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Boots is not doing too good.
He seems to be coughing a lot more then usual ( every single day 2-3 times a day)
Plus sneezing like all crazy too.
So I called my neighbor Shirley and asked her about her Vet and she gave me
their phone # and I have an appt with Boots tomorrow
He needs his shots too.
And I asked our neighbor Shirley ( who btw owns 8 cats of her own) if cats
can catch colds, and she said yes.
So its quite possible he does have a cold.
I mean he is not lethargic
And he is eating and drinking like normal
He just keeps coughing like
crazy & sneezing too.
So, off to the Vet he goes. I wanted a Vet that had ER services available. And, I also wanted a different Vet other then the Vet Misty had. I have Nothing against Mistys Vet, I just don't want to go down that memory lane with him.
This new Vet is a woman. And Shirley assures me that she is GOOD!

Anyway,Just what we need, more $$
charged on plastic, not. for a VET Bill! arrrrrrrrrrggggggggg
But, I can't have him coughing like crazy every day.
So, that is that. We have been putting this off for a long time.
And this way, we can take care of all the other little nagging problems my baby has.
He keep scratching away at his right ear.
So who knows that could be infected and causing him to cough too? I just won't know till the Vet looks at him
So anyway I also can get his nails clipped his ears cleaned and all his shots up to speed too. All in one fell swoop! LOL

I keep telling myself this is cheaper then a kid & diapers, lol
But, I just hope all this coughing is just something simple like a cold and not anything worse like allergies or bronchitis
So, Please keep good thoughts for Boots tomorrow at 2:30PM EST. AND I will keep you posted when all is said and done.
Thanks!

I'm sorry Boots is feeling bad. But I'm glad you decided to take him to the vet. And yes, it is cheaper than a baby! I'm sure he will be fine. I hope everything works out. Keep us posted.

Argh! I thought I had posted but I guess not. I'll see if I can remember what I wrote...

Cats have to be exposed to others cats in order for them to get a cold. If Boots is indoor then he could have got one from you petting a sick cat and bringing it home to him (petting him as soon as you got in without washing your hands). Still, cats typically only sneeze and get gucky (stuffed up nose and moist eyes) when they have a cold. For more info look up Upper Respiratory Infection.

Does it sound like he's trying to cough up a hairball? My cat did that for a while, getting worse and worse, until I got him some of that hairball goop and that fixed him up. I guess he'd started with a small hairball lodged in there and it kept growing and he still couldn't get rid of it. Either that or he had something else lodged in there, but I gave him the goop just once (the vet gave it to me, it's like molasses) and that fixed the problem.

Good luck to you and Boots.

I'm so sorry. I hope that the appointment goes well and that it's something simple. Hugs to you and Boots! Keep us posted.

I just wanted to give you a Boots Update.
We took him in his carrier to see Dr K at WestPark Animal Hospital.
He did NOT cry at all and in fact he loves to go in his carrier.
He was in and out of it all last night, lol
But anyway, we got there and its a real nice place CLEAN, & BIG & MODERN! I was impressed. And so was Bob, lol.
We saw DR K and she suggested that in order to know whats going on he will have to have an X-Ray! So,
He was X-Rayed and TG No Asthma at all.
I was worried about that.
But thankfully he does NOT have that at all. Whewwwww what a relief!

What he did have was an upper respiratory infection up towards his sinus's Which explained all the sneezing too.
So between the X-rays
the shot for the antibiotic
Cause No frickin way am I going to try and give a pill to a cat, lol
And the office visit Plus
All his updated shots of Rabies and two other feline
things he needed. My poor baby had 4 needles in him OUCH!
But I was so proud of him. My boy did not flinch, howl, scream, or cry
He was such a good boy!! I was in shock. He is the first cat ever that
co-operated in a Vets office.
I remember having one cat try to climb up my chest and hang on to my head in fear of his life to get away from the vet.
But not Boots. he was an angel.

Anyway the total damage out the door made us $300 poorer, lol
But he is worth it!!!!
He is such a good boy!!!!!
Plus we found out he weighs 11½ pounds
He is not obese, He is just Big for his age with a little pot belly, lol

Dr K said if he is still coughing by Monday then to call her.
So all went well and he is home now safe & sound.
And very happy to be so too, lol
Thank you all for all your concern.
I hope this shot will take care of his coughing & sneezing, lol
I know he will SLEEP good tonight! LOL

Yay! I'm glad Boots is ok! Give him extra cuddles from me!

I'm glad the report was good! And what a good boy at the vet, too!

