A Guardedly Optimistic Day

Cammie’s situation is better but could stand some improving.

The princess did not eat anything yesterday after her Cerenia injection. This morning, she consumed a few kernels of hard-food, and then threw up. This was discouraging, to say the least. I figured I would have to take her for another Cerenia shot. A double dose has been needed only once in the past. However, it was yet before the hospital opened, so I decided to try some slippery elm, followed by some Z/D-and-water.

For some while, I have not resorted to slippery elm because it had not worked several times with Cammie; she had, in fact, swiftly regurgitated it. But I thought that, as long as I am waiting to take her to a doctor, why not try something myself; the worst that could happen was that she would vomit it back up. I guessed that she was doing that anyway. I prepared some elm powder and gave it to her at 8.30. By nine o’clock, it was still inside her, so I followed it with some liquid food. It wasn’t much, but it was fluid that she needed and some nutrition. That too stayed put. I repeated the process at noon, and then fed her just the Z/D-and-water an hour ago. So far, so good.

She still will not eat on her own. I think that will come; she needs simply to see that she won’t throw up after eating. The force-feeding should do that. If, of course, it makes her throw up at any point, my actions will work against me and reinforce her reluctance.

There are two other aspects of Cammie’s day that may be reported. One is that she appears very needy. Since the onset of her blindness, she has shown that she wants attention by sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning toward me. That is my signal to lie on the bed; she will then climb on my chest for petting and purring. (Being unable to see renders her much more liable to do me injury. She spent half an hour this afternoon with a rear foot firmly planted on my larynx; I spent some time afterward sounding like Lionel Stander, but I survived, and the princess enjoyed herself.)

The second is that she has now mastered the shorter of the two new staircases I was given for her use. This one is on the opposite side of the bed, where there is less room. Though I had attempted to show her how to use them, as I did with the larger set, she never responded. But today, I watched her climb the stairs by herself, and then step lightly on to the bed.

My Siamese girl continues to astonish me.