Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Feeling A Little Better

Mimi waiting with the kids for breakfast.
Mimi waiting with the kids for breakfast.

We’ve put some work into it, but we’re feeling a little better! Better enough to line up with the kids at breakfast, a wonderful sight for me to see.

We’ve managed to treat Mimi’s symptoms so she feels better and will hopefully start eating on her own. Enjoy these photos of Mimi’s day along with notes on her latest update. (This post was actually for Monday, but chasing Mimi and catching up on work got in the way! These photos are from Monday.) And thanks to everyone who has been so generous with donations and purchases to help pay for Mimi’s care. With her feeling a little better and more stable, my veterinarian and I can work through other blood tests to look for information and rule things in or out before we move back to other diagnostics and an ultrasound, then determine ongoing treatments.

Mimi had seemed pretty comfortable by the time we got to bed Sunday night…Monday morning, very late, but this was how Mimi was feeling Monday morning, so it was all worth it.

Mimi at sunrise.
Mimi at sunrise.

We started Mimi on a small dose of prednisolone to help reduce any inflammation that might be in place and to help perk up her appetite to the point where she might actually eat on her own. She is hungry, but nausea has been an issue.

Are we ready for our breakfast? (That is the royal “we”.)

Yes?
Yes?

She had not vomited since the previous evening, though she had a lot of saliva and drooled a bit, a sure sign of nausea. We had to get that under control so she might start to eat, and so that she could keep her food down.

So she hopped down from the wardrobe and trotted down the steps and around the loop with everyone else, then stopped at her favorite scratching spot, the old, old section of a cherry tree my neighbor cut down years ago. I’ve had it here by the front door between the kitchen and living room/office for at least 20 years, and for some cats it’s a favorite spot to stop for a quick scratch before going through the doorway. Mimi always does! Especially in the morning on the way to the kitchen!

Having a good scratch on the way to the kitchen.
Having a good scratch on the way to the kitchen.

After the acupuncture treatment on Saturday and the fluids she seemed to gain her vitality back and was as active as she normally would be, though still nauseated. We started the Chinese herb Dr. Michelle had prescribed Saturday evening and by Sunday morning the salivating and drooling were done. We started the prednisolone Saturday night and hoped by this morning she might eat on her own. I usually avoid steroids but in this case it’s an appropriate treatment if other things aren’t working. The steroid perks them up and they can seem hyperactive so I don’t put too much on their activities while on steroids, but Mimi’s activity is no greater than before so her activity is largely her own initiative, which is good.

Rather than serve breakfast right away, I used a lesson I’d learned from other cats who’d been seriously ill or for some reason had no appetite or would not eat—a visit to the back yard, especially on a lovely sunny, almost balmy morning. Mimi gets a look at the yard before we head out.

Meeting the morning.
Meeting the morning.

There’s something about being out in the air, smelling the smells and hearing the sounds that takes a cat’s mind off how she feels if she’s not feeling well. It worked for Kublai and Allegro and Sally, Fawn and Moses and Stanley, Cookie and Kelly, and even a few times for Peaches and Sophie and others.

On the steps.
On the steps.

I rarely take Mimi out without a harness and leash, but her habit is to hang around and check out the yard before she goes down the steps and I can follow her. Her GI issues are a concern, and I don’t want pressure from a harness on her neck, chest or abdomen to cause any pain or discomfort. I have them with me if it looks as if she might try to take off, but even with that she’s a little sneaky—she just wanders near the gate or an opening in the fence and acts as if she’s just smelling things, then off she goes. She reminds me that she used to own this neighborhood, and indeed she did when she lived outdoors having kittens, but that still doesn’t mean I’m going to let her wander.

But it looks like the sun has her feeling lazy.

Sunbath.
Sunbath.

She did trot from here to there, started to nibble some grass, another favorite habit, but there was just so much to be smelled! After her GI issues and the fact she’d stopped vomiting, I really didn’t want her nibbling grass and vomiting, but apparently neither did she.

On the move!
On the move!

The wild panther stands on the log in the savannah! Here she is standing on a small branch that fell over winter. Mimi is very tiny and even the slightest bit of extra height gives her an advantage in the yard.

Standing on a stick.
Standing on a stick.

Have to check a little more pee-mail at the basement door. Apparently there are lots of messages here. I can finish my coffee while she downloads.

Checking for messages.
Checking for messages.

Then it’s finally time for the picnic table.

On the picnic table.
On the picnic table.

And a really good scratch! Mimi loves to scratch on the picnic table benches. They are worn and weathered and soft, and she can get a really good grip, and also leave some pretty clear messages with the scent from her paw pads. So she scratches one way…

Having a good scratch.
Having a good scratch.

…then turns around and runs to the other end of the bench and scratches the other way…

Showing who owns this bench.
Showing who owns this bench.

