Erratic Appetite Frustration

No, not mine. My appetite is quite healthy ... goldarn it.

I'm talking about Mack's appetite.

The euphoria over him eating the Trader Joe's Ocean Fish & Salmon canned cat food lasted just about 24 hours. The next day, he ignored it completely.

Lucky and Reggie, on the other hand, gobble as much as they can get. That's ending, too, since a moderate portion last night ended up as slush on my floor afterward. Yuck. Smelly, too.

ANYWAY ... I'm trying to remind myself that patience is what is called for here. I'm also trying to find out how long it's going to take for Mack to eat enough on his own that we can get that tube out of his neck. It's crusty and, while not inflamed or infected, obviously bothers him enough that he is scratching at it quite frequently.

For some reason, I didn't realize we were supposed to be cleaning it on an ongoing basis. I don't know what I was thinking. Now we're applying triple-antibiotic ointment regularly, and cleaning it beforehand with warm water and swabs. This process has made me more aware of the vulnerability Mack is being exposed to, regarding infection. (It's an open wound. Duh.)

So I'm wondering HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? When will his appetite be robust enough to send him to the food bowl on a regular basis. I don't even care, at this point WHAT it is he wants to eat. I'll keep buying Kitten Chow, if that's what it will take. But the sooner that tube is out, the sooner he can stop itching, and the sooner that wound can heal.

I found online resources that say it can take six to eight weeks of tube feeding before appetite returns to normal. Tomorrow, we mark the end of 6 weeks.

We're in the home stretch, then.

Good.