Another Saturday Visit to the Vet

For the last month or so, there hasn't been a week where I'm not at the vet.  With 9 cats, I guess that is to be expected sometimes.   Today was Bruno's turn.  After 6 weeks of passing the URI around the kitty household, sweating in steam baths with 2 cats, medicine for 5... the illness has been coming to the end.  No more sneezes, no running eyes the normal pitter patter was back.  Then all of a sudden, yesterday morning Bruno decided that he didin't want to eat or drink anything.  Okay.. no big deal right?  Just one day.  It happens.  But then today, he doesn't want to do anything either.  And the 3rd eyelid was out  plus his skin wasn't bouncing back as fast as the other kitties' fur was and he felt warm to me...so I made an appt and we were able to get in at 3.   

Thank God I did!  He had a fever 104.4.  Nothing obstructing the bladder, heart and breathing were ok.  So they took him in the back, gave him fluids and a couple of injections, tested for Leukemia and FIV and full CBC.  The white blood cells were elevated and also his sugar was a little high so they also are sending his pee to the lab for glucose and ketone readings.   He sent home an anti nausea syrup and obrax.  He said it could be a viral infection from the URI or even diabetes with the higher sugar levels.  He is going to call us Monday or Tuesday with the urinalysis results and we will go from there.  He goes back in 2 weeks.  

He had his medicine a little bit ago and he is sleeping okay.  He looked much better after getting the fluids but still wasn't really interested in eating or drinking.  Tomorrow if he doesn't eat, we will syringe in some liquid diet.  I don't want the antibiotic to mess with his tummy, too!

Does anyone know  of or use a thermometer on their cat doesn't require going in the booty?   I just sort of want to monitor his fever if I can easily.  

He is actually pretty good right now with his medicine, but they all are until they feel better. lol  

We use an ear thermometer and it registers the temp in about 30 seconds, if that long.  It's also not too specific as the rectal thermometer, but it's good enough.

Thank you!! I will get one!

sweetdz99 said:

 
Does anyone know  of or use a thermometer on their cat doesn't require going in the booty?   

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You could use an infrared thermometer which measures surface temperatures ... but that would be pointless because you really need to know what his internal temperature is, so the answer is no, there is no thermometer that is capable of measuring an internal temperature without actually being inside the body in question. Sorry. 

With this being said, I admire the way you treated your cats. And you have NINE? I used to have four but am now sadly down to three. 

stephanietx said:

 
We use an ear thermometer and it registers the temp in about 30 seconds, if that long.  It's also not too specific as the rectal thermometer, but it's good enough.

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Ear thermometer? I was only thinking of having to take a temperature with the probe inside the body. I didn't think about an alternate orifice. Good call! 

dc1346 thanks! I love them. I would do anything to make them comfy and happy. I have one that was bottle fed and when he is on the top tier of the kitty tower, when you pass by and he wants a kiss he will grab you with both paws and pull you in lol. I love it! He also let's you wipe his mouth with a napkin. Lol

sweetdz99 said:

@DC1346 thanks! I love them. I would do anything to make them comfy and happy. I have one that was bottle fed and when he is on the top tier of the kitty tower, when you pass by and he wants a kiss he will grab you with both paws and pull you in lol. I love it! He also let's you wipe his mouth with a napkin. Lol

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Geez ... your cat was nicer than my Charlie Cat. I once had an all black adventure kitty named Charlie. He'd HIDE just beneath the top level of a kitty tower and if I were foolish enough to walk by without being aware of his ambush, he'd lunge out and slap me with a paw (claws retracted, thank you Charlie) before ducking back into his tower. His expression always seemed to say, "HAH-HAH ... got you!"

I took to carrying a chopstick around the house. I'd thrust it through my belt like a dagger. When Charlie would try to ambush me, I'd draw my "blade" and would get into a sword fight with him. As I twirled the stick around, he'd twirl a paw. This was before the days of YouTube and cheap camcorders. I wish I had a video of this. I miss Charlie.

