Global Reflections

I just wanted to do a quick update on the kittens. Isis recovered normally, no problems. Cleo appeared to recover normally at first, but then she regressed. On Thursday, she refused to eat, drink, move, or defend herself when Isis attacked her (real attacks, not just playing; the vet said it was because Cleo didn't smell like Cleo when she was sick). A friend was staying at our apartment to use our internet connection while Jeff and I both were at the embassy, and she reported when I got home that Cleo at one point couldn't even support her own head. She was wide awake, but her head suddenly flopped over onto its side. I called the vet. He said to bring both kittens in for more antibiotics. I called Jeff and asked him to come home. With Isis still attacking Cleo, I couldn't put them in the same carrier, so I needed an extra pair of hands. Plus, my kitten was sick, I was worried, and I wanted my husband. Also, Cleo most definitely has decided that she's Jeff's kitten, just like Isis has decided that she's mine. (The lap preferences are incredibly consistent.) It seemed entirely possible that Cleo was dying, and I wanted Jeff to be with her if that happened.

So Jeff came home. We borrowed an extra cat carrier from a neighbor, and we went off to the vet. Isis got her shot normally, loud protests and all. Cleo had her temperature taken--a very invasive procedure; think about it--and didn't protest at all. She just sat there for her shot. Of course this behavior didn't soothe our concerns. We arranged with the vet for his assistant to come by our apartment the next day to give Cleo another shot, since the vet is closed on Fridays.

By the time the assistant got here on Friday, it was clear that Cleo was recovering. She still was subdued, but she was eating and drinking normally--actually, more than normal, since she was making up for going without for a couple of days. Isis no longer was attacking her and instead was cuddling with her. But of course she got her shot anyway. She protested vehemently this time; as the one who was trying to hold her, I have the bright red dot on my finger to prove it. She improved throughout the weekend. Now she's acting normally, at least as normal as our crazy kittens ever act. She's even managed to pull out a stitch. The vet already had prescribed an antibiotic ointment for both kittens because they started trying to pull them out the day after they were put in. Originally, yesterday was the last day for the ointment treatment, but when the vet heard how much better Cleo was doing, he told us to continue with the ointment. He didn't say how long, but with these two, I think we'll keep using it until it runs out.