plg

Today I worked extra hard at my job -- we have a deadline approaching -- and came home somewhat wrung out, knowing that Robert would be out for the evening. I stopped for a short visit to the kitty museum and chatted with the owners. When I came in the door at home, both cats were downstairs to greet me, and I noticed Theo was winking at me.

I picked him up. He started purring immediately. I looked deep into his eyes and noticed that one looked particularly awful. So I called the Kitty Museum ladies to ask what they thought. They both said to get him to the e-room right away, just in case it was something where time was of the essence.

I called the e-room, grabbed some cheese sticks and some reading material, wrestled Theo into his carrier while Koa, horrified, watched. And then headed back to the town where I work, making a few phone calls along the way.

We were seen almost immediately. Theo shook and shook, and the vet told him he was just a big baby, but I think she was totally charmed by him. He'd break into a purr every now and then and go back to shaking.

Bottom line -- all's well, but he seems to have an upper respiratory infection which has caused conjunctivitis of both eyes. He's now on antiobiotic eye goo three times a day, and he's wearing an Elizabethan collar (or e-collar). We'll take him to see Dr. Randy tomorrow.

Back at home, he's trying to learn to navigate with the collar on. He wants it off, so he keeps backing up. He forgets to lift his head up, so when he moves forward, it gets stuck. I know that cats adapt to these things fairly quickly, and it's important to keep it on so he doesn't scratch his eyes.

We'll all get through this, but Poor Little Guy.

addendum: maybe not so little. The nurse at the e-room weighed him and he's now over 8 pounds. I think he'll be a bruiser.