TBT: An apology and several different subjects today...
First, sorry for not showing new pics lately. I just haven't begun using the new camera yet, and there seems little point in taking bad-color ones with the old. Its the same camera model, I guess I just haven't felt like taking any again yet.
Second, I took Marley to the vet again for sub fluid injection. It is amazing how he knows I plan to. To my knowledge, I do nothing different in the morning, but somehow he knows. And he finds places almost impossible to get him out of!
Behind the wine cooler is a favorite spot. It is cluttered on top and next to a plant stand that is awkward to move. And I can't lift him one-handed from an angle anyway. He hid there last Saturday but I "worried" him out of there. Yesterday, he went there too, but got away when I started to move things. So he ran behind some drapes behind a large cat tree. I pulled him out slightly, but then he grabbed the base of the tree with all claws.
It was like trying to pull rope out of a block of ice! I eventually managed to loosen one paw at a time, but neither of us were happy about. Marley is a kind and peaceful cat, but I'm sure it was all he could do not to strike out at me.
I was planning to try the injection myself under supervision yesterday, but felt too shaky about it. Not "mentally" shaky; physically shaky. So maybe next time. It would be good to do it at home. Then, I could just pick up Marley while he was calm.
Third, it feels like life is just generally falling apart. Oh, I don't mean I'm dying or anything (I hope). But hand and arms and ankle muscle cramps are getting routine, and topical rubs are not helping as much as they used to. Sometimes, it is hard to prepare dinner or type. I feel fine other than the muscle cramps.
But obviously I need to see a doctor. Having lived alone 50 years and being (as one doctor said) "obnoxiously healthy", I don't actually have much experiences with either illnesses or more general physical problems. I should probably have some serious screening. Cancer, heart, blood, nutrition, etc.
But I also mean The Mews (and this is mostly about The Mews). It is total coincidence, but having multiple cats with serious problems is a struggle. Ayla dying of starvation and having to be assisted Over The Bridge before things got unbearable was both sudden and hard. The emergency clinic vet did an exam, took x-rays, and did a blood panel and couldn't actually find anything specifically wrong. He gave her an electrolyte injection and provided a pill and some oral medication for appetite stimulation.
He said if that if those didn't help Ayla begin to eat again in 2 days, nothing probably would. And it didn't. So I had to bring her back for a last vet visit. Having to build a memorial box for her will be difficult too.
Marley needing injections 2x a week for life will also be hard. Stabbing a dear pet routinely will not be easy. The calming treats the vet gave me for Laz don't seem to have any affect. Thankfully, the serious medication will arrive later today. I sure hope those help. Lori is becoming more and more distressed by Laz's brief attacks. Marley is upset hearing cat fights.
Let's just say I've had better times... And sometimes things just don't go the way you expect. I suppose I just can't adjust to changes and problems the way I did once.
I think I need to start taking more pictures. That seems like a positive thing to do. Cats when they are happy. Plants in flower. Ripening tomatoes. Birds at the feeders. Etc...
I initially titled this "Thankful Thursday" out of habit. And there isn't a whole lot to be very thankful about. Alyla is gone, Marley has to be stabbed 2x a week, Laz needs sedation meds for the foreseeable future, and Lori doesn't understand why her BFF attacks her sometimes. So I changed it to "Thursday Thoughts" because "Thankful" didn't seem to work.
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But I can end on a positive and thankful note. The vet gave me 4 cans of Hill's Science Diet canned "Kidney Food" that should provide enough protein for him but ones that make it easier on his kidneys. And a non-expiring presciption for that and a Royal Canin variety that I can fulfill at several places.
They warned me I might have to very gradually blend it in to his accustomed food because most cats don't accept it at first. So I had only mild hope. But I decided to see how he would react to it and put a unmixed spoonful in a bowl while Laz and Lori were outside. He LOVED it just as it was! Even turned the bowl upside down to lick for spillage. And asked for more!
I gave him more. Marley now has a new favorite food. It is "chicken and stew" and there are 2 cans of "beef and stew". Well I'll see if he likes that one, tomorrow. And we will try the Royale Canin as well. Variety is good. And anything to help his health...
So it is "Thankful Thursday" again... You take what you can of the good things and focus on those. If Marley likes new his healthy food, that is good. Hoping that the Laz medication will help him calm down is good and that would mean Lori would be happier too. There are possibilties for bringing peace and happiness to the household, and I will stay focussed on those.
The 3 are my proper focus now...
