And Lastly...

Indigo has decided that she rather likes the spot on the carpeted bookcase under the smaller sitting room window. It’s a good location; from the proper angle, a cat can see quite a bit going on. Besides, it’s probably warm on a shaven tummy.

When I write at the table in the sitting room, Indigo hasn’t shown an interest in accompanying me. But when I am at the dining table, she has started to come over and lie on a chair next to mine. Sometimes, if she indicates a desire, I will lift her on to my lap. It’s not so easy to write while holding a cat on my lap, but Indie seems to like it; she purrs quite heavily on those occasions.

There are few aspects of a feline relationship that I like more than watching a cat expand her horizons, and enjoy herself doing so. Since a diabetic cat prone to pancreatitis is unlikely to be adopted, Indigo may be with me a long while, so it’s important that she know and approve of as much of the Cosy Cabin as possible.

Another Episode of the Indigo Show

This will hopefully be the last blog-entry about Indigo for a while: the other cats are starting to feel that she is hogging the spotlight.

Since her all-day visit to the hospital on January 21st, a number of things have changed in Indigo. Some have not: while not minding the other cats as much, she still gets into a fracas with them now and then, and it can be just as loud and disruptive as any previous. But, as noted before, she now spends most of her time in the sitting room, which is a big adjustment and, I think, an improvement.

While at the hospital to receive her sensor, I and a fellow member of the rescue-group who accompanied me both held Indigo, who of course was nervous about being there. But she calmed while being held, and seemed to like being in our arms. Last night, at home, I picked her up and carried her about for a while. She began purring. This is the first time she has purred while I was either holding or picking her up.

I carried Indie over to the big front window and set her on the cat-tree there. Priorly, when placed there, she had always immediately leaped off again. This time, she remained, and even took an interest in what was outside, which is highly unusual for her. She stayed on the cat-tree while I did chores elsewhere, and only jumped down after about twenty minutes.

These changes are small things, it’s true, and may be temporary. But I have said before that once a cat does something positive, she may do it again, because she remembers what occurred; she remembers the benefits. So Indigo may undergo other changes, and have new, small adventures. This will may not be the last episode of the Indigo Show. Sorry, other cats.

The Cat Disposes

Though I was gravely disappointed in the failure of the blood-glucose sensor to continue much beyond one day, it took Indigo to prove that affairs are rarely in my control anyway, and usually in that of the cats.

I came home today and found that the sensor was no longer attached to Indigo. Even if it had been working well, it would not have survived being pulled off its subject.

How was this achieved? It might be that Indie managed to take it off herself, but this seems the less likely scenario. She could reach the sensor with her tongue - she licked it a couple of times, though without either enthusiasm or interest - but it was not placed so that she could get her teeth on it. Nor did it appear possible for her rear feet to be brought to bear against it. As well, she was not acting as if she wanted to take it off. Furthermore, I discovered the sensor inside the house at the top of the cylinder-house cat-tree. I am dubious that there would have been room in its confines for Indigo to remove the device.

I think it may have come off by being caught on the edge of the cylinder-house’s opening. That may be only slightly more probable than Indigo tearing it off herself, considering how secure it was fixed to her skin. It is possible that that security, while strong temporarily, suddenly gave way, and the sensor then became ready almost to drop off.

In any case, Indie’s skin does not seem badly damaged by the removal. It’s a little red but not severely so, and she has not even bothered to try to lick it, so it can’t be troubling her much. The event will have to remain a mystery, one which mitigates somewhat my feelings over the sensor simply quitting.

More productively, I spoke with Indigo’s doctor. She does not believe the readings that were obtained from the device during its brief working life were inaccurate. I agree with her, since when previous devices ceased working prematurely, they nonetheless gave good - and confirmed - service until then.

Just as Neville had a mass in his liver which undoubtedly affected his blood-sugar, so Indigo has chronic pancreatitis. Since the pancreas is intimately connected with the natural creation - or non-creation - of insulin, it makes sense that it will have a say, for good or ill, in diabetic management. While the recent fructosimine tests demonstrated that Indie’s treatment has been adequate until now, that may have changed. Her dosage of insulin will be increased, but only by a small amount. Instead of two units in the morning and one in the evening, it will now be two and two, which it has been before. I am satisfied with this, though I am wary of causing the Somogyi effect from which Nev suffered for too long. For the moment, though, the new, slightly adjusted dose will be tried.

I can’t help thinking, however, that much depends on what Indigo decides will be done.

