Sanitizing

Bob Cat (aka Kiwi)

You know it is never a dull moment here. And with the stay-at-home  orders because of the Covid-19 virus  you just want things to be dull.  But it seems for us it just never is. I wrote in a blog post a while back that we were missing  one of our cats. He is our sweet barn cat Kiwi- a black tuxedo male. We have had assorted cats over the years here and I love the tuxedos! And now Kiwi – Bob – has the label most expensive of all barns cats here at Glory View Farm!

If you hadn’t guessed as yet – Kiwi- came back after being lost for about 4 -5 days. About 5 weeks ago I was in the barn and feeling sad that he still wasn’t back – it feels empty when an animal dies or goes missing – they each fill a space.  All of a sudden I had this feeling I should to go outside and look for  Kiwi. I didn’t understand that niggle but I know when I get it to give it a listen.  So I went out of the rear of the barn to the fence line and I was looking in the field at nothing but emptiness when I heard a faint meow. I didn’t see anything where I was looking but the little sound was coming from my left which is the dry lot where the horses loaf when not out in a pasture-  I assumed it was our other cat Pearl calling for dinner. I looked around and didn’t see Pearl. I heard it again- so it must have been real. But where was it coming from?

Kevin stepped out of the barn and I asked him if he heard a meow – and just as he was going to answer I spotted Kiwi by the right side of the shed in our dry lot. I told Kevin I saw him and ran through the barn and walked around behind him just as Kevin- who by then had also spotted him -walked to the front of him. Something was off.  Kiwi was having trouble walking forward. He seemed very stiff. I was afraid to lift him but had to take the chance he might bite me if he was in enough distress. I thought his backend was injured but I was able to pick him up without him biting or getting upset. I might add here that I am allergic to cats- it is a pretty good allergy too- but I won’t let that stop me from helping one if needed. I just have to careful not to touch my face after I touch him. And I can’t put my face to close to their bodies.

We got him in our gym which is part of the barn and we got him some food and water and I looked him over. I suspected he had an abscess.  He had a nasty looking area on his back hip and his tail seemed wonky and there was an area that looked like it may have been injured. He had a back claw that looked bad and his front ears were lightly scratched up.  He ate just a bit but drank well – but I knew he needed attending to.  He needed a trip to the vet- but is was Sunday – so it was the emergency vet for him.

The vet visits during Covid-19 are different now. We called ahead and Kevin took him in. Kevin called the desk when he arrived masked assistants fetched Kiwi from the car and they took him to be  examined by the vet. The would call Kevin on his cell with their assessment.

Basically they took the conservative approach and treated him for abscesses.  They didn’t feel like he had any breaks – like his pelvis or ribs. But they warned us about the tail. He could have more going on.  He came home and was left crated in the gym so he could recover for a day or so. But he didn’t really perk up. He wasn’t eating much and when I let him out of the crate he just seemed that he could not walk forward. And he wasn’t moving the tail. I had the feeling we had more going on there.

I was worried so Kevin took Kiwi to our regular vet a couple days after his initial emergency visit. They had the same routine of them coming out to the car to grab Kiwi but Kevin could come right home as our little farm is only a couple miles away from the vets office.  Soon after Kevin got home they called and asked to x-ray Kiwi and we said of course. We waited anxiously for news. Not long after the first call, the vet called with some grim news. His tail was completely broken. She said it had to come off.  What a bummer- not bc I felt bad for him losing his tail but for the fact he must have been feeling so crummy for a while. We ok’ed the surgery for the next day. Kiwi spent the night at the Vet’s office.

The good news is that Kiwi did great in the surgery. They removed the tail and fixed up the wound on his back hip. The bad news was he needed to be confined for a couple weeks and wear a cone of shame- an e-collar. He would be fine in the gym in the crate.  He was be given exercise time in the gym (he was not allowed to do any heavy lifting- ok that was a joke) and he began within days to get very tired of the e-collar and sick of being indoors! This was a good sign.

