Adopted a third cat, existing cats not pleased.

cat nap said:

 
I don't actually feel that Petsmart is an awful place, but rather only meant that Bob might just be wanting to see actual people, and feeling bored. 

I also believe like Feralvr, that petsmart and other pet stores, that have the corporate funds, and advertising to promote cat adoptions, is a good thing. 

But that is neither here, nor there, now.

The main focus is Petey, and how he is doing? Did the vet's give you a definitive diagnosis, and plan for how to proceed?

(I know this might not be a good idea, but would it be so wrong to let Bob out, and about....since you mentioned that he was very laid back, and he may just stay away from Petey...because cats do sense, smell, know,....when another cat in their household is ill. (my older cat would not even go near the younger one for a week, during his illness.)

(I don't know, it may be a lousy idea, but since you are already thinking of returning Bob, then it may not matter.)

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I don't see it quite that way, particularly in Bob's case because he is painfully shy and every time I peeked in his cage he was hiding. What fun is it to see all these people walking by you that you can't interact with? I go into his room many times a day and sit with him for 20-30 minutes playing, giving treats, scratching/patting and cuddling. Also, the cages are very small so his face is literally right next to his feces in his litter box. When the adoption hours run which is only twice a week for 3 hours, I was watching initially from afar and the girl was just texting or playing candy crush on her phone rather than interacting with the cats. I have to say I'm a bit surprised if Bob misses being in a tiny concrete cage with little or no bedding/blanket (scarps) and no human interaction.

Petey is not eating. His bloodwork showed nothing other than a somewhat low white cell count on one of the tests. He will need an ultrasound next week but since he hasn't vomited or had diarrhea in over 24 hours we are just trying to treat his nausea and get him to eat. The doctor thinks it could be IBS. If he doesn't do well this weekend, he will need to go back in for more fluids. I don't want him to have the stress of a strange cat wandering through the house. All the advice I've gotten is not to rush it so I'm trying not to. There's nothing i'd rather do than let Bob roam free.

veronica00 said:

 
I don't see it quite that way, particularly in Bob's case because he is painfully shy and every time I peeked in his cage he was hiding. What fun is it to see all these people walking by you that you can't interact with? I go into his room many times a day and sit with him for 20-30 minutes playing, giving treats, scratching/patting and cuddling. Also, the cages are very small so his face is literally right next to his feces in his litter box. When the adoption hours run which is only twice a week for 3 hours, I was watching initially from afar and the girl was just texting or playing candy crush on her phone rather than interacting with the cats. I have to say I'm a bit surprised if Bob misses being in a tiny concrete cage with little or no bedding/blanket (scarps) and no human interaction.

Petey is not eating. His bloodwork showed nothing other than a somewhat low white cell count on one of the tests. He will need an ultrasound next week but since he hasn't vomited or had diarrhea in over 24 hours we are just trying to treat his nausea and get him to eat. The doctor thinks it could be IBS. If he doesn't do well this weekend, he will need to go back in for more fluids. I don't want him to have the stress of a strange cat wandering through the house. All the advice I've gotten is not to rush it so I'm trying not to. There's nothing i'd rather do than let Bob roam free.

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(Ah, yes, I see your first point, now.  I just thought, that if it was not for the store....then it may never have caused you to see Bob, and take him home.

Sort of like, when you saw him, that is when you decided that you wanted to help him.)

 I was totally wrong about Bob missing the people, walking by.  He has to be crying for another reason.  You made me realize that, now.

Okay, thanks for the update on Petey.

So, now, the main part is getting Petey to eat.

But he has nausea.

And low white cell count.

Did the vet give you any medication for it, or suggest any warmed up foods that he may like to eat?

cat nap said:

 
(Ah, yes, I see your first point, now.  I just thought, that if it was not for the store....then it may never have caused you to see Bob, and take him home.

Sort of like, when you saw him, that is when you decided that you wanted to help him.)

 I was totally wrong about Bob missing the people, walking by.  He has to be crying for another reason.  You made me realize that, now.

Okay, thanks for the update on Petey.

So, now, the main part is getting Petey to eat.

But he has nausea.

And low white cell count.

Did the vet give you any medication for it, or suggest any warmed up foods that he may like to eat?

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Sorry if I sound defensive about PetSmart  I thought I was doing a good thing and giving Bob a good home and now I feel like he's worse off and so is my boo Petey. You are right that I would never have found Bob if not for Petsmart, I was definitely not looking for another cat.  Ironically, I adopted my first kitty from there too. So I have to give them credit for that. I guess I just wish the living conditions were better there.

Yep, Petey is on 4 different meds, some given twice a day, some once, all equally fun to administer (syringes in mouth and pills that get tossed down and hope they go). Pain med, anti-nausea med, anti-diarrhea med, and an appetite stimulant. I am just really hoping he starts eating a bit closer to normal over the weekend. He hasn't eaten yet today but seems to eat a little bit in the evening so hoping that's the case today too. 

Does Petey eat treats? Or is he not eating anything at all?

When Sinbad has his pancreas flareups and is too nauseated to want to eat, I do 2 main things. These may not work for you, but I will list them just in case they are of any help.

1) The treats we give he and Tempest are strips of freeze-dried meat. With nothing else added. The vet looked at them when we brought them in for her opinion and said they are fine to supplement meals for a few days, and while they don't have all the nutrients cats need, in Sinbad's case it's ok if they are his main food for a few days just to get something in his tummy.  http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-food/freeze-dried-cat-treats/

2) I mix his actual canned food with lots of water so it is very soupy, and feed him little bits at a time by hand. When he's very nauseated he won't eat from the bowl, but a little bit at a time in my hand has my smell plus the nearness of me comforts him enough that he'll take a few licks at a time. This also gets him extra water so the risk of dehydration is decreased.

As to petsmart, that is my general experience. Actually, that sounds better than the ones around here - they don't have anyone even around the cats. Just 2 walk through checks ups during the day. No time to play, no room for visitations, and every time I've ever been in there, the little room where they stack the cages stank.  And on top of that, they have periodic adoption days where the cages are pulled out of the room, stacked again in the main floor, and then they bring in dogs who are let free to roam!

I will never give petsmart money. 

Sorry, do not want to derail with a rant. I just get so angry thinking about it. I think you could keep Bob in this room forever without interacting with him at all and it'd be worlds better than any Petsmart I've ever seen. He may cry as he settles in, but you love him and are trying to do your best. I keep repeating that, heh, but I really do believe that cats know when they are loved. Introductions are hard, and even harder when there are health concerns.  Hopefully we are helping you! I have found these forums to be a wonderful place, full of caring people. Really hoping things work out for you. 

 No, you don't sound defensive at all, and I totally see your point, now.  You are right about the living conditions, it's something I never thought of.

@veronica00   I wonder if it would be a good idea to make a separate thread for Petey in the  "Health"  Forum.

That way, you could ask or get more suggestions about Petey's health problems?

and just keep This one separate for the "cat introductions' and Behaviour part for Bob.     (just a suggestion.  I know how tiring and overwhelming having a sick cat is, and focusing solely on him, and feeling like not having the time to focus on the other animals.  I hope you are also able to get rest, too.)

I had to use "Pill Pockets" for my cat, but also the syringe for liquid meds, which he hated, and chased it down with a syringe of water.

He also hated to be syringe fed, and would spit it up.

The video Feralvr, mentioned before, helped me.  (I found that watering down the food, and warming it up helped, too.)

There used to be a high protein, or nutrient paste that I had got for a previous cat from an old vet, but if the illness is liver, pancreas, or inflammatory, then I would think that the vet would have to decide if it is appropriate or not...since you don' t want his flare-up to get worse.

I think you mentioned that it happened last year, too.

Was it this bad?

cat nap said:

 
 No, you don't sound defensive at all, and I totally see your point, now.  You are right about the living conditions, it's something I never thought of.

@veronica00   I wonder if it would be a good idea to make a separate thread for Petey in the  "Health"  Forum.

That way, you could ask or get more suggestions about Petey's health problems?

and just keep This one separate for the "cat introductions' and Behaviour part for Bob.     (just a suggestion.  I know how tiring and overwhelming having a sick cat is, and focusing solely on him, and feeling like not having the time to focus on the other animals.  I hope you are also able to get rest, too.)

I had to use "Pill Pockets" for my cat, but also the syringe for liquid meds, which he hated, and chased it down with a syringe of water.

He also hated to be syringe fed, and would spit it up.

The video Feralvr, mentioned before, helped me.  (I found that watering down the food, and warming it up helped, too.)

There used to be a high protein, or nutrient paste that I had got for a previous cat from an old vet, but if the illness is liver, pancreas, or inflammatory, then I would think that the vet would have to decide if it is appropriate or not...since you don' t want his flare-up to get worse.

I think you mentioned that it happened last year, too.

Was it this bad?

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Great suggestion I will start a Petey thread in health! Last year he was hospitalized overnight. They wanted to keep him longer because he wasn't eating but when I went in just to visit with him, he perked up so they sent him home with me and he began eating from my finger. It seemed to only last 3 days or so. Today is the 5th day. The doctor is thinking it's IBS and these two events have been flareups. Once he is better we'll do more testing and figure out if we need to modify his diet and/or a permanent medication (I so hope not!).

@Losna  it varies. At first nothing at all (Tuesday night to Wednesday), then I found a treat he would eat but now he won't eat them. He seems to want to eat more at night, nothing in the morning.The treats he has been willing to eat on and off have been freeze-dried chicken treats, different brands on different days it seems. I have actually tried the brand you linked as well but he didn't go for them. His sister likes them though.

Adding water is an excellent suggestion. I've tried brothy cat varieties and warming up a bit in the microwave but I will try diluting a bit more tonight. I have definitely tried hand feeding him and he turns away.

This PetSmart only had someone sitting in there during the adoption hours which is just 3 hours, 2 days a week. And she was ignoring the cats. Otherwise there is never anyone in there and it also smells bad. I wish I could bring them all to a real shelter a couple towns over that actually has an outdoor area all fenced and meshed so the cats can spend time outside as well. 

You really are helping me, I feel like I've screwed up for Bob and for Petey so it's good to hear that encouragement. Had I known this would take such a toll on Petey I would never have gone through with it but now that I've made the commitment, I don't want to fail Bob. Just not sure how far to go with it.

veronica00 said:

 
Great suggestion I will start a Petey thread in health! Last year he was hospitalized overnight. They wanted to keep him longer because he wasn't eating but when I went in just to visit with him, he perked up so they sent him home with me and he began eating from my finger. It seemed to only last 3 days or so. Today is the 5th day. The doctor is thinking it's IBS and these two events have been flareups. Once he is better we'll do more testing and figure out if we need to modify his diet and/or a permanent medication (I so hope not!).

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From what I read on the boards, IBS can be caused by a change in food ingredients, food allergy, or food sensitivity.  Many members' cats have it, but often wrote that it was so difficult to find the cause.  They had to do a one nutrient elimination diet...to see how their cat's responded.  This thread was helpful, and informative, but fairly long...so maybe just skim it.  I don't  know if a good food was ever found, though.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/283203/...st-her-appetite-and-is-sleeping-constantly/60

I know you said ultrasound in one week, so the 'waiting game' and getting Petey to eat, will be the key.  I do hope the flare up can just subside....like last year.

(And don't think that you have failed anyone....Banish that thought.    You are doing the best that you can, with everything and everyone, at precisely the time of such high stress.)  You deserve a virtual hug...but then you will think that I am sappy...   Even though it is so hard....try to remain Positive....even if it feels overwhelming.  

@cat nap  I will take all the virtual hugs I can get! I'm glad it's Friday and I can get some sleep and also spend some time with my little ones without worrying about being at work all day. 

I'll check out the info on IBS. At this time we're not really sure what it is but just treating him until he will eat again and not need meds. Then we'll do more diagnostics. We did thousands of dollars of diagnostics last year at this time but no results. I always thought cats were less expensive than dogs! 

