How's Mack Doing?

Mack is actually doing very well, although he had a couple more episodes of NOT keeping down a couple of "meals." I think the real problem with both those episodes was "operator error."

Friday afternoon, I was in a hurry to feed him and rush off to an appointment, so I probably rushed the process. After I fed him, he promptly jumped down from where he was and emptied his stomach again. The next meal was no problem, so I'm sure it was ME, not him.

The second incident was Saturday night, when John decided he'd just empty the feeding syringe instead of stopping at 30cc (which is as much as the vet recommended at any one feeding). Admittedly, we had pushed it up to 36cc prior to this a couple of times ... but we have both now agreed that 30 is as far as we're going to go at one sitting -- because, really, I'm guessing that's all a kitty's stomach comfortably holds, ANYway. When my cats wolf down their dry food, and then spill their cookies shortly thereafter (when it has swelled from drinking water or whatever), I think it's just because they've overindulged. I think Mack is having the same kind of response, and in this situation it's OUR responsibility to stop at a reasonable point.

Mack showed NO interest in the plain yogurt. Neither did his brothers. Surprised me. (I don't like plain yogurt, either. Does ANYone?)

Before each feeding, I offer Mack a tiny bit of some kind of food, to see if he will at least lick it. No positive response thus far to liver pate (the prescription diet), familiar dry cat food, kitty chow (leftover from Amy's cat living here), or plain yogurt. I think I'll try a morsel of oven-roasted Jenni-O turkey tonight.

I'm not worried about the fact that he's not eating yet. The vet says it can take weeks. He seems to be gaining weight, he's DEFINITELY healthier, and his activity level has increased. He's hopping up on favorite places that he hasn't been for several weeks, like the top of the snake cage (warming light is the big attraction), and he even visited me as I was getting ready for work this morning, like he used to do before he got sick. He laid himself out in a sun spot over the weekend, and has revisited the catnip toy on at least a few occasions.

I do look forward to him eating again. My kitchen ceiling, floor, window, curtain, cabinets, and the African violet on the window sill have all been splattered liberal amounts with liver pate in the last week or so, and the scent of savory seasonings mingled with bleach-based kitchen cleaner greet us as we enter the house. But so does he, so it's all worth it.