So, I got my cat back. Much to my relief. The good news and the bad news is that they can find nothing wrong with her. Well, really it’s only good news, unless there is something wrong that is more difficult (and therefore more expensive) to diagnose. But we’re back to the drawing board and will be giving her more to eat. I looked on the vet’s wall posters and found out that Gracie is in her late 20s by now, so we know it’s not teen angst that’s causing the weight loss.
Right now I’m drinking a cup of peppermint tea while a load of laundry is in the wash. Once I finish this, I’ll be making cookies for a “cookie swap” party-thing I’m attending tomorrow. Should be interesting. The cookies I’m making are cranberry-orange cookies, and I’m fairly jazzed about them (they’re so off the Maker’s Diet, but hey, they have fruit in them. That has to count for something). Then it’s off to bed. Tomorrow morning is reserved for cleaning the house. Then the cookie party from 2-4 and the Leland Christmas Party (people on staff at PC3 or somehow connected to PC3 who live in Leland, the most awesome place ever) at 5:30. Busy day. Then Sunday it’s church and then off to Jacksonville (yeah, there’s one up here too) for a graduation party and then the small group Christmas Eating Extravaganza (I made that up) that evening. Phew! I will need a few days to recover from this weekend.
I leave you with pictures of Gracie’s Bulge. Apparently to get the urine sample, they had to pump her full of fluids, some of which her little adorable body has not yet absorbed. So, now she has a bulge on one of her arms. How pitiful! It doesn’t seem to bother her much, but every time I see it I kind of pout, for her of course, since she has no lips and therefore cannot pout for herself.
10 Comments
Awww poor Gracie! I hope the liquid gets absorbed soon. I am glad it is not bothering her.
And Yumm!! Mint tea. <3
The swelling seems to be down today, so that’s probably a good sign. Thanks!
Oh you poor thing and poor Gracie. I know how you feel about missing your cat when she’s not there. They aren’t such attention demanding animals, but a house definitely feels happier when they are present. I miss being around Penny everyday. I look forward to the weekends so much so I can see her (and Seth, too, of course), but it definitely helps recharge and repair me to spend time with my cat.
I’m glad Gracie is home, but I am sorry to hear about her little “big” arm and her mysterious symptoms. Hopefully time and more food will remedy whatever is going on.
The cats definitely become an important part of the family, and the house just doesn’t seem the same when they aren’t there. I didn’t even think about how much you must miss your Penny when you’re in Gainesville, but that makes so much sense. She’s another aspect of home. Christmas break will be a good time to get recharged and spend some quality time with Seth and Penny.
Your cat is so tiny compared to my fatty! I have the opposite problem with mine: he seems to have actually gained weight since we moved to the house, though we had hoped that more space to run around in would help him get slimmer, not fatter. I do hope that you find out what’s wrong with her.
Also, I want to go to a cookie party! I have heard about them a lot recently, and it made me want to participate in the festivities. I know just what I would make, too. Oatmeal cookies with dried cherries and pecans. Yum! Maybe I should host one of these parties myself…
Maybe your cat could send some of the extra weight to Gracie. They’d balance one another out!
Those cookies sound fantastic–will you send me the recipe? You should definitely have a cookie swap. It’s fun and seems like a fairly easy party to plan. Get a bunch of tins or buckets and everyone leaves with a huge variety of cookies. Yum!
That giant arm is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. I hope she’s feeling better!
Isn’t it pathetic? Poor little girl. It’s all back to normal now, AND she seems to be gaining weight! Woohoo!
I don’t know about Gracie, but Venice is very much an attention-demanding animal! Also, I’m not sure what all tests Gracie went through, but when Venice was diagnosed with diabetes, the vet bills were outrageous–nearly $1,000. But part of that was that he was on an IV for two days because he was so dehydrated (part of his rapid weight loss issue). I don’t want to alarm you when Gracie’s issue may be something else entirely, but after reading your Gracie posts, I do have a few ideas for you to keep in mind.
1) Cats tend to hide their illnesses from their owners, so if Gracie’s behavior is even slightly off from what you knew it to be, something could be VERY wrong with her. Venice was nearly comatose before I was certain that things weren’t right.
2) If her weight loss continues and she exhibits other symptoms of diabetes (mentioned in previous blog comment), you can test her at home without taking her to the vet. Home-testing your cat’s blood glucose isn’t exactly cheap or easy to do (until you establish a routine with your pet), but what my vet used to charge me about $120 to do, I can do for about $1, now that I’m all set up. Also, my vet isn’t particularly knowledgeable regarding canine and feline diabetes, and with the exception of vets who own a diabetic pet (often those who abandoned by owners after diagnosis), many are shockingly ignorant when it comes to the best care of diabetic pets.
3) Diet, of course, plays a huge role in the wellbeing of domesticated animals, as well as in us. And what’s good for people isn’t the same as what’s good for cats. Many pet owners feed dry kibble in the interest of dental health, but these pets a) still need professional dental cleanings, starting at about Gracie’s age and b) are eating high-carb foods, which aren’t really compatible with their naturally carnivorous systems. Switching from dry food to canned alone had the drastic effect of regulating Venice’s blood glucose to the point that it’s been 12 days since I last administered an insulin injection. I was also surprised to learn that, while cats need a diet high in protein and low in carbs, they also actually need a fairly high allowance of fat! Fish is actually considered a lousy protein source for felines. (There’s, like, one variety of jungle cat that naturally incorporates fish into their diet, and even then, only occasionally.) Venice is currently only eating Wellness brand (grain-free!) canned turkey and chicken–which means I’m spending approximately 8x as much as I used to on cat food (dry Iams before his diagnosis). I also can’t get his food at Petsmart (next door to me) and have to make special trips to Pet Supermarket or Petco. But since a vial of insulin that lasts for only about a month is more than $100 and requires a prescription (i.e. another vet visit) to get in the first place, it’s “pay me now or pay me later.” And with a cat who could easily live another 10 years so long as I’m constantly and consistently committed to his proper care….
Those are very good things to keep in mind. I am going to try the Wellness food. The vet I like the most at our vet’s office is a holistic vet. He has his own practice but is at the animal hospital a few days each week. He says he feeds his cats Wellness. We are going to need to figure out her diet anyway. She’s eating Hills canned high-calorie food, but it’s giving her diarrhea. We used to add a few spoons of canned pumpkin to combat that, but now she’s refusing to eat it (or throwing up when she does). She’s tested negative for diabetes, but I am concerned that if this continues we could have a real mess on our hands. We used to make our own food (with ground up chicken, veggies, vitamins, etc.) but it became too much time- and money-wise.