One of the hallmarks of my morning yoga class was the “cat report.” It started as a way for me to keep everyone distracted during a particular movement, and became a regular thing. I miss giving a cat report and yesterday’s activities merit some reporting. So here we are a cat report for you.
Beryl
Beryl’s had a stroke or maybe a palsy. I noticed yesterday that she was struggling to eat her breakfast kibble. I thought her teeth might hurt, so I offered her Churu. It dribbled out the right side of her mouth.
I quickly got her to see Aoyama-sensei down the road. Examination showed that she is currently blind in her right eye, her tongue curls to the left, and the right side of her face has minimal sensation. She can blink and her pupils respond to light, so the physical parts are okay, but the message is not getting to her brain.
The treatment is minimal: a shot of steroids to help prevent aspiration when she eats, observation, and lots of love.
So when she meowed at me at 2:30 this morning, sounding hungry and a bit stressed, I got up and gave her some soft food then sat with her in the living room for a while. She curled up on my lap and purred.
I was up long enough to catch the sunrise. Venus was spectacular as the Morning Star.
Fritter
Fritter has been spending his nights hiding in the barn roof. He got in a fight a couple weeks back and I ended up taking him to the weekend vet where he got antibiotics for a bite. But I noticed that his tail was limp. That vet didn’t seem to think it was an issue.
But after a week or so had passed, his tail was swollen. An abscess formed and broke open. I thought he’d be okay until I realised a few days later that his tail was now sort of hard around where the abscess had been.
So Fritter went to see Aoyama-sensei yesterday, too. He has something called induration, a thickening of soft tissue. His treatment is a week of steroid and antibiotic pills mixed into his evening meal. He took the first dose easily, though he was reluctant to leave the barn, since I’d catnapped him from there in the morning.
Maura
Maura’s gone from an anxious defender of territory to a tyrant.
He hassles Beryl endlessly, chasing her all over the house and stalking her when they are outside. When they face each other there are skippy-paps back and forth. If she has my attention or my lap, he quickly replaces her. She is not allowed to sleep in his favorite places.
I am subject to middle of the night meows that do not stop. If I try to ignore them, he escalates to scratching on doorframes. Every single one of them. Urgh.
It’s worrying. I don’t know if it’s stress or illness (he’s also been losing weight) but I hope he starts to feel calmer soon.
And that’s the cat report. These complicated, furry people are living their lives as dramatically as any share-house roommates or family.