He became his playful self quickly, he was eating and drinking.  I let sister Pearl visit him – she was not into the e-collar and would hiss at him. I worried maybe she would not understand it was her brother because his tail was missing. I worried that he might not get along with our feral cat Jet anymore bc he had been gone so long. One day when Jet was in the center aisle of the barn I opened the gym door hoping Jet could see or smell his buddy. I don’t know if he could Jet does not let humans too close and there was no way to coax him closer.

The vets at our regular practice said that they had two differing opinions on what may have happened to Kiwi. One thought it was a fan belt injury- where he may have gotten caught up in the engine of a car. He had a classic break that is indicative of that event the vet said. There was the hip cut too and that made the other vet think it was a larger animal that may have gotten him. I wondered if he had run off and then been attacked (he had not been one to run off though) or if something had grabbed him on our property. We definitely have cars around a lot – though I had never seen him get close to them. Kevin had seen some blood on the fence near the driveway so I think whatever happened it was right here at home.

I have had my own thoughts on what happened. I think maybe a horse stepped on  his tail but I can’t figure out the cut on his side. A horse could crush him. So I am not sure the horse makes sense. But whatever happened it had been a few days before the day we found him- his wounds weren’t fresh. Perhaps he went into hiding after he was injured. He could have been under that shed – there is room under there for a cat to hide. I had that experience years ago when I found our sick cat Momma under there.  Kevin had looked for Kiwi there when he first went missing but it is pretty deep so he may have been there. I won’t ever know. But that was where is was standing when we found him. I am so glad he was able to be found!

The best news is that Kiwi is out and about again and playing with his friends. He has stayed put and seems to not notice he is missing a tail. He looks cute too. Our friend Mike suggested we rename him Bob-Cat! Hilarious. So now I call him Kiwi and Bob (sometimes Bobby and sometimes Manx- I think they are the cats with no tails right?  I need to google that.)

In addition to the cat injury  and along with my kid leaving for the Navy, our cooktop was fried in a brownout- which required a repairman to come into the house tell us we needed a new one- this requires him to come back to install it. And at about the same time we had a large clog in the main pipe to our septic – not good– which also required a plumber to come out. This all during a time we would rather not have anyone come into our home. I really am wishing for dull days!

The day we found him- see that tail?

Grocery Delivery…during a pandemic….my sanitizing protocol

Mr Clean

My homes Mr. Clean – going to retrieve an RX.

Up until the Covid-19 pandemic I had only used grocery delivery one time- and that was when Kevin and I became ill at the same time when we were at our home in Delaware. There was NO way either of us could get out and buy the clear soup, graham crackers, gingerale , and tummy meds we needed to combat the bug that ailed us.

At that time I automatically used what we now call social distancing – I asked the driver to drop off the groceries at the front door – and run! Well I may not have explained it exactly that way but I did explain the need to drop and leave.  The driver had no problem with that request!

In the midst of this pandemic we have begun to use the InstaCart grocery service again in hopes that this and the Hello Fresh we have delivered each week will keep us from needing to go out to the grocery store.   I like InstaCart thus far. The driver/shopper is very good at finding replacements for my items and checking with me if they are ok.  I can even add something on while they are still shopping.  As they shop you can see each item in the list being checked off in the app. Each time they have shopped for me they have been on-time or early with the delivery.

But what to do when you get the items delivered? How do I safely bring them all inside? Could the virus be lurking on my food?

Well I can’t take any chances  because my mother – who has underlying health conditions  -lives here with us. So I began to read up on suggestions on the safe handling of groceries and also carryout or delivered meals. I read many many suggestions and I decided I had to figure out which things made the most sense to me.  Everyone is going to have different needs and some may think what I do is too much or maybe not enough. But let me tell you it’s a job doing the protocol I have decided on.

