Polly is having surgery tomorrow

That's mysterious; I suppose you're anxiously awaiting the biopsy results. I'm sending Polly lots of for a speedy recovery. As Tanya said, classical music is what cats seem to prefer, though some seem to like light jazz.

We should have the biopsy results back by (hopefully) early next week.

Thanks again everyone for the good vibes and good thoughts. Keep them coming for the biopsy results!

Yay, Polly, you're such a brave little girl! Hopefully this biopsy will give us more answers. As we've discussed, Rachel, my girlies really enjoy the ocean sound machine which stays on all the time. Your machine has quite a variety, too! Yes, perhaps we should save the loons for another day, they get Polly and Prego a bit too excited! As Tanya mentioned, soft music would be lovely. Sierra's favorite album is The Healing Harp which our friends Eddie and Sasha were so kind to send her when she was feeling well and was having difficult time with anxiety.Music for Cats and Friends is lovely, as well as Relaxation Music for Cats and Dogs These make beautiful soft background music said to be created just for promoting the health and relaxation of our kitties. Hope you'll be them a try!

Sure hope you, Polly, and Prego are having a relaxing evening, Rachel! We're expecting great results, hurry labs!

Polly is doing well today. She's in the litterbox every 30-60 minutes and sometimes there's blood in her urine. She's peeing in tiny amounts and sometimes spending quite a bit of time in the box. It almost broke my heart yesterday scooping up those little red clumps. Her bladder must still be irritated from the surgery.

On the other hand, she is running around and wants to play with Prego, so I think she's feeling ok overall. I don't want her running around and wrestling with Prego. I told them both no rough stuff for a week. She has a pain patch on her neck, and she keeps scratching the wrap around the patch. Her claws are trimmed so I don't think she'll scratch herself. Her pain patch comes off Sunday morning.

Well, I tried confining her to the bathroom last night with some Tschaikovsky (don't think I spelled that right). She was fine for about an hour or so and then she started to meow. I gave her my sound machine with rain playing. She still meowed. I tried to ignore her, thinking she might stop. But she didn't. So I took her into the computer room (where the other litterbox is). I thought maybe she'd be less bored in there since there is a window she can look out. She stayed quiet for maybe another hour in there and then started to meow. So I went in there with her and slept on the loveseat we have in there. It's hard to sleep on a loveseat (I got a horrible night's sleep) when you're 5'6". I think she appreciated me being in there, though, because she spent most of her time between trips to the litterbox snuggling, cuddling and purring beside me. Scot thought I was mad at him I said that if I was mad at him I would've chosen the living room couch instead of the tiny loveseat. I just didn't want Polly to wake up Scot.

For tonight, however, I have a new plan. I think I'll take my papasan chair cushion and lay it on the floor in the computer room. (My floors are hardwood, so I can't just sleep on the floor.) Couch cushions make a nice bed in a pinch, but we have the kind that are sewn on to the couch. My feet will still hang off the papasan chair cushion, but I think it'll be quite comfortable. And it's only temporary, a week at most.

She's locked in the bathroom with my sound machine again while I'm at work. I hope she doesn't meow the whole time I'm gone. I suspect that once she realizes no one is home, she stops, but I don't know because I'm not there What do you guys think?

I feel like such a mean mommy for making her go through all this, but before we try more or stronger meds, we have to know what's going on.

Thanks for all the good vibes. Polly sends purrs to all of you.

Polly here's purrs right back at you.

I am praying all the time. I just heard.
My cats love ENYA! When I put on her CD, they totally relax and go to sleep.

Please keep us updated.

Hi everyone! I have an update.

Polly's labs are back. It came back positive for severe cystitis (but negative for cancer). Now that we have a confirmed diagnosis, we are going to try a few things. First we are going to increase her amytriptylene (double her dose). If that does not work or makes her too sleepy, we will try Tagamet. We'll know by Wednesday if it makes her too sleepy. If that doesn't work we will have to try steroids, but hopefully it won't go so far.

I will continue to keep you guys updated. Polly says thanks for all the prayers, good thoughts and vibes you guys have been sending.

Originally Posted by PurrPaws

Hi everyone! I have an update.

Polly's labs are back. It came back positive for severe cystitis (but negative for cancer). Now that we have a confirmed diagnosis, we are going to try a few things. First we are going to increase her amytriptylene (double her dose). If that does not work or makes her too sleepy, we will try Tagamet. We'll know by Wednesday if it makes her too sleepy. If that doesn't work we will have to try steroids, but hopefully it won't go so far.

I will continue to keep you guys updated. Polly says thanks for all the prayers, good thoughts and vibes you guys have been sending.

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Oh, I am so glad it is not cancer! What a relief! I am almost crying with joy over that news! Prayers are being lifted up.

I'm glad these results have finally returned, Rachel to help rule out more dangerous issues and make it pretty clearr that she has a nasty case of cystitis. I sure hope the alterations in her meds will prove themselves effective very quickly. Poor baby,you've been through so much, please feel better soon, Polly!

As long as the amitriptylene doesn't make her too sleepy, we will retest her urine in 3 weeks.

I am praying!

It's never nice to hear that a kitty has something wrong, but this is one of those times when it's so good to hear that Polly has cystitus. When the possibilities were that it could be so much worse this is such a relief . I really hope the treatment sorts this out for her quickly and she gets over the discomfort that she has been suffering.

Big hugs to you both and more vibes for Polly's continued recovery

I am just incredibly lucky. Cystitis is no picnic for a cat, but Polly has been such a trooper through it all. She only goes outside of the litter box at the beginning of a flare-up. Then once I start getting medicine for her, she always goes in the litter box, even if her urine samples show she hasn't cleared up. My vet said she is telling me that something is wrong. Also, I am lucky because she has stayed incredibly healthy through this whole ordeal, even though she's been dealing with this since November. And she's kept a cheerful disposition. The third reason I am lucky is that I have a very caring vet who is experienced in cystitis because one of her cats, Barley, has it too. Also the staff there is great.

I wish Polly wasn't sick, but I do feel lucky in many ways.

Keep sending effective treatment vibes our way. We may have to try a few medicines.

Healing vibes and hugs still coming your way. What a little trooper she is!

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Healing vibes and hugs still coming your way. What a little trooper she is!

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Thanks

She is a trooper, and I think she's also very brave (not trying to brag or anything )

Originally Posted by PurrPaws

Thanks

She is a trooper, and I think she's also very brave (not trying to brag or anything

)

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BRAG!

She deserves it!

Here's an update.

I finally got a urine sample from Polly (been trying since Monday). She still has blood in her urine. My vet wants to do some research on Tagamet and possibly talk to a colleague of hers at the University. She's going to call me Monday and we can decide if we want to try Tagamet or maybe put her on steroids. She said the steroids can have some side effects such as eating more, drinking more and urinating more in the short term and diabetes in the long term. I am concerned about starting her on steroids because she's so young still, and we're talking about lifetime treatment. But if nothing else will work, what can I do?

I'll let you guys know on Monday what we decide to do.

Polly sends love to everyone on this thread

I am sending lots of positive vibes Polly's way.
I'll be watching for your update on Monday.