nlbarber

A couple of days ago I noticed that Agatha-cat's pupils seemed to be too dilated, but I hadn't managed to make a vet appointment--next week is the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo where I man an exhibit for my office, and I'm in frantic mode trying to get stuff together for that plus complete some other critical tasks. But when I got home last night, it became apparent that she wasn't seeing anything, or at least not much. She'd set out across the kitchen, get to the doorway on the far side and walk up to the door frame. Stop. Back up a step, move over, go through the door. In the bedroom, she once got off her intended path and walked into two or three corners before finding her way to the pet-steps beside the bed. She also tried to walk into or on top of the other cats when they got in her way--she just didn't see them.

I took her in to Dr. Walton this morning, and his diagnosis is detached retinas, caused by age--she's almost 17. Maybe some genetic predisposition, but not some other health issue. (I'd spent a restless night thinking "brain tumor".) In her case, he said, the lenses have broken loose and migrated to the back of the eye, again probably because they shrank with age, and that probably triggered the retina detachments by changing the pressure on the fluid in the back of the eye. Or something like that. Googling seems to always attribute detached retinas to hypertension and says that should be treated immediately. I have a call in to the vet... [Note from later--he didn't call back, so the question will be asked of Dr. Dunn tomorrow.]

Which brings up another reason why I delayed some on this, plus some other less critical problems Agatha has. I dislike Walton, and the vet that I do like, Dr. Dunn, has left Walton's practice to go to a Pets Are People, Too--one of those Evil Mega-Corporation places that's buying up lots of independents. And the office Dunn has gone to is 20 minutes or so away, where Walton's office is 2 minutes. Distance is important when you have a cat who finds all carriers and car trips traumatizing. This morning I first tried to see Dunn, but she was not in today. Made an appointment for tomorrow, anyway, and went ahead with the emergency visit to Walton. If the drive isn't too much for Agatha, and if this other office setup seems OK, I will probably keep going to Dr. Dunn for Agatha.

Poor old lady Agatha was back at the vet again this morning, this time because she's been snorting and making gakking sounds like her nose is stopped up. But not continuously, and she has not been mouth-breathing, so I let it go on longer than I should have. I really noticed how bad it had gotten when I was at home Monday, but Wednesday is one of the days the good vet is there so I waited.

The tentative diagnosis is a sinus infection. (I didn't know cats could get sinus infections.) I've got tuna-flavored liquid antibiotic to give her every day for a week, and the vet's email to send updates or questions to. She (good vet) had me make a follow-up appointment for next Wednesday, but depending on how things progress, I might not need it. Or might need to go in sooner, if this doesn't seem to work. Vet also noted that on Agatha's last blood work her blood sugar was a little high, so we need to watch for diabetes.

Current status: Agatha is in her usual evening spot here on the desk, under the heat of the lamp. There's a lot of snorting, swallowing, and the occasional gakking fit going on, and I wish I could hold up a tissue like parents do to toddlers and say "Blow your nose, Agatha! Harder!" Unfortunately this doesn't work well with cats. :(

Agatha was indeed allowed to come home yesterday, and indeed had continued to refuse to eat at the vet's . I went in and got a short lesson in giving hairball medicine with a syringe (she's never been willing to lick a full dose off my finger, and can sling any that is put on a paw with sufficient force to embed it in the wall paint, rug, and nearby furniture), and took her home.

( Miss Agatha demands service...and privacy )

Fish report: the seemingly bottomless bottle of antibiotic finally got emptied this morning, and the cystitis symptoms have eased. Fish will be unhappy to miss his spoonful of baby food tonight, I imagine. He apparently decided the medication process was not all that traumatic, as he never hid from me when I came to get him for the towel-wrapping.

Second dose of liquid antibiotic was administered using the little syringe (I used the dropper the first time) and the 'wrap animal in large towel' technique. Took 2 wrapping attempts before I got the medicine squirted in his mouth, and he was not much consoled by the fingerful of beef baby food (kept for giving Agatha her vitamin/joint supplement) offered afterwards.

Note: trim claws before time for the evening round.

Fish is the first cat I've had who's been unable (or perhaps "refused" is the word) to learn about Forbidden Surfaces. The kitchen counter, for instance, is a Forbidden Surface, as is the breakfast counter and the dining room table. Surfaces used for food preparation and eating, in other words. Cats are not to get on Forbidden Surfaces.

All Fish has ever been able to learn is that he is not to be on a Forbidden Surface if I am in the same room, unless the temptation (usually in the form of an intruder cat walking around the outside of the house just under the windows) is overwhelming. And Fish passed this interpretation of Forbidden Surfaces along to Fred when she arrived, which meant things like "bottle caps left in the drain rack will become cat toys, and may never been seen again".

I periodically considered means of dealing with this problem, but never came up with anything that worked. The old "leave sticky tape upside down on the counter" was ineffective, as Fish doesn't seem to care if he gets tape on his feet. However, I ran across a training tool the other day, and decided it was worth $30 to see if it might work. It's called SSSCat, and it's basically a aerosol can with a motion-detector head. If something trips the motion detector, the can sprays with a loud HISSSSSSS.

