The Chronicles of Pete

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Pete reacts to seagulls flying overhead as if they are Nazgul. Nazgull?

He was funny last night. There's a cardboard box on the floor, and he pounced himself into it, then started chasing his tail so enthusiastically he was doing somersaults in the box, until he saw me watching him, then he tried to look nonchalant.

He woke me up at 4am today, which he hasn't done for ages. He didn't want his breakfast, he just wanted a cuddle. I think the noise of the gales outside upset him.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Pete's not quite himself at the moment. In the two years he's been here, I've been fortunate that he's never vomited or produced a hairball. But last week he threw up clear mucus. I wasn't worried, cos I figured he had a hairball brewing, and over the next few days he produced a couple of tiny hairballs. But this week he's still puking small amounts of different coloured liquid, maybe twice a day then nothing for a couple of days, and this morning he sicked some of his breakfast back up. He's not interested in his dried food, but he still pesters me for wet. He's a wee bit sleepier and less interested in cuddling than usual, and he hasn't had a mad half hour for a few days. If he doesn't pick up over the weekend, we'll go see the vet on Monday.

[TimO]

I had a not dissimilar problem with Kai, who is long haired, and I was given a tube of Catalax by the vet, which pretty much does what it sounds like.  I guess that if they can't cough it up, it has to come out the other end.

Unfortunately, Catalax is a bit like Marmite, and some cats love it, while others hate it.  Unfortunately, Kai was in the hate it category, and short haired Zev who needs it less, seemed to love it !

When Kai was coming here for food, I had to put a squeeze of Catalax (which is in a tube, and comes out like toothpaste) directly into his mouth, as you do with pills, and smooth his throat until he swallowed it.  I can't remember exactly what the recommended dose was, but it was something like once a month.

Zev ate any that I'd "hidden" in food for Kai, and which he spurned.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I've never had to try the pill-giving technique with Pete, cos I just put them in his food and he doesn't even notice them.

[Kathy]

It could be a bad worm infestation. Ethel-the-toothless sometimes gets even more chundery than normal (and normal for her is once every 36 hours). The vet reckoned it was just worse-than-normal worms partially blocking the digestive tract. Double-dose of worming tablets and she was fine!

[TimO]

I've never had to try the pill-giving technique with Pete, cos I just put them in his food and he doesn't even notice them.

I wish that worked with Kai, Zev and in the past with Talisker!

I can't get away with putting it in their food, they notice, and eat around it.  At least Talisker could be held upside down, like a baby, and his hyperthyroidism pills relatively easily popped in.  Zev needs to be wrapped up, before I can get a pill in her mouth.

[SoreTween]

If he doesn't pick up over the weekend, we'll go see the vet on Monday.

Any news? 
IME vomiting clear liquid could be anything from:
Meh - seems fine to me. Here's a large bill.
Through:
I think he's got grass stuck in his nasal passage (FFS how?). Here's a large bill.
Onwards and upwards to:
Probably an infection <stab>. Here's a large bill.
Through to:
<redacted, but he survived>. Here's a mind boggling bill that'll make you really glad you have pet insurance.

[TimO]

He's out playing golf, so probably got better.

[Mrs Pingu]

I think he's got grass stuck in his nasal passage (FFS how?). Here's a large bill.

Been there,  done that, at the weekend too so doubleplus spendy good.

Oh, and the explanation for how was: eat grass, Vom up, grass goes up wrong way, gets stuck, repeated gacking, coughing & spluttering leads to an end curling up each nostril from the oesophagus side.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

We went to the vet (http://www.catclinic.co.uk/) on Monday. We saw Simon, who is really good at giving him a thorough going-over without him realising; he just thinks he's getting a lot of fuss. He did notice getting his temperature taken, however. Simon thinks he might have an inflammatory bowel thing, so gave him an injection of an anti-inflammatory, and if that stops him puking, we'll probably need to repeat it when it wears off. He hasn't puked since, but he's still a bit sleepier than normal and not having his mad half hours.

He's out playing golf, so probably got better.

He's far too well dressed to be interested in golf!

[SoreTween]

He's out playing golf, so probably got better.

