Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Tuesday, September 16, 2014: A Constipated Kitty

As always some time during the night, Tommy found her way up to the bed and was there when I woke up.  As we started the day, I noticed that Tommy hadn’t been eating as much as she usually did. I wasn’t sure if she was starting to graze too much on the grass or if she decided that she didn’t like the new adult food that she’d transitioned to from her kitty food.
I tried to monitor her throughout the day. She seemed a bit lethargic and I wasn’t sure if she was napping more or if she was just tired from all of the company this past weekend and disruptions to her schedule. I also noticed a decrease in her “output.” She was urinating less and she hadn’t pooped. She’s pretty regular, so I decided that this was another indication that something was wrong.
She spent most of the day either napping or seeking my attention, especially wanting to be petted. I think that she just wanted some comforting, and I was glad to provide it. I read my ASPCA cat care book about refusing to eat and the more I read, the more worried I was getting. The only nourishment she was taking was a nibble of grass every so often and an occasional treat.  She seemed to be taking in enough water, so I wasn’t worried about dehydration.
Tommy did play a little with me, but the sessions were never very long nor very intense. She wasn’t irritable and she wasn’t showing any aggressive behavior toward me. The longer she went without eating her food, the more nervous I was getting.  I knew that I had to leave in the early evening for choir rehearsal, but I really hated leaving her alone. She on the other hand, seemed okay with me leaving her alone in the bedroom.
When I got in the car to leave I decided to call my sister and seek her advice. Another one of my sisters happened to be over, so I got advice from both of them.  They told me that she was probably constipated and was overdoing the grass. Things would be okay once she pooped, and to call back if it didn’t happen within 24 hours. At that point we would probably be heading for the veterinarian for help.
I got through rehearsal and rushed home. Tommy was very glad to see me and spent a considerable amount of time rubbing up against me and wanting to be petted. After a while, she got up and headed for the litter box. She seemed to spend a longer amount of time in there than she normally did. I was hoping that meant that “the wait” was over.
When she finished, I went in and checked the litter box. She had probably just defecated about two days’ worth of waste. I was never so happy to see poop in my life. Hurdle number one had been crossed and now she just needed to start eating her food again. I knew that it might take a while because she was still probably not feeling very hungry.
We stayed up for a while and then when it was time to go to the bedroom, Tommy while not completely compliant at least there wasn’t the chasing of the night before and she allowed me to pick her up (very carefully and gingerly) and take her into the bedroom. When we got in the bedroom she remained on the bed. I wondered if this was her way of thanking me or that she just wanted the comfort and assurance of having me nearby her. Either way, I was glad that things were improving.

No comments: