A new LoVe found....: September 2009

I noticed MICHIKO to climb on top of YUMIEKO, bit her neck, then repeatedly kicking her, which I suppose telling her to sit properly, I think that's some sort of initiation from him. I don't think I'd like to take the risk of him getting her pregnant, thus decided it was time. Although I think that he's still such a baby, he's about 6 mths, estimatedly born on 22nd Feb 2009. Anyhow, when it's time, we better go, i don't need anymore unplanned pregnancy here.

Day 1: 6 September 2009
So he had to fast from the night before, which was hard, because after BULAN, he's an even bigger eater. Didn't have to wait till morning, he was already meowing for food a few hours after all food was taken away. and I don't think I need to describe his meowing and biting on me the next morning.

I was so tired (due to Raya shopping the previous day), so I woke up late and therefore arrived at the Klinik Kembiri at 10.00 am. Never before I arrived this late, as it was with BULAN and BINTANG, as I didn't want them to fast for extended time, just because I was late. Anyhow, MICHIKO was done by 12 noon.

I learnt that he had a double operation (so it cost me double). Because one of his testicle was embedded in. (I think the explanation sounded something like that). I'm guessing that he's still kinda young and therefore one hadn't descend. I was told to wait for a while for him to gain some consciousness. And when he did, we left for home.

As we reached home, I found that he wasn't up yet. Which made me worried, because unlike BULAN or BINTANG, he was still not moving. Whilst my previous experience was that by the time we reached home (+ we previously stayed nearer to Klinik Kembiri, now we're further) BULAN and BINTANG, was already conscious, eating and drinking. Thus it was worrying that MICHIKO was still unconscious. I cancelled my plan to resume my Raya shopping and waited for him to gain consciousness, which I thought and hoped would start by 6 pm, but he didn't. I was thinking of taking him for an emergency visit to the vet, but read on the net and books, that it may take 24 hours. So I waited, and my worries resolved at about 8 pm, which was when I saw him stretching his hands and kicking trying to get on his 4 legs, which he didn't manage to do.

By midnight, he was up for food, but he fell asleep while eating and therefore had to be monitored. by 1 am, he was walking, falling, sleeping and then again walking, falling, sleeping. Poor my baby MICHIKO, he was walking towards their room, where the other cats were in. at 3 am, without me realizing, he had reached the door and slept in front of the door. He's suppose to be confined, but as for today, he's just in the living room so that I can monitor him while getting some work done.

Hope he'll recover soon, with no complication.

Day 2
He was meowing by 4 am and was asking for more food by 5 am, which was signified by him discontinuing the meows the moment food was offered. I'm just so glad that he's eating well.

I've set up his room, so he will be confined in that room, it's completed with dish bowls, litter box, scratch pad, stand fan, a petbed and also a mattress, which is for me to accompany him. He's been so so sweet, he comes near me and would only stop meowing unless I was around for him to lay beside, which on the other hand kinda interrupted me from making any progress with my work. I think he knows that he is in the process of recovering, because he is on the alert mode, the slightest sound which would not have bothered him before would make him startled. The saddest thing is that when I open the door to his room, he would get up and speed to the door, he'd like to be out, and therefore since I'm around I just let him be.

I found that he had defecate and urinated, which for me would be a good sign of normal eating pattern. hehe. But because of that also, he has regained his energy and near normal activity that he has started to lick on the wound, well he actually does that regularly to clean himself so I'm guessing because he 'poo'ed, it trigerred him to lick on it. So here comes the e-collar.

Day 3
I'm not gonna be around to closely monitor him today, as I'll be off to work. Worried but you gotta do what you gotta do. So since he's on canned food and he's big on food, I'm planning his meal in such a way that he won't be left hungry, because his meows doesn't sound pretty when he's hungry. So he's getting 1 can of Fancy Feast in the morning, chicken for lunch, and another can of Fancy Feast for evening/night. I can't be home for his lunch time, so I'm preparing his chicken in the morning and leaving it out for his lunch, with an assumption that leaving out exposed chicken is better than leaving out exposed can food. We'll see if that works for today.

Day 4
Truth is, I've been going home for lunch time. Skipped my lunch break to go and see him... he better appreciate my lunch visits.

Day 5

He seemed to have lost his appetite. Errrm...that's something to worry about. I decided to take off the plaster, when I asked about the plaster at the clinic, I was told to let it be until it comes off on its own. But after days monitoring him, I don't see signs of it coming off, it's those really sticky kinda plaster that even I don't wanna have on my skin. So I thought I'd just take it off, who knows it could be infected underneath that. Supplied with my experience and materials used on BINTANG, I did it without having to cry =). The plaster was in such a way that it was in a + shape, so I had to work on it on 4 directions (for BINTANG it was only 2 direction). Once I got 3 sides off, the wound was exposed and I started getting nausea, did the Deep Breathing (after recommending this to patients-->now I know, it works!).

