Don Vito Curlyone2.?.09 - 11.27.09

Our baby Bobcat, Vito, soon after he came to live with us in August.

There never is enough time, is there?

Vito yesterday, on Thanksgiving. You can see how the Uveitis stole his eyes. And, yes, that's Piggy being his pillow :)

Wednesday Night

Vito and Piggy, just chillin' on this Thanksgiving eve and I am thankful for that...

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am grateful for all of you - your comments and emails and words of wisdom and support and love and prayers.

Me and my Three Musketeers have so much to be thankful for. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

OXO

Tuesday Update

Thanks, everyone, for your love and support! I so appreciate it!

Vito has been diagnosed with the dry form of FIP (or as close as one can be to definitively 'diagnosing' this awful disease).

I will need to put him down, but right now he’s OK – probably by next week he’ll need to go, all depends on when he lets me know – he will tell me when his ready…the vet thought we probably have about a week before he begins to feel badly...his skin is turning yellow and his kidneys are enlarged but vet is CERTAIN he is NOT suffering in any way, even with the eyes - which at this point I can hardly look into because they are so NOT his eyes - the Uveitis is horrible to look at - where once were green, pretty eyes are now golden/mud brown where there even is an iris, huge pupils, white dots and most of one pupil has already 'disappeared'. Pretty awful.

They gave me drops for his eyes, he’s still drinking water on his own and this a.m. he was walking around a lot more than he has since this started on the 14th (damn, he went downhill fast!). Went to his scratching post – sat with Grover and Piggy while they ate, sat with Piggy by the radiator, etc. Slept in my arms again last night.

They also gave me an appetite stimulant for him and about 10 different tasty kinds of foods to entice him to eat something, as he will not eat except for a lick of baby food or a lick of milk.

I know I did everything for him that could be done – no cure for the disease and no preventative. Death sentence, end of story. I'm glad we had 3 and a half months with him - he is (was?) so freaking fun and crazy and wise and snuggly and loving, such a gift to us - such a wonderful gift...and Piggy got the BFF he always wanted. Piggy's going to miss Brokeback Mountain...and I am too. Sidenote - the other day we were all on the couch ("all" being me, Grover, Piggy and Vito) and Vito and Piggy were doing Brokeback Mountain and I turned the TV station and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was on TV - I cracked up!

So, we have a little more time with our baby Bobcat and I am thankful for that, though honestly, it's terrible to see him like this...he was so full of life and sass and like a little Buddha until 10 days ago...the moment he seems to be suffering is the moment we...well, you know...

He's so different now (personality and appearance) that it sort of feels like someone kidnapped our little guy and replaced him with a similar looking cat, his personality is completely changed, he's lost 1.5 pounds since the 14th and is so bony...etc...still the cutest thing ever, but...

Just very, very, very sad. Words cannot express...

Not sure of the lesson in this - I always try to find the lesson - but in this case...I can't. It's just awful and so unfair to Vito. He's an old soul and maybe he stopped by as he was passing through to help us all through a difficult time. I was divorced on the 16th (the day before Vito went to hospital) and even though I was the one who initiated the divorce, it was a long, arduous process, so Vito really showed up at a great time when I needed a distraction...and Piggy really needed a BFF...and maybe that is the lesson - that sometimes you get something you really need, but you don't necessarily get to keep it.

Somehow that doesn't seem very comforting right now.

OXO

Allison

Monday Update

Hi:

Vito spent the night sleeping in my arms - so cute!!! We had lots of little chats in the night and I have a sense of peace about him and what is happening to him - he is such an old soul...and I know he is aware and OK and not suffering despite everything - he is very wise...he will let me know what he wants to do about this...

This a.m. he shocked me by drinking a little water on his own...which thrilled me, first time in 9 days (4 of those days he was on IV fluids) he's chosen to have a beverage.

He used his scratching post for a moment, and even licked 2 licks of milk and one wee lick of tuna...it was SO good to see these positive changes...I felt very encouraged.

But he's developed uveitis from whatever 'disease' he's inflicted with and seems to be quickly losing his sight - his eyes have changed color from green to this muddy-ish brown, and half of one pupil is 'missing'...we'll know more today or tomorrow about whether he has FIP (well, as close as one can have to a diagnosis of that)...but the vet wants him back to the hospital ASAP to have the head of Opthamology see his eyes...because if he does NOT have FIP the eyes are going to be a very big concern...

