Slightly Poorly Cats

I've noticed a couple of times over the last little while that the litter has had a bit of a pinkish tinge to it in the morning. I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but then, luckily, I read this post, as tweeted via @VitalPetHealth on Twitter.

So I booked them in with the vet. I was a little concerned that I was over-reacting, and would go down as a bit of a weirdo, having taken Nathan in with a burgeoning rodent ulcer to be told in no uncertain terms that he was fine and medicating him was unnecessary.

I kept them this morning as the appointment was in the afternoon and they're hard to get in unless they really want to, or they're hungry.

It's been a tough day. Nathan sat by the back door for about two hours, just mournfully staring at the handle. Then he came into the living room where I was watching telly and did this:



I really do think it looks like he's trying to figure out how to open the window! (We don't actually live in a forest, btw.)

I went out for a while and they were sleeping when I got back. That didn't last long, as then they both came in and started looking mournfully out of the window:



They're both looking at me in that photo, but trust me, there was some longing staring going on!

I really hoped there was nothing wrong, but I know that kidney problems can get very nasty in cats, and we can afford to pay for the peace of mind.

We both really like the vet and thankfully we didn't have to wait too long. Last time we waited about 40 minutes and there was a big dog in the waiting room scaring Nathan to death. There were some seriously sweaty paws during that visit.

So in we went, and explained the problem. The vet explained that female cats get cystitis, which hurts but doesn't cause too many problems. Male cats get blockages, I think that was crystals. Google will tell you. He could feel their bladders and explained that the way to check if there was anything wrong was to take a sample of urine. From their bladders. WITH A NEEDLE.

I was a bit taken aback and was wondering about general anaesthetics and things. But, it's brisk business, this vet lark, so in came a nurse and he took urine from both of their bladders, easy as pie! I know if someone stuck a needle in my bladder you'd know about it in Shanghai, but they were both beautifully behaved, although good old Natalie got her leg up to make it difficult. That's my girl.

Turns out both of them have highly concentrated urine, and Nathan's contained blood. So I'm very glad that I do cast an eye over the litter as I change it, and that they do use it at home. Phew. He's on the cusp of an infection, and she's pretty close too, so we've got to try to get as much fluid into them as possible. They are not drinking enough for their body mass, which means their bladders fill with highly concentrated urine which causes problems. The dry food makes it worse as it doesn't contain any fluid which would help with their moisture intake. The vet said it was quite unusual to see cats before the infection kicks in, so I'm pretty pleased with myself for spotting it. I may be a bit neurotic, but it pays off eventually!

There is an element of an intersection of problems as we now have a few things to manage to help them. We had been feeding them wet food, but due to Nathan's rodent ulcers, were sticking to hypoallergenic dry food only. Another problem just feeding them dry food is that it's making them fat. But as we have two, we try to give them free access as it avoids competition. Nathan eats a lot faster than Natalie, so she'll lose weight regardless! I just hope we can manage it so that they lose weight, don't get bladder infections, don't get competitive over food and his face doesn't flare up. Not too much of a challenge!

Here's Natalie with the article that prompted me to take action while I was writing this post. She's already hungry.