Monday, January 2, 2023

Merry Ninth Day of Christmas!

Hello and happy Monday, friends! On this Mancat Monday, which also happens to be the Ninth Day of Christmas, Evan is here to share another festive photo of himself chilling out under the Christmas tree.


Exactly one week ago today, I was rushing Evan to the emergency vet because he started straining to urinate and was passing large amounts of blood. He spent two days there being treated for a urinary blockage, but is luckily now home and recovering. The vet also sent out a urine culture, and on Friday I got a call saying that the culture came back as showing a UTI despite that they initially thought he was free of one. So, in addition to the other medications Evan is on, he is also now taking antibiotics. Luckily this boy is pretty tolerant when it comes to taking medications.

Evan continues to urinate on his own very well now that he is home. I mentioned last week that when he first came back home he was showing no signs of his usual urinary incontinence, but he is indeed back to being a urinary incontinent little guy. I'm fine with that, as long as the urine is coming out and he's not blocked. Though Evan was a bit off and not totally acting like himself for a couple of days after being hospitalized, Evan is now fully back to his usual happy, playful, hungry self. We are doing our best to keep him on foods that are low in ash content and other factors that can affect urinary tract health, though so far it's taken a lot of research on food types since this boy is not a fan of really any of the veterinary diets for his condition.

All that said, I am so grateful that Evan is happy and healthy and home again, and we again want to thank you all for the purrs, prayers, and thoughts you have sent his way.

Happy Monday, and Merry Ninth Day of Christmas!


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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day




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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on caring for ferals and strays outdoors during the cold winter months is to, if possible, offer them some sort of shelter. Even a makeshift shelter is better than no shelter at all. For example, outdoor tables and chairs can be arranged to form a shelter under which a feral or stray can get some respite from direct inclement weather. Another cheap, makeshift option includes turning a Styrofoam cooler upside down to form a shelter, with a door cut out as an entrance. Other relatively cheap storage containers can also be used to create makeshift shelters, again simply by cutting out a door and ensuring that it is safe for use. Of course, if it is possible, you can also buy or build a sturdier, more permanent shelter, such as one constructed out of wood. Another option, although of course only if it is safe and free of dangers, is to allow ferals and strays to spend cold winter days or nights in a garage or shed. Again, only if they are free of potentially dangerous items, a garage or shed can be used as a warm place for ferals and strays to spend cold winter days or nights. All in all, if you are able to, consider setting up some form of shelter to help ferals and strays have some respite from the elements. Even a makeshift shelter formed out of materials you already have could be a great benefit to them. Our next couple of tips will discuss feral cat shelters and their components in more detail.

6 comments:

Eastside Cats said...

Yay for Evan!
We know what you mean about knowing that the best foods are for the cat, but getting them to eat it is a whole different kettle of fish.

pilch92 said...

I am so happy that Evan is back to normal. Cute photo and nice tips too. XO

The Swiss Cats said...

We're so happy Evan is doing better ! Purrs

catladymac said...

Glad for Evan's good news ! Hope all else is well !

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

Such wonderful news!

messymimi said...

I'm glad Evan is doing so well, and hope he stays clear of problems.