Houdi went to the vet this morning, and he was not happy. When he was placed into the carrier, he yowled and howled and tried to fight his way out. It was a fabric carrier and so there was quite a bit of movement and rolling and thrashing around.
He settled down in the car, much to my relief and stared daggers at me through the little screened 'window' as I drove him to his date with destiny.
Once he was in the office, I do have to say he was quite a gentleman. He allowed himself to be lifted and examined. The vet told me that most antifreeze now has an additive which makes it not so attractive to cats, but she remembered losing her cat to antifreeze poisoning while she was in high school.
She did bloodwork which did not indicate any kidney issues. It did, however, show a high white blood count. He had some sort of infection. In the end, a wound was discovered in a place one does not normally pet their cat. It was infected. She cleaned him up and then said she was sending us home with antibiotics. If I discovered that he wouldn't take them, I was told to bring him back in.
I said, "Can I make a suggestion?"
She said, "Sure..."
I said, "Give him the shot. He's a hider. Once he's home and released from that carrier, I cannot guarantee that I'm going to see him to give him the medication, let alone get him back in the cat carrier for a return trip."
So he got his shot.
They had gone over his history when I brought him in, and when they learned that he was formerly feral, and still in the process of being socialized, they expected the worst. They armed themselves with heavy leather gloves and a towel. I said, "Oh, he won't bite or fight. He'll just go limp. The first chance he gets to run, though, he'll do it."
They came out after his bloodwork and said that he was such a nice cat. The vet said that he was even 'making biscuits' while they looked him over.
He is a good cat. He's just the shyest cat I've ever known.
Tim did not bite or fight when I told him the vet bill was $389 either. Like the cat, I think that he just went a bit limp. He had a chance to run, but he didn't do it.
How many tractors does that equate to?
ReplyDelete11 vet bills would be about the price of the tractor, not including the cost of transporting it here.
DeleteFollowing along that line of thought, I could point out that 2 vet visits make a floor standing meat saw/grinder and 1.5 vet visits make a cross bow. I think that neatly gets me off the hook there...
DeleteTim got his Christmas presents and Houdi got his.
ReplyDeleteTim is a lot more pleased with his gifts...
DeleteGood call on having the vet give him a shot, chances of you getting an antibiotic down his neck and ever seeing him again were slim to none. :) Glad to hear he was not poisoned and will be ok.
ReplyDeleteHe is just so distrustful. I didn't want to give him a reason to mistrust me.
DeleteMy sister could make a cat take a pill. I always asked the vet to give a shot. So glad Houdini was suffering a wound, and not the worst.
ReplyDeleteI just can't figure what he did to himself. He is not a fighting kind of cat.
DeleteIt's possible that he was attacked by another cat, or even a fox, and forced to defend himself.
DeleteI'm glad Houdi got to the vet and the vet figured out what was wrong. Cat's hide when they're sick, a protective mechanism. I told the vet the same thing, give the cat a shot. Our cat will not take a pill. The one time I tried there was blood and vomit, my blood, her vomit.
ReplyDeleteWell, what is good is now we have a vet.
DeleteGood call on the shot. Poor Houdi. But at least he can get well now.
ReplyDeleteAnd at some point he will probably forgive me.
DeleteI am SOOOO relieved! Please let us know when he starts to feel better. I have five cats, all former semi-feral strays and, now, all strictly indoor animals. Healthier for them and better for wildlife survival, as I'm sure you know.
ReplyDeleteOur problem was we can't have a cat roaming the house in the middle of the night yowling his head off. He simply would not settle down. He was getting scolded, which was bringing back his hiding behavior and making him avoidant of us. He wanted out, and he was escaping every time someone came in. We gave up. It was not the way that I planned it, but it has worked out well until now.
DeleteOh, dear. Has he been neutered? I think the desire for my cats to get out is somewhat diminished because of the presence of the other cats in the home. Anyway, I'm just happy Houdini's going to be feeling better soon. Hope you and Tim have a lovely Christmas! Anne
DeleteHe is neutered. Any cat owner with an unneutered cat is irresponsible. We have such a feral population here that it really does break your heart. The problem will not go away unless we get a TNR program in place, and we can't seem to accomplish that.