That is adorable. I have 8 that jump out at any given moment. The ninth is too old to care lol but I too hide and jump out at them as so I guess we're even lol

sweetdz99 said:

That is adorable. I have 8 that jump out at any given moment. The ninth is too old to care lol but I too hide and jump out at them as so I guess we're even lol

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Eight in a concerted ambush? NINJA KITTIES! That's hilarious ... and potentially quite startling. (Smile)

If you had 3 more cats, you could be in a feline version of the movie, "Cheaper By the Dozen" ... or if you met someone (assuming you already haven't) who also had cats, you'd be the cat version of "The Brady Bunch."

I fear my limit is four. I currently have three but am thinking about adopting an all black kitty. I will have to think about this some more.

One of my bathrooms has been given over to the cats. The shower stall was lined with a bathroom shower curtain and I put 3 litter boxes in there. I have a 4th litter box wedged between the toilet and the bathroom counter. As you might expect, the entire house has been divided among the cats as "their territory." Bob for example gets to sleep beside me (left hand side) while Scraps is on the right and Tabitha is usually draped over my foot. As the junior kitty, she has been relegated to the foot of the bed.

As the alpha male, Bob gets the sunny spot on the cushioned window seat. He also gets the left arm rest of my Lazy Boy Recliner. Scraps has the coffee table and Princess Tabitha has the love seat.

The only reason I'm thinking about adding a 4th cat is I'm moving to a new house. The cats will recognize the furnishings via the scent but the house itself will be new to them and I was thinking that this might be a good time to introduce a new cat. If I could get the cat in the house a day early, I could segregate him in the study and leave the the door shut so that when my cats arrive, he'll already be safely in place and they could have some time to adjust to the novelty (or threat) behind the closed door.

It was admittedly much easier to bring new cats into the house as kittens. Bob would hiss at them to show his dominance. His brother Jasper Baby would wallop them with a paw to show his dominance. Anyone who thinks that cats aren't capable of compassion doesn't really know cats. Bob always tolerated ONE smack down on a kitten and the second time JB raised his paw, Bob would thrust his face into that of his brother and HISS ... and JB would drop his paw, lick the kitten, and that would be that.

Kittens were not a threat to Bob or JB (who passed last year) .... but an adult cat is another matter. I don't know what my three cats will think of a strange adult ... hence the idea for initially segregating them.

@DC1346  LOL it would be an ambush if they did it at the same time.. they spread out the attacks!  Sometimes they even come in the form of just laying in front of the bathroom door waiting for me to come out. I don't know how many times I almost busted my butt trying to avoid stepping on one of them! 

It's just me and the cats.. lol  Come to think of it.... I think my 9 cats  overwhelm even the catdaddyiest of potential suitors ha!

My limit would have been 3... maybe four.  It just with my bottle fed little guy.. he was our first rescue like that and I could never trust anyone else to love him the way we do.    The 2 that I couldn't find homes for... pretty much the same deal.  How could I possible hand over either of them after caring for them for so long.. i couldn't.. which is why I can never foster.  lol

I have a on over sized box.  One of those tupperware things that you use to store things.. like xmas decorations..   i am lucky that my dad lives with me and he cleans the box religiously.  It takes over the end of the hallway, right in front of my daughter's bedroom door..  we should probably rethink that  area but it works for now.  

Mine don't get too territorial but i do have to break the occasional play time turned claw time.

My kitties love their walks.  There are just so many and my dad and I are the only ones to walk so doing two at time.. the others get restless waiting for their turns.  But they love it outside and it sort of poops them out.

it is always so stressful to introduce kitties to new places and new pets.  No matter how you do it... i   think it all depends on the cats.   We initially had 7 cats.. then the orphaned bottle fed one came and every one accepted him nicely.. but he was only 11 days old...   the 2 others ones were about 4 months or so maybe less and it took them alot longer to accept.. one of mine still only tolerates those two lol