@cat nap  posting in Health was possibly a bad idea. I've already got people working me up over there that he'll die if I don't syringe feed him. I've lost 8 pounds this week and I don't weigh all that much to begin with.. ARGH

veronica00 said:

 posting in Health was possibly a bad idea. I've already got people working me up over there that he'll die if I don't syringe feed him. I've lost 8 pounds this week and I don't weigh all that much to begin with.. ARGH

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I didn't read through your thread in Health but yes, sometimes when we post a thread in Health about our sick kitties we are going to get the great and the bad from a variety of opinions. So please know that people are only there trying to help AND PLEASE if you feel a post is too much for you and hurtful FLAG IT. Use the red flag in the bottom left of that particular post to report it and a Moderator will come to assist. (adding in here: - Not sure you know this but - and if you are not emotionally ready or have regret starting a thread in Health and want it removed, A Mod can remove it for you).

No matter what, you are an emotional wreck right now over Petey and that is completely NORMAL and expected so any advice/suggestions may upset you very easily at the moment. Trust your vet first and foremost and follow his directions before you take any directions from anyone on this site. No one here is a vet and they do not know Petey and the situation first hand. What I do sometimes, is take what people suggest and go to my vet with it and ask questions!

Hang in there, Veronica, veronica00 and know that we all care SO VERY MUCH. Most of us at one time or another have been in your shoes.

p.s. I don't think you should let Bob out now. argh. Please understand that rushing introductions is the worst possible outcome and it is not good advice, IMO. Especially with Petey's health right now. Will say again............. BOB WILL BE FINE in his room. My goodness. He certainly does not miss Petsmart in the least and isn't even thinking about it anymore. He is excited and happy to be in a home and in a beautiful room with a view. He WILL adjust. Many foster cat's live in rooms for MONTHS before they are adopted out. I fostered for years and had a "safe" room for fosters. Better than a shelter or any Petsmart. So stick with it, hun. :grphug:

veronica00 said:

 
@cat nap  I will take all the virtual hugs I can get! I'm glad it's Friday and I can get some sleep and also spend some time with my little ones without worrying about being at work all day. 

I'll check out the info on IBS. At this time we're not really sure what it is but just treating him until he will eat again and not need meds. Then we'll do more diagnostics. We did thousands of dollars of diagnostics last year at this time but no results. I always thought cats were less expensive than dogs! 

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veronica00 said:

 
@cat nap  posting in Health was possibly a bad idea. I've already got people working me up over there that he'll die if I don't syringe feed him. I've lost 8 pounds this week and I don't weigh all that much to begin with.. ARGH

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@veronica00 I am so sorry for messing up your posting or causing more stress to you.  I did go over and read your Health thread, now, and have to say that all the members on these boards are very caring and have a lot of experience, but sometimes when something is written down, the actual meaning, or tone does not come across, or because of feeling stress and feeling tired or upset, I often have read posts differently, and misinterpreted them.  

I know that all the members are excellent, and give caring and sound advice, and so I know it was just a misunderstanding.

No one here, who owns a cat would want to get another cat person worked up, but sometimes, just stating concerns of health issues in cats, and the things to avoid, and the various illnesses can sound upsetting.

I don't think any animal is less expensive, when they are ill, but the main thing is that you did take Petey to your vet, and are following their advice.  All this internet stuff is just supposed to be added info.

Feralvr said:

 

veronica00 said:

 posting in Health was possibly a bad idea. I've already got people working me up over there that he'll die if I don't syringe feed him. I've lost 8 pounds this week and I don't weigh all that much to begin with.. ARGH

Click to expand...

I didn't read through your thread in Health but yes, sometimes when we post a thread in Health about our sick kitties we are going to get the great and the bad from a variety of opinions. So please know that people are only there trying to help AND PLEASE if you feel a post is too much for you and hurtful FLAG IT. Use the red flag in the bottom left of that particular post to report it and a Moderator will come to assist. (adding in here: - Not sure you know this but - and if you are not emotionally ready or have regret starting a thread in Health and want it removed, A Mod can remove it for you).

No matter what, you are an emotional wreck right now over Petey and that is completely NORMAL and expected so any advice/suggestions may upset you very easily at the moment.

Trust your vet first and foremost and follow his directions before you take any directions from anyone on this site. No one here is a vet and they do not know Petey and the situation first hand. What I do sometimes, is take what people suggest and go to my vet with it and ask questions!

