I have noticed that my Opie sneezes occasionally but He may have a few allergies like me. It is only once or twice a day so I am NOT worried. If I did NOT take my Zyrtec every morning I would not even be able to have a cat period.
No, not really. You were surprised by how quickly your old cat sickened and died. You wonder if you should have "known" somehow that he was sick. You wonder if there was anything you "could'a, should'a" done that would have changed the outcome.Hahaha! I'm just so annoyed with myself. My old cats ENTIRE life he coughed and I thought nothing of it! Wasn't even worried! And now after everything I am on such a red alert. I thought I would be so normal after the vet visit. Lol! Guess I was wrong.
Actually thanks for this. I am a bit like the OP after losing Hector I tend to overreact whenever my cats eat less than normal.No, not really. You were surprised by how quickly your old cat sickened and died. You wonder if you should have "known" somehow that he was sick. You wonder if there was anything you "could'a, should'a" done that would have changed the outcome.
Now, you're watching like a hawk for anything that looks like it could be a symptom of a serious disease. I think that's a relatively normal grief response.
You are overreacting a bit. You need to step back just a little from being "hyper-mom" and look at the issues over a day or two before reacting.
Sure, there are certain sets of symptoms you should never ignore or wait to see the vet about. You already know what those are.
Running to the vet all the time WILL exhaust your resources and your credit. You could schedule well-cat exams every 6 months, but that's usually unnecessary for young, healthy cats.
I believe several people have suggested keeping a journal. You can take pictures and weigh Calvin. You can make notes of what and how much he is eating and drinking and even take notes (or pictures) of the litterbox "deposits".
The journal will help you look at what his typical behaviors are, and gives you data you will be able to compare with whatever new behavior or difference you see (or feel). Slight differences in behavior could be trends that need to be checked, or just his day-to-day variation.
I'm sure you do know how to evaluate those things that are real problems, but your grieving process just isn't over for your older kitty.
Doing something that gives you a solid reference to use as Calvin gets older will be a huge help if he gets sick.
(Pro-)Actively creating a journal about Calvin's habits and quirks will also help you deal with the day-to-day things that scare you so much right now.
Sorry this turned out to be so long. I didn't mean to write an essay.....
Thank you SO much for this! It's so true. Everything asides from what I've listed is fine. He uses his litter often, he LOVES food, he is actively playing and has been checked by a vet not once but twice - once before I got him!No, not really. You were surprised by how quickly your old cat sickened and died. You wonder if you should have "known" somehow that he was sick. You wonder if there was anything you "could'a, should'a" done that would have changed the outcome.
Now, you're watching like a hawk for anything that looks like it could be a symptom of a serious disease. I think that's a relatively normal grief response.
You are overreacting a bit. You need to step back just a little from being "hyper-mom" and look at the issues over a day or two before reacting.
Sure, there are certain sets of symptoms you should never ignore or wait to see the vet about. You already know what those are.
Running to the vet all the time WILL exhaust your resources and your credit. You could schedule well-cat exams every 6 months, but that's usually unnecessary for young, healthy cats.
I believe several people have suggested keeping a journal. You can take pictures and weigh Calvin. You can make notes of what and how much he is eating and drinking and even take notes (or pictures) of the litterbox "deposits".
The journal will help you look at what his typical behaviors are, and gives you data you will be able to compare with whatever new behavior or difference you see (or feel). Slight differences in behavior could be trends that need to be checked, or just his day-to-day variation.
I'm sure you do know how to evaluate those things that are real problems, but your grieving process just isn't over for your older kitty.
Doing something that gives you a solid reference to use as Calvin gets older will be a huge help if he gets sick.
(Pro-)Actively creating a journal about Calvin's habits and quirks will also help you deal with the day-to-day things that scare you so much right now.
Sorry this turned out to be so long. I didn't mean to write an essay.....