Sam got checked into Angell Memorial today for treatment of his hyperthyroidism. He will be there until at least Saturday.
Last I saw, he was displeased. (Click to enlarge.)
While we waited, he shattered his claws trying to get out of this, his carrier. He meowed constantly. People sharing the waiting area with us had an iPhone which rang with a blues riff -- "duh DAH duh duh DAH." After every "duh DAH duh duh DAH," he would meow once, with great feeling, right on beat.
The house is very empty and quiet without him. I hope he comes back alive, and markedly more comfortable in his own skin.
Good kitty.
Poor kitty. Wishing him a happy thyroid soon. (You were in my neighborhood, hope my nearness makes the goodvibes stronger.)
Posted by: Bipolarlawyercook | November 12, 2007 at 08:07 PM
Thank you, BLC.
So that's your neighborhood, huh? It's very pretty. I was staring out the windows looking at all the 100-year-old brick apartment buildings and wondering what they were like inside, what it would be like to live in an apartment with a round corner room and probably high ceilings and wood floors.
I almost typed that "we" were looking out the windows and thinking about all of this, but I caught myself in time. Sam, of course, was only thinking of how much he was hating his situation and whether he could possibly escape.
Posted by: Sara | November 12, 2007 at 09:08 PM
awww, poor kitty.
I once had to drive 200 miles with a yowling cat in a crate in the front seat. Immediately after a trip to the vet during which it took 4 techs to hold her down and draw blood samples. She was hoarse after about 50 miles but did not stop until we were about 20 miles from our destination. At which point - g-d help me - a song I like came on the radio and I tapped my fingers on the crate roof, where my hand had been resting. Which woke the poor thing up. Very bad day for Edie.
Posted by: alphabitch | November 12, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Aww, sweet Sam. He knows when it's time to sing the blues.
Posted by: Kay | November 13, 2007 at 01:17 AM
poor guy, poor claws - hope his happiness at being healthy puts all this in distant cat memory - and that he sings along with your ring tone for a long time to come - Cat Kareoke (sic) - ready to market it for Xmas?
Posted by: elizabeth | November 13, 2007 at 03:17 AM
Alphabitch, though I had a cat once who meowed every twenty seconds without fail, even while eating and drinking, all the way from California to Boston, and then for the whole week we boarded him while looking for a place to live (and you can imagine how happy the vet staff were when we took him home), I think that if poor little Sam had had to stay in that carrier for even a minute longer than he did, he might have ruptured something.
Hyperthyroidism makes kitties very, very antsy. They can't sit still for very long, they can't be comfortable unless they're asleep, their tummies are upset all the time and they're hungry all the time (sound familiar, Kay?), they run hot, their hearts usually get enlarged and murmur, they get extra ear wax so their little ears drive them batsh*t with the itchies -- oh, it goes on and on. Add to that being stuck in a plastic box for an hour and fifteen minutes while we drove and waited -- ugh. The poor little being. The plan was to put him on beta blockers before even trying to do anything else for him.
Kay, yes. All of our cats have had very specific musical tastes. Java the Mensa Cat loved classical and jazz. Furry Lewis, of course, loved the blues, as I discovered when he first attached himself to me by the way he purred and purred and purred while we sat in a rocking chair together listening to a blues festival on the radio. And Sam has been favoring jazz, but I think he may be crossing over. You'd think he'd have gotten there sooner since he attached himself to my true love while wandering the railroad tracks howling for food, but no, he had to be put in a portable kitty jail before he really understood.
I guess I should be grateful he didn't go the way of country western. That could've gotten ugly.
Elizabeth, thank you for your good wishes. And I think I'll have to pass on the karaoke album for now, but there's always this.
Posted by: Sara | November 13, 2007 at 08:00 AM
Sending Sam the mojo....
Posted by: TheAmpuT | November 13, 2007 at 07:40 PM
Thank you, AmpuT!
The vet called to say there was nothing unexpected in his pre-treatment scans, and that he was responding well to beta blockers, which he ate like a champ when they were stuffed inside of treats. His heart is a little enlarged, and it looks like he's going to have arthritis from some prior trauma (good grief how I wonder what happened to this poor little guy to land him with us!), but she has reasonable hopes for successful treatment and is planning to continue moving ahead, barring unforeseen catastrophe, of course.
Fingers crossed. Thanks for your good wishes, everyone.
Posted by: Sara | November 13, 2007 at 07:45 PM
We are sending our hope to Sam. And to you, too!
Ever since he arrived in your life my CatGirl has asked for a daily update. We are antsy for you two, knowing that it will be a tough week...
Posted by: Jana | November 14, 2007 at 12:33 AM
Thank you, Jana and CatGirl.
^ ^
° °
=*=
Posted by: Sara | November 14, 2007 at 09:32 AM
Okay, that looks more like a rat than a cat, but too bad. I've been pet-sitting at a house with a rat this week, and I guess it's affecting my Artistic Vision. ;)
Posted by: Sara | November 14, 2007 at 09:35 AM