Yes, day before Thanksgiving looked to be Furry's last...then off to the Cat House in the Sky! Deathwatch 2012 was upon us we thought. She just laid there looking awful, fur all screwed up and skinny as a cat could be...food bowl mound untouched...water bowl in a similar state. Shit! We watched her for the morning hoping against hope that this was just a "down day" in the life of the dear Queen. Then about 11 Kelly called the vet at ABC Animal Hospital and told them of her "condition". Our day is set. They said "Come on in", so we gathered her up into her carrier and away we went. ABC is about 2 miles from here across Highway 12 and the vet we have been using for years, kind, attentive to people and animals alike, they are ultra reliable. Upon arrival we were taken into the Cat Examination Room and the familiar stainless steel table and all the photos of cats and the possible diseases they can experience. The Cat nurse was very careful with our ancient (she'll be 19 on April 1st) Fur-Rr-Eee, taking her temperature rectally (she didn't like it at all this time!) and having a less than easy time of it, there being a "poop mat" preventing the delicate operation from success. Another Cat Nurse joined in the fun and soon the mat was removed and her temperature was announced as "normal". "Does she eat normally", she asked, "Not today" was my reply. "Poop?", she returned, "I think so...she has a robot so it's difficult to know," I said petting Furry's back. "The doctor will be right in" she said as she left us alone to await the medicine to come. Soon the good Doc joined us and checked her mouth, listened to her lungs and heart and felt for lumps etc. He spoke of Liver failure, kidney disease, worms etc. Seeming well enough he announced that she needed a blood test to see if something "inside" was amiss. We also talked a bit about possible outcomes (Deathwatch Scenario #1). He then wrapped her in a towel and took her elsewhere for the blood draw while we anxiously waited. In about 15 minutes he returned with Furry and a small slip of paper...the results, which he then reviewed with us. Showing results that were nearly normal, especially on the critical liver and kidney tests he decided to re-hydrate the obviously dehydrated cat, so out came a kit and soon the saline solution was flowing thru the tube into her neck. Then came a shot to control the vomiting she had been having. It took two grown men to hold her down through these "procedures"! She wasn't having this easily! Another 15 minutes and it was all wrapped up, Furry back into her carrier in a second...living up to her name! Then pay the $175 bill (not bad at all, given all the effort done in her (and our) behalf. Also we were given a bottle of vitamin drops to place into her food and told to give her "wet" food as a precaution against dehydration.
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Of course we were scheduled to go down to Merced for our annual Thanksgiving with Kelly's cousin and other family members on their ranch...she had to call and tell them we were not able to come as Furry needed our full attention. Shit! Further it meant we had to shop not only for wet food for the darling beast but for makings of a Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves and Audrey. Yes...all for the cat. It is ALWAYS for the cat...isn't it?! Deathwatch Averted...today, she seems fine, gloating that she has gotten us to feed her wet food and we didn't leave her to fend for herself yesterday. Yes, she's fine...and she goes BACK to the vet this afternoon at 4 for the "check up"...Hmmmmmm. She won that one!
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Of course we were scheduled to go down to Merced for our annual Thanksgiving with Kelly's cousin and other family members on their ranch...she had to call and tell them we were not able to come as Furry needed our full attention. Shit! Further it meant we had to shop not only for wet food for the darling beast but for makings of a Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves and Audrey. Yes...all for the cat. It is ALWAYS for the cat...isn't it?! Deathwatch Averted...today, she seems fine, gloating that she has gotten us to feed her wet food and we didn't leave her to fend for herself yesterday. Yes, she's fine...and she goes BACK to the vet this afternoon at 4 for the "check up"...Hmmmmmm. She won that one!
