I was wrong. THIS is the happiest nom ever:
It's Muffy, finally eating again. For years, she'd been aptly named 'little hippo', because she was grey and well, not very lightweight. Last year I decided she and Wammes could do with a little less food and a bit more red dot training.
So we introduced a cat feeder that will make them work for their food. They have to stick their paw in and transport each bit of kibble from the top layer all the way down to the bottom, before they can eat it. Unless you're Pippin. He just stands on his hind legs and sticks his head down the filling hole. I always knew he was the cleverest of them all!
Hmmm, funny. I just realised it kind of looks like a blender. Anyway, the feeder did its job and both Muffy and Wammes gradually started losing weight.
And then, about 2 weeks ago, I took a good look at Muffy, and realised that she was getting really really thin. Scarily thin. So I kept a close eye on her and found out she wasn't eating at all. She even turned her head away when I would present her with a snack. This is unusual behaviour for any cat, but for Muffy it's pretty much astounding. Since I don't really believe she's preparing for the bikini season, I knew something had to be wrong with her, especially since she wouldn't come to greet me in the morning and tell me all sorts of stories about how exciting her night had been. I'm honestly paying attention, but I can't follow a word she meows. But hey, she lives indoors, so how exciting can it be, right? Besides, she doesn't seem bothered about not getting a word I say either. After all, the only important sound is the sound of fresh kibble falling into the feeder.
A trip to the vet's confirmed that Muff indeed wasn't doing too great: she had three rotten molars, of which one had completely broken in half. Sigh. Why, oh why, do cats never show they're in pain until it's almost too late??
So the vet removed the rotten molars and she came back home kind of cranky, but the next day she was already feeling better and came to greet me. No chatter yet, but she was obviously on the mend. It got better the next day, and then all of a sudden there was a decline again and she turned into a grumpy, cold to the touch, miserable little thing that wouldn't eat a bite and when force-fed would throw up everything I managed to get in.
Back to the vet's: major infection of the gums. Apparently not eating for a while had left her immune system vulnerable. Are you familiar with the unpleasant smell of cat's breath? It's expensive perfume compared to the breath of a cat with a gaping hole in her upper gum that's oozing with pus. No wonder she wasn't eating. Antibiotics and various other drugs were supposed to do the trick, but no: Muffy still wouldn't eat. Long story (slightly) short(er): after 2 days of force-feeding, tempting her with treats, squirting liquid in her mouth to keep her kidneys going, today she finally showed some signs of improvement. She left her basket, ate a few snacks from my hand and then the best of all: she lashed out at the red dot! She came out of her apathetic state and pounced on it.
So with the tiniest bit of hope I opened a tin of special super turbo power food and lo and behold: she ate! Without me having to rub her nose into it or forcing it down her throat! It wasn't much, but she kept it down and afterwards went for a drink to wash it down. So that was the happiest nom ever, and hopefully she will have no more relapses and get well again soon!
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