I'm so thankful for last night with him and that he seemed 'better' this morning, despite how sick he seems to be...it reduces the horror of the past nine days to know he's still my little bobcat...and that he understands what is happening to him...even if I do not.

OXO

Sunday Update

Hi:

It's not Grover. My mom is too tired to write as Grover. Oh wait, that was Grover.

Now it's not.

We took Vito home yesterday - there is nothing more the hospital can do for him...$2,750 later...

He will not eat or drink, though I'm forcing some water into him with an eye-dropper and he fights me all the way. He is alert sometimes, watching what goes on around here...I take him to the window to watch the birds, he likes that. Other times he just lays there and stares or naps. He's curled up like shrimp with his BFF now...

Like I said, he gets feisty when I try to give him water from a dropper...taking his temperature is impossible, he just seems to be rejecting any attempt to help him. He is still on antibiotics, antivirals and Metacam...but it's not looking good - he has not gotten any better at all since he first started getting ill on the 14th.

Last night, his eyes started to change to a weird brown color from the outer edges in - they are now a golden shade where once they were green - one of his pupils is now half 'missing' - another sign of FIP, so I've been told.

We are awaiting results of a few more blood tests tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday a.m. that may help make a definitive diagnosis of the dry form of FIP, but I'm kind of feeling that is what he's got and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to let what was my crazy, fun, happy little bobcat linger like this. It's heartbreaking to watch this happen to my little 9 month old baby who was so healthy 9 days ago...I don't want him to suffer in any way...he doesn't seem to be in pain per se, but he feels like shit.

I know cats can recover from 'fever of unknown origin' and devastating viruses, but he spent four nights in hospital on mass doses of drugs, etc. and has not gotten ANY better at all...

So...will keep you posted. Thanks for your prayers and love. I appreciate it.

OXO

Allison

Metacam Update...

Um, we just found out that the animal hospital gave Vito the Metacam yesterday without asking my mom first, which they had said they would do. It's too late now to 'worry' about it, and, since none of you have had a negative thing to say about the drug, and since Vito's vet is even OK with it - except he said it can give 'false hope' sometimes - we're going to let it go...but that is probably why the fever came down...and we're not thrilled they didn't ask first...

Vito's vet (NOT the hospital) said that in his experience, the kind of fever a cat with FIP gets is a steady one around 103, so he thinks it's a 'good' sign that Vito is staying steady at 105...so far as the FIP diagnosis is concerned, I mean...otherwise, not such a good thing to have a 105 fever, but maybe Vito's body is hot enough now to kill whatever virus/infection/etc. is raging in him.

Oy...

Another not-much udpate...

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, thank you so very, very, very for your good wishes, prayers and all the info. Mom is so sorry she is so behind on email and promises to catch up soon!! We so appreciate you!

Late yesterday, Vito's fever dropped two points and we were very excited. He began eating and drinking again, though they still had him on IV fluids to be certain he stayed well-hydrated because he is on a cocktail of meds, including anti-inflammatories, antivirals and antibiotics. The hospital was unsure which drug may have brought the fever down, but they felt they were on the right track towards getting him well.

Then, at 2am his fever went back up to 105 and has remained steadily there. He is still eating some, still purring when they touch him and still on the IV fluids. As to diagnosis, they are leaning more towards FIP but still not able to be certain, as they hope he just has some bizarre virus that seems unresponsive to the cocktail of drugs.

They still will not let my mom see him and she is very frustrated. She considered showing up at the hospital anyway and demanding to see Vito...with me in tow. I'm tiny and stealth so she thought maybe I could Ninja my way in there and at least bring Vito a message and one of Piggy's sweaters so he could smell home. We still might do it. Piggy wants to come see his BFF (it's been very hard on him, he waits by the door for his BFF to come home), but he's so big and PINK and likes to gallump and I think he would just mess up my game.

To be continued...

Luv,

Grover

Not much of an update...

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, we are so thankful for your kind words and generous prayers and helpful/hopeful emails. You cats (and your peoples!) are amazing. Thank you! It really does feel like it's been one medical drama after the other - with Piggy getting so sick last December and then getting seemingly better a few months ago, and then getting wonky heart on September 15th...and now Vito.

