Krista's Care

[daftcat75]

2:00 - 3:30 (and beyond!)
The buffet opened at 1 pm but Sleeping Beauty can’t be bothered with that!

Sometime before 5:30:
Cleaned the shoe! Human! Get home now!

Now I’m hiding in the kitchen while she tears into a 6:00 feed. Oops! I don’t think I adjusted for when she may have eaten the shoe portion. I hope she figures that out. And preferably not on the carpet.

 

[daftcat75]

I had been setting the shoe for 1 pm and she’s been sleeping well past that the last few days. So the day I set it for 2 was the day she was ready for it at 1. Now she’s sleeping in the chair and may or may not wake for it. I just hope she’s ready to tear into it when she wakes before she had an acid barf on the carpet.

In other news, I have ended my “paw-ternity” leave. I got her portions back up. I got her weight back up. And she’s using the timed feeder for 2am and 2 pm meals. My reasons for continuing to work from home have run out. I did however tell my boss that it still may be a bit longer until normal hours resumed. I’ll probably be 10 to 4 when I can get back into mornings and until we can work on stretching her daytime stomach. Maybe I put out a couple shoes to make sure there’s something for her at 6 in case I’m delayed. I can put a half portion in the shoe and give her the other half when I get home. Let’s work on the timing for the first daytime meal. Might move it back to 1 pm. I’d rather it be open when she’s not ready than closed when she is.

 

[WinniesMomma]

I love that your employer has been understanding during this time of caring for her. And that you are a dedicated pet parent. I think all of us here understand but of course it is still admirable and applauded!

 

[daftcat75]

Where’s Waldo? Tortie edition. Trying to find my cat on the camera when she’s not in her usual spots. I guess she’s fed because the shoe is empty and she’s not in the “come How already!” spot.

 

[daftcat75]

I thought I was overthinking the salmon oil and decided to give her a tablespoon of the duck which already has salmon oil added. Maybe I should have done that supervised. Well, if you count the camera, she’s sort of been supervised. She has spent the morning under the bookcase. At times looking a little rough. I can try another tablespoon tomorrow when I don’t have to rush in the morning. Or Friday. If she has another rough time, the duck goes back for turkey cans. I’m reasonably convinced the Loop is helping her but I feel like I can do more with salmon oil too.

 

[daftcat75]

I don’t understand why the feeder isn’t open yet. I thought I set it for 1:30. I know it’s not very accurate but an hour late?!? I’m still at least 2 hours away from being able to check on it. It’d better open soon. I don’t want to spend the holiday rebooting her from an acid barf.

 

[daftcat75]

The shoe was stuck at zero and didn’t open. Hrmph! Guess I’m going to have to put two out now in case one doesn’t open. She YELLED at me when I came in the door. I’m glad I only had to open the shoe for her and not do a full prep with her screaming at me. But we also know the food is still moist and good enough to eat at 7 hours(!) without even the ice pack. We unintentionally tested the next step which is getting her an evening meal loaded in case I’m delayed getting home. I did buy two of these so we’ll start using both from tomorrow.

 

[daftcat75]

I loaded up the second shoe and set it for her 6 pm dinner. I set the first one for two hours but didn't load it. It's still on the countertop. The meal tray is down on the floor for her to pick at over the next couple of hours. Looks like we're starting two feeder testing tonight. Sort of. I'll check in on her in a couple hours. I'm either heading home to give her a 7 pm dinner because the 6 pm shoe didn't open, or I get until 10 pm tonight.

"I'm not avoiding you, Krista. We're testing here so I can make sure you're taken care of even when I can't personally take care of you."

 

[daftcat75]

We just had way too much going on today. A spoonful of duck. A 3 hour malfunction of the first feeder meaning 7 hours old food. A second feeder test where she was expecting first dinner. The feeders opened as expected. But Krista uncorked the largest hairball. It looked like a huge scarf and barf puddle. But as I was picking it up, it was almost all hair. I think her legs have been bothering her and she grooms when they do. She’s been shedding her winter coat too. So we shelve the duck. Let’s hold off on the long feeders. I’ll load two up for fail safe but maybe four and six hours instead and then I can be home at her dinner time. She doesn’t mind as much if I feed and run as if I don’t show at all. Such a particular little creature!

