Grandcat having extended 'sleepover'!

meritaten

oh dear - clicked on a link to youtube in a thread last night - got totally caught up and forgot to post! sorry!

well, today Barnes was out taking in the sunshine from the most sheltered spot he could find (that breeze was COLD), when he suddenly dashed in, and decided that the printer was a mighty nice napping place.............two minutes later the cloud rolled over from the next valley and we had thunder and torrential rain! lasted ages - for most of the afternoon it was rumbles of thunder and then rain. so Barnes remained indoors. he did go out later when it cleared up and the sun was shining, but it got too cold for him and he relocated to the back of the settee in the lounge. (OH hadn't yet piled his cushions up for him). OH has done this now and they are both sitting comfortably watching TV.

must do a Barney shop on Saturday - need more catnip!

meritaten

Barnes gave me such a fright this morning! no GS2 so had a lovely lie in and didn't get up until 9.30, Barnes wasn't in his usual place on the windowsill or my bed so assumed he had got up to breakfast with OH.
went downstairs and he was still on the settee back - where I had left him last night. I went over and went to stroke him and he looked dreadful, he could hardly open his eyes and his chin and front legs were soaked in drool! nasty looking brownish stains all over his chin. he looked really poorly! he didn't even acknowledge me and that's not my Barnes. I phoned Atrix to come down and give a second opinion and he agreed that Barnes should see the vet. I phoned them planning to take him in as an emergency.
luckily the vet nurse calmed me down and asked if he had any bleeding, diarrhea etc - NO.
was he off his food - um he had eaten his supper ok and on those words he jumped off the settee and toddled into the kitchen for his breakfast. I told the vet nurse and she went off to have a word with the vet.
I was then, sensibly, told to keep an eye on him and they ran through a list of symptoms and if he shows any of them to take him straight up. or ring for the emergency number if they are are closed. otherwise they will see him Monday afternoon - which actually works out great as I was going to ring them next week to arrange his booster and discuss fleas and worming - as the over the counter stuff doesn't seem to work that well on him.
little sod has improved markedly all day! only thing is - his breath stinks and he hasn't done his usual 'Two poos a day'! I suspect he is constipated!

Atrix popped back in this afternoon and Barnes greeted him with the longest loudest yowl!!!!!!!!! probably complaining I was starving him!
he seems very hungry too - asked for his lunch an hour early, asked for his G&T and also for his supper early! and been drinking ok too!
I am thinking of renaming him 'GitCat'!

update - at 23.05 Barnes has 'done a pooh'! announced it loudly - which was quite unnecessary as we could smell it downstairs! and probably halfway down the street too! looked normal, no blood or anything untoward - but, the SMELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh jeez - I am gagging just thinking about it! The house now reeks of my perfume which I have sprayed everywhere!

oldestgnome

Sorry Barnes has been worrying you but glad to read he seems to be OK.

Would make a good brother for gitdog of Elsiens

meritaten

I don't think he IS ok oldestgnome. He seems to be 'off-colour' rather than ill. and I think he has a cold! his eyes seem a bit gummy and he keeps sneezing and is drooling for Wales! (or should that be Persia?)
his appetite is good and he is drinking lots, not using the litter tray as much as normal though (and his pee smells too). if I had the faintest idea how to get a pee sample from him I would take it up vets with us.
still - as he has hardly moved off the settee back today - and even arrival this evening of one of the grandgirls, hasn't motivated him, I have nothing to report!

I do hope it is just a bit of a cold! caught when the little sod escaped out the front and got soaked!

scaredy_cat

you can get a type of litter from the vets which will let you collect a urine sample

meritaten

He is still not 'MY Barnes'. totally uninterested in anything except sleeping on settee back (um, and that could be the source of the brown stains - its brown leather!), and eating. at least he is still eating well and drinking ok. I am actually looking forward to taking him to vets - I want him better again!

it was lovely and sunny today but he wasn't remotely interested in going in the garden. and as you all know - he loves his 'garden time'!
he hasn't come upstairs and slept with me for a couple of nights now - and I miss him, kept waking up last night and came down, picked him up and took him upstairs and put him on the pillow - little sod was downstairs before I had put my bum on the bed. That is NOT like him!
honestly, I am ashamed of myself - I am behaving like a 'crazy cat lady'! but, I am so worried.

duchy

One of my boys went right off colour. According to the vet he'd had a bite. Course of antibiotics did the trick.

meritaten

Thanks duchy - Barnes doesn't react well to insect bites - and I suspect its a reaction to ant bites. I have lots of them in the garden - we have an agreement - they don't come in my house and I don't kill them! but, if it IS ant bites - agreements are all off and I KILL them!
tbh - I know how Barnes feels - I am allergic to insect bites too - and I have two bites on my bum right now, which I have had for some weeks................and I suspect ants. they aren't healing well and frankly, look like I have been bitten on the arrriss by a vampire!

his_missus

Hi Meri,


How is Barnes today? It's natural to worry - cat's aren't like people where you can ask "what's up?" or "does that hurt?" etc. You feel daft taking them to the vets saying "he's just under the weather, not his usual self" as you think what is the vet supposed to do/look for?


Last time Scrappy was like this I eventually found a swelling so took him to the vet, despite Hubby saying give it a few days. It was an infected cat bite and had caused cellulitis and if we'd not gone when we did, he'd have ended up with blood poisoning.


Have you looked to see if you can find any infected bites? If he has a history of bad reactions to bites maybe a trip to the vet is the best.


Hope he perks up soon xx

meritaten

hi all - I am posting early as I have plans elsewhere later and don't want to forget!

ok, vet says he has a low grade fever and from what I reported he was like over the weekend has probably had an infection of some sort (did she mean a cold?). however he is much better today anyway! but she thought anti-biotics were in order.
also, he has a bad case of flea-allergy dermatitis (the Johnsons spot-ons obviously not working). I have to get him the prescription one from them next week. meantime its the old flea-comb! and he was prescribed steroids for that - one which I have had many a long years of acquaintance with - your old pal prednisolone Atrix!
He also has a slight heart murmer - which definitely wasn't there in August last year! but, there is no cause for concern as yet - but should be kept checked.

lol - shows how much better he is.................he was sat on kitchen windowsill when OH came home from work. He saw the van being parked out front and when OH got out, Barnes shot off the windowsill, out the kitchen and up the stairs into bathroom! He knows his poo is stinkiest when fresh! I was giggling away to myself when OH came in! then barnes yowled loudly from the bathroom and OHs face was picture! he knew what barnes had done!
I did show mercy and went and disposed of it BEFORE OH went up for his shower though!