Hang in there, Veronica, @veronica00and know that we all care SO VERY MUCH. Most of us at one time or another have been in your shoes.

p.s. I don't think you should let Bob out now. argh. Please understand that rushing introductions is the worst possible outcome and it is not good advice, IMO. Especially with Petey's health right now. Will say again............. BOB WILL BE FINE in his room. My goodness. He certainly does not miss Petsmart in the least and isn't even thinking about it anymore. He is excited and happy to be in a home and in a beautiful room with a view. He WILL adjust. Many foster cat's live in rooms for MONTHS before they are adopted out. I fostered for years and had a "safe" room for fosters. Better than a shelter or any Petsmart. So stick with it, hun.

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I also have to apologize to you @Feralvr...for the terrible recommendations, that I suggested.  I  think I may be helping, but don't have any where near the amount of experience or knowledge of other members.  Sometimes I think my ideas sound good, but I've realized that I have way more to learn...before offering advice. 

veronica00 said:

 
@cat nap  I will take all the virtual hugs I can get! I'm glad it's Friday and I can get some sleep and also spend some time with my little ones without worrying about being at work all day. 

I'll check out the info on IBS. At this time we're not really sure what it is but just treating him until he will eat again and not need meds. Then we'll do more diagnostics. We did thousands of dollars of diagnostics last year at this time but no results. I always thought cats were less expensive than dogs! 

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I'm still going to send you more virtual hugs, veronica00, even if I caused more stress. (Hopefully the hugs cancel some stress...       )

Just know that, like Feralvr said, ...we do ALL care.         and special vibes for Petey...are being sent.      

cat nap said:

I also have to apologize to you @Feralvr
...for the terrible recommendations, that I suggested.  I  think I may be helping, but don't have any where near the amount of experience or knowledge of other members.  Sometimes I think my ideas sound good, but I've realized that I have way more to learn...before offering advice. 

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cat nap Please, please don't ever apologize for being caring and compassionate!!!!! As you are. We (including me) are still and always learning here on TCS. That is what I love about this site. No, we do not judge here and everyone's input is always appreciated no matter what. You DO have excellent input, suggestions and helpful, caring advice. No apologies ever needed for that. I think the more thoughts, attention, logic, speculation and understanding one can get is never, ever wrong !! We learn from each of our viewpoints and there is always something positive to behold. :bigthumb:

Feralvr said:

@cat nap Please, please don't ever apologize for being caring and compassionate!!!!! As you are.

We (including me) are still and always learning here on TCS. That is what I love about this site. No, we do not judge here and everyone's input is always appreciated no matter what. You DO have excellent input, suggestions and helpful, caring advice. No apologies ever needed for that. I think the more thoughts, attention, logic, speculation and understanding one can get is never, ever wrong !! We learn from each of our viewpoints and there is always something positive to behold.

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@Feralvr   Thank you for your extremely kind words.  You made me understand that, Yes, one of the great aspects of this Site, is to LEARN, and we do that together, and from each other.    

"I think the more thoughts, attention, logic, speculation and understanding one can get is never, ever wrong !! We learn from each of our viewpoints and there is always something positive to behold.

"

And offering suggestions, or bouncing ideas around, do create threads that become a valuable resource.   

veronica00 said:

 
@cat nap  I will take all the virtual hugs I can get! I'm glad it's Friday and I can get some sleep and also spend some time with my little ones without worrying about being at work all day. 

I'll check out the info on IBS. At this time we're not really sure what it is but just treating him until he will eat again and not need meds. Then we'll do more diagnostics. We did thousands of dollars of diagnostics last year at this time but no results. I always thought cats were less expensive than dogs! 

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@veronica00   I hope you have a restful weekend, and when you feel better, are able to give us an update on Petey, but the main thing is to "spend some time with (your) little ones"...like you said.

I hope that Petey is doing better, with the meds, and trying to keep some food down.  Hopefully the meds start helping him.

I've been following this thread because I'm going through a similar experience, but with only two cats--Ritz resident cat for five years; Hercules, new cat.
No matter how small the room is, it is full of love. And Bob will know, sense this.
Vibes to you and Petey. (One of the cats we removed from the colony to socialize we named Petey cause he kind of looked like a pirate. I *loved* that cat, very affectionate, kind. Went to a good home.)
I'm getting a screen door installed this morning so they can see, smell but not touch each other.

