In just over twelve hours, we'll have our ultrasound. Normally I would be obsessing and worrying by now, but I've managed to find something else to obsess/worry about - my cat. Abbott is 9 years old. He is FIV positive, which means he has feline immunodeficiency virus. It's like HIV, but only impacts cats. He's had it since he was a kitten - cats get it from deep bite wounds or from their mother. Since Abbott has lived with me and been an indoor cat since he was 7 weeks old, my vet said he got it from his mother, probably during nursing. Most kittens will outgrow it, but Abbott never did. Anyway, despite his FIV and the fact that when he was about 3 he had a urinary blockage that led to hospitalization and a dietary change, he's been a pretty healthy cat.
One weird thing about Abbott is that he never drinks water. I keep a water dish down for him, but he never ever drinks from it. Sometimes he splashes it around for fun, but I've never seen him drink from it. To get some water in him, I usually add some to his wet food. But about a week ago, Jeeves and I noticed he had started drinking from his water dish. He's not drinking a crazy amount of water, but he is drinking from his dish about twice a day now. At first I didn't think too much about it. But I also started to notice that while he is eating, he's not housing his food the way he usually does, and he seems to be eating a little less.
Today I started to feel concerned about his change in behavior, so I consulted Dr. Google. You guys, as bad and dire as Dr. Google can make human illness, it ain't got nothing on Dr. Google for animal symptoms. I am now terrified that Abbott has diabetes or renal failure. If he has diabetes, that would be mean twice daily insulin injections, and I don't even know how we could manage that. And renal failure... well, that would basically mean that he's going to die. I can't deal. Anyway, I called the vet (he needs his annual rabies vaccination anyway) and made an appointment for Saturday morning when Jeeves can go with me. I think I experience more stress taking Abbott to the vet than the cat does from being poked and prodded. Sigh.
In some ways, I guess it's good to have something else to be worried about. When I think about tomorrow's ultrasound, the idea that there could actually be a heartbeat just seems completely impossible, unreal. But when I imagine the doctor telling us there's no heartbeat, well, then it feels like the walls are closing in. Suffice it to say tomorrow cannot come soon enough and either way, will hopefully relieve some of this stress.
Wish me luck.
:( I hope your kitty is alright! We had a diabetic cat and gave him twice daily insulin shots for the last 5 years of his life. It's tough, but manageable. I hope it's not necessary and that it isn't something worse. Good luck with the u/s! I'll be thinking of you!
ReplyDeletePraying for your ultrasound, but also for Abbott! I know what you mean about the stress toll about going to the vet. Last week when I I got home from taking my dog to the vet all I wanted to do was curl in a ball with a cup of something warm and destress from the entire thing.
ReplyDeleteAww, I hope Abbott is ok! If you makes you feel any better, I used to have a cat with diabetes. It really was not difficult at all to administer the insulin. We did it with each meal, before and after work, and he lived to be 16 years old. Cats on wet food don't usually drink water - or much - because they get water through the wet food. My kitty is on special formula for crystals, so it's wet food, and he doesn't drink at all anymore. Maybe its because the cat has stopped eating as much, so he's needing to drink to supplement the water? Regardless, my thoughts are with you for both the ultrasound and your kitty....hope all goes well with both!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like diabetes to me, which honestly is very manageable. My husband had a diabetic cat for years, and he was healthy and happy. One of my good friends has one now, and even though she cried for a week when she learned she had to give him injections, now it's just normal. You will be okay. It will take time, but you an Abbott will both be <3
ReplyDeleteIt's noon now. This is me sending all my hope south <3