When Beans Find Their Way Up Your Nose!

"With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?"

-Ferdinand Mery, Her Majesty The Cat

My boy hasn't been feeling well. There is something wrong with the right side of his nose. Last week he stopped eating, and drinking water. I tried everything. I even bought him his very favorite baby food, and gave him a little cut up chicken, something he has never turned down, but he would have none of it. He was interested in the food, but because he couldn't smell it, he wouldn't eat it. That's the thing about cats. You can put food in their mouths and force them, but it will be going against their natural instinct. I know better then to try and force him to eat, all that would accomplish would be stressing him out, which in turn would complicate his diabetes. Sigh.

So, with all else failing, we took him to see Dr. B. Elvis was dehydrated, and his nose was swollen, so tests were done. A chest ex-ray first, then a cardiogram. His heart wasn't sounding right to Dr. B. It was a long wait in the waiting room. When the doctor called us into his office, I didn't see my boy. "We have mostly good news," said the doctor. His heart looked ok, no evidence of heart failure, and all his other vitals were good, but he was quite dehydrated and needed fluids. He was too grumpy for the doctor to do a blood test, so he got a little dose of kitty Valium, and an IV with fluids, and he was all set to spend the night, with tests scheduled for the next day.

My boy was in the hospital from Thursday, until Saturday afternoon. My goodness I missed my friend. I missed his morning kiss and pat on my face, and his goofy little routines, such as his rearrangements of his stuffed animals, and his knocking on the back door when he wants to check on the garden. One of our very favorite routines is the way he asks for dinner, every night at 5:30 when Charlie Gibson appears on ABC World News Tonight. Apparently Elvis likes to stay informed while dining. LOL. On the other hand it might be that Charlie Gibson and Alan sound a little alike. I am not sure which. ;) Last night, he asked for dinner, and he ate a little, which made us very happy, but it wasn't during the news. It's a start.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, he has a follow up appointment, and we will have all the test results by then. Too many scary words are coming up. Cancer is the scariest one. According to the doctor there was significant damage on the inside of his nostril, but a lot of things could have caused that. Sigh. I don't know. Maybe he inhaled a bean or a seed. His little nose is so small... I can't imagine how he could have, but then this is probably the only cat in America who actually has a personal choice in who delivers the news! LOL. It's just one more thing that makes me love him.

Please keep your fingers and paws crossed for my boy!

-OndineMonet
Elvis
Berkeley, California
April 20th, 2008
Afternoon