 

[daftcat75]

Well the first hair barf must have been a relief because it didn't put her off the turkey. But late last night she gave back what little she did eat. She did manage to keep down the water she drank afterwards. Now she's just taking a nibble or two of the turkey. That's still a couple nibbles more than on the overnight. The rule around here is you get 24-48 hours to sort out barfing before vet visits are in order. We're not even 12 hours into this yet and she's at least taking a nibble or two. I may put down a spoonful of rabbit at next meal to see if she's hungry but holding a grudge.

 

[WinniesMomma]

Fingers crossed she gets it sorted out soon! And glad to hear the food was still good after 7 hours!

 

[daftcat75]

Fingers crossed she gets it sorted out soon! And glad to hear the food was still good after 7 hours!

Debatable whether the food was still good. I mean she ate it and did not immediately return it. But it’s anyone’s guess whether it was duck, 7 hour old food, or messing with her dinner that set her off. When I left her at 4:30, she seemed alright. The 8 pm puddle was much more hair than food. A shocking amount of hair. I thought we were in the clear when she was asking for food and ate about half of a half portion. But she looked just awful for some of last night. Like comatose enough to get in a belly rub with “I feel too awful to resist you. Grrr!” look in her eyes. By 1am, she emptied what little food she did still have in her belly. I offered water and she drank a healthy amount. And kept that down. I got her to nibble with some liver treat this morning but I’m not pushing the treats or that she needs to eat just yet. It’s not easy to see her slinking around, weak and not eating. But if getting sedated is the admission price to the vet, then I have to give her at least a day to sort this. Certainly let her have the holiday and not mess with the emergency hospital who doesn’t know her. But she did climb into my lap or onto my chest several times this morning. Not much hungry, but lots of love to give.

 

[daftcat75]

I’m offering half portions and she’s eating half of that. But she’s eating. I guess she’s on her own slow reboot schedule. This is agonizing. But now we’re on daytime hours and she’s got some food in her belly and a B-12 shot under the skin. I think I should load the feeders and give her another day shift to nibble and sort it out. It’s been a day since she had food working through her so the pipes may be a little rusty. As long as we are making progress, I think I’ll honor her pace today and tonight. And if we aren’t making progress, I have an appetite stimulant I can give her tomorrow morning. But I think she’s right that a slow reboot would be easier on her than skipping straight to the mirtz.

 

[WinniesMomma]

Aww. Poor girl.

 

[daftcat75]

She’s eating most of her 3/4 portions now. But it takes her three or more trips to the plate. I think she’s got some mouth discomfort/tooth pain again. I want to see if she’ll right herself on the eating this weekend. I see my own dentist on Monday and need to make a plan for my own teeth this year. But yes, Krista will be going in again soon. I want to get her over this hairball if she can so that I don’t have to argue with the vet about abnormal blood results and the suitability of her dental. (“What’s the alternative? Let her nibble her way to fatty liver and then we finally can sedate her for a feeding tube and the dental she needed a week ago?”). I had this argument with them at the beginning of the year and how this thread all started.

I keep telling myself that with everything she’s been through, she’s not going to let a hairball take her out. They take more out of her these days. If last one is representative, she’ll be eating a lot better tomorrow and maybe her bonkers self again next week.

 

[daftcat75]

Her ear is also bothering her. So let’s Loop her mouth and ear tonight. She’s given in so completely, I’m going to hate having to wake her to get it back.

 

[daftcat75]

Oof!

I knew we’d pay for the liver treat bribes yesterday. I’m just impressed that round two made it in a box and not the carpet. Mostly. This is why there’s a pee pad under the box.

We’ll restart the probiotic tomorrow now that she’s eating again.

 

[daftcat75]

6am: 3/4 portion. She ate half. 9am: “Is she going to finish or do I change it out?” So she finally convinced me to get up and go pee. I come back and she’s finishing the plate. Did I really need to get up for that?

I don’t go back to bed after 2nd breakfast so I start the coffee. I come back to my chair and start drinking it and up pops the feed me weasel!

I guess she’s getting better at eating again. I put down another 3/4 portion and she knocked that out in a couple trips.

And under the bookcase she goes.

 

[Furballsmom]

I come back and she’s finishing the plate. Did I really need to get up for that?

LOL, cats

 

[daftcat75]

We’re sitting in the semi-darkness staring at each other. We’ve been doing this for the last hour or so. I think maybe she does understand the artificial sunrise, the fade in I have on the lights at her meal times because she’s patiently waiting. But I think when it gets light enough for me to see her eyes, I’m sure she’s giving me the feed me glare.