Watering a Cat
For the past several months, our sweet Sammy has been getting thinner and thinner. Well, strangely enough, after finding him (or him us) a few years ago at the height of the heat of a Las Vegas summer, he’s never really put on weight. However, he’s eaten like a horse, been checked numerous times at the vet, etc.
That’s what abandoning an animal can do to it. He used up all his potential stores of fat to the point that, no matter how much more he ate (eats), he just never put on weight. Underneath his coat, he “filled out” slightly. Now, unfortunately, he’s back to the skin and bones stage – moderate renal failure per vet tests.
Hence we have learned how to “water the cat” so to speak. I never foresaw having to IV anyone, not human or animal. But the process (if you have the right, amendable cat) is not that hard to do. Numerous VET videos exist online, especially in YouTube.
Just type in “hydrating a cat” or “how to hydrate a cat”. Having the knowledge beforehand, and being shown physically by our vet, has helped a lot.
With the heat unbearable, and it will be well into October most likely, it’s very important to make sure your “pets” (I really hate that term, they should be your “friends” of “family members”) require special attention. No matter where you are in the country!
On what can be considered the positive side, Sammy has taken to drinking from the bathtub faucet. The running water idea was clever, he seems very amiable to it, however, that also means there has to be someone home all the time, or within a short period of time to ensure he gets enough water.
I’m going to be looking at buying a cat drinking fountains (seriously) locally just as soon as I can find the time to get to any local pet store. I’ve done my research, now to find one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!
