Ever have one of those weeks when everything starts out feeling shiny and exciting? And ever have one of those weeks where by mid-week it feels like your balloon has deflated? That has been this week for me.
I am cat-sitting for a cat who isn’t doing well. He is normally a perky, sociable fellow, but this week he hasn’t bothered coming downstairs when I show up. And, as far as I can tell, has no interest in his food either. It’s hard to tell for sure because his brother might very well be helping himself to both of their food bowls.
The afternoons and evenings have been warm, so at first I cut the cat a little slack. But, I have seen no change in behavior during the cool mornings. He’s an old guy (15) with a hyperthyroid condition, so guess who’s getting a trip to the vet this afternoon?!
I regret that I haven’t been able to bring the cat’s human into the loop in any of this because he is off kayaking in Vancouver, BC (the human, not the cat, although that would explain why I haven’t always been able to find him–the cat, not the human). As someone who relies heavily on cat-sitters, I would absolutely want my aged and ill cat brought to the vet if he or she were acting strangely. But, I would also want to know about it. Not because I could do anything about it. Merely because I would miss out on the stress and worry that comes with an ill cat.
That last statement was not at all sarcastic. It is just something that has always come with having furry beasties in my life. Once, while visiting the goat farm in California, I got a call about my cat who, it turned out, had developed a terminal kidney disease. I headed home as soon as possible, but it is a long drive from Santa Cruz to Portland. I spent the whole time fretting about my poor cat. Now, I know that my fretting hadn’t helped her at all. But, it did make me feel a little less guilty when I got home and had to face a sick cat and her doting brother.
This afternoon we head off to the vet and I hope that I won’t have to make any truly significant decisions. My goal this afternoon is to make sure the cat is stable and not in any pain. His human doesn’t return to cell phone range until sometime Tuesday. That can seem like a very long time to a miserable feeling cat.
Update: The vet didn’t find anything seriously wrong with the cat. He seemed to be suffering a bout of nausea from some indeterminate cause. She gave him an appetite stimulant and this morning he was back to his usual, cheery self.