Buddy's still hanging in there and doing much better although the situation got a bit dicey the past two days. He was totally wiped out Tuesday, moving in slow motion when he wasn't sleeping. His siestas were so deep that I couldn't wake him even by gently shaking him. I was concerned. He also was drooling on himself and he smelt sour. On top of all this, Buddy hadn't pooped since his enema. He appeared weak and shaky; his voice sounded old and scratchy. But the worst of it was as of Tuesday morning he was refusing all food. He was just turning his nose up at anything we gave him. I tried force feeding him by opening his mouth and putting food on his tongue but I'm not good at that. It was a messy affair at best; time consuming with Buddy eating very little of what I was managing to get into his mouth.
By Tuesday night, we decided to give him another enema. Thankfully, Buddy was patient and held still for the entire proceeding. There was a marked difference in him once we finished. He seemed to perk up, was a bit more energetic, the shakiness went away and he was definitely more alert. Most importantly, he began eating again. However, he still hasn't pooped.
My thoughts on this incident are that even though Buddy had his fluids and was drinking, he became dehydrated; the enema remedied this condition. Dr. Pitcairn's book suggests adding salt and potassium chloride to the enema if you are using the enema to re-hydrate your pet because of vomiting. We didn't because re-hydration was an unexpected result - not what we were going for and because no vomiting was involved. The entire incident is a cause of concern because I'm dreading the day when we arrive at zero food options and cannot turn it around.
I'm convinced this will be how it ends - Buddy will cry and cry for food but not eat anything we offer or he won't cry for food but will just turn his nose up at anything offered. It's too sad and distressing to contemplate. Anyway, we are back on track food-wise with tuna still occupying the number one spot on Buddy's hit parade.
In the wee hours of the morning, Buddy was in the kitchen crying for food. I gave him (what else) tuna which he ate enthusiastically. While he was drinking water, I returned to bed. Not too long after, I heard him running through the house. He bounded onto my bed, coming to sit next to my pillow where he proceeded to start a conversation. I gathered him to me and covered him with his blanket. He snuggled down, using my arm as a pillow and in short order he was purring up a storm. Finally, he let out a sigh and fell asleep. For me, this was reward enough.
The temperature here dropped and when that happens, Buddy takes to baking himself by the radiator. He's been doing that quite a bit lately. He also has a habit of coming on the bed in the middle of of a cold night and crying until you cover him with a blanket. Converting some of my old worn out pullover sweaters into blankets solved that particular problem. The other alternative would be to let him under the covers - not a good idea when the cat is only six or seven pounds.
Since I'm into recycling, finding second and third uses for items and generally using something until it can't be used anymore, I've developed a surefire way to re-purpose my heavy cotton knit sweaters. Here it is:
Lay the sweater flat on a surface for cutting. With good material scissors, cut off the arms where they attach to the sweater. Next, cut open the sides along the seams. With the body of the sweater still together on the table, cut across the shoulders just below the neckline to remove the opening for the head. Sew the top closed, eliminating the opening and making the front and back one long piece. Trim the edges of the 'blanket', fold under and sew all around and voila! a blanket for the cat (or dog) that cost you nothing but a bit of effort. If you want to be fancy you can add a piece of thin material as a backing but I don't bother. Buddy and Annie never complain about the seams.
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