At the emergency vet with one of the cats

[Rat Diva]

Ratty is distraught again 😭

Stanley, who was fine last night, was this morning vomiting, lethargic, and having trouble breathing. I first went to one of those "ask the vet" sites and the conclusion was take him right away.

Im lucky I showed up in person because they took him right in, and they're sending people to Allentown and Stroudsburg because they're at capacity. I'm too upset to drive that far and I get lost too easily.

So I'm here in the exam room waiting for someone to come talk to me and who knows how long it will take and I'm ready to ugly cry

[Jaglavak]

Oboy. I hope it was just a bad mouse or something.

[JackieLikesVariety]

hoping to hear it's an easy fix, whatever is going on.

[What Exit?]

Good luck Stanley, I hope this is something simple.

[Borborygmi]

:: Sending good thoughts to Stanley. And, for good measure, to Ratty also. ::

[Rat Diva]

He has some inflammation of the tummy and was a little dehydrated, so they gave him nausea meds and fluids. I have to give him meds at home for a few days ::screams into pillows:: and feed him bland food and probiotics. The heavy breathing was probably distress from stomach pain.

He managed a bite of spicy beef jerky last night and the doctor said that could have done it. So that was a $400 bag of jerky and it wasn't even that good 😓

[Rat Diva]

Stanley and I thank you all for your good wishes 🤗

[Detroit Hoser]

I feel for you, Stanley, and will again in the future the next time I eat at Szechuan Palace. Feel better, buddy.

And Ratorical Diva, I also feel for you -- Rockford started showing signs of hyperthyroidism four months ago, something we've had way too much experience with in other cats, and so far we're down around $6-700 bucks. And that's after Russell cost us a grand in tooth extractions. Is Stanley a former stray by any chance?

[Flying Saucerian]

Okay, good. So he'll probably be okay.

[SmartAleq]

Stanley, stay OUT of the people food in future, y'hear? Glad he's okay and the only thing bleeding is your bank account, Ratty!

[thorny locust]

Whew. By the time I saw this prognosis is apparently known to be good.

Far better to have to give meds at home than not to have Stanley at home to give them to!

and hugs to both of you.

[Rat Diva]

Thorny, that's how I feel 101%.

All four of them were rescues, and I think he and his bro Albert were 7ish months when I got them. They've been pampered indoor tyrants since then.

And since he's going to be ok, I can make up for failure to post cat pix in a cat thread.

[JackieLikesVariety]

awww, I'm glad he's going to be OK and I hope the med-giving is easy.

[Detroit Hoser]

Handsome bloke

[AHunter3]

Nice cute kitticle!

[Rat Diva]

And he's got the silkiest kitty cat coat I've ever felt.

[stormie]

Whew! Very happy to hear you both can return to your happy cat / cat serf lives. I hope you don't lose too much blood giving pills!

[Rat Diva]

I tried Sunday night to give him the meds as ordered... it's amazing how a 13 pound cat can turn into a tornado full of fishhooks in a split second, considering how at the time he was ALMOST too weak to struggle while being stuffed in the carrier.

I'll hang onto the pills in case one of the herd gets tummy trouble again. I MIGHT be able to get a pill into a lethargic, weak cat.

[thorny locust]

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

I tried Sunday night to give him the meds as ordered... it's amazing how a 13 pound cat can turn into a tornado full of fishhooks in a split second, considering how at the time he was ALMOST too weak to struggle while being stuffed in the carrier.

I'll hang onto the pills in case one of the herd gets tummy trouble again. I MIGHT be able to get a pill into a lethargic, weak cat.

I had some luck years ago with a tornado-prone cat by sneaking up on him when he was comfortably asleep. Pat once so he knew I was there, then get the pill in before he woke up the rest of the way.

[Solfy]

I have fond memories of squirting liquid amoxicillin into Oliver's mouth when he was a tiny scrap of a kitten. He immediately sneezed and painted me pink.

[Detroit Hoser]

Originally Posted by Solfy

I have fond memories of squirting liquid amoxicillin into Oliver's mouth when he was a tiny scrap of a kitten. He immediately sneezed and painted me pink.

I swear Clavamox was the greatest discovery in veterinary science, at least from the point of view of the average cat owner. One injection from the vet and all the antibiotic administration is over, it's awesome.

[Rat Diva]

One time Miss Cleo needed antibiotics and the vet was showing me how. Squirt a little pink stuff in her mouth, then give her a little water with another syringe to rinse her mouth, then more pink... easy when you have decades of experience and also a tech holding her in a death grip.

Miss Cleo turns into a firenado full of laser sharks when vexed (she's feisty) so I decided to wimp out and mix the pink stuff into tuna. She got the medicine and I got to live.

[Jaglavak]

I once had a big mean tom named Chainsaw that got sick and needed pills for awhile. I started out grabbing him in a bath towel, leaving only the fangs to deal with. This went on for a week before I noticed that he wasn't trying to get away, and then figured out that he loved to chomp on those pills.

The pills were some kind of steroid for a fur condition. After a couple months on that stuff he actually bulked up to look like a miniature Arnie. When he was healthy enough to allow outdoors again, he went and found the tom who beat him up when he was sick, and body slammed that poor varmint up and down the driveway until I put a stop to it.

[wring]

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

And he's got the silkiest kitty cat coat I've ever felt.

glad he's ok, it's horrible when our furry companions are ill. re: silkiest coat... you need to measure it against my black kitty- her fur is not only silky fine but long as well. and for a few treats, she'll let you touch her!

[C2H5OH]

Originally Posted by wring

glad he's ok, it's horrible when our furry companions are ill. re: silkiest coat... you need to measure it against my black kitty- her fur is not only silky fine but long as well. and for a few treats, she'll let you touch her!

Puddin was like that. Jet-black (except for a white spot on his chest) with long silky-fine fur, but the only cuddles he'd allow where when I came home after 6 nights stuck in a motel, somewhere, and he'd come running for his cuddles and practically jump into my arms. But I'd only get about 30 seconds of 'cuddle-time' before he started to make it obvious that he was thinking 'OK, we got our cuddles, now put me down, human, before I shred you!'.

Misha also had long black, silky-fine fur, but he LOOOVED cuddles. He would be disappointed when you'd put him down, because he'd cuddle forever if you let him.

[wring]

love that once we know Rat's kitty is ok, stories about other kitties come out to play

[Solfy]

On that note, Maggie has done a 180° since Fluff Pupp died. She's still a pretty bitty skitty kitty, but now she deigns to hang out downstairs during daylight hours. She even sits in the living room with us sometimes!
We are still not allowed to pet her, and she'll run and hide at any sudden noise/movement/phase of the moon, but it's very obvious that in her five years of living here with a chill dog not much bigger than her, she never got used to FP (who, for the record, we had before getting her). Today, while I was in the office, she climbed the cat tree, found a catnip mouse at the top, and dropped it down to play with it. Like a normal cat.

Felix, on the other hand, harasses her more now that he lost his play mate. He loves dogs.

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

And he's got the silkiest kitty cat coat I've ever felt.

I'm so glad he's going to be okay!

My Buddy has a very silky coat too.

His sister sports dreds unless we have her shaved. She gets a lion cut every spring. Right now she looks like she's had chemo, but she's much friendlier when its short. She will actually sit on my lap.

Bud got a lion cut this spring too. He's very proud of his new look.

[stormie]

I think we need photos.