Well, that was a week. There were good things- runs and lots of yoga (the yoga is really helping my low back, so I’m determined to stick with it!) And there were bad things… namely, a sick cat. But we got through it all. As always, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for this Weekly Rundown. Here’s how it went…
Monday
Ah, the week started off so well! A dark 4 mile run in the morning….
… and later in the day I did my hip stability exercises, and then Adriene’s Yoga for Lower Back Pain..
Tuesday
Leg day at the gym! Hey, I’m starting to feel more confident with my squats. I also did some core…
… and later in the day I did another Adriene video, yoga for low back and hamstrings. My back is feeling pretty good!
Wednesday
Another 4 mile run! (I moved my long run to Sunday this week).
Later in the day I did Adriene’s yoga for low back pain again. This was the day we started to get concerned about Muffin- she really hasn’t been eating the last couple days. What’s that about, anyway?
Thursday
I started the day with a Caroline Girvan abs workout, then did some upper body strength at home, and my hip stability exercises. Later in the day I did the low back pain yoga again.
What is up with Muffin? I sure hope we don’t have to take her to the vet.
Friday
Started the day with another 4 mile run…
…and then called the vet. I made an appointment for the afternoon, but could not get Muffin into the carrier by myself. For someone who hasn’t eaten in several days, she sure had the strength of a vicious jungle cat. It ended with both of us traumatized, and Muffin hiding in the garage.
Later in the evening she came out, and…
MUFFIN! What happened to your NOSE??? This is just getting worse and worse.
I did manage to get in a yoga video for low back and hips… I needed it to calm myself down. Very worried about Muffin, who still won’t eat.
Saturday
My husband and I both attempted to get Muffin in the carrier and again failed. I went to work- my husband bought a new carrier- and in the afternoon we finally captured her and dashed off to the vet… where they found NOTHING WRONG. And guess what, it only cost $500!
They examined her and did blood work, and everything was normal. The only thing they found was that her tongue was also irritated, so maybe she got into some chemicals in the garage or something? I’m really not happy with this outcome. There is clearly something wrong! They sent us home with pain meds and an appetite stimulant. So, we’ll see.
Cat drama… it’s worse than kid drama! Next time we go to the vet I want to use a tranquilizer (for the cat and myself). The only workout I had this day was getting Muffin into the carrier.
Sunday
On tap for today… 10 mile long run! I’m going to get up early and get several miles done in the dark, before the heat tries to kill me. And I’m going to try this for the first time….
I will report back!
Was your week drama-free or drama-full?
Should I get a new vet?
40 Responses
Sick cats are so hard. They just want to hide. Have you tried isolating her in a room with food and litter available? If nothing obvious is wrong, maybe she just needs to rest. ( we had to do that for my girl cat when she dislocated her leg joint. She wanted to hide in the linen closet- far from food and water- so we set up a kitty chamber in one bedroom, with food, water, litter, and made sure she had safe comfortable spots to sleep. Also moved furniture so she couldn’t hurt herself or hide again.
I’m the one who get cats in the carrier- they always know something is up!
I hope Muffin feels better soon!
Thank you! We’re doing exactly what you said- we have her isolated in my son’s (empty) bedroom with food, water and a litter box. She likes to hide under his bed, and this morning she actually ate a little. So… Hopefully she’s getting better.
Oh Jenny, this sounds positively horrid for everyone involved. And $500. Yikes. I am just astounded by the size of vet bills whenever I see someone post about them. A tiny part of me thinks about getting a dog and then I read about the bills and I’m like: Nope! Two kids is enough responsibility and expense.
I’m sure it’s the same with pets as people that sometimes you really do want them to find SOMETHING to explain the symptoms. My dad’s been chasing a health issue for a decade and has literally had every test in the book and it’s a case of: everything look 100%, so we can’t explain your symptoms. It’s so terribly frustrating.
I have zero advice on the vet. But I hope some of your readers will have ideas. I like mbmom’s suggestion of maybe Muffin needing a rest. Maybe some overstimulation from having Foxy added to the mix?