First night I had it, I thought I had a bum product--I couldn't manage to trigger the spray. But I left it on and went to bed to read for a while, and in about 10 minutes I hear HISSSSSS, and the scrabble of cat feet. I got up to see Fred slinking through the kitchen with her belly to the floor. It got her the second night too, but then there was a while when I saw no signs that it had triggered. Then Wednesday I came in from work to find a chair from the breakfast counter overturned on the floor, and the newspaper shoved up against the window. I suspect Fish decided to do some bird-watching on the breakfast counter, and got HISSSSSSed.

I'm giving it a few more days, then will move the can to the dining table...

Fred and I are watching the Westminster Dog Show Well, I'm watching. Fred is bouncing around the living room playing with various toys, leaping on and off the cat tree, and generally entertaining herself. At the moment she's burrowed under a little pillow on a chair, and is peering over the top of it.

However, every now and then something on the TV catches her attention, and she moves in front of it and stares intently. A particular dog? Just the moving spot against the green background? Whatever it is, she is fascinated. For about 2 minutes....then she's off again.

Fred's home, well shaved (far enough up her sides to produce something of a greyhound look), and with a few pain pills. I'm hoping she doesn't need the pain pills, as she dropped the bottle in her water dish when I wasn't looking and they got wet. Am trying to dry them out on a tissue at the moment, and will then see if there's anything like a pill left.

Fish thinks she's an intruder--she doesn't smell like the cat that left the house this morning. He's been hissing and growling at her every time she gets within 5 feet. I've tried re-anointing both of them with the scent I used to help introduce her, but that had no effect. Agatha hisses, too, but then she always does.

Fred is moving around easily but is in dire need of head scritches. The incision needs to be watched for heat, swelling, or seepage, but beyond that she should be done--the stitches are internal so they don't have to be removed (and she can't pick at them). And she should no longer be bothered by those hormonal surges.

I called to schedule Fred's spaying last Friday, but Amelia, the head of the rescue organization and who works at the vet who does spay/neuter for them, doesn't work on Fridays. I thought anyone could schedule the appointment, but it seems Amelia needs to do it for the pre-paid adopted animals.

The beginning of this week was hectic, so I didn't manage to call again until Thursday. Oh, Amelia's not working today, she'll be in tomorrow (Friday). I didn't bother to ask why.

Called back a few minutes ago at 10:40 AM. Amelia's gone for the day--she'll be in Monday. Grrr.

And on the home front, Fred's heat seems to be tapering off. But it will repeat in 2-3 weeks if the spaying doesn't happen, so I really need to get that appointment.

(Must get a picture of all 3 cats...but this will have to wait until Agatha allows Fred to get close enough to be in the same frame.)

First significant kitten damage: a curtain rod in my bedroom has been pulled off the wall. Granted, the curtain rod support at that end was not really well established, but I did think the molly bolts in the drywall would hold up better. Now I must consult with my brother about how to repair this--larger drywall anchors or molly bolts will probably need screws too big for the support's mounting hardware.

On the other hand, Fred is really cute.

More serious note: for some as-yet-undetermined reason, both adult cats didn't eat yesterday or Saturday night either, really. When neither touched their dry food this morning and even a canned tuna and salmon cat food failed to get more than a few licks, I bundled Agatha off to the vet, as the more fragile one who would be in trouble first. (Cats need to eat, or they develop liver damage after just a few days.)

No obvious cause could be determined, so she got sub-Q fluids to be sure she's not dehydrated, blood tests to check on the kidney disease (these were due anyway, and it was a faint possibility), and an anti-nausea shot. And a can of supposed-to-be-really-good canned food to tempt her appetite. Blood results showed nothing--the kidney disease is still controlled, nothing else abnormal--so we wait and see. She was mildly interested in the canned food tonight, and ate maybe a teaspoon of it. Fish was somewhat interested in his normal dry food, but when the canned stuff came out he dove in. I'm hoping Agatha is just taking a little longer to get over whatever it was.

Kitten is on my lap. Agatha is in the favored spot under the desk lamp where the heat feels good. Much growling (from Agatha) has gone on, but at the moment both of them have their heads down to nap.

Fish is Not Being Seen.

Earlier today, I took the kitten with me into the living room where I was going to watch the ACC championship game (Ga. Tech lost--they had their chances, and didn't put it together). CFKAL seemed intimidated by the expanse of the kitchen and the Weird Room floors, so she stuck to the living room once put there, hiding under the recliner if I left the room, then emerging quickly to jump in my lap or explore the room once I returned. Best exploration: over behind the row of books on the shelf that holds the "books related to cats". If I'd only had the camera handy....

Towards the end of the afternoon when the sun left the basking spots in my bedroom windows, first Fish, then Agatha came looking for me. Almost identical reactions ensued: enter room, start towards me for some attention. Spot CFKAL. Stop dead, hiss. Back up a step or two, hiss again. Slowly turn and leave the area. CFKAL debated walking after Agatha, but thought better of it.

This seems to be a household of beta cats...