After coming back yesterday and eating the “first” meal at home (yes, voraciously for Robin), I noticed a few drops of brown liquid stools on the floor. I wasn’t sure who it’s from, though.
From then on, there was the same brown liquid stools all over the floor, but in small amounts. My first thought was: Oh oh, Robin has eaten too much!! My second thought was: It could be due to the change of environment or slight change in food. I had already given both of them the same canned food that they eat at the adopter’s, it’s just that I did not give their kibble because I don’t have it. I did, however, sneak in some raw food (just a small amount) because I was over-enthusiastic, seeing him eat so happily and so much. Rey did not eat much yesterday. Robin ate like a…..glutton. On hindsight, I shouldn’t have allowed him to eat so much. My bad, I know. Robin was the one who ate the tiny bit of raw food.
I know Robin had difficulty competing for food at his previous home because he would just shy away whenever any other cat approaches him, so just let him eat when he returned yesterday. And he WAS so, so hungry (or greedy?).
Robin eating…like a glutton!
Rey was hiding behind the toilet bowl for HOURS. I decided to let him come out on his own when he is ready since he had already eaten a little bit of food upon coming home.
For dinner, I had to lure him out.
By evening, this was Rey’s hiding spot in the room.
And by night, Rey was already TOTALLY and completely the super manja cat! He was rubbing himself all over me and jumped up to sit on my lap until almost midnight. Robin, of course, was the instant manja cat the moment he came home.
So my fears were unfounded after all. I was worried they might not remember me or might be uncomfortable in a “new” place. And when they were with us, they had not been upstairs to this particular room before. They were always at the patio and downstairs, or upstairs in the family hall only.
So, cats do remember!
Even after 1.5 years, cats will remember, and they did go away as kittens. I had not been to visit them because I was too heartbroken (I could not adopt them because I was in ill health at that time and I honestly did not think I could possibly live for another 15 years to see them through). It would have been irresponsible of me to die leaving 5 cats with no one to care for. However, the possibility of being unable to live for another 15 years is still there, but now it’s just 2 cats and I shall think of something for them. There are no plans to rehome them now. They are staying with us until (a) I’m too sick to function, or (b) I die.
I had to bring Robin back because it was so difficult for him to compete for food at his previous home. I was also worried that Robin might have some congenital problems (like Rio?) because he looked so thin. At least I could get him checked and start whatever treatment that is needed. Or, at least I can ensure he gets to eat at every meal without having to compete with others for his food…and fail.
Looking back, I did try to rehome them but no one could take them. I also understand that they are not of a “pretty colour”, being the “common” grey-black tabby. Minnie and Smurfy were grey but the boys were all dark coloured. My friend told me, in all honesty, this “colour” is the hardest to rehome.
So whatever is it, I’ll always be grateful to the adopter for taking them at the time when I really could not cope with another 6 cats. At that time, we had 8 of our own (with Heidi and Pole).
Rey wasn’t particularly hungry yesterday.
But this morning was a different story altogether. Rey became the glutton!! Robin wasn’t too interested in food this morning.
However, when I entered the room this morning, oh my goodness…the entire floor was covered with droplets of diarrhoea. The bathroom had bigger patches of diarrhoea. The bed (luckily I had covered with cardboard) also had droplets of diarrhoea. But Robin and Rey were so happy to see me; they were very active. Nobody looked sick at all.
So, luckily I had already got an appointment for them at the vet’s today. Rey, for his skin issues and now, WHO has diarrhoea? I suspect it’s Robin though I have not been able to witness anyone passing those liquid stools unless I separate them, but I figured since we are already going to the vet’s, the vet should be able to tell through an anal examination.
I thought I’d get them vaccinated (lapsed last year), but I think that would have to wait now. We probably have to address the skin issue and the diarrhoea first. There was very well-formed stools in the litter box, though (so one of them doesn’t have diarrhoea). But there was also lots of diarrhoea in the litter box.
For diarrhoea, I go by the advice of our senior vet years ago – give small amounts of boiled chicken. So it’s boiled chicken for both of them this morning. Rey ate a lot. Robin, only a little.
I know, even I cannot tell them apart in the photos unless it shows their tails. Rey has a thin, long tail. Robin has a shorter, hooked tail. But their faces are different too. Rey looks exactly like Minnie. Robin has a manja look which had always melted my heart. Even when he had gone to his new home, tiger cub pictures/drawings would remind me of Robin. It broke my heart. And every time Ryan watched his “Five little ducks went out one day” cartoon-song, well…you know. But at least I knew they were all together. At that time, the family was still close-knit. Now, no more, confirmed by the adopter. Minnie is the socialite with her friends. Smurfy is on his own and happy being so. Both are still quite feral in nature. Lynx is a taikor with his gang (there are two more black cats there with him – wait, are cats racist?). Only Rey and Robin are still together. This is why we only brought R&R back.
Anyway, we will be going to the vet’s today for a full examination and I shall update much later because Jayden will be here today and I won’t be able to update unless he takes a nap.