Poor Kitty

The Boys are 17 Months Old (and the Cat is About 13 Years Old)

Despite our best efforts to control the cat’s diabetes (I’ll call him”S”), he’s continued to fill up two litter boxes full of pee every 4 days and drink like a sailor. Hubby’s been managing most of S’s treatment regime. I’m so grateful for Hubby’s efforts to treat the cat that sheds all over his clothing, uses his stomach like a bed, and claws at his legs like it’s a scratching post.

We’ve switched injection sites and cat food and the other day upped the insulin dosage to 4 units every 12 hours. S’s blood sugar remains high but luckily there are no keytones in his urine, which could indicate disease progression and/or organ failure.

The vet is pretty amazing and calls to check in frequently. I suppose he’s earned his fee. He wants the cat to come in for a blood test but Hubby and I are putting it off; it’s costly and it probably won’t tell us more than we already know. We’re dreading the day that his insulin runs because it’s so expensive

Poor S is looking so skinny. He used to be about 15 lbs but now he’s 13 or less. He feels as light as a feather. He’s licking his fur off and has bald spots and sores. I’d worry that it was related to the diabetes but he had the same problem about a year ago and it eventually went away. I haven’t read anywhere that the bald patches could be related to diabetes.

S is in general acting like his normal self, but he hangs around the water fountain and goes off on his own more, sleeping in the closet and bathtub and in other quiet places. He may just be avoiding the boys who probably give him more attention than he’d like. When the boys do bother him, he usually remains calm and doesn’t walk away until they start squealing.

Now that we don’t keep food out all the time anymore, both of our cats are constantly hounding us for food. Their food bowl was empty the other night and we woke up to a big cat fight at 5 in the morning.

I love S, I really do. He’s been in my life for 13 years now. I’ve known him from the day that he was born. He’s been with me since just after I graduated college. He’s followed me through six different homes and several boyfriends. If he could talk, I’m sure that he could blackmail me into installing a cat door and feeding him fresh chicken every day. When I spend a night away without S, I often feel him jump on the bed even though he’s not there.

In recent years, I’ve wondered what life would be like without him. No fur EVERYWHERE, clinging stubbornly to every piece of black clothing that we own (I joke that I take him everywhere with me). I wonder what it would be like to sleep in peace and not have a cat meow in my face every morning. I feel bad for Hubby who has to constantly change the litter box and endure S lying on his chest every single night. Without S, we would be left with one anti-social cat that does not shed so much.

Now I’m left to wonder what type of future commitment I’m willing to make for S. How far does my love for him go? I just wish that his health were more clear-cut; either he’s healthy or dying.

Hubby is optimistic. He thinks that since we upped the dosage to 4 units that S has been feeling a bit better. When he starts looking like his chubby self again, I'll believe it.