I’m sure your spidey senses as a pet parent are on the highest alert right now. I hope you get to the bottom of it asap, as this sounds so scary.
THank you Elisabeth! I will say we’ve gotten away for a long time with no big vet bills- but when something does go wrong, it is EXPENSIVE. I was very scared the last couple days, but today she seems a little better- she actually ate a little! So… I’m hopeful.
Poor Muffin! The problem with sick pets is that they can’t tell you what’s wrong, and they can’t tell the vet either. And they’re very silly about getting fascinated with stuff that is bad for them, like (theoretically) chemicals in the garage. If we’re keeping track of dogs vs cats, we’ve already identified that the advantages of cats are that they purr and that it’s much easier to meet their bathroom needs. When it comes to going to the vet, dogs take the lead. Most dogs LOVE going for car rides, though it does take a little persuading to get the dog to walk into the vet’s front door.
Happy 10 miles today! I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the gel.
Yes- it is about 1000 times easier to take a dog to the vet. That’s the one time I dislike having cats! And, yes- wouldn’t this all be easier if she could just tell us what’s wrong???
Oh no! Poor Muffin. And poor you with all the worries about what is wrong. I am glad nothing bad turned up but some explanation would have been better. I hope she starts eating soon! We also cannot get Oscar into a carrier. It is literally impossible so she can no longer come home for vet visits. We need to find a mobile vet that can go to my MIL’s house.
My week was exhausting. I had that conference in CA which was so intense and wore me out. I was so glad to come back home!! I had my 10 mile race yesterday. It went pretty well overall. I was slower than last year but I seem to be getting slower so that wasn’t too surprising. It was warmer than I would like. Summer is back here and it might hit 90 today. I’m kind of past summer now that the pool are all closed. Can’t I just get some 70s??
I hope your 10 miler went well today!!
Oh yay- glad your run went well! Too bad you couldn’t have the cooler weather from last week, but oh well- it seems like it’s always like that.
From now on we’re looking into a mobile vet! I actually have the number of one, but she couldn’t come out on Friday or Saturday, so we were stuck taking Muffin in, UGH.
Sick animals–it’s so hard! They can’t tell us something’s wrong, but it’s so clear from their behavior that they don’t feel good. I hope Muffin recovers quickly from whatever is bothering her. At least your $500 workup told you that it’s nothing serious.
So glad you like the Adriene yoga! I just love her style, and the classes are so effective. I did a lot of them this week for stress relief, lol
Yes, and I owe you a big thank you! I had heard everyone talking about Yoga With Adriene but never tried it until you recommended it for the low back- it’s REALLY making a difference!
Could Muffin be on a hunger strike planning not to eat until you take that new kitten back where you got it? Poor Foxy, I hate to incriminate her as the problem, but in Muffin’s mind…
Good week of runs and workouts this week despite the cat drama!
That’s what we though at first, although timing-wise it was a little odd because she seemed to be kind of enjoying Foxy’s company (after a rocky first couple days). As time went on we decided that no, she actually isn’t feeling well. But then the vet couldn’t find anything, so… who knows.
I’ve had to cancel vet appts because I can’t get the cat in the carrier.
Maybe it’s mental and she hates the new cat?
Good luck today with the run!!
I hated that gel… sticking with GU.
The gel did have an odd taste, and I didn’t have a great run (although I did finish it). I’m going to keep trying with the Ucan though- I have a few more of them and I might as well at least use them up.
When we had to cancel the first two vet appointments, they told us it happens all the time!
Hope your long run went well today. I’ve not seen that gel before hope it works well for you. Sorry about the kitten drama hope you and Muffin are doing better!
I think we’re both doing a little better today! The gel was… different, but I knew it would be. I’m going to have to experiment with it a little.
Oh my gosh, how traumatic. And that is a hefty vet bill — all those tests add up quickly. Maybe Darlene is onto something? But that wouldn’t explain the nose unless that happened with the carrier battle?
I hope she just gets better!
I did wonder if the nose happened with the carrier battle- but then why is her tongue irritated??? This is a real puzzler. Anyway- we think she’s doing better this morning, PHEW.
