Month: August 2013

Chill of an Early Fall?

Yesterday morning, while gulping coffee and gazing out the window, I was subconsciously aware that Something Was Not Quite Right, but couldn’t quite figure out what.

Took me a few minutes to realize that the neighbor’s tree has already begun shedding its leaves, and what remain are already turning colors.

What?! It’s only early summer … mid-summer … ok fine, LATE summer. But still! Leaves changing color already?!  Where did the rest of the year go?

I suppose my first clue should have been Newt.

For a couple of weeks now, he’s been quietly insistent on regularly burrowing under the down comforter next to me, instead of just sleeping on it. And last night, he was most pathetic, trying to root and nest under it, until I took pity and arranged him a little Newt-shaped cocoon where he could burrow until I relented and joined him.

It’s still pretty warm and muggy, but the temperatures have not been nearly so yucky as they usually seem for August in DC.

Like so many other liver shunt cats, Newt seems to often be a furry little heat-seeking missile. I do have to wonder if his recent insistence on stealing my covers indicates an early Fall, and possibly hard winter.

If it does, should I start the Newt Almanac? Think it could give the Farmers’ Almanac a run for its money?

Another Lesson

Uhm.

Hello. It’s me again. The reluctant blogger with the world’s most adorable liver shunt cat? Oh, I know, all of you owners think your OWN liver shunt cat is the cutest, but humour me, okay? I need a bit of tea and sympathy, and possibly a swift kick in the ass.

I think we’ve gotten Newt’s annual ER visit out of the way.

He’s been doing so well. Cat Daddy had been out of town for a few
days, and I was trying to complete some major home improvement projects,
and my vigilance slipped. I’m trying desperately to not feel guilty,
but … it’s my fault.

Any sort of change can affect my special little snowflake, so between
the moving of furniture, the painting, the slightly off-kilter feeding
schedules, the dashing to and fro from the store, the missing his daddy,
my own personal stress of family crisis, and various other stimuli,
well, he was already showing mild pre-episodic signs, but I was hoping a
full-blown Hepatic Encepalopathy episode might be averted.

I carefully prepped his meals and soups, trying to keep him on some semblance of order while Cat Daddy was away. Things were going really well, in spite of the frenzy.

Until some dumbass (that would be moi) forgot to pull the bowls of
Forbidden Food after Other Cats had lunch on Sunday. By the time I realized what had
happened, and began administering extra Lactulose, it had already gotten a
firm hold. This was his worst episode in almost 5 years. Not as bad as
the worst early ones, but pretty worrisome. Heavy drool, progressing to appareent blindness, low temp, weakness and neurological impairments.

If things had been worse at
the ER and they had insisted on keeping him, I woulda been begging for
mojo like I did when he had his little Pecker Problem. But a Lactulose
enema, some fluids, and chilling under the expert care of Cat Daddy (who
returned home JUST in time) had him right as rain again.

I seriously doubt that he learned anything about stealing Other Cats’ Food, but I certainly got a rude lesson!