DeleteIt is interesting though. I borrowed the cat carrier. I'm not sure what became of mine. I probably lent it and never got in back. Don't know. Anyways, Houdi was quite taken with that. I had it sitting by the door and he came out and sat next to it for quite some time. I did mention to my husband that he might just be lonely and missing the company of other cats. I wondered out loud about getting another cat. (He was horrified). But if I did such a thing, it couldn't be a feral. I feel like that would just reinforce the hiding and the wariness. I think it would have to be an older cat, an indoor cat, a cat who likes people. That is something in my head, and I am keeping my eyes open for a scenario like that. PS: This will make you very happy. I just heard a little meow behind me. I turned around and there he was. He let me pick him up and he got quite a few soothing words and many chin scratches. He might get over this more quickly than I thought.
DeleteThose broad spectrum antibiotic shots are quite effective, in my experience. So glad to hear that Houdi's coming along. I just had a peek at the Erie SPCA website. (I think you live up in that neck of the woods.) If you come around to the decision to adopt another cat, you will surely find one there. The number of animals waiting for adoption is truly heartbreaking. Either way, you are a kind human to help all the struggling creatures in your vicinity. Anne
DeleteGreat news! So glad Houdini's on the road to recovery. He sounds so much like one of mine... hissing, spitting, loudly voicing displeasure, & glaring on the way to the vet and then behaving perfectly with the vet. 😊
ReplyDeleteMay you & yours have a joyful, peaceful, and wonder-filled Christmas!
I'm glad he saw the vet. But he won't come near me. He sits at the top of the basement stairs looking through the doorway. If I try to talk to him, he runs for the basement. This has set us back a bit, I think. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to get over this. (And he's got a followup on the 28th...)
DeleteSo glad to read this. I've been worried.
ReplyDeleteJulia
I'm relieved as well.
DeleteGlad you took him to the vet. Interesting result on the infection. Ask him to tell you what happened. Can you crush his antibiotic and mix it with a couple of lovely snacks like real tuna? He'll be his usual friendly self after the medicine helps him feel better. Thanks for taking him to the vet. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteHe came upstairs at 4. Howled a couple times. Was told in a gentle voice to stop, retreated to his hiding place. He did come upstairs before I went to bed and permitted being held and petted.
DeleteWell, thank goodness it turned out to be something treatable and not antifreeze. Any idea how he got injured?
ReplyDeleteNo. It appeared to be a clean slice, according to the vet.
DeleteGlad things are looking good. I cracked up at the last paragraph. Olivia in the PNW.
ReplyDeleteYou know who wasn't cracking up? Tim. That's who.
DeleteI am out of touch with vet costs here but I would guess it would be more than that here for such treatment. Looks like Houdi will live on.
ReplyDeleteLooks like. He came out and visited with me last night, but this morning, he's hiding. He came into the bedroom at 4 and started a ruckus. Now he's hiding.
DeleteThat last paragraph really made me smile.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad it wasn't poison.
Me too. My kitchen goblin cat (the one that used to peer through the kitchen door may have found a home. He came back the other day. He's a long hair. Nicely brushed out, looking very handsome. He just stopped in to say hey, and is gone again.
DeleteGlad that Houdini is hopefully on the mend. That last paragraph made me laugh out loud too.....a good thing to do on a wet, grey morning!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to have done my bit to make the world a brighter place!
DeleteThe term "making biscuits" was a new one to me. I had to look it up
ReplyDeleteSo did I!
DeleteMaybe it is an American expression. I did not know.
DeleteIt's so good that Houdi is on the road to recovery. I do not understand people who don't neuter their cats - it is so irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it either. The feral cat population is really heart breaking. Even if you can trap them, it takes months to get an appointment to have them neutered.
DeleteI got Blue, my younger cat, as a tiny kitten. My husband used to despise cats unless they were outdoor ones and didn't come near him. He said he'd never have a cat in the house. The thing is, he had never seen how fun kittens are, and was won over watching him play. In winter now, when the shedding isn't so bad, Blue is an inside/outside cat. He napped on "his" chair almost all day yesterday. He goes out at night. He goes to the door when he needs or wants out in daytime. When he wasn't yet fully grown, there were two different times he came to me with battle scars from fighting something. We had never taken any cat to the vet except for having them neutered, but I was crying because he quit eating (infection in the wound), and Cliff said we'd take him. The two trips to the vet at different times amounted to about what you paid for one trip. He even had to stay overnight at the vet's once, because he was vomiting and couldn't keep a pill down because of infection. Thank goodness he's been healthy ever since.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad Houdi is sorted out. My invisible cat.