He saw Simon, who is really good at giving him a thorough going-over without him realising; he just thinks he's getting a lot of fuss. He did notice getting his temperature taken, however.

Goodo, hope that's all it is.  I think any cat would need a full 7 course meal set out on the top table at Milliways to not notice their temperature being taken.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

He's sneezing a lot tonight, and shaking his head. I think he has something up his nose.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I've just got up, slightly worried that he died in the night as he hadn't come in to ask for breakfast at all. He's still sneezing, and he's huffing through his nose a lot as if there's something in there, so we're off to the vet again. Poor baby.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Poor Pete. When we went to the vet on Monday about his puking, Simon thought it might be an inflammatory bowel thing, and gave him an injection of steroids. He wasn't sick again until yesterday, and that was just clear mucus (with some hair in it), so that seemed to be an improvement. But he started sneezing last night, and doing a weird huffing thing out of his nose as if he's trying to clear it. He's kept on doing that, and he didn't come and ask for his breakfast this morning. I woke up about half eight, realised he hadn't asked for any breakfast, and panicked that he'd died in the night! So we went back to the vet, and he thinks that it's possible Pete got feline herpes when he was straying and if he did, the steroid injection on Monday has suppressed his immune system and allowed the herpes to give him some respiratory problems. He had an antibiotic injection today, and I have antibiotic tablets for him, but if he's still poorly over the weekend I'll take him back on Monday. The other thing it might be is perhaps a bit of grass or something stuck up his nose, which would need sedation and possibly x-rays, but he hasn't been out for a walk since Monday so I'm pretty sure it's not that.


Poor boy. He's sleeping pretty much round the clock, isn't really interested in food or cuddles, and he's not enjoying his sneezes! He was a very good boy at the vet though.

[peliroja]

Poor sneezy Pete. I really hope he picks up soon.

Your vet sounds a good un. Is Pete insured?

[Mrs Pingu]

How is he this morning?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Poor sneezy Pete. I really hope he picks up soon.

Your vet sounds a good un. Is Pete insured?

He is insured, but the excess is £100 and the total for the 2 visits this week including meds is only about £60. If he needs sedation and X-rays and stuff, I'll be claiming! The vets are great, it's http://www.catclinic.co.uk/ . They only see cats, so everything is set up for cats, the vets have lots of training in feline medicine, and they're really good at examining Pete without him realising what's going on.

How is he this morning?

Much the same. 

[TimO]

... The vets are great, it's http://www.catclinic.co.uk/ . They only see cats, so everything is set up for cats, the vets have lots of training in feline medicine ...

That's very cool. 

Edinburgh is a little far to cycle with Zev, however.

It makes a lot of sense, since cats are now the UK's most common pet, especially in a city practice.  The vast majority of pets in my vet are cats and dogs, it's very rare to see any other species.

[Mrs Pingu]

http://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/feline-herpes-virus-fhv-infection

Hopefully he won't be feeling rubbish for as long as 3 weeks!

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

That's very cool. 

Edinburgh is a little far to cycle with Zev, however.

It makes a lot of sense, since cats are now the UK's most common pet, especially in a city practice.  The vast majority of pets in my vet are cats and dogs, it's very rare to see any other species.

Yeah, there is a vet within a 5 minute walk, but I'm sticking with the Cat Clinic even though it's a ten minute walk and a 15 minute bus ride. When Lothian Cat Rescue handed him over to me, they gave me a voucher for discounted vaccines at the Cat Clinic, which is obviously worth their while cos most people aren't going to claim discounted vaccines and then go elsewhere.

http://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/feline-herpes-virus-fhv-infection

Hopefully he won't be feeling rubbish for as long as 3 weeks!

It's so strange not having him clawing my legs for food every hour!

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

He seems to have perked up a bit. He's still sneezing and huffing, and doesn't have his usual appetite, but he's asleep next to me instead of hiding away, on his back instead of hunched over, and earlier on he attacked my emery board.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Pete is still having the very occasional sneeze and snuffle, but otherwise is completely back to normal.

[Jaded]

I like that news 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Pete has been helping the plumber. 

[cycleman]

Cleaning the pipes?