Thank you @Feralvr, @cat nap  and others so much. I had to step away for a few days from obsessing over researching Petey’s illness. @cat nap  please don’t apologize,  your suggestion was a good one, I just wasn’t prepared for anyone worrying me that I wasn't doing everything possible for Pete. I only wanted suggestions to help him eat, we’ve run over a thousand dollars worth of tests and still trying to diagnose him so I really didn’t want any feedback about what could happen if he doesn’t eat.

The good news is, Petey is back to eating I’d say at 100%. I’ll talk to the doctor today about stopping his meds and what our next steps are. He still had a bit of diarrhea yesterday (Sunday) but not as bad as last week. I’ve seen him drinking water multiple times and he’s eating normally and waiting for treaties. My other cat Lulu is still throwing up a little every morning after 3-4 bites of breakfast but it’s not affecting her appetite and she has a regular vet appointment on Thursday (along with Bob for his first checkup). I'm not sure what this could be and a bit worried it's stress.

Bob's crying is really wearing on me. Not only is it hard to hear, but I also worry it will stress the others. Yesterday I let Bob out for an hour with just Petey. I didn’t want to wait until Petey was off his meds, not sure my logic but it felt like the right time. Petey initially went up and smelled Bob and then Bob ran past to explore. Petey hissed at him a couple of times during the hour and rushed him to hiss once. Some low meowing and growling from Pete. Bob is extremely non-aggressive and backs away from Pete and will chirp a lot (he makes the craziest noises). I was thinking of doing another 1 hour session tonight after work, closing off the upstairs bedrooms so Bob can’t hide under the bed. When he does that I’m not sure I’ll be able to get him back in his room. I'm not sure if I'm doing the wrong thing.

@veronica00   Would it be okay to hold off, allowing Bob to come into contact with Petey or Lulu....just until the vet visit on Thursday?

The reason I mention this, is something that my own vet had told me, about getting a new cat checked out by a vet, first, before actually allowing them to meet.  He said that even though resident cats' were vaccinated, there were things like fleas, mites, other viral or bacterial infections that can be passed.(For some reason I thought that Bob had already been checked out.)

I'm not sure about how you could stop Bob's crying until Thursday, but @Ritz and @Feralvr both have experience with many cats, at once, so there has to be some tips, when they come back online.

In @Losna's thread, she used one or two baby gates, to separate her 2 cats, so they could still see each other, but not get at each other.

Playing a radio, softly in Bob's room, would maybe work, if he liked the music.  Gosh, I feel for you, but cannot think of anything that would quiet his meows, cries, or wailing sounds.

1. Did anything change in the cat food, or diet, that you were feeding Lulu or Petey since last year?
2. And when Petey had his last flare up....was there any allergens, pollen, triggers, in the air where you live?
3. Also my last thought, was that even though people have indoor cats,... the dog, or even our own shoes can bring in things like fleas...and transfer them onto a cat.  (that is a stretch, I know, and your vet would have already have seen this, or tested for parasites.)

I'm so glad that Petey is eating,     because the non-eating part had us all worried.  There were too many cats, last year, and in previous threads, that did come down with lipidosis, and it was difficult.

I really appreciate that you came by and gave us this update on Petey, Bob and Lulu.  I can't even imagine doing all those tests, and the vets not coming up with anything...but I am still glad that he gets better.

Also good, is that you did take the time to 'step away" ...(that is such a good phrase)...because it does give you time to rest, recover, and more energy for later. (I have to remember that phrase...'step away for a bit")

@cat nap  thanks for your advice. Bob was examined multiple times at the shelter and tested for everything including FIV. I suppose I should wait, it's really tough. Today I did not go home at lunch so he's been in that room alone since 7:30am, I just feel awful about it. 

We will be moving forward with testing for Petey for GI function and an ultrasound to see if we can determine what's going on but the vet didn't seem optimistic we'd get answers. Lulu does not have what he had. She is very energetic and has full appetite, she just vomits in the morning after a few bites of food, she then returns to the food shortly thereafter and has no problem. I have the appt for her in a few days so I'm not too worried because she is eating and acting normally.