Balancing

To balance the good news regarding Sable and Moxy, the universe decrees that there be some bad news, so I don’t become too cocky. As bad news goes, it’s not disastrous. Nonetheless, Indigo is feeling quite poorly.

Several days ago, I noticed that she was reserved, was rolling herself into a tighter ball in her corner, and having little interest in anything. Then I saw that she tried to use the litter-box a couple of times, and could not produce waste. Late yesterday afternoon, she wet a tiny amount in a box-lid, the location (not a litter-box) itself being a bad symptom. A check of her blood-glucose revealed it to be 15.0, a usual number before insulin.

It was too late to take her to the hospital, but I made an appointment for Monday. I and a friend in the rescue-group suspect cystitis. Cystitis is a term denoting a problem in the urinary tract for which there is no other apparent cause. There was no blood in the small amount of urine I saw (it was fortunate that Indie chose a box-lid; if she had peed in litter, the lack of blood would not have been obvious) so we don’t think it is an infection. Also, she has continued to eat throughout; an infection is more likely to put her off her food.

Cystitis can last up to a couple of weeks, though it has been our experience that it lingers for just a few days. Further, there is no real treatment for it, since cystitis is the condition that is accused when nothing else is found to be causing the problem. Extra hydration may be required. It usually clears up of its own accord.

The good news is that I observe signs that Indigo is already feeling better. She is less protective in her posture, she is meeting my gaze more, she climbed onto my lap for petting and purrs (which she hasn’t done since Wednesday), and even half-rolled over, allowing me to rub her chest.

I will cancel the veterinary appointment if she continues to improve, but it is handy to have otherwise. I would rather not cause her the stress of a hospital visit if it can be avoided. In fact, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s website, “stress seems to be an important factor in the development of FIC [feline idiopathic cystitis].” Though initially all the beasts responded well to the packing and clutter of the move, I can well believe that it eventually got to be too much for one of them. As a friend stated, if Indie was, as we believe, abandoned by a family who moved away without her, it may be that she associates all the boxes and turmoil with that abandonment. There is no way to tell her that she will never experience that again.

While Indigo looks to be improving, I will stay vigilant and determine what should be done by late tomorrow.