Here it is-

First I had the delivery person(s) leave the groceries by my garage -the first time it was on the front porch -but the garage makes it easier for me to sanitize and offload items that go into our garage fridge.  I donned disposable gloves, took the Clorox wipes out with me to the garage. I then took out items in the bags that could go in the garage fridge and I wiped them with the wipes. Then placed in the fridge. Just to note – all produce went into the house to be cleaned in the sink with water. I tossed away the bags – which bums me out because we normally save many of them for other uses but not now.  I Clorox wiped the handles of the fridge.

Next I took in the bags of items that needed to go inside and I decided to have a designated landing area in the kitchen where the bags would go. I chose next to my fridge near the garbage drawer to make access to both easier. I unloaded the bags and all items were wiped with Clorox wipes -and put away. I then tossed away all the bags – Clorox wiped the floors, fridge handles and anywhere inside the fridge that I touched. I then tossed gloves away.

All produce was cleaned in the sink. I scrubbed the banana’s too – we will see how they turn out – lol. Then I washed my hands and then put away all the produce. Then wiped the counters with a Clorox wipe, and the fridge door handle again and inside the fridge, and the garbage handle and wiped the floors where the bags were (ok prob overkill), I wiped all doorknobs I touched between kitchen and the garage. Washed hands again.

Then I had five shots of vodka. No just kidding I had six…not really –  I did sit down with some ice water and lamented to my mom that it was at least a pert – time job just to put away groceries. If I had shopped for them too I  would have used even more precautions. I was tired! I just wanted chocolate.

I am sure many of you can relate to this new scenario. If this isn’t new to you then I bow to your sanitizing expertise.  In the new world  – after this pandemic is over – Ebbed? – I know I will take some of this new found sanitizing with me and continue being mindful of germs. I hope the stores allow shoppers to use their own bags again because I felt terrible tossing the bags in the trash. I did recycle some the first time we got delivery but then I thought maybe that wasn’t good for those workers that sort the recycle stuff. I guess I need to google about that. Google will have opinions en masse.

Then I read a whole thing about takeout/delivery food. What I have done is like with the groceries – had a landing area, removed food container from the bags. Tossed bags. Removed the food from the containers and put on clean plates and tossed containers. Then cleaned landing area and garbage drawer handle.  Washed my hands. Then ate my meal.  I also have been ordering hot food. I love sushi and salads but worry getting those in takeout. Might they harbor germs?

We have been getting boxes delivered too – and we are doing the landing spot and sanitizing those items as well. The boxes get broken down and put in the garage for disposal. As for the Hello Fresh- we put the boxes in the garage and then we put the meals which are bagged in the garage fridge. When we bring this in to cook we wash produce (as normal) and fix the meal and toss away the bag. Sanitize the area where we prepped. Wash hands and eat.  I have less worry about the HF because by the time it gets to us and we get to preparing it any virus has likely dies.

It is all so scary really.  I try to stop my mind being 24/7 virus. But it is so hard when so many things we have to do have the extra layer sanitizing.  Today I went out in the car to a drive-thru pharmacy. I wore disposable gloves. We brought masks in case we had to go into the store for some reason.

I wash my hands so much! I thought I was a hand washer before!  I know you all can relate. I might be doing too much or not enough…how am I to know. There are no guarantees we will not get this thing. I hope there is some promise to the medication protocols they have been mentioning and hopefully a vaccine as soon as they can have one.

In the meantime I will be Mrs. Clean and hubs Mr. Clean and my mom is already Grandma Clean which is why we have lots of hand sanitizer- before this pandemic she was a germaphobe and I don’t blame her, she does have underlying health issues.

I will say I soooo appreciate the grocery delivery service and the people who are doing the shopping. The tips are large on Instacart- you can change the suggested tip- but I think any shopper who will do this for strangers in a pandemic deserves the tip. God Bless them and all who are out the working and caring for others.

Much luck as you discover your sanitizing protocols!

Stay safe – ❤