Okay, you know I am not a cat person, so I don’t know this from experience BUT. My friend in Calgary had three cats, and two of them passed away in quick succession (they were like 17 and 18, so this was expected). She was worried about the remaining cat, and she and her husband decided they would foster a kitten to see how things would go. The cat stopped eating. Just completely stopped! They were beside themselves and the vet couldn’t find anything wrong. It turned out it was the kitten. The kitten ended up going to another family – AND I AM NOT SUGGESTING THIS, JUST TELLING YOU WHAT HAPPENED – and then after that the cat was fine. I think she was 9 or 10 at the time, and she just didn’t adjust. But then they got a puppy a few years later and she did adjust to that! So who can say, as I said I don’t know cats and their hierarchical stuff, but this happened to a friend of mine and of course they were so upset. As far as I know that cat is still alive and thriving. I am hesitating posting this comment but maybe she’s having trouble adjusting to Foxy? Like I said, I don’t know cats (and I always forget how hard they are to take anywhere since Rex is just excited by the words “car ride”).
Hahaha… Muffin is definitely not excited about a car ride. We definitely thought about the fact that it could be a problem with the new kitten. The timing is odd though, as she seemed to be adjusting great after the fist couple rocky days. And then why is her tongue irritated? What is going on with that??? Anyway, she ate a little today so we have our fingers crossed…
Oh I’m so sorry to hear about Muffin! That’s so stressful when something clearly is wrong and they didn’t find anything obvious. Are you going back to the vet to have the tongue checked? The pricing though… UGH. I paid less for Ester for having her in the vet hospital for a week! I hope she gets better on her own!
You couldn’t PAY ME to take Muffin back to the vet!!! Well- unless it’s a matter of life or death. This one time was stressful enough. We’re looking into mobile vet options (a vet who makes house calls) from now on.
I’m sorry about Muffin! I didn’t realize it was such an ordeal to wrangle a cat for a vet visit! It’s much easier for dogs, or at least my dog — she loves car rides but once she realizes she’s at the vet, it’s hard to get her inside but she can be carried in and then cooperates well once she’s there.
Hope your 10 miles went well! I did 16 yesterday and it felt amazing because temps only got into the low 80s and there were big puffy clouds and a breeze — and now it’s taper time! I’m curious about that gel, the only ones I really like now are by Hüma but I’m always willing to try new ones.
Ha, I always picture dogs getting happily into the car, and then when you pull up to the vet, suddenly they’re like “wait a minute! How did we get HERE???” Still- it’s way easier than cats.
Stick with the Huma! I’ve had good success with those. I’m only trying Ucan because they’re not sugary and I want to see if they’re better on my gut. The jury is still out- they definitely have a slightly weird taste.
Oh man. Spending that kind of money to learn there is nothing obvious wrong is hard. I guess the good news is they didn’t find anything in her stomach that they have to cut out. When a cat stops eating I already worry they ate something that it can’t pass. Many times they have to do surgery to get it out. My husband’s friend’s cat had like 20 hair bands in its stomach once!
I think the isolation is good. Keeps the variables lower. I would take detailed notes of how she seems and what she ate and how much she used her box each day so you have real data to look at as things progress. Sometimes we think we’ll remember but a few days later we’re unsure, so just write it down. It probably is that she ate something that made her feel bad. Or maybe she picked up a bug and it’s running its course. I hope she’s better soon and you don’t have to wrangle her into the carrier again.
Thanks Noemi! Yes- I was envisioning surgery, and the bill would easily have been double. And your advice to write everything down is great, because this past week I kept trying to remember- was it Wednesday that she ate that treat? Or Thursday? Which day did she eat a little breakfast?” You’re right- it’s too hard to remember.
Oh no! Sorry to hear about Muffin’s situation (and your situation as a result). I hope the meds work for her and all goes well thereafter. My stress level has bottomed-out since landing my new job last month (which is a great thing!).
Oh I didn’t know you had a new job! Yes- less stress is always great.