…then finishes off with a flourish!

Getting it really good.
Getting it really good.

There, now they know who lives here and owns this bench!

There!
There!

Bella and Smokie want to know if the are getting breakfast today…? This is not how things usually are.

Are we going to eat soon?
Are we going to eat soon?

I let Mimi try breakfast and she was very interested but did not eat, so we began on her daily regimen of prednisolone, famotidine and a couple of Chinese herbs recommended by Dr. Michelle (which I credit for having greatly reduced her nausea with no more salivating), wash down with a little slippery elm bark tea and plain water. She had stopped vomiting and so did not need the Cerenia. I also had chicken broth I’d made fresh on Saturday that I hoped would provide some nourishment and fluid for her.

Our meds for the day.
Our meds for the day.

She did take a few licks of watered-down canned food but no real eating was involved. I don’t like to give medications on an empty stomach but hopefully the slippery elm bark would coat her digestive tract and the broth would have a little substance to keep from upsetting her stomach. I confined her to the bathroom for a while in hopes she’d eat because when I was in there she just kept asking me to let her out, and possibly I could get a little work done and answer messages. But she did not, so I let her have her way. Apparently she had some tips on birdwatching and squirrel baiting for Bella.

Giving some birdwatching pointers to the little one.
Giving some birdwatching pointers to the little one.

I went upstairs to make the bed but it was occupied…it was good to see her sleeping comfortably and I hoped she was healing a little more while she rested, and I went out to get more baby food and a few other things.

Time for a nap!
Time for a nap!

She continued to be active and social, even playful, and very interested in food, but would not eat on her own. I gave her another dose of the herb and a couple syringes of chicken broth, then I ended up feeding her turkey baby food with a syringe, just a little at a time so not to upset her stomach. We still don’t know what it is really, and there is a chance it could still be an obstruction, or an issue with motility in her intestines. She was ready for dinner and was hungry but would not eat, so I fed her a little more turkey baby food and gave her the daily dose of sub-cutaneous fluids. Then we were both ready for bed!

. . . . . . .

Our Sunday Greeting!

How many black cats can fit on one landing?
How many black cats can fit on one landing?

How many black cats can fit on one sunny landing? All of them! We hope everyone had a Happy Easter, Happy Passover, or just a happy day on this beautiful spring Sunday.

Bella is in the bathroom doorway and Smokie is on the top step. Of course Mimi is obvious, Mewsette is behind her, Giuseppe is in front of the wardrobe, and Jelly Bean is sleeping on top of Mr. Sunshine in the basket.

. . . . . . .

For those of you who visit and don’t know Mimi’s story, read “Mimi, Mewsing” to find out more, and click “Mimi” from the tags or categories linked to this post.

For more information on Mimi’s condition and how this all started, read “Purring”, and the first update, “Feeling a Little Better” , “Another Update” and “Purr Therapy” about how Mimi’s children support her and others in illness.


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14 thoughts on “Feeling A Little Better

  • Bernadette, I hope you get to the bottom of the problems soon and Mimi is back to eating on her own. Sounds like you did whatever you could to get her mind off things and have some fun.

    Reply
  • I am so glad the Mimi is feeling better. The kitties are all purring for her.

    Reply
  • Continuing with our purrs that lovely Mimi feels better soon.
    Purrs Georgia and Julie,
    Treasure and JJ

    Reply
  • bluemoonalone

    It is so good to see her out getting fresh air and sunshine..at least you are getting some nourishment in her..Hugs and purrs for you sweet little girl..

    Reply
  • mimi…..even MOR blessings frum st francis two ewe….we willna jinx stuff by sayin **********
    ******** *********** sew pleez just **** ***** **** sew that even bee for tax day yur on de roads
    health & ree coveree ♥♥♥♥♥

    Reply
  • Mimi we hope you feel much better soon. We are sending healing purrs. When Socks had to take so much medicine the Veterinarian had him take Pepcid A/C, you may want to ask your vet about it. It helped with the nausea.

    Reply
  • just catching up….we hope Mimi continues to feel better and starts to eat on her own

    Reply
  • smseattle

    Bernadette, I love the way you’re being so careful with Mimi. It sounds like you have really fine support from your vet, which is a blessing! Best to you and to Mimi.

    Reply
  • I know what you are going through, as I’ve had similar problems with mine at various times, though not so prolonged. You wrote of Mimi being something special to you, though we hate to play favourites; I lost my special one on 26th March. She had been diminishing very gradually, but we were fighting it, and keeping steady, and then she plummeted and I had to say good-bye to her. her condition was different than Mimi’s, so I see no danger of that in your loved one. But I understand the fears. I can’t think of anything better than what you are doing for her. She is a lucky cat to have you.

    Reply

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