Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Good and Bad.





The bad news is Inky ( 12 3/4 yrs ) our cat is very sick.( he featured here last May when he hurt his leg ).He hasn't eaten properly since last Thursday and was getting more an more stressed with laboured breathing and doing his usual things of trying to hide outside where we couldn't find him ( a sure sign he is sick )wet or fine. By yesterday he was so weak we had to act. He hates cages and car travel and has a dickey heart so we didn't want to make things worse. DH went down to find out about a new Vet clinic opened in Te Puna just 3 kms away. They said YES they would make a house call! Wow....that's very good. R asked the vet to bring a strong enough dose in case he needed putting to sleep but she also came with antibiotic paste and anti flam which she gave him plus 2 injections of plasma under the skin to get some fluid into him. She advised giving him till Friday to make an improvement or.......Try and get him to drink and eat anything at all 5 or 6 times a day. The anti biotics is chocolate flavoured...that gave me an idea, as he would lick it off his front paw. I tried him later with a piece of dark chocolate and he licked it till it was almost all gone. Chocolate for a cat????? How weird. He then licked up a tiny amount of mashed avocado which he loves and has with his breakfast normally. Today I got him to eat some tiny, tiny bits of tasty cheese. ( any type of cat food - forget it ) we now have a very emaciated cat with expensive tastes...but his doctor did say give him what ever he will take.
The verdict about what is wrong with him...could be any number of things......he won't tell me...but I know he is breathing with huge effort. At least having taken some action , however expensive, I slept better last night. ( he is our only and last pet - I get too stressed when they are sick....but the last 2 cats have adopted us not the other way around! ) Obviously I'll keep you posted about him.
Now the good part! Today for 4 hours DH was left in charge of sick cat ( but failed to get him to eat anything! ) because I had our P & Q Group's annual picnic. About 22 of our ladies sat around doing hand sewing talking and eating. It was held at Kulim Park on the harbour edge and we had a lovely view of Mt. Maunganui and several small yachts and seabirds.It was beautifully sunny to start with but by 1 pm clouds came across and a breeze started to make us too cold, so we gradually departed for home. I was back in time to do some fruit work - then we got rained on a bit ; now it is bright sun again....but I've knocked off now for the day .
I have made some progress with the jewelled bird and decided how I will stitch the feathers on, most of which are now cut out .
If anyone knows anything else peculiar that cats like ( and can lick )please let me know.....caviar perhaps.

12 comments:

meggie said...

Oh your poor dear cat! I watched a programme today, about dealing with difficult dogs, & to my surprise they cooked up some mince meat, & put a little garlic on it! I always thought dogs could not have garlic! The girl did mention that all cats & dogs love 'stinky' food, & warming it make the smell intensify... worth a try? Not sure about the drinks, suspect water to be best.
Good luck with your long time friendXX

loulee said...

Poor Inky, I do hope he perks up soon. I'm sure he would love caviar.

Julz said...

Ooh Ali, my heart is with you, I hope Inky is feeling better. Have you tried cooked fish (or sardines) mashed up small. Water is best, though you could also try the Whiskers Kitten milk. Our furry babies provide so much joy, and it is a real concern when they are not well. Purrs & Miaows to Inky from our 3 cats and new kitten Bella. Hugs Jx

Andrea said...

Poor little Inky - so horrible to see them suffer. Let's hope he shows a big improvement soon. One of our cats will eat ANYTHING while the other 2 are more discerning.

Paula, the quilter said...

O poor Inky and Ali! I hope there is some improvement? It is especially hard when your fur baby is ill because, like a human baby, it can not tell you the problem. Good luck.

Leanne said...

Sorry to hear about Inky - they sure touch your heart don't they!

I always have tinned salmon in pantry for when cats poorly, grated tasty cheese & find hand feeding gets a little into them.

Love Leanne

Unknown said...

Poor little fellow. I hope he is getting better.

YankeeQuilter said...

This sounds disgusting but it worked with my 15 year old cat when she was ill...cook up some chicken livers until they are really soft then mash them with some tuna fish until it is almost paste like. I used to put in on my finger and she would lick it off (what we do for our pets....) I hope he (and you) are doing better soon!

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Sorry to hear about Inky being poorly, best of luck. I'm afraid I don't know of anything, Our dog used to love liver pate, garlic and all.

julieQ said...

I am so sorry for your dear kittie. Seems like if they can eat it helps so much. Hope she is better soon. And I loving the bird quilt, just beautiful colors.

julieQ said...

I am so sorry for your dear kittie. Seems like if they can eat it helps so much. Hope she is better soon. And I loving the bird quilt, just beautiful colors.

Darlene said...

I was just reading your blog about Inky, and it made me think of something that happened to my lovely cat many years ago.
Rosebud was doing the same as Inky. Was becoming weak, lick a little water or food but nothing more than a lick. The vet said she would come right and took blood tests. After a shot of vitamins, she appear to pick up for a day but then went back down hill again. When Rosebud finally collaped in her water bowl I bundled her up to another vet. They were unsure as to her problem but took x-rays and found nothing unusual. They asked to open her up. She was very weak and they said the risk was high, but I knew it had to be done. An hour later, they said she was going to be fine. Why? When they opened her, they found a plastic bag from the inside of a chicken stuck in her throat. It was high enough to allow her still to breath but could not be seen on the x-ray. They kept her for a day and she was so happy to come home. Rosebud lived for another 14 years till she was 17.
I have no idea where she got the plastic bag from, I can only assume someones rubbish bag.
Your story just sounded so similar that I thought I would email you back with this, as you never know, Inky may have something in his throat preventing him from consuming food and water like Rosebud.