Last Saturday night BetaCat, my 3 year old male started acting funny. He was straining to urinate and attempting to urinate in ridiculous places with no luck. He’s been a stress ball ever since we moved in with Jackie so I just wrote it off as more neurotic behavior. Then on Sunday morning he didn’t come out for breakfast and I knew something was actually wrong. That cat might be missing some brain cells but he never misses a meal.
After a brief search I discovered him cowering under the bed. He was covered with dark urine and panting. When I reached in to pull him out he complied but cried in pain. After checking the internet with regards to his symptoms I rushed him over to Angell Memorial animal hospital. They immediately admitted him and rushed into the emergency room…he urethra had been blocked for hours and his bladder was distended. I later learned the urine in his fur was so dark because it was filled with blood from inflammation.
BetaCat stayed at Angell for three days. His diagnoses was a condition known as FLUTD or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Basically, he has the clap…which is weird because he’s a virgin. They sent him home on Tuesday night but there was literally almost no change in his condition. He could barely pass urine at first and then none at all. By Thursday morning he was near death again. Since Angell didn’t seem to have a solution I called up his regular vet. They admitted him immediately and he’s been there since.
I love that cat. Who doesn’t love their pets though? I know my bond with BetaCat isn’t terribly special but I adopted him after my mother passed away. I had been taking care of a lot of things for her and when she died there was a pretty big hole in my routine. Saturday when he got sick was exactly three years and three days after my mom died. Sunday when he was admitted to the hospital they were careful to explain many cats don’t recover from this type of condition. Even after thousands of dollars are spent on treatment. They told me I should weigh the option of euthanasia. Yeah…right.
Well here I am..One week and twenty two hundred dollars later. I’m waiting to hear if he can come home today or not. His newest doctor added to the team was optimistic he may recover but couldn’t say for sure as of last night.
I can say I am not even close to the person who spent the most money on his pet this week. Tuesday night while waiting for Beta to be released at Angell I sat next to an elderly woman with two ferrets. Ever seen a ferret? They are like a cute cross between a rat and a dachshund and they smell like a baby skunk. She was there for another chemotherapy treatment for one of them who has stomach cancer. Her price tag so far: $8,500.