Cat Update

It has been just over a month since ET stopped eating. A month since I cried my eyes out thinking I was losing my oldest animal companion, and held her as I gave her a long talk about the first time we met and the years that went by. (I know, but it had to be said.)

One month of syringe feedings. And now this little old lady has just jumped up on the couch beside me after taking a poop, and is cleaning her paws indulgently. I would never have imagined it possible. Her appetite has grown, and I finish a can of Hill's Prescription a/d  (Critical Care) in 2 and a half days. Between feedings I leave a handful of dry cat food on a napkin beside her. She feeds herself--two kibbles every fifteen minutes or so, or when she's hungry. So now I no longer feel too guilty when I'm out till late, knowing that she can supplement herself.

Why haven't I stopped syringe feeding her? Because she needs one whole can of a/d for her body weight, to make the calorie count, which she doesn't eat on her own. She still takes the syringes willingly, gnawing on the syringe at times like a piece of meat. Hopefully this enlarged diet will put some flesh back on her bony spine.

My heart has lifted so, so much. For readers looking to save their beloved animal companions from self-starvation, I would definitely recommend Hill's Prescription. It's only available from the vet because of its highly nutritional content. Too rich for fatsos like my other cat. For cats that are not eating, even a little bit of this food will give them a boost of nutrients, fat and energy that will keep their organs going. I had peace every time I pumped some in, however little she took. Eventually she regained the energy to have the will to live again, and her appetite increased slowly.

Two nights ago, I was rubbing her belly and she bit me. That bite, full of strength and feist, made me even happier than when I found poop in her litter tray again. (Only sick-pet owners will understand the joy of finding poop.) The bite means her spirit is back, that matriarchal, Garfield-like grumpiness that had disappeared for a time.