Cat , my beta cat, took a special interest in him. Within weeks, Boulder was wrestling with his big brother, pouncing, running, and radiating joy. I renamed him  Bobolink , after the bird whose song feels like a burst of sunlight. For five years, he was just that—sunlight. He slept beside me every night, not just for affection, but for the warmth his body came to need. He was my shadow, my comfort, my quiet pal. Then came year six.  He was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, likely linked to his FIV. The vet recommended euthanasia. I pushed back. We tried statins, but his white blood cell count kept falling. Follow-up vis...