Friday, March 29, 2024
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Simba: That’s The Funniest Thing I Ever Heard!

black cat yawning
That’s the funniest thing I ever heard!

So a cat pees in a litterbox, what’s so special about that? Sometimes it’s the Best. Thing. Ever. Simba thinks I’m easily amused. I was up to 5:00 am for the last five nights getting things done for my open house and then observing him, so I was also a little giddy.

But really, folks, I was seriously worried about him today. I could tell he was in a lot of pain Saturday night but I couldn’t start the meds until Sunday morning. After two doses on Sunday he was playful and as friendly as ever, and I was just so glad he was feeling emotionally better.

But by Sunday night he was uncomfortable and not producing much urine, and I decided to assess in the morning. He hadn’t eaten since before this all started on Friday, and today I could tell he was in some serious pain. I even saw him straining and not producing anything in the box. I wasn’t sure if this was where he should be 36 hours after seeing the veterinarian, or if he needed more treatment.

On top of that we had a little non-recognition aggression on Louie’s part after he came back from the vet on Saturday night, hissing and growling, but Louie isn’t a fighter, he ran and hid. He responded to me, though, lots of affection and belly rubs. Still, more stress for both of them.

two black cats
Simba and Louie wonder why I keep interrupting their naps.

Although Simba had been given an appetite stimulant at the hospital, he wasn’t eating, not even the food he had when he first came here. The hospital suggested a urinary diet food, and he only eats dry. I don’t like the ingredients in most commercial urinary diets, but I found one by Farmina at Pet People in Green Tree. The manager there always helps me out, gives me foods that have been returned because cats don’t like it and things that are slightly outdated for me to distribute to people who are fostering for me or community cat caretakers, and sometimes my own cats, and also holds coupons for me for the food I get for my own cats. That’s how I set up all the food I needed for Simba and Louie when they came here. She told me her cats were on Farmina foods, as were most of the store staff’s cats. A 3.3# bag of Farmina urinary is $30 but she had a special offer for a free bag, so I didn’t have to pay a thing to give it a try.

He is difficult to medicate but I figured I’d work it out. Simba is not eating any food, but he eats plenty of treats, especially Temptations treats, and I’m sorry if your cats like them but they are not advisable for cats with urinary tract issues. One med is a tiny pill and the other is a bitter liquid, and even the pill was difficult—I got it in his mouth, but he managed to hold onto it and spit it back out, even with butter on it and a dropper of water. I tried pill pockets, but no. So I crushed up the pill and then crushed up three or four treats and he hoovered up the dust. One method down! The bitter liquid is the pain reliever, and I just have to get by with giving him smaller amounts frequently so he can’t spit them out.

I was glad to see him at his fountain again Sunday night, though, “washing his hair” under the spout, getting his head all wet and at the same time drinking from the bowl of the fountain. I decided I’d transfer him over to my new veterinarian if she has time rather than continue treatment at the more expensive veterinary hospital if he needed more treatment.

In the late morning he was in and out of the box, spending long squats, producing just drops or even nothing sometimes, and flopping down on the floor afterward, flapping his tail, trying to crawl between the scratching post and the wall as if he needed support, and not tolerating a lot of touching. So I spent the early afternoon calling my new vet and a few others to see if they had an appointment to help me continue his care, and no one really did. I called the hospital and described his condition and that it seemed as if he was headed for a blockage at this rate and I wanted to head it off if I could. They said that was a concern, and if he wasn’t producing anything at all I should bring him in right away. But since it wasn’t even 48 hours they could see us as a recheck and assess him and give more treatments if necessary. But also since it wasn’t 48 hours since treatment, and he was producing urine, though very little, there was still time for the medications to take effect, reduce more of the swelling and allow more flow. I told them I’d observe him through the day just in case things went that way.

I visited them several times through the afternoon. He had gotten some feces caked in his tail and bloomers so I distracted him with yet more treats as I brushed that out. Through the day I could see him relaxing, he was more responsive, moving more easily, even playful, though still only drops of pee and no food gone.

The three foster kittens have their spay and neuter surgeries on Tuesday morning, early, at Fix Ur Cat, and their foster is taking them. I needed to write a check for her to take with them. I ran that over to her and came back to take another look at him and change out the litterbox before feeding my cats, deciding then if I would take him back to the emergency hospital.

Right after I got the litterbox filled with new litter, he hopped into the box, squatted and it sounded like you turned on a little faucet! No hesitation, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Then he stood up and I saw it was at least 1/8 cup, maybe a little more. And afterward, no flopping around with pain, just sat down, licked himself and looked at me like I was crazy.

 

He’s still not eating, but I may be able to get an appetite stimulant without taking him out there.

So now, it’s well after midnight, and I’m going to enjoy a good, restful night’s sleep with no worries about getting gift items made and photographed and displayed, about few customers at my open house, about Simba in pain and trying to pee and Louie upset and scared, I’m just going to sleep. We’re all going to rest.


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7 thoughts on “Simba: That’s The Funniest Thing I Ever Heard!

  • 15andmeowing

    Glad he peed finally. I will be praying he eats soon.

    Reply
    • I did finally find the food he liked, and we’ve changed to Greenies filled treats, Greenies are a little better in this respect. But we could finally stop the medication, though he never complained since the powder was mixed with four crumbled treats!

      Reply
  • Mary McNeil

    Of course, there is is a long holiday slog coming up…Purrayers and Power of the Paw (or The Pee ??) for you and Simba.

    Reply
  • A good pee is wonderful, Simba!
    Now eat your breakfast, handsome.
    We expect big pooplogs in that litterbox too.

    Reply
    • We are still subsisting on treats, but I’m working on him.

      Reply

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