AMBER LOVE 14-FEB-2022 This work is supported by the generous backers who adore my cat stories at Patreon.com/amberunmasked and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and podcast.
Where We Left Off:
We had a lot of wildlife evidence to examine and research in our previous case file. It took weeks, but we finally got external confirmation about the tracks in the snow.
Code 8:
January was a rough month filled with anxiety as the day for the annual veterinary visit approached. Last time, they told us that if we could not drug Oliver, he wouldn’t be allowed back. There was a lot riding on this visit. Gus is never great about it and still requires the full-arm length gauntlets for the vet assistant, but Oliver was somehow always worse.
The day I was driving the half hour to the vet to pick up medication for Oliver, I asked if they could squeeze Gus in so I wouldn’t have to manage them at the same time. I always brought them together because of the distance and the emotional toll it takes on the boys and the humans. Since an extra trip was required, I wanted to see how it would be to have them examined on different days.
I bought pill pockets and a pill shooter. The vet said I wouldn’t need them. He said to open the capsule, sprinkle it on Ollie’s food and he’d eat it. I was skeptical. I never thought Oliver would fall for that. We’ve been down this road before.
And ‘lo, the heavens did open and the power of Bast showered down to bless Oliver.
He ate that shit! Twice!
But getting back to Gus since he went first, we were in the last half mile of the trip when he vomited in the carrier. I felt bad, but knew it would happen since the Cook fed him against my orders. The vet assistant cleaned everything up. Fortunately I brought the hard plastic carrier instead of his backpack. Much easier to clean.
It was time for him to get weighed and go to the back. I couldn’t stop myself from cringing when they scruffed him by the back of the neck to handle him. I asked them if they wanted me to carry him to the back for them and they said no. Poor Guster Nabu. He got a fairly good report: they said he lost two pounds! I was shocked and thought maybe it was a calibration problem since we normally used a scale in Exam Room #1 not Exam Room #2.
Besides his weight and digestion, the vet was extremely concerned about the gingivitis and bright red condition of Gus’ gums. He said at least one, maybe two, teeth need to be removed. The estimate was over six hundred dollars. Later, I heard from his godmother that her newly adopted senior cat needs seven teeth removed. Yikes! We haven’t scheduled it yet since February is a wildly expensive month. Except for me, all the humans at the detective agency have birthdays this month!
My main concern has been his persistent diarrhea. The vet wasn’t worried about it and switched us to ludicrously expensive prescription wet and dry cat food. The first order of the wet food was over $100 and didn’t even have free shipping. It was also hard for the Butler to track down because with the country’s supply chain problems, canned cat food has been one of the industries affected.
Way back when, Milton and then Binx had to have prescription food too. And they hated it. Milton for kidneys and Binx for thyroid. Milton lasted two years longer than his vet gave him.
Blessed be to Bast!
Gus loved this food!
At first.
He devoured and always wanted more for the first two weeks. Then he was over it. He saw that the Cook had purchased a bag of kitty “junk food” from the supermarket and he wants that. In fact, he doesn’t even want it served to him. He prefers to eat like a horse out of the bucket. That’s my boy!
Gus and I had travelled alone. When it was Oliver’s turn, The Grumpy Old Man drove but stayed in the car which was fine since the vet office was trying to limit the number of potentially COVID-ridden bodies.
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It looked to me like the medication wasn’t working on Oliver. When I had to get him inside the carrier, he approached and went in halfway, but as soon as I touched him to give him a shove, he fought back. His favorite human, the Cook, had to pick him up and together we wrestled him in the crate with it positioned so he was dropped down into it and less likely to fly back out.
Oliver hates the car. He cried almost the whole way. Afterward, he must have been exhausted from the fight and didn’t make a sound. He hissed and growled just like he always had. I thought they were going to send us packing. Somehow, they managed to manhandle him and do his exam! The vet said he was more “malleable” due to the gabapentin. I was in shock. The vet was smiling! It was the first time he’s smiled after an Oliver visit. I mean, this man is always super sweet but he was bonafide joyous that the medication worked. Oliver got a glowing report except for his obesity. His teeth, heart, lungs, fur, and whatever else they checked were given great marks.
The Human’s Turn:
I didn’t get away scot-free though. I made an appointment to get my COVID booster. The Cook had gotten quite sick for 24 hours. The Butler had exhaustion and slept through a day. I ended up with pain everywhere mostly my head and arm, a fever, couldn’t sleep but definitely kept sleeping because I would wake up and a different show would be on, and overall shitty. I was amazed that Gus stayed by my side the whole day. He then left and worked all night at the walls listening for squeaks and scratches. But also — Oliver came up on my bed and took a short half hour nap too! WTF!
Case Findings:
Much to the surprise of all the humans at the detective agency, the gabapentin worked enough on Oliver that he was compliant with his doctor. The medical bills have me considering pet insurance, but it’s not like it would cover Rx food anyway. We need more paying cases. Got to have those billables.
Case Status: Closed