State of the Fruitcake

[woolymonkey]

Short version: not good.


On Thursday morning Fruitie took her pill like a good girl so I gave her gushy fud, which she hoovered up in record time. Most unlike her, but I thought it was a good thing. However...

On Thursday evening she threw it all up. She's eaten almost nothing since then. The vet said the best thing was to keep giving her the pills and bring her back if she wasn't eating again after the weekend.

We still had a (shortened) monkey weekend away in Sussex, thanks to the wonderful tamaranth , who came and sat on the fruitcat on Saturday, pilled her, coaxed her to eat cat treats and homeopathic doses of sardine and gushy fud. As it became clear Fruitie was getting worse rather than better, tamaranth and bugshaw spent the evening with her and tamaranth spent the night in the spare bed, heroically comforting sick kitty until our return on Sunday evening.

Have now been back to the vet who says it's not looking good, but has given her different thyroid pills just in case it was a bad reaction to the first ones. We are all trying to be as nice to her as possible, which means company when wanted but also lots of leaving her to sit outside in the cold. Seriously. That's what makes her happy.

All monkeys are sad, especially squirrelmonkey. Fruitcake was never part of the family the way Zil was, but it's hard to see her fade away, especially so soon after Zil. I'm sure missing Zil is a factor in her sudden decline.

Luckily, we also have good cat news. Or rather, kitten news. We'd arranged to stop over in Colchester on the way to Sussex to check out a litter of kittens and possibly pick one to reserve for later. We have picked two. At the time, we were thinking they'd be company for Fruitcake, though now I'll be (pleasantly) surprised if she lives long enough to see them.

Against all my stated intentions we will shortly be the minions of two males, one ginger and white and one black and white, ready to collect on March 6th. I'll do a separate, happy, post full of kitten pics and details as soon as I have time. It feels quite odd to be excited about the new ones at the same time as nursing Fruitcake through what looks like the last few days, but it's really comforting to know the new cat regime is on its way.

Must go now as monkeys need things to do.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I am so sorry. Let me know if I can do anything (or you and -- with or without monkeys -- would like to come and play with Ish and Moon [Horus being unpredictable]).

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Monkeys are at home for half term and would love some happy cat time, as would I. (Though I confidently predict Horus will vanish.) We plan to be in London on Wednesday, but tomorrow, thur or fri should be good--we could look in for a cat cuddle combined with a Sainsbury's shop...

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Any of those are good with me: pick a time that works for you.

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

am so sorry

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

thanks

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry :( Poor Fruitcake, and poor monkeys.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Yes. Squirrel keeps saying he hopes she lasts long enough to see the new kittens. I suppose she might, but it's not looking good. At least we still had most of our weekend in Sussex, thanks to tamaranth, and I suspect Fruitie thought she'd died and gone to heaven already having T and B to minister to her with none of the nassssty apes around.

[lj_stowaway]

I am so sorry. {{{{hugs}}}

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

thanks

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Hugs, so sorry to hear this ...

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Not good timing, for any of us, but a lot easier for cats and monkeys thanks to tamaranth.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry Fruitcake isn't doing well. It sounds like you are all doing as much as possible, and I salute your efforts. *hugs all around*

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thankyou. I think Fruitie is still enjoying life in a subdued way. She likes sitting outside--where it's now snowing!--or just inside watching the garden. She's even discovered she likes to curl up with apes from time to time. Apes are doing OK, but it's a sad time.

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this, but glad you and your family have understanding cat-people to provide support. ♥ *hugs you*