An Update and a Bit of Gushing

Since I posted about Cosmo my inbox has overflowed with encouragement, healing energy, and donations to my fuzzbutt's care--I'm honestly overwhelmed at the response.  It's strange for a writer to find herself beyond words, but I am.  All I can say is, thank you, to everyone who emailed, commented, and donated.  Your generosity is...magnificent.  A blessing.  Inspiring.  Jaw-droppingly awesome. 

I'm trying to email everyone who donated personally, but there have been so many that I'm a bit behind, so please forgive me if you don't get an immediate response.  Believe me, I'm grateful, so very very grateful.

I imagine Cosmo will be grateful too, once he's finished hating me.  I've been having to dose him twice daily with antibiotics until his surgery on Monday, and will have to keep doing it for a week afterward.  Medicating a cat is sheer hell.  And why, why is amoxicillin for cats banana-flavored?  Have you ever seen a cat eat a banana?  Why can't they make it cricket, mouse, other-cat's-butt, or at least chicken flavored?  Every article of clothing I own is spotted with cat drool, white hair, and stinky banana goop.

Other than our endless tug-of-war with the syringe, Cosmo seems to be doing pretty well; the antibiotics have obviously helped him feel better despite his protestations, and he's eating more regularly and even getting wacky with his catnip mouse.  I have no idea what to expect after the procedure Monday, but I imagine he'll be a very unhappy kitty for a few days. 

The vet is concerned that he may have FIV--his antibody count was lower than it should have been.  They're doing a test for that, too, when I take him in.  I'm trying not to think about it too much.  I realize that cats can live for years with FIV, just like humans can live with HIV, but it's not exactly something I would wish on either.  Gods willing, the tooth extractions and antibiotics will clear everything up and he'll feel better than he has in years. 

I forget sometimes that my Cosmo isn't a kitten anymore.  He's 11 years old, considered a senior, but he's been a grumpy old man as long as I've had him.  He has been the one constant of my life in Austin; it's always been Cosmo and me, since I was 19, both of us shy and awkward in the big new world. I can only pray that we've got a few more years together.  If the amount of energy everyone has offered has anything to say about it, he'll outlive me!

I'll post another update on Cos after his appointment next week.  Until then I hope to get back to writing now that the initial shock and stress is calming down and I don't feel like I'm spinning toward a black hole anymore.  All I can say is, thank Goddess for antidepressants--this knocked me for a serious loop, but if it had happened in February I don't know if I could have dealt with it.   As it is, I've spent the better part of this week either bawling like a baby or so angry I could flip off a box of kittens. 

To quote Mother Teresa, "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."

Comments

[Karlita]

Good to hear that Mr. Fuzzbutt is doing better. The banana flavored medicine doesn't make a whole lot of sense for most cats. I actually think mine might like it though - he is CRAZY for banana bread. So much that I've considered baking a small loaf of catnip-banana bread as a treat.

[Mimi]

The amoxi I have had to give my brats before is PINK and BUBBLEGUM flavored - just like that crap I used to have to take as a kid. My sweet Dave - who we lost to cancer in December - was a beautiful black-panther of a boy. He was also the hardest cat I have EVER had to medicate (and that says something since I am a vet tech and I work with cat rescue and I have 18 cats in my house right now ). Dave spent a lot of time with pink racing stripes down the side of his face where we would fight over his medications.

My thoughts and blessings are with you and Cosmo. Cats usually recover from dental procedures - even with extractions - pretty darn quickly. :)

I also have 3 FeLV+ kitties. That is viewed and handled much like FIV. My FeLuke babies are otherwise healthy - the oldest is 9 years old and has been + all of her life. I would not wish either disease on any kitty of course, but they can certainly be managed. :)

[Erik]

A trick that may help with the meds - our cats are cream cheese addicts, and so we give him a ball of cream cheese with the meds (phenobarb in our case) wrapped up in the middle - and his med is in elixir form.

Also, our vet sent us to a local pharmacy that still does compounding on-site, and they were able to make it beef and fish flavored. Might be worth calling around (it was cheaper as well).

Blessings and healing to Cosmo!

[lactose intolerant lisa]

I'll keep sending warmth and goodness to Cosmo and to you as you go through this time. Cosmo sounds like a wonderful kitty. :)

[Racu]

Cosmo IS a wonderful kitty :) and I'm so glad to hear he's doing better. You might see if, like Erik says, People's Pharmacy on N. Lamar will compound it for you. Or even try mixing the dose with a bit of tuna juice... And I don't know, you might already be doing this, so don't think I'm trying to tell my grandma how to suck eggs as they say, but I always found that rather than trying to go directly down the throat with the dropper...if you slide it quickly into his cheek, thru the corner of his mouth, that it's a lot easier to get it in them. Of course, that doesn't stop them from doing the kitty..ew I have a nasty taste in my mouth tongue yackers...

But yah...what is up with the banana flavored (and bubble gum??) crap for animals..hell my kid doesn't even like the banana flavored ABs.

Racu ((((Cosmo)))) ((((Sylvan))))

[Terra]

I've been through this with my Snarf - my best friend for 16 years. He always felt way better after getting a bad tooth pulled. Your Cosmo is still really a young fellow (and handsome, too!) - he *will* be fine.
If you need to encourage him to eat, I found that the really stinky dark tuna in oil, mashed to a paste, was easy for Snarf to eat without pain and he loved it.

[sydney]

glad to hear kitty is on the mend.

[Michelle]

Having had a sick kitty more than once, I know how busy you must be... But thanks for keeping us all posted! I'm glad to hear Cosmo's doing well. Blessing to you both!

[angela]

So glad cosmo is looking up, he'll do great with surgery im sure. A lot of love and a lil medicine and he'll back in his feet in no time. isnt it funny how meds for animals are flavored but meds for people arent? or if they are its either nasty cherry or gross grape! ive had to give my bunnies meds in the past and they were pink and bubblegum flavored, since when has a RABBIT ever eaten something BUBBLEGUM flavored? although they do have a sweet tooth...

[Tabby]

You might already know about this, but if not - there's an old trick that might have come straight from Bast. If you wrap him up gently but snuggly in a thick towel so he looks like, yes, a kitteh mummy with only the head sticking out it can make the whole process more managable. You can try sending him a sort of simple mental image of the towel and wrapping being for his comfort and the meds making him feel better, too. THere are some clever little pill pockets available now kind of like a fish smelling dough that you wrap around pills to turn them into treats that get bolted down so quick nobody notices the pill inside. Just be careful not to sent the mental image of that pill! I know this stuff is a liquid, but if you need to give him pills later . . .
We don't tell people how many cats live here!