Money money money money... MONEY!

Own animals, and at some point or another, you will probably have a medical emergency. Or several. At the same time.

I balk at taking myself to the doctor when I'm sick. "I don't want to pay the $35 co-pay! I'll just take an Advil and hope for the best." But when something happens to one of my animals, to the vet we go.

Ramses had been acting for the last 2 weeks like he was trying to start up another bladder infection. He had been licking his genital area repeatedly, but his urine production was normal, and he wasn't in and out of the litter box like last time. I had been monitoring his output like a crazy person, and I was just starting to think we had nipped it in the bud, when Wednesday, it decreased exponentially. That evening, it was down to a trickle.

I took him to the vet the next morning, and they did an urinalysis, which came back saying he had a bladder infection and crystals in his urine. They decided to keep him for the day to see if his output would increase, to make sure his urethra wasn't blocked- a life-threatening emergency that can and will end in a painful, horrible death if not treated. Basically, the urine backs up in the bladder, which can result in severe kidney failure*.

They sent him home with me yesterday evening and told me he had not urinated all day, so I needed to watch him. If he still hadn't urinated by morning, I needed to bring him back in.

I brought him home and set him up in my bathroom. Several times he got in and out of the litter box- nothing. Not even a drop. He was also walking a little funny. Otherwise, he ate a little, he drank some, he rubbed on my legs, he played with some toys, he climbed into a plastic bag, and he laid next to me, purring. But the no urine thing was making me more and more nervous. Finally, I called my vet's emergency number.

He told me he would meet me at the clinic at 10:15 that night, and he would probably have to catheterize Ramses. Fortunately, he said he would not charge me the emergency fee. I dropped Ramses off and gave him lots of loving (and apologies for having to leave him). The vet called me right before 11 last night to let me know that he had gotten the catheter in with no problem and he would call me with an update in the morning.

I called first thing when the clinic opened to see how Ramses had passed the night. They said he was doing well, and I could come visit him if I wanted. I went on my lunch break to see how my little boy was doing.

Not a happy camper with his IV and catheter

When we went back and the tech first opened the cage, he hunkered down, not wanting to be touched or messed with anymore. But when I said, "Ramses", his head shot up, his eyes met mine and lit up, and he started purring and kneading his paws from the moment I started scratching his head. He spent our entire visit purring and rubbing on me. It made me feel happy for myself, but I felt so bad when I had to stand up, shut the cage, and leave to go back to work. I probably cried the whole way. Due to his catheter leaking, his underside was damp and soiled, as was the towel he was laying on, so I had some techs get him a new, dry towel so that he would be more comfortable. The vet found me and told me that Ramses had been blocked, but there was no blood in the bladder, so it was caught early, which I am very thankful for. He said they will probably take the catheter out tomorrow morning, and then Ramses can hopefully come home Monday.

I miss my cuddlebug so much. This weekend won't be the same without him. But I am so grateful that he is doing better. I feel like God has really showed me how much He loves me through this experience- especially with the "Don't worry. Just smile." billboard I suddenly noticed on my way back from visiting Ramses, while I was thanking God for taking care of him.

*Unfortunately for me and everyone else who has a male cat, urethra blockage is very prevalent in male cats, who have very tiny urethras. Female cats' urethras are larger in diameter, meaning crystals and other things that don't belong in the urine can pass through safely. Crystals form in urine that is not at the correct neutral pH- struvite crystals form in alkaline urine, and oxalate crystals form in acidic urine. Ramses had struvite crystals in his urine. One way to combat this problem is to make sure your cat gets PLENTY of water so that his urinary tract is continually flushing out. Cats do not have a good thirst response and therefore do not get the water intake they need from just drinking. Adding canned food to your cat's diet helps him to get the water that he needs while he is eating. Plus, a lot of cats think they are receiving a special treat whenever canned food is offered! Ramses will now have to be on a prescription diet for the rest of his life that helps prevent crystals from forming- there's a dry food and a canned food- but paying for that is better than paying an emergency vet bill to get him unblocked again!