Shortly before Thanksgiving Henry got very ill. Basil alerted us by nuzzling Henry and calling out to us with concern. We’d rarely seen him this agitated, but his instincts were right. Henry was having difficulty peeing, and we rushed him to the vet on Thursday, November 16th. Pain medication, urethra dilators, and antibiotics followed, but he didn’t get better.
Several days of improvement were followed by precipitous decline. By Tuesday, five days later, Henry was lethargic and barely moving. We stayed up with him through the night as he labored to breathe. He hadn’t peed in at least a day. In the morning, we rushed him back to the vet’s office in Queens. Henry’s vet couldn’t make him urinate, and with offices closed for Thanksgiving the following day, she referred us to an emergency animal hospital for treatment.
The pet hospital in Park Slope saw Henry immediately. The fall’s mystery dog virus was circulating, and as we filled out our cat’s paperwork, two schnauzers came through the door coughing like pack-a-day smokers. They received masks. Not too long afterwards, Henry’s doctor returned with good news — he had peed!
Right before he would have received a catheter, Henry peed all over the examination room and his doctors. “He must have unblocked himself,” his vet told us. He was put on more powerful pain killers, prescribed urinary health food, and given an ultrasound to check his urinary tract. The scan found visible hard crystals that had torn his bladder, but the worst was over. We took Henry back home.
His second treatment worked. He soon made a full recovery.
Since his ordeal, Henry has spent every moment he can cuddled up to us. He craves attention and love. Urinary crystals and other urinary ailments can be quickly fatal in cats if left untreated, and Henry’s brush with death brought him closer to us than before. It was clear he knew we were taking care of him, and that we love him.
Henry began climbing onto our laps and napping. It was a surprising shift — he’d never shown much interest before. Adopted at four months old, he and Basil hadn’t been properly socialized beforehand, so even though they are friendly, curious cats, they aren’t as comfortable being picked up, carried, or cuddled as other pets.
We got over a bump in the road, and we’re grateful to live with two happy, healthy cats.
Until next time,
— Tys & Lily