Hmmmm, so odd about Muffin. I’m sorry to hear that! Vet visits are crazy expensive. I always feel like a jerk for putting it off as long as I can, but geez, it’s a lot of money and then to get a “nothing wrong” report – well, that’s good and bad, right? Do the cats get along now that the kitten is in the mix? Our older cat has lost weight since our youngest “kitten” arrived. I think she was getting stressed and nervous about eating (always looking over her shoulder to see if the kitten was going to attack!). We have to keep track of her weight now to make sure it’s not unusual but she is much lighter than she has been in the past. Of course she’s practically a senior cat now, so there’s that too. Sorry you’re stressed this week!!
Thanks Lisa! Muffin and Foxy were getting along pretty well, which makes this all so odd. I can see if it happened right away after we got him, but it took a couple weeks. We are definitely feeding her separately now, but she’s still barely eating. ARG!
MUFFIN! Oh, poor thing.
We have had that happen with the pugs… they will just act absolutely unwell and then we get to the vet and nothing. I’m grateful, but the bill can be tough.
Yes, I guess I’m glad there wasn’t something drastically wrong. That would have been more stressful AND more expensive!
I am concerned about Muffin. That doesn’t seem right. And, what on earth – the cost of the vet visit is staggering. I hope your low back continues to improve. I’ve found a few places that will give me an MRI for cheaper without my insurance. Now, hang on – how is that a thing?
Yes Ernie! The few times I’ve gotten an MRI I’ve done it without insurance, which is actually cheaper than the insurance co pay would be. Something about this does seem drastically wrong.
MUFFIN! What’s wrong? I hate it when Zelda is sick because she’s all stoic about it and doesn’t let us know she’s sick until she’s really sick. It’s times like this that I wish I could talk with them for a few minutes every year. Not all the time. But if they are not eating/limping/cowering next to me, it would be nice to just ask them what’s up. Ugh. I hope she feels better, poor baby.
As soon as one of ours starts acting weird, we start writing everything down. How much did they eat and when, how much did they use the litterbox/go to the bathroom and when, when did they limp/give us the eyes/whatever and then we just bring that paper to the vet. They really do appreciate having that information.
Good luck to you and Muffin!
JENNY. Cats are so tricky!!!!! My cat has been eating Very Little for about a week now. He’s eating enough, I guess, that I’m not worried enough to take him to the vet? Plus, he is acting totally normal otherwise. Also, my husband read (on a food package, at PetSmart, where we were buying some new types of food to try to tempt Leo to EAT SOMETHING) that cats’ energy levels change after being neutered, so I’m hoping that he’s just less hungry??? I DON’T KNOW. I wish he could tell me what’s wrong! Does he not like the food? Does his tummy hurt? Is he depressed? Has he been eating mice at night and just not telling me? WHAT IS HAPPENING?????
He DID deign to eat an entire portion of wet cat food if I hand fed it to him. Which is gross and time consuming. He also had no trouble gobbling down some boiled chicken breast I made him in desperation and he’s happy to eat kitty treats. Is he just boycotting canned cat food????
The stuff going on with Muffin’s tongue and nose add another upsetting layer to her ordeal! I really hope she is recovering from whatever is going on with her and getting back to normal. Poor sweet kitty! And her poor parents!
What’s that gel got in it if it’s 0% sugar? Did it work? I haven’t seen that brand here. I’m the one in our house who can get the cats in the carriers – well Percy isn’t very intelligent so you can just push him in, Willa you have to put in backwards and she turns into a snake with a million legs somehow. Hope Muffin is back on form soon.
poor Muffin! I bet it IS the tongue. Minnie had hand-foot-mouth recently and stopped eating entirely when she had tongue sores. Hope Muffin makes a speedy recovery.
oh my goodness, I’m so sorry about Muffin! I hope she’s doing better, including her nose! poor thing.
The days have been getting shorter and I am impressed that you’ve been running in the dark. It’s a no-go for me, so soon I’ll have to start using the tread before work. I mean, I am glad I at least have the option!
Ugh, so sorry about all the cat worries. This must be so frustrating.