Cats Journal

Hi Cat, I'm trying to catch up at the moment. I hope that you and the little'uns are well. I'm going to check out your blog for a while. Best wishes yo you all. Michael.

Sorry I’ve not been around in a while. I’ve been doing a lot of work keeping up with my blog and my fur-babies have been very poorly. Being single, they mean everything to me and when they are ill, it plays on my own mental and physical health

Missy had an operation to remove her thyroid glands and then she became seriously ill with low calcium in the blood. It made her extremely agitated and I had her howling in my ear hole every 30 seconds – I really did think I’d lose my mind or drown her…lol…thankfully, we’ve pulled through reasonably unscathed.

At the same time, wee Jack came down with something unknown. It took 6-8 weeks before we eventually discovered that he has liver disease. My poor little man!!!

I’ve been dealing with it head on with little time to think. Missy has just recovered and Jack seems to be doing okay, so it feels like it is all beginning to catch up with me now. However, overall, my depression has been on a good phase, mainly since reducing my antidepressants…. It seems they were making me worse – more aggressive and confrontational. I am back to being like a quiet wee lamb again (huh!?)

In the autumn – which is sadly only just around the corner – I am due to start Mentalization Based Therapy for my Borderline Personality Disorder. It’s a 2 year intense therapy course, comprising of group therapy once per week and a 1-2-1 once per week. Let us hope it can make into a new person. Only trouble is, I am unsure if I’ll be living in London long enough to complete the course

At last I only just managed to organise my car – yes, it took me 8 months procrastination – it arrives at the start of August. I haven’t been in Glasgow for 13 years, but planning a trip for a couple of days sometime Aug or Sept. I need to view a flat there with the intention of moving back in Dec/jan time.

Only 6 months ago, I couldn’t have managed to juggle so many things and any plans for a future were completely lost for many many years. It just goes to show how everything starts to fit into place once our depression is sorted. It all takes time….

Thanks Zaf, that will probably be the case

Sorry to hear that your little ones have been ill. Rachel and I are always really upset if anything happens to our cats.

Yesterday, I phoned the Vets to complain. I feel dreadful for doing it, but I didn't think there was much other choice. It's Jack that worries me. Everytime I take him there, I see a different Vet with an entirely new idea of how we should treat him. The last Vet was adamant that a biopsy is the only way forward. However, as far as I can make out, we are jumping the gun too soon. This certainly was not what the previous Vets were saying.

Three weeks ago, a new vet put him on pills, claiming it might help the liver and change blood test results, but the vet I have seen 2 weeks later, insists this isn't true and refused to do blood tests. Last weeks Vet also said a CT scan wouldn't be worth it, but the two vets before him, said that it might show us what we are dealing with.

TBH, I went through very similar with Missy-cat during her pre and post operation. In the end, I am refusing to take her back for any check ups and can only hope I can detect if there is anything not right with her recovery

At the end of the day, who should I believe? As things stand, apparently, jack is probably very ill with liver disease, but we are doing very little. I need a clear consistent Care Plan and, if raising concerns gets me that, then so be it. It's just that now I will feel paranoid if I ever need to take any of them back to that hospital...lol...my name is "mud".

I may be wrong but animals are not to dissimilar to us humans when it comes to tests and scans. Blood tests would reveal quite a bit with liver disease in humans and CT scans would certainly help in making decisions with patient diagnosis and care. It would seem to me that more information would only help the situation. The only difference I could think of is that ad with elderly patients on a ward some 'doctors' won't do much because THEY don't see it as worth their time.
I agree with a complaint cat. The last thing you want is conflicting information when you are trying your best to care for your pets. As for not wanting to do tests and scans - you pay for these things with animals so it's not even a cost issue for them.
I hope it all works out ok I really do. Hugs for you xx