Our cat is sick

How sick, we're not sure yet. But, starting sometime Saturday (it's now Monday), she wasn't walking properly--which I hadn't noticed until cattitude pointed it out on Sunday--and didn't seem interested in either her own food or treats other than milk. She also had a lot of trouble getting up onto the bed yesterday, barely even trying: I lifted her, and when she lay down on my belly, she was very noticeably skinny. She wsa also very quiet, a disconcerting sign in a cat who's been a howler for the last couple of years.

I called the vet's office this morning, and they gave me their first appointment: 9:30. I went our when Cattitude did, and walked in the park (out with him, then back by myself to look at the apple in full bloom), and when I came back she'd thrown up, and was lying where she'd been sick. Not a good sign.

I took Artemis to the vet: she found enough voice to complain about being put in her carrier.

The vet palpated her extensively, weighed her--she's down to seven pounds, not good--and then discussed possibilities and got my okay to spend the money for blood and urine tests and X-rays. He took her in back, and I went for a walk because they said it would take an hour. I managed to eat a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and noticed that someone had convinced the city to plant flowering cherries as street trees on West 233rd Street between Broadway and Kingsbridge Road.

X-ray results: No visible kidney stones. No metastasis: apparently tumors are so much a given in this situation that the vet didn't say explicitly it was there until I, running down what I thought he'd told me, said "no evidence of a tumor." One kidney much larger than the other: that's where there's more likely to be a tumor. No apparent problems with the liver, lungs, or any internal organs other than the kidneys.

Dr. Luckow will call us as soon as he has the results from the lab, which should be this evening. In the meantime, we are to give her "anything she would like to eat." I've put a bowl of milk and one of water down next to where Artemis is lying, but she doesn't seem interested in them yet.

The exam and tests are an expense we really weren't prepared for: we aren't broke, but I can think of lots of other things I could have done with $350. I've already told the vet that we won't be doing any complex, expensive treatments, because we simply don't have the money. But she's my kitten, and I've had her--we've had her--for 18 years, and I do not like this, and there's not much comfort even in a gorgeous warm sunny Spring day.

Our cat is sick

How sick, we're not sure yet. But, starting sometime Saturday (it's now Monday), she wasn't walking properly--which I hadn't noticed until cattitude pointed it out on Sunday--and didn't seem interested in either her own food or treats other than milk. She also had a lot of trouble getting up onto the bed yesterday, barely even trying: I lifted her, and when she lay down on my belly, she was very noticeably skinny. She wsa also very quiet, a disconcerting sign in a cat who's been a howler for the last couple of years.

I called the vet's office this morning, and they gave me their first appointment: 9:30. I went our when Cattitude did, and walked in the park (out with him, then back by myself to look at the apple in full bloom), and when I came back she'd thrown up, and was lying where she'd been sick. Not a good sign.

I took Artemis to the vet: she found enough voice to complain about being put in her carrier.

The vet palpated her extensively, weighed her--she's down to seven pounds, not good--and then discussed possibilities and got my okay to spend the money for blood and urine tests and X-rays. He took her in back, and I went for a walk because they said it would take an hour. I managed to eat a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and noticed that someone had convinced the city to plant flowering cherries as street trees on West 233rd Street between Broadway and Kingsbridge Road.

X-ray results: No visible kidney stones. No metastasis: apparently tumors are so much a given in this situation that the vet didn't say explicitly it was there until I, running down what I thought he'd told me, said "no evidence of a tumor." One kidney much larger than the other: that's where there's more likely to be a tumor. No apparent problems with the liver, lungs, or any internal organs other than the kidneys.

Dr. Luckow will call us as soon as he has the results from the lab, which should be this evening. In the meantime, we are to give her "anything she would like to eat." I've put a bowl of milk and one of water down next to where Artemis is lying, but she doesn't seem interested in them yet.

The exam and tests are an expense we really weren't prepared for: we aren't broke, but I can think of lots of other things I could have done with $350. I've already told the vet that we won't be doing any complex, expensive treatments, because we simply don't have the money. But she's my kitten, and I've had her--we've had her--for 18 years, and I do not like this, and there's not much comfort even in a gorgeous warm sunny Spring day.

As if we didn't have enough problems

A couple of hours after I got back from the vet's office, I went out for a walk--a gorgeous day, a gorgeous park, a water bottle, and, of course, my cell phone. I'd gotten most of the way around the soccer field, stopping to look at flowering trees, when it rang. I answered, and cattitude told me to sit down for a minute.

I settled cross-legged on the asphalt (I spent quite a bit of today sitting on floors), and he told me that he'd just been laid off.

They have out-sourced my beloved's job to Canada, for reasons that make little or no sense to either of us. He's getting two weeks' severance pay, and already has a couple of good job leads: he'd suspected something like this was coming (though not the Canada part) and started contacting headhunters last week.

Me, I have intermittent freelance work, and oddities like a rebate check that just showed up, mailed in postcard form, which practically shouts "Steal me!" And I really need to get out and exercise tomorrow.

As if we didn't have enough problems

A couple of hours after I got back from the vet's office, I went out for a walk--a gorgeous day, a gorgeous park, a water bottle, and, of course, my cell phone. I'd gotten most of the way around the soccer field, stopping to look at flowering trees, when it rang. I answered, and cattitude told me to sit down for a minute.

I settled cross-legged on the asphalt (I spent quite a bit of today sitting on floors), and he told me that he'd just been laid off.

They have out-sourced my beloved's job to Canada, for reasons that make little or no sense to either of us. He's getting two weeks' severance pay, and already has a couple of good job leads: he'd suspected something like this was coming (though not the Canada part) and started contacting headhunters last week.

Me, I have intermittent freelance work, and oddities like a rebate check that just showed up, mailed in postcard form, which practically shouts "Steal me!" And I really need to get out and exercise tomorrow.

(no subject)

Acute end-stage renal failure.

(no subject)

Acute end-stage renal failure.

Left turn at Albuquerque

I'm in the middle of answering a Zogby's opnion poll. The usual questions about whether I'm registered to vote, what I think of Dubya, who I'm likely to vote for for president; then some questions about abortion rights; and then I hit ( this page )

Left turn at Albuquerque

I'm in the middle of answering a Zogby's opnion poll. The usual questions about whether I'm registered to vote, what I think of Dubya, who I'm likely to vote for for president; then some questions about abortion rights; and then I hit ( this page )