Spice is sick. How sick, we weren’t sure, so we took him to the vet on Wednesday morning. Taking a senior cat to a vet is like logging onto webMD. The symptoms could be the common cold, or deadly cancer!
Our 15-year-old buddy has lost two pounds. That’s a lot for a cat. He’s also eating less and exhibiting other symptoms. A physical exam didn’t turn anything up so they ran blood tests. He wasn’t happy to be there at all.
On Thursday afternoon, I got the best possible news. He has hyperthyroidism and it can be managed with cheap, daily medication. He should gain back some weight and feel a lot better. We were so relieved because some of the other possibilities weren’t very nice.
Before I had a cat, I didn’t think they had much personality. We always had dogs and compared to canines, cats seemed boring. They also had a reputation for being stand-offish. Spice has loads of personality and he and Miss Sugar couldn’t be more different. Spice likes to wait until you’re done in the shower so he can leap in and pad around on the wet surface. We call it a footbath.
At bedtime, he’ll “capture” one of our hands and that’s where he’ll sleep – on a hand. Although he only has four teeth, he’ll work away at the big kibble meant for Miss Sugar. He is a sweet creature and we knew when we adopted him at age 11 that we wouldn’t get a lifetime with him but I hope we get more time. 
Happy Friday Lisa. So glad to hear that Spice will be OK and can be managed with cheap medication. We all know that a trip to the vet sometimes involves a big trip to the bank as well. Hope the old guy feels better soon.
Have a great weekend,
Jean
I had a cat with hyperthyroidism. God her prescription filled at the local pharmacy. I found that grinding the tablets with an inexpensive pill splitter/grinder and mixing the powder with a teaspoon of wet cat food worked very well. Giving pill medicine to a cat is asking for shredded arms and hands.
So glad Spice will be back to normal soon. Such a sweet kitty….enjoy your weekend Lisa
With two cats eating out of each other’s bowl, we can’t put it in his food. But the last time he needed pills we discovered Greenies Pill Pockets. They’re a life saver! They’re little, soft pockets that you drop the pill into, and then squish. Spice loves them. Presto, the pill disappears!
I’m glad Spice is ok and that it wasn’t anything serious. Every time I have a pet/family member pass away, I say, never again but I always end up rescuing another one. I agree, you have to own a cat to know what wonderful, loving little creatures they are.
You’re good people, Linda!
Lisa,
The neighbour’s cat is suffering from the same. It must be something that affects older cats as Zoo is getting up there. They started with the pills but are now using a topical cream that comes in prefilled syringes and it is put on the skin on the inside of his ear. He seems to be improving daily.
That’s wonderful! We hadn’t heard about the cream. It’s so good to know that there’s another option for him that works.