Wednesday, January 11, 2017

A PERSISTENT CAT


This is Muggles.

No, we were no big fans of the Harry Potter books.

I picked the name out of the thin air because of the M on her forehead (only partially visible here.)

It wasn't until later that I learned that all tabbies have this M.

But about six weeks ago our beloved Muggles stopped eating.

She also had developed a nasty cough.

And she began migrating to an apparently chosen spot, under the bed in SWMBO's room.

She grew smaller and smaller as she went day after day without consuming any food and very little water.

We assumed she was dying.

And as much as we hated that and grieved over it, we held back from taking her to a veterinarian to have her "put down".

I told a friend, Tom in France, about it one day in a comment on his blog.

He responded lovingly, having gone through the loss of his dog Molly, like Muggles a member of the family more than a pet.

And yet.

And yet.

Muggles has begun eating again.

And drinking.

She still has the cough.

And she has lost so much weight that she resembles a kitten.

And when touched, her body is like a fur coat stretched over a framework of wire coat hangers.

But she apparently is spending less time under the bed, favoring the top of the bed and it's fuzzy quilt.

She still comes to me for her "petting" when I sit down at the base of the bed.

She still purrs.

She has taken up, once again, her habit of coming into the kitchen and banging the door that she knows is to the cupboard holding the cat food, even though she eats very little of it.

We don't really know what to think.

We had pretty much prepared for her departure from our lives.

Yet she perseveres in living.

What a cat.

Great cat.

Muggles.

May she be, like the title character in the book I brought home today from the library for SWMBO (and I) to read, "The Cat Who'll Live Forever". 

23 comments:

  1. Just on the off chance it's something with a bacterial causation, get a broad spectrum antibiotic from your vet, see it it works.

    Doesn't sound like it, but this 'shotgun' theory works occasionally.

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    Replies
    1. Can't afford the vet. Gonna have to let nature take its course.

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  2. Hopefully she will recover and give you a few more years of affection and fun.

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  3. Your love for this cat is palpable. As a fellow pet lover I can sympathize and hope your fur friend is on the mend and not on the way to the Rainbow Bridge.

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  4. Sometimes pets know what's best for them. Let's hope Muggles is healing herself.

    Our cats lost a tremendous amount of weight...all three of them...and looked so poorly that I told Hick it must be a bad bag of (dry) food. Even the dogs turned up their nose at it when I gave them their usally-begged-for treat. New brand, renewed appetite, and they bounced back. They didn't have a cough, though.

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    Replies
    1. SWMBO has been giving her soft food, which she seems to prefer though she nibbles at both it.

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  5. We are sorry for you both. We know your dear Muggles and send our best wishes.

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  6. Here's keeping my fingers crossed in hope.

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  7. I hope you and yours had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and are having a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. May we display your header on our new site directory? As it is now, the site title (linked back to its home page) is listed, and we think displaying the header will attract more attention. In any event, we hope you will come by and see what is going on at SiteHoundSniffs.com.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so very much for giving permission. You can see your linked header under All, Comics, Daily Life, Entertainment, LandSea/Skyscapes, Pets, photography and the United States. If you could say something (preferably good) about SiteHoundSniffs.com here and there, we would greatly appreciate it.

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  8. As one who loves my pets like they were children, I feel your sorrow. I do hope it was just a temporary illness and Muggles is on the road to recovery.

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  9. I hope things go smoothly for her. What a sweetie.

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  10. Much love to you & SWMBO - Muggles sounds like a fighter!

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  11. Maybe take her to the vet to give her a general check-up? Might be something amiss in her bowels or elsewhere. Anyway, best wishes to Muggles and to y'all.

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  12. Much like Moby a bit over a year ago. Which is when we started cooking their food, no dry food. Although, he had a bad bowel obstruction. Your lovely Muggles may have just had a bad virus? May she continue to revive.

    I second the vet idea, afford it, you friend deserves it.

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  13. Coming to this from your recent post: guess she proves that cats have nine lives! Lucky you to still have her!! Lucky cat, too!

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  14. Coming to this from your recent post: guess she proves that cats have nine lives! Lucky you to still have her!! Lucky cat, too!

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