Brenna Without Borders

It was the end of January, and we were just coming out of the holidays.  That is to say covid holidays of zoom calls with family and no parties. It was back to the Covid-norm of working from home, doing puzzles, and watching the news. My cat, Linus, had enjoyed playing in all the wrapping paper, climbing the Christmas tree when no one was looking, and being spoiled rotten.

Linus has very dog-like tendencies. He comes when I call and he also plays fetch.  I got him in November of 2019, and he only had a few months of normal life with me before covid hit. Now, we are attached at the hip, where I go he goes. But I started to notice he wasn’t nearby as often and when I went looking for him, 9 times out of 10, I   found him in his litter box. I found it odd but didn’t question the poor guy on his personal business.

But this behavior continued. It got worse. He was frequenting the litter box, sometimes heading back after just being in it.  I was so upset and confused, I called the vet and took him in right away. 

The vet during this pandemic is a challenge in itself, simply because they do not allow you to go in with your animal.  I put Linus into his carrying case, which he hates, so it’s more appropriate to say I wrestled him in. Once at the vet, you have to call tell them what car you are in, give your animal’s medical history over the phone. Then you wait and wait. Finally, they come to the car, pick up the sick kitty, and disappear.

And then you wait again. And you worry. 

Finally, the vet came out. I was informed that Linus had blood in his urine. He had a urinary infection, apparently, this is common in male cats (who knew? Not me).  The vet said this type of infection is often caused by stress. I furrowed my brow in confusion. My cat is…. stressed?

She questioned me, “Is there a new pet in the home?”, “Has Linus experienced any stressful changes?”, “Have you moved his litter box?”

My cat is stressed?  I wanted to shake this woman. We are all stressed! It’s a freaking pandemic lady! 

But let me back up a bit. Because Linus and I’s situation was far from stress-less.

Because of the pandemic, Linus and I moved in with my parents, and shortly after we moved in, my 90-year-old grandfather moved in. My grandfather is on oxygen (loud noise) and is in a wheelchair (big scary wheels). We had to completely remodel the first floor of my parent’s home to be able to accommodate him (lots of changes if you’re a cat). To say it is a stressful situation is an understatement. I knew it was stressful for my parents, and for me, but not for Linus. 

As his caregiver, I felt Linus was living his best life. People loving on him every moment of every day.  Treats, endless toys, and a 4 bedroom home that was his personal playground. 

Back in the parking lot of the veterinary, I summarized our situation and asked if this would be stressful for Linus, and if so, why now and not three months ago when my grandfather had first moved in.  To which I received the answer, “it’s possible, it just takes one small change.”

The vet encouraged me to find ways to keep him relaxed.  She told me to buy pheromone diffusers that they use in the veterinary office. She said she hoped it was just a one-time thing, gave me two pills for him to take by mouth twice a day, and sent us home. 

I was confident this was just a one-time thing, I would give Linus his medication and we would be good to go.

Little did I know, this was just the beginning.

Continue Reading:

• The saga of the Sick Cat, Part 2
• The saga of the Sick Cat, Part 3
• The saga of the Sick Cat, Part 4