[Please note Update below -hro]
And now for something completely – but differently – alarming. At least to me.
As some of you may know, my feline companion, Amber, has a mind of her own (I know, I know … what cat doesn’t?!) and is very vocal.
So I became somewhat alarmed yesterday when she became very, very quiet. I was even more alarmed, today, when I realized that she had not eaten for two days – and had been very quiet throughout, while leaving no evidence of any typically expected litter-box behaviours.
Invoking the Precautionary Principle, I decided to call the vet – who summoned us to his office. One and a half hours (and $250) later, we don’t know what the problem is.
But when we returned home … after an infusion of H2O as well as other tests, extractions and injections, Amber appeared to be (and sounded!) more like her “normal” self:
Not a happy cat … but far more responsive than any Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming (CAGW) cats
But speaking of non-responsive CAGW cats, be sure to take a look at IPCC Lead Author and BC Green Party candidate and Deputy Leader, Andrew Weaver‘s recent whines ‘n whoop ’em ups via Canadian PR hack Jim Hoggan’s high falutin’ newly constituted all Canadian SmearBlog. And with an endorsement from Dirty Old Man, David Suzuki, how could Hoggan be wrong, eh?!
Bottom line for me: I’m far more concerned about what the vet will tell me about the results of Amber’s blood tests than I am about any CAGW alarmist hype.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be. But I am.
UPDATE: 02/8/2013 12:37 AM PST My thanks to all who have enquired about Amber’s progress. As I noted in an update to a comment below, there are significant indications that she is finally on the road to recovery.
The View From Here 
Hi Hilary, I have two cats and it’s always a bit of a worry if they start acting out of character. Hope it turns out to be nothing and that Amber’s okay.
Thanks, Alex. I hope so too … and while she seems quite a lot better today than yesterday, she’s adamant about refusing to let me give her the anti-biotic the vet had prescribed :-(
Hi Hilary,
Amber looks very sorry for herself. I hope it is nothing more than a bit of fur-ball.
Thanks, Verity … Unfortunately, she’s still not a happy cat (and nor am I). Back to the vet today, since she still hasn’t eaten; so she’s on IV for the day, and also getting IV antibiotic. I should know in a few hours if vet thinks she can come home – and find out results of x-ray(s) and additional tests which he thought should be done.
So (while very reluctantly) preparing for the worst, I’m hoping for the best.
Any news of Amber?
It’s been a roller-coaster of a week :-( with many trips to the vet (mainly because she’s not eating which is quite a concern … with another one scheduled about an hour from now). Diagnosis is “lung infection”, for which (since she refused to take drops he’d prescribed) he has administered a “2-week antibiotic injection” … which really should have kicked in by now. So while she is slightly better than she was, she is definitely far from being her “normal” self:-(
But, no doubt, if I reduced my “carbon footprint”, this would not be happening … and she would have made a faster recovery!
UPDATE: 02/7/2013 11:55 PM PDT Today, I (finally!) saw some significant progress: Amber spent most of day on my desk (where she has not ventured since this began) AND she’s talking AND eating (without persuasion and/or coercion). She may have taken to heart the vet’s threat of “more bloodtests” – and/or his assistant’s threat of “ultrasound”! She dances on desk again while I “brush”. And maybe tomorrow she’ll swipe my mouse off mousepad. Then I’ll *know* she’s well on the road to recovery!
UPDATE: 02/10/2013 12:22 AM PDT Not one, but two (successful!) swipes at mouse on mousepad within last 12 hours. Full recovery is imminent (she says very hopefully!)
Glad to hear Amber is on the mend. This is my usual blogging position (bit blurred – badly focused webcam): http://diggingintheclay.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/cats-favourite-sleeping-positiom.png?w=288&h=288
Thanks, Verity … loved that pic, too! Amber has never been a lap-cat, although she enjoys “body-contact” on her terms! Consequently, her preferred mode of “blogging-interruptus” is to position herself in front of the monitor – thereby guaranteeing that I will inevitably miss some typos ;-)