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Old cats
Because Cally and Princess are Cat Haven rescue moggies their exact dates of birth are a bit of a guess a few months each way, but about now I'm upping their ages from "y and a half" to "pushing y+1". Thus my two eldest are now the ripe old ages of Pushing 21 and Pushing 17 respectively. There's something to be said for hybrid vigour.
Monday saw them both at the vet: Cally for her monthly Cartrophen shot, and Princess for her annual vaccinations and worming. Plus, of course, sundries.
Sundries for Princess this time meant asking for a vet letter exempting her from being microchipped as per the new cat registration regulations coming up in November. I've had many sick notes and medical certificates in my life, but this is the first one I've seen for a cat. On the basis that she is old, nervous, has a skin condition, and is unlikely to ever venture outdoors, I'll be able to register her without being required to put her through the trauma of being chipped. Anyone who says "it's just an injection" has not seen those things, nor met this particular kitty.
Princess' skin is in reasonably good condition at the moment, in that she's not actually bleeding anywhere, but her fur does look rather patchy in places from over-grooming. Certainly the Feliway and occasional hits of steroids are keeping things under control at the moment, but the cool weather has also helped a lot. Occasional excavations in her ears are keeping the wax under control. Apparently her teeth are in great shape, which is nice. Today collected more steroids for her. I've also enjoyed the softer sooky side of Princess as she's recovered from the Terrible Experience. She even stopped hissing at the kittens there for a bit, but not to worry, she's getting her grump back today and had a go at Cally. The Feud continues, like France and England.
The cold wet weather is not kind to poor Cally however, and she's looking pretty rough around the edges. I'm glad we persevered with the Tramal though, for disgusting as it is, it really does give her relief for a day or so. She still drools mightily when I give it to her, but she now sits still and lets me wipe her down for a few minutes until the worst is over. She also seems much less stressed by the whole business. This is good, because for the first couple of weeks I was worried that it wouldn't be a viable treatment option and there was really nowhere to go after that. Dr Laura said many owners find it too difficult to administer. I asked how often I could dose Cally and the answer was up to three times per day, which would basically put her in a permanently doped state. I'm pretty sure I'll let her go peacefully before that becomes necessary, but it's good to know I have that level of freedom in treating her.
Nearly forgot – I was a bit worried about her breathing but her heart and lungs are in great shape. The laboured breathing I'd seen on occasions was due to pain, poor thing. I know how she feels :/
But golly, Pushing 21 is a grand old age for a cat who's surely had more than her fair share of 9 regenerations by now. That cat has *lived*.
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