Yes, this post is late. That’s because I messed up and Floofenstein got away from me and ran away on Monday (4/14/25). I’ll share a detailed account soon, but suffice to say that Jim and I were both doing poorly. But, we got a second miracle because Floofers was sitting calmly in the trap yesterday morning, having come home.
His misadventure has, and will, result in multiple setbacks regarding his wound and integration into the household. But, he’s home, and that’s all that truly matters. Now, onto the post.
If you’re new here, I’m sharing our newest family member’s story from how he joined us until he settles in. Last week, I left off at March 25, his second vet exam.
March 26–April 1, 2025
Before I really get started, let me share just how big Floofenstein is. For reference, that’s Jim’s size 10.5 shoe.
A minor disaster
The biggest occurrence from our second week with Floofenstein was our basement flooding. When I went downstairs to check on him the morning of the 27th, I discovered quite a bit of standing water and found Floofers huddled — eyes fully dilated — in the one semi-dry corner of the bathroom. I’m not sure why he didn’t get into the tub, given that it was completely dry.
Note: Everything is fine. There was no major damage, insurance is covering everything, and we’ll have new flooring soon.
I put him in his carrier out of the way of the water while I started cleaning up. Once I took care of the standing water, we migrated him to the upstairs bathroom. Floof required lots of attention and reassurance before he truly calmed down. I took the opportunity afforded by such a big change to switch him from free feeding to one of the automated feeders.
More health stuff
Once I learned that a poo sample doesn’t have to be as… “fresh”… as a urine sample, I took one to the vet to test for parasites. Unfortunately, but rather unsurprisingly, he had giardia, likely from drinking creek water. We picked up a 5-day treatment of Panacur for him. The biggest down side was that, unfortunately, we had to wipe his butt a couple of times a day — he was not pleased. To help make sure he didn’t reinfect himself, we scooped the litter box extra and replaced the litter completely on his last day of treatment. There is a 2-3 week wait time before a re-test to make sure the treatment worked.
Spa Day
I got very lucky that when I picked up Floofenstein’s prescription, the vet had just had an April 1st grooming cancellation. I guess the joke was on Floofers. But, surprisingly, he upheld the family honor very well. Other than some skittishness with the water — understandable after the basement flooding situation — he was great. He succeeded in wrapping the staff around his tail as they all took turns brushing his belly. And, writing of his belly, it’s curly! He has adorable, tiny curls all along his belly. Bonus: his bath correlated with his last dose of Panacur, so we didn’t have to give him an extra cleaning.
Odds and Ends
Throughout the week, there were also some fun and sweet happenings:
- Floofenstein shed a whisker for me; it was my first from him.
- He made an effort to sit by me, and seemed to enjoy snuggling up against my leg.
- He discovered the joy of Purr Pops. Jim posted a video.
- He booped my nose with his nose! My heart melted right into a puddle of loving goo.
- Rock star is definitely a good descriptor for him. He likes to sing the songs of his people anytime he’s in his bathroom — including in the middle of the night. Thank goodness cats sleep a lot.
Next week will cover from April 2–16, including how Floofers got away and came back. The last “official” part in this series will cover from the 17th to his post-misadventure bath, currently scheduled for May 6. After that, any updates on Floofers will be based on major occurrences.
I hope you enjoyed part four of six?? about Floofenstein’s rescue and incorporation into our household. What’s your favorite photo of Floofers from this post? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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