Great Disappointment

In a greatly disappointing development, Indigo’s sensor stopped working last night. It lasted only about twenty-eight hours, rather short of the two weeks it is meant to. This is not the first time this has happened with one of these sensors. The worst instance was one placed on Neville that stated the ‘sensor is ended’ the first time I tried to read it.

Having had a day’s worth of readings from the device is not much consolation. It gave very high readings, which tells me something, but I wanted to see the effects of Indie’s insulin dosage over the long-term.

Tomorrow, I will call the company that makes the sensor but I expect no satisfaction, as it is not meant to be used on cats, and that will probably release them from any fault in the matter. The only benefit of this abortive operation is that I now know that Indigo will tolerate the sensor. I will probably try another, but not for at least a month, probably longer, since it will mean another stressful trip to the veterinary hospital for Indigo. She needs a rest from such upset for the time being.

Tolerable For Now

It’s been about twenty-four hours since the sensor was emplaced on Indigo’s skin and, aside from a few licks at it, she has not bothered with it. Whether this nonchalance will continue for the whole two weeks of the sensor’s effectiveness - whether the effectiveness itself will continue that long - is an open question. But for now, it is where it should be and is doing its job.

In that regard, it is telling me that Indie’s blood-sugar numbers are too high. The insulin is affecting them, but to too little an extent. This will be discussed with the doctor next week. If the numbers have been as high during the previous fortnight as they are now, I must wonder how it was determined that her treatment has been adequate. Tucker, it may be recalled, had habitually high numbers, but these were countered by thoroughly normal behaviour clinically. The latter mitigated the worry over the numbers. Indigo’s behaviour has not - cannot - be taken into account in the fructosamine tests, so I will question how their results look so good.

All that aside, Indigo is behaving well, and not giving me cause for concern. Her litter-box visits are not numerous, and she is leaving her usual amount of water behind. Her drinking is also satisfactory. She can still jump well enough to obtain entry into the cylinder-house cat-tree, so her rear end is not weak, as it would be with inadequately treated diabetes.

For now, then, there will be no change in Indie’s insulin dosage. But there will be a conversation over it.

A Good Start to the Weekend

I couldn’t take Indigo to the veterinary yesterday, but could today. In the meantime, I gave her some antibiotics that the rescue-group had in store from another cat’s issues. They appeared to have a rapid effect.

The would-be patient missed the litter-box last night - nothing to do with infection; her bum sometimes sticks out over the edge - and I siphoned up some of the urine in a syringe. I thought that if her bladder was not full enough to provide a sample, this might do. I realised that it might be contaminated by dirt but thought it was worth the effort. It turned out that it was clean enough to test, and Indigo did not need to be punctured for a sample.

The previous day’s antibiotics had helped, and there was no sign of infection; indeed, the urine had lot its earlier, worrying pink hue. I had also observed her litter-box visits to be normal once more. Nonetheless, she will receive a few days’ worth of medicine to make sure. These are in tablet-form, which I can crush into her food. They are apparently tasteless, as she consumes food and all without complaint. (If she were not eating, I would have had to go with the more expensive and more physically intrusive liquid.)

A fructosimine test was run on Indie, and shows that her numbers over the past two weeks have been good, and that her insulin dosage is adequate.

Lastly, she was fitted with a blood-glucose sensor, and has not thrown a fit over it, or even expressed discomfort. It’s been only six hours, but nonetheless, I am hopeful it will provide readings for two weeks. I have already taken some numbers from it. (As may be seen from the illustration, the veterinary technicians shaved rather more than was necessary.) 

I’d like to thank all those who wished Indigo well over her latest troubles, and thank as well the hero of Trout Towne, Saint Francis. Today was a good start to the weekend.

Earlier Than Planned

Another day, another veterinary visit. Indigo was scheduled for a trip to the hospital next week; the doctor wanted to follow up on her examination of Indie’s abdomen. But this morning, I noticed that Indigo was going to the litter-box rather too often, and spending too much time there for the results. Then I saw that she was leaving small smears of urine under her, and that they were tinged with pink. It looks like she has a urinary tract infection. I will try to arrange an appointment for her today.

I also want to attempt once more to have her fitted with a blood-glucose sensor. Readers may remember the incident a year and a half ago, when Indie first came to live with me, and she was fitted with one. She detested it, and screamed and yowled and eventually managed to pull it off. I hope that the greater comfort she has living with me, the more accustomed she is to things, will facilitate her acceptance of it this time. As well, I know now how to remove the disc of the sensor myself, and can do that, if need be. The bit of paper that is inserted between the sensor and the skin is less easy to remove, but, if Indigo has the same reaction to this sensor as to the last, I am betting that the sensor will be the problem, not the paper under it.

We’ll see how all this goes…