The wound looked fine, no signs of infection of that sort. But I kinda wondered why does he have a wound similar as BINTANG had? and I don't think I see any stitches on it. Errmm... is that the 'double operation' part, or is it possible that they had mistaken him for a female thus, it was a smaller cut and not seemed to be stitched. Oh I don't even wanna think about it. Hey..Hey... I'm not accusing okay, thoughts just wander when you love your darlings so much, that a simple thought may grow big. Whatever it is (I'll try to read on it later), it looks good (or maybe because I want it to look good thus have illusion that it looks good) and I hope he'll recover soon.

Day 6

Ok, now I'm worried. He hadn't been eating as normal for 2 days now. I don't wanna think negatively, thus I hope+assume that it's because he's stressed out being alone in the room, moreover the room is probably too humid for him.

So for today, I'm gonna have him stay in a cage, in the living room, with the fan on and windows open. Crossing fingers that his appetite will return to normal soon, because it won't be long before I panic!

NOW (later on the day), I'm on extremely worried mode, he just passed real watery stools, which looked like he didn't make it on time for the litter!

Day 7
He was still not eating, this time seems like he's not eating at all and has been passing watery stools in small volume about 4-6 times now, since it started yesterday morning. Off we go to the vet!

Vet noted that he was still alert and attentive, didn't look weak, membrane lining pinkish, check a small sample a stool and found nothing, temperature was ok. (can I be relieved yet?). He was given antibiotics, one for inflammation and another for parasites, just in case there was any. I preferred tablets, as I thought it'd be easier and less messy. He was also given Hill's prescribed Diet i/d. Oh yeah, suggested to take 100+ without gas, I guess for dehydration and electrolyte balance.

Huhu. I was wrong to choose tablets, this baby MICHIKO, has proven himself to be handful. He refused to drink or eat, whatmore medication? So we had to be fed, and since he's got 2 tabs of meds, I got one in, which although went straight in, he still wanted to spit it out by not swallowing his saliva and drooling. So the second tab was of course worse, to a point, that I had to mashed it with water and gave it in a liquid form, hoping that he took in most of it compared to what he spat out.

About an hour after that, he passed stools that looked semi solid. But I'm guessing that it was fur. Erm..

Day 8

OMG, he is still not eating or drinking or looking active as normal. I had him slept in the cage with doors open next to me, and he did not budge. I had myself wake up intermitently to check whether he was still responding. For god sake! He hadn't been eating.

He's taking 1 tab of meds in the morning and 2 tabs in the evening. The 2 tabs in the evening is of course challenging. I must get a syringe after this. Now, after the medication, he refused to be fed even on water or food. before he even tasted what it was, he would already prepare himself by spitting out!

Maybe he's stressed, he's stressed out because of the e-collar, because of the cage, or the room and the fact that he had to stay alone separated from the other cats. So tonight, I'm taking off the e-collar, putting him on a shirt (hopefully it can prevent him from licking on his wound, the one on his bottom should be healed by now) and let him roam free in the house along with the other cats. He sat quietly and just looked around, and was still scared of SUNSHINE (SUNSHINE has been bullying him, since he returned from being neutered). I was so tired, and dozed off, wasn't able to monitor him throughout the night.

Day 9
What a swell surprise! I woke up this morning and my first thought was 'OMG, where's MICHIKO and what has happened to him'. It was still dark and I was half awake, I stood up and start calling for him. And there he was sitting on my luggage (to pack for Raya holiday), he was meowing, his usual meow. which meant, 'he wanted food and he wanted it 'NOW' and I think in addition to that, if the meows get longer he meant to say 'what are you doing there when you should be giving me food!'. Oh yes! these kind of meows usually sounded irritating, especially when I just woke up from sleep, but this time, it meant that he's getting better. So I rushed to get some kibbles for him and he ATE. haihhhhhh... what a pleasant start for today =).

Then he was seen chasing around with YUMIEKO, he was actually playing, but he was still observing SUNSHINE carefully suggesting that he was still on alert for SUNSHINE. so today, I'll be off to work, and he'll be put in his room accompanied by YUMIEKO =).

Day 10
Got him syringe, to ease feeding him with the meds. He's been so much better since yesterday. accompanied by YUMIEKO, wearing a shirt to replace the e-collar, ate on kibbles, and poo was well formed. He's no longer too scared of SUNSHINE, but he's still not running naughtily as he usually would. But signs so far, are looking good, so I can go off for my Raya leave next week, without worries about him.