AnimalCare

Vincent has shifted his “nest” to under our bed again.

He has also developed this habit of peeing on me in the middle of the night, which is quite a bit of a problem. I guess it’s an attention-seeking act. Even our part-time cleaner said, “Oh, dia mahu sayanglah”, and she is right.

The consolation is that I know he can still produce urine, which is very crucial for a cat with last stage kidney failure.

Prior to this, he chose to pee right outside our bathroom, which I personally don’t mind, because I would be able to see the urine very clearly and I would know how much urine he produces each time. This is actually a very important gauge. Sometimes, the urine is stained (I think it’s the colour of the raw food) while at times, it is clear. I know the protein leakage is ongoing – that’s something we have no control over and Fortekor can only help so much.

He has been rather fussy over food as well. Sometimes, he just won’t eat, so I have to guess what might trigger him to eat. For example, yesterday, I served him 5 types of food, but he just wouldn’t eat.

What it took (yesterday) was a dash of Complivit (force-fed), and that started him eating.

And just left this bit, which is pretty good.

He LOVES his raw chicken liver, but I’m told I cannot give him too much liver in a day. So there’s just so much that I can give him.

Nowadays, it’s a bit hard to gauge what Vincent wants to eat, so my method is to place several types of food in his plate and see which one works. The good thing is that he normally starts with one that catches his mood for that meal, but eventually, he will still eat up most of everything. It’s when he finishes and looks at me that I really have to “read” and see what he wants replenished. Most of the time, I get it right.

Comparing the amount that Vincent eats with that of all the other cats’, Vincent actually eats A LOT.  He has to, due to the protein leakage. The body knows what it needs.

On average, he still eats about 3 times a day.

I think there is a gradual deterioration in his condition, which is not unexpected since kidney disease is a progressive illness.

It does take a toll on me, as his primary caregiver, but I constantly remind myself that everyone is actually facing the same thing in life too – we are progressively aging, only at a slower rate compared to one who has an illness.

Life…is a terminal disease, isn’t it?  Nobody gets out alive. One can choose to say that “life sucks, it’s so imperfect” or one can just live in the moment and make the best of it.

Animals are generally wiser in this department. They live in the moment.

We should, too.