DeleteWonderful post. Pleased he seems ok except for the infection. Let's hope Tim does not not get an infection in a place where one would not normally pet him.
ReplyDeleteWell that made me laugh out loud!
DeleteThe long-lasting antibiotic shot is a Godsend for cat owners! Pilling them is risky business. They're not easily duped by a chunk of cheese, as dogs are. And, like you said, once home from the vet, good luck finding them. Glad the source of illness has been found, and Houdi can be on his way to health! If we totaled the amount of $$ we've spent on veterinary care over the years, I am sure we would have a hefty down payment on a house. Good Lord.
ReplyDeleteWe had a cat get shot by our neighbor once. (It was dark, he was drunk, there were eyes gleaming from the ditch.) We spent a fortune getting his leg put back together. My brother is not a sentimental sort. He was aghast at the amount of money spent. "That's a little like spending a fortune to get a bic lighter repaired."
DeleteWell, that sounds like good news. Glad it wasn't poison.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteThat's good news about Houdi, I think. Time handled the cost well, but he has gotten a few new toys lately. 😊
ReplyDeleteThis is true.
DeleteI guess I'm a bit like Houdini. When I'm being taken to the doctor, I do a lot of fighting and thrashing as well followed by going limp and waiting for my opportunity to flee!
ReplyDeleteLol. You'd think, being married to a doctor and all, you'd be over that!
DeleteGlad to know he's been checked out and now on the road to recovery.
ReplyDeleteWell, I saw him this morning...now he has hidden away. I am assuming I have irritated his Royal Highness.
DeleteYou do have a way with words, Tim, like the cat, went a bit limp...
ReplyDeletePoor Tim. He was probably horrified.
DeleteGlad it's just a bite and very treatable but OUCH to that vet's bill!!
ReplyDeleteNot sure what it was. They indicated a slice injury..
DeleteA great sigh of relief over here! Cats can reach about every inch of their body to lick clean, so I assume he had tried the spit antibiotic treatment already. Glad you added the shot. I guess the slice was small enough not to need stitches. What a costly young man he is!
ReplyDeleteThe vet said an infected wound cannot be stitched. She cleaned it and he will have to go back after Christmas to have the wound checked.
DeleteGlad to hear that Houdi and Goblin Cat are ok...nice of GC to call by..you must have done well by him, for him to call back.
ReplyDeleteThe bill...wow! But he is worth it
Years back, we tried to make a pet out of the goblin. He did not want to be a pet. He loved the regular meals. He liked a warm bed. But...in the end, he did not want to be an indoor cat. I'd be interested in who's trying to domesticate him now. He looks very handsome, all brushed and shining.
Deletegood news...my cats won't take medicine/pills either so the shot was a good answer!! They are both on special urinary track wet and dry foods... so I am shocked everytime we have to buy more... but not shocked enough no to buy it!!
ReplyDeleteIt was the right call. He woke me up at 4am. I did not get up with him. When I got up at 8, he watched me at the top of the basement stairs but would not come to me. He has been hiding ever since.
DeleteThe elevated WBC's are certainly indicative of an infection. So glad he got that ATB shot. Good news there's no renal issues. He's probably got a little PTSD from the Vet visit, but he'll eventually come around. Excellent news about Tim! A Merry Christmas, indeed.
ReplyDeleteParanormal John
He actually came up to sit with me a bit tonight. He is a lot more jumpy than usual. He will probably get over it about the time that I have to take him back for his recheck.. Merry Christmas to your house
ReplyDeleteDo you have a trusted cat-loving friend with whom you can swap vet-taking chores, so you don’t have to be the bad guy?
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm...that is actually an awfully good idea!
DeleteOuch on the vet bill. We have had a few of those ourselves. Glad Houdi did well at the vet and is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear Houdini is basically OK!!😻 xo, Ricki
ReplyDeleteAs soon as he gets over the trauma, he'll be fine. We've bought some 'Temptations'. Cat treats will help, I think.
Delete