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- Jan 1, 2016
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I have an appointment for my kitty Etta tomorrow. Two weeks ago, my cat Charlie had a swollen belly and it turned out she had fluid in her abdomen and the ultrasound showed a large tumor mass. Her litter mate, Etta I am taking to the vet tomorrow because I started seeing her middle differently when Charlie was diagnosed.
Etta has tended to the chubby side but as she has aged (she's 13) she's started to acquire that elderly kitty look-spine more prominent, hips and shoulders more prominent and less fat around her neck and face. She went through a phase of losing interest in her food, but was all for things like boiled chicken. I was planning on taking her to the vet for a senior exam and blood test when Charlie became so ill (very quickly). Her other litter-mate Jeffery is slender but strong and doesn't look like an old cat at all.
I was able to get Etta re-interested in food by feeding it to her on my finger to the point that she was snarfing her plate and then the rest of everyone else's. She's my one cat who is reliable for preferring the higher end food more than the other cats (who usually just leave a lot of it on their plates). I felt better that she was eating on her own without me hand feeding her.
But her middle is outsized now to the rest of her and I'm sick to think she also has the same thing as Charlie (which their mother died from an abdominal tumor). She has an appointment tomorrow. I realize it could also be her kidneys or even her heart or hopefully, I'm being paranoid. But I don't think I am.
Unlike Charlie, she doesn't protest when I run my hands down her side. She's interactive and not hiding (which Charlie was). She enjoyed some catnip this afternoon (Charlie wasn't playing at all) And she ate boiled chicken and some Wellness tonight. I see her drinking water a couple times a day at the usual rate (my cats except for Boo are happy to drink water). I don't see any evidence that she is nauseous and her ears aren't hot (no fever). Her gums and whites of eyes look okay. I don't notice loose skin at her neck. I don't think she's dehydrated. She's bathing the way she usually does and litter box habits seem normal.
But I have this dreadful feeling all the same. Maybe it's just because I went through that with Charlie. With Charlie, her tummy was uneven--larger on her left than right--and she sat in a crouched position. As soon as I noticed that I got her to the vet. Etta is more evenly distributed in her middle. Etta is laying on both her left and right side. She is still socializing with her pal Scoo Baby who a couple of hours ago was piled on top of her, the way he tends to. Her belly doesn't feel hard like Charlie's did. I'll post more tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed.
Etta has tended to the chubby side but as she has aged (she's 13) she's started to acquire that elderly kitty look-spine more prominent, hips and shoulders more prominent and less fat around her neck and face. She went through a phase of losing interest in her food, but was all for things like boiled chicken. I was planning on taking her to the vet for a senior exam and blood test when Charlie became so ill (very quickly). Her other litter-mate Jeffery is slender but strong and doesn't look like an old cat at all.
I was able to get Etta re-interested in food by feeding it to her on my finger to the point that she was snarfing her plate and then the rest of everyone else's. She's my one cat who is reliable for preferring the higher end food more than the other cats (who usually just leave a lot of it on their plates). I felt better that she was eating on her own without me hand feeding her.
But her middle is outsized now to the rest of her and I'm sick to think she also has the same thing as Charlie (which their mother died from an abdominal tumor). She has an appointment tomorrow. I realize it could also be her kidneys or even her heart or hopefully, I'm being paranoid. But I don't think I am.
Unlike Charlie, she doesn't protest when I run my hands down her side. She's interactive and not hiding (which Charlie was). She enjoyed some catnip this afternoon (Charlie wasn't playing at all) And she ate boiled chicken and some Wellness tonight. I see her drinking water a couple times a day at the usual rate (my cats except for Boo are happy to drink water). I don't see any evidence that she is nauseous and her ears aren't hot (no fever). Her gums and whites of eyes look okay. I don't notice loose skin at her neck. I don't think she's dehydrated. She's bathing the way she usually does and litter box habits seem normal.
But I have this dreadful feeling all the same. Maybe it's just because I went through that with Charlie. With Charlie, her tummy was uneven--larger on her left than right--and she sat in a crouched position. As soon as I noticed that I got her to the vet. Etta is more evenly distributed in her middle. Etta is laying on both her left and right side. She is still socializing with her pal Scoo Baby who a couple of hours ago was piled on top of her, the way he tends to. Her belly doesn't feel hard like Charlie's did. I'll post more tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed.