"About" Buckley and Bogey

Cat Detectives

Buckley and Bogey are real, live cats who inspired the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers. And yes, those are their pictures you see on their book covers. Bogey was adopted from an animal shelter when he was just a kitten, and he came to live with us and three much older female cats. About a year after we adopted him, we noticed a real disconnect between him and the other cats. Not only was Bogey the only male cat at that time, but he was also much, much younger and far more energetic than his sisters. Bogey believed in playing all day, every day, and frequently during the night, too. And since he had no other young cats to play with, he continually tried to engage his older sisters. Unfortunately, they got sick of him quickly, and they would hiss and swat until he left them alone. Then Bogey would flop on the floor and sigh. He wanted someone young to play with so badly, and before long, it became very apparent that he needed a brother. And though we really hadn't intended to bring another cat into the fold right then, we realized we needed someone else to join our little cat family.

So we decided to stop into the adoption center at our local pet food store, and that’s when we spotted one-year-old Buckley. After spending some one-on-one time with him, we knew he’d be a perfect fit. We adopted him that day, on Palm Sunday. And because we knew there was a correct way to introduce a new cat, we brought him home and got him set up in our guest room. We kept the door shut so Buckley and the other cats could merely sniff each other out from under the door. While the girls stayed away, Bogey was right there the whole time. He put his paw under the door and meowed to his new friend. Buckley returned the gesture, and both boys kept this up — all night long! We knew they were dying to meet nose to nose, but we also knew it was best for them to be introduced one step at a time. So they just had to wait it out. The next day we brought both boys into a neutral room where they finally met. It took all of five minutes before they were best friends. They’ve been inseparable ever since. To this day, we're amazed at how well they get along. Even when they play together, they take turns. When we play with them using one of their favorite toys, "Bird" (feathers on the end of a string attached to a wand), one jumps and chases it while the other watches. Then they switch so the other one have a turn. Buckley and Bogey have always worked as a team, rather than being competitors.

At night, they often run around the house together and seem to be "investigating" and "running surveillance". And since cats are such imaginative creatures -- they can play with a stuffed mouse for hours, as though they're hunting big game in a dense jungle -- Buckley and Bogey seemed to be perfect characters for a cat detective series. Especially considering how well the two get along. Hence, the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers were born!

You'll notice in the books that Bogey is very outgoing and well . . . practically fearless. Nothing seems to rattle him at all. Whereas Buckley is kind of a nervous wreck. He's afraid of lots of things and always worried about the outcome. The real life Buckley and Bogey are very similar. Bogey knows no fear and believes everyone will love him. He's a very confident cat. But Buckley, who was a year old when we adopted him, and had originally been rescued from a kill shelter, really is a pretty anxious guy. He suffers from something called FLUTD, or Feline Lower Urinary Track Disease, which has recently been changed to FIC, or Feline Idiopathic Cystitis. In a nutshell, he has issues with his bladder that are believed to impacted by nutritional, environmental and psychological factors. The condition is much like chronic migraines would be to humans. If Buckley doesn't eat the right food or drink enough water, and he's under stress, he will likely get inflammation in his bladder, which can lead to horrible pain for him. The first time we saw him go to his litter box and scream bloody murder, I thought my heart had stopped! Luckily, after working with some wonderful vets, we were given his diagnosis and an excellent treatment plan for poor Buckley. While his condition is probably not curable, it is very treatable, and we've gotten him down to about one episode a year. To treat him and prevent further episodes, first, we feed him mostly canned food, since it provides more liquid for him. And because fluids are vital to treating FIC, he has fresh water available all over the house. We also feed him a little ham now and then, since ham is salty and entices him to drink more. He gets a daily cranberry pill, which may help prevent episodes and is good for the bladder. We've tried out different kinds of kitty litter to see which one he prefers and his cat boxes around the house are cleaned regularly.

Then we had to deal with Buckley's stress. Since FIC cats don't like a lot of change, we try to keep a routine when it comes to feeding times, etc. We also cuddle him a lot, which seems to make him feel very secure. (One bit of caution here -- paying too much attention to your cat {24/7 attention} can sometimes have the opposite effect and actually make a cat more anxious.) We play with him and Bogey on a regular basis. To take things a step further, we tried to determine what kinds of things actually stress him out. While he gets shook up by loud noises outside -- trash pickup, lawn mowers, etc. -- it appeared his biggest source of stress was actually more of a separation anxiety. Whoever said cats aren't social creatures has never met Buckley, because he gets upset when we're out for an evening, he frets when my husband goes to work on Monday morning, and he gets upset when Bogey gets in trouble and is put in time out. (He hunches outside the door and waits for him to come out.) Yes, since our beloved Buckley has come to live at our house, he's become very attached to us, and he worries when we're not there. So, while Buckley is a very intelligent guy, he's also very sensitive. To help him out, our vet put him on an anti-anxiety medication called Buspar. He is given a very low dose on a regular basis, with an increase in his medication preventively. Meaning, we increase the dosage on his medication when we're going to be out of town, or when some other major change is coming up, to help him deal with his anxiety.

Together, all the things we do for Buckley have worked well in treating his condition and letting him live a healthy, happy life!

Some might wonder whether an FIC cat is worth all the trouble. Let me be the first to say, "Yes, they are." Buckley is one of the sweetest, funniest and most lovable cats I've ever met. He's a perfect complement to Bogey, and we can't imagine our lives without him. We love him dearly. The hardest part of dealing with an FIC cat is getting the diagnosis and understanding the condition. Then it's imperative to come up with a treatment plan that works for your particular cat. If one vet won't work with you, then find another. Sometimes it's worth taking your cat to a University Veterinary School facility, where they're often up on the latest treatments. Personally, we're also hopeful that, as more research is being done on the condition, medical breakthroughs may be on the horizon. Maybe one day there will even be a cure for Buckley's condition.

In the meantime, Buckley continues to do his job as a cat detective. And no doubt, he'll be writing even more books about his escapades! While he may suffer from FIC and anxiety, that's never stopped him and Bogey from solving the case!


(Dislaimer -- we are not veterinarians and do not intend any of this information to take the place of veterinary treatment. We're merely giving information on our own personal experience. If your cat has a urinary tract problem, be sure to take them to the vet first!)