*Let me start off by saying that I know my cat doesn't hate me. I'm projecting that on him because I feel bad and guilty for this weekend and yesterday's event. Cats don't think like we humans do and therefore, he doesn't hate me. Most likely he just doesn't understand why he is in pain and why I would scoop him up and take him somewhere he doesn't like.
As I wrote on Friday, I took Mansi and Rusty to the vet. Both cats got a clean bill of health, although they both had/have some plaque, which can help to contribute t o stinky breath. That evening, Rusty seemed got worse. His whimpering-meows happened more often, he was drooling and the lower left side of his chin started to swell. Late Friday evening we finally
I spent most of the weekend feeling guilty that my old boy was in pain. We could see it was harder for him to eat, as he was being much more careful and slow. Even when it came to his treats, which he LOVES! I could swear at one point I saw into his head the dialog he was having about taking a drink: I'm thirsty, but if I take a drink it's going to sting and I don't want it to sting because that hurts, but I am thirsty... I've been there! I know how horrible mouth sores are! My poor boy was in pain, but he was also very snuggly. He just wanted his mamma, but once he was on my lap, I couldn't shift positions (even if my legs and back were killing me) or he would whimper-meow. My heart broke even more and my gut stayed clenched all weekend.
So, Saturday night I wrote up a note to the vet (via their website form, in Finnish) and explained what was going on and that I would call Monday morning. The vet called me 5 minutes after they opened and we made an appointment to bring Rusty back in. I left work early, but a freak snow storm hit us yesterday! (Ok, it wasn't so freaky, but the amount of snow was unexpected and unwelcome.) It took me tons of extra time to get home and get Rusty. I did call the vet to say I'd be late and they were ok with it.
After being 15 minutes late, Rusty's mouth was checked and then he was sedated. I can't stand seeing my cat drop off into (or out of for that matter) sedation. I got hormonally-teary and guilty watching my guy fight the sedation. I was allowed to watch the vet clean his teeth and then we were good to go home.
What would normally take 10 minutes to get home, took us almost 30 minutes! The weather was that bad and the amount of snow that had poured and was still pouring out of the sky was crazy. I saw at least 6 double long semi-trucks stuck in the road on the trip home. I was also in stand still traffic. That almost never happens in my town. Traffic jams?! That's a joke here. (Well, unless you are in morning traffic into the area where I live. Thankfully I go the opposite way.) We got home, finally, and tried to make Rusty comfy. He wanted nothing to do with me; I don't blame him.
Soon after Mr Siili headed out to the gym, I got ready to watch American Idol from last week. No sooner had I sat down and got comfy to watch AI, Rusty walked over to me to be in my lap. He snuggled with me for an hour and a half. Still very drugged, but on my lap.
At 9:30, Mr Siili called to ask if I would come get him. I put on out door clothes, grabbed the huge snow shovel from downstairs and dug out my car. Yes, it had snowed enough in the 3,5 hours since I had been home to warrant digging out, again! Not only was Lydia surrounded and covered in snow, it was semi-frozen snow. I finally got the car out and was driving to get Mr Siili when he called to ask where I was (don't worry, I remembered to take my hand's free headset). Our ensuing conversation went something like this:
MS: Don't go on the east-west road, instead take north-south road.
me: Which road is north-south?
MS: It's the road that runs perpendicular to the east-west road. The one that runs along the frisbee golf park. Don't drive on the that one as there is too much snow.
me: Are you near the back road?
MS: What is the back road?
me: It's the one near the Ahlman Farm.
MS: What's Ahlman farm?
Me: The cow farm near the frisbee golf park.
MS: Just don't come on the east-west road, I don't want you getting f***ing stuck in the snow.
To which I think we both let out strangled and exasperated groans. I told I was doing him a favor by coming out in this horrible weather and picking him up and he wasn't allowed to get grumpy with me and I'd call back when I got closer. I eventually found Mr Siili cold and snowy by the side of the road. We didn't talk to each other for the first few minutes of the ride and then I quickly grumped at him for a sec and then we drove most of the way home in silence.
Mr Siili hopped in the shower and I sat back down to finish watching the show that had been interupted. Rusty walked over to me and wanted in my lap again, so I picked him up and he started purring! My boy started purring at me and I started crying. Mr Siili comes into the room and worriedly asks "What's wrong?". I told him, nothing is wrong, tears can be happy you know and these are happy tears. Rusty purred at me. Mr Siili grumped that I didn't need to scare him. It wasn't like I was trying to!
And so my Rusty finally got less and less groggy. He ate more and was a bit more active. Although, he didn't join me in bed until about 10 minutes before my alarm went off this morning. But as soon as he get in bed with me he let out some very loud content purrs. My boy is definitely feeling better and I can't wait to get home and snuggle with him some more!
And as Paul Harvey would say...that's the rest of the story. (Not sure where that came from, but it did.)