My mom misses him so much and wanted to go visit today but the hospital won't let her. They have Vito in isolation as they feel he may be contagious. They will call later to discuss Metacam because they cannot get the fever down.

My mom made a HUGE mistake and googled Metacam and found this freaking nightmarish site, so now she's all "Um...", but so many of you have told us that you have NEVER personally heard of any cat dying from this drug, so we're going to stick with y'all instead of the bulk of the scary info available online for masochistic people like my mom who tend to torture themselves with worse case scenarios...

More info soon, we hope.

Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Even from mine.

Luv,

Grover

I really did not wish for this...I just wanted him to leave me alone. I swear!

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, Vito got wonky...wouldn't eat or drink, lethargic, hot, 3rd eye lid wouldn't go back where it belongs...and he's been at the animal hospital since last night.

So far, all we know is he is still on IV fluids (dehydrated), still has a fever of 105 (last night when we got to the hospital it was 105, then very early this a.m. it went down to 104.5 then went back up again a few hours later) and still has a very high globulin count and a very low red blood cell count. Also, last night while he was there his eyelids became rimmed in red, which could indicate he has some weird virus/upper respiratory infection (though he has not even one similar symptom to what I had - and I'm much better, by the way).

They thought they'd need to transfuse him last night but they did not have to. Whew!

Right now, they are thinking a few things but have no definitive information for us, which is frustrating.

He may have: a) some weird upper respiratory infection/virus/infection; B) Toxoplasmosis or c) FIP, but there is no real test for that...they told my mom it's something they wanted her to be aware of though...

They started him on antibiotics today, are going to send off some more bloodwork, including Toxoplasmosis (but the results of that one will take a week to get back) and do some urine tests. They are still trying to get the fever down.

If they cannot get it down by tomorrow, they want to discuss a dose of Medicam, but they said in this case it could cause renal failure so we won't talk about any of that unless/until it's the last resort.

So, needless to say, we're all really stressed out over here.

OK, let me be honest...my mom is distraught and numb, Piggy is devastated and lost, and I'm dancing around with a lampshade on my head chugging shots of Jägermeister.

Party on.

Love,

Grover

Not Too Much To Tell

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, here is a list of things that have been happening in my house:

1) The other day, Piggy licked the microplane my mom had used to grate sharp provolone and he made a tiny nick in his tongue. He's OK now, but can you say "IDIOT"? I wanted to, but I'm much too dignified to say such a thing aloud. I did repeat it numerous times in my head though.

2) I have been sleeping by Piggy more. Mostly, I'm doing it to upset Vito because if I am against Piggy, he cannot be and then he sits a bit away from us and gets this very forlorn look on his face (because he misses his BFF) and his left ear goes back like it does when he's upset...it amuses me. OK, now that I just told you that I feel like a bit of a jack-ass. OK, does it make it any better that I now let Vito come near me sometimes without swatting him hard with my paw? And, sometimes, I let him sit on the stove-top with me, mostly so that we both get yelled at to get off and squirted with Mr. Black (the squirt bottle), because why should I be the only one who suffers?

3) I have an upper respiratory infection. I think Piggy gave me Swine Flu.

4) I am enjoying licking this from my mom's finger. It's supposed to help with my infection, and it seems to be.

5) I have decided that even though my mom does horrible things to me, like not let me live in the cabinet anymore and yell at me when I poop outside the litter box, I am really the favorite. That's because I am the one who most often gets to sit on her lap when she is at the computer, like right now. Only the favorite cat would be able to do that. Also, I am the only one who gets to lick that stuff from her finger. Also, I am the only black, woolly cat in the household. Also, I am wee.

The end.

Love,

Grover

Um, Boo?

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, Halloween is over, but it took me days to be brave enough to post this photo.

Apparently, in honor of Vito's heritage of being 1/3 Devon Rex, 1/3 Bobcat and 1/3 Siamese (we think) Piggy and Vito dressed up as Siamese Twins for Halloween. Or at least I think that is what was happening here.

I am still awaiting results of the police investigation.

I will keep you posted.

Luv,

Grover

Only Because I Was There FIRST!

Hi:

It's Grover.

Listen, I reeeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy don't want to talk about it.

Love,

Grover

P.S. Oh, stop your gushing. I BARELY let him touch me. I think MAYBE just ONE of his weird, coarse wire-hairs MAYBE just BARELY GRAZED my soft woolly lamb fur. MAYBE.