I'm glad to hear Boots is going to be alright. And, as Eric Cartmen would say, he's not fat he's just big boned! So is my Max!

LOL Horse Racer @ the Cartman reference, YEP that he is indeed!
Of course I was warned that he would be Lethargic after having all those shots. But I had no idea it would take so long to kick in.
He still won't get out of bed for breakfast! And for him to miss a meal is
totally wacked! LOL.
But, its not like he can't afford to miss a meal, LOL
But sleep is good for him. And I am sure by tomorrow he will be back to his frisky self again.
Thanks to one and all for your great "well wishes"
BTW No coughing or sneezing from him in about 24 hours. In this case silence is indeed bliss!

Aw...good to hear that Boots is getting his health in order.

Whew. Glad everything turned out alright!!
Wasn't it Boots who was vomiting/drooling a bit on your bed?
You mentioned that you would not want to give Boots a pill and it reminded me of this joke (sorry if this has been posted here before):

How to give your Cat a Pill.

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrive cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear
paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.
Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cats head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep
shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, dring glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retriev cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges.
Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetnus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road.
Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid
cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind
tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from
shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while
doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from
right eye. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

BEEFCAKE! BEEFCAAAAKE!

Sorry--I couldn't resist.

Jen M.

(12-10-2009 12:30 PM)Horse Racer Wrote: [ -> ]I'm glad to hear Boots is going to be alright. And, as Eric Cartmen would say, he's not fat he's just big boned! So is my Max!

---

Glad Boots checked out OK!

Jen M.

LOL @ Bittercat at the Beef Cake remarks.. LOL Yep good old Cartman.
"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" LOL TG I don't have a kid like him, lol

Update on Boots.
Well today he finally ate & drank after a 24 hour time out of continous sleeping on his heating pad, lol.
BUT he is still sneezing. Not everyday, but he just sneezed now about 4 times as I am typing this out.
But DR K did say to give the meds till this Tues (12/15) to work in.
If he is still coughing & sneezing by then, then I will have to bring him back in.


LOL @ Beachbum at the "How to Give a Pill to a Cat" Bit.. Yep seen that a few times. Which was why I opted for the shot method, lol.

Glad he's eating again. They really don't do well if they don't eat for too long.

Hopefully, the meds will kick in for him soon.

Yeah. I couldn't resist making the "Beefcake" reference.

Jen M.

Update on Sir Boots, lol
I am happy to report that I have not heard him cough or have a sneeze fit in over 48 hours.
He did have one small sneeze the day before yesterday, but that was it.
That is good news so far.
AND he did reach the date mentioned by our vet.
She said if he was still coughing by today, then to bring him back in.
TG he is not, so, I am very happy to report he is doing fine, and happlly
sleeping on his heating pad, LOL

Thanks to one and all for your good healing wishes for my baby.
He is back to his old self again meowing for me to clean his box, lol.
" Yes your Magesty" LOL

Yay! I'm really glad to hear that. Cats can usually get rid of the cold by themselves, but not always.

To prevent the problem in future: If you are playing with other outdoor cats before coming home then wash your hands when you get in the door (before touching Boots). Almost all outdoor cats carry a cold virus that you can give to Boots (kind of like kids at school, they can be germ vectors). It is unlikely, and you shouldn't stop petting them because it is as easy as washing your hands, but keep it in mind!

Glad to hear he is doing better!

Jen M.

:UPDATE ON BOOTS:

Thanking everyone for your well wishes and concern.
After his Vet visit he seemed to be all better. But the last few days I have noticed him sneezing again. That bad ass cough he had is all gone thank goodness. But, he still comes up with these sneeze attacks.
Its not all the time like before. But I wonder what is triggering this for him?
I have no plans on taking him back to the vet unless he starts up with the bad cough every day. But thankfully that has over with so far.

But what is funny is.. I have allergies so I sneeze constantly, & Hubby says bless you to me.. He has allergies too, & he sneezes all the time. So naturally I say bless you back to him.
Now Boots joins the club with his sneezes, and we say Bless you to him.
There are more bless you's going on in this house on a daily basis, then what the Pope might do in a month of Sundays, LOL

I guess our 4 legged son wanted to be part of the family so now he has allergies too, LOL.

I'm glad he is doing better. I had heard of animals with allergies. If you do go back to the vet, you might want to ask about it.

Does he seem stuffed up at all? Like he has the sniffles? Or is it a 'clean' sounding sneeze? Does he breathing sound raspy at all? If he does sound a bit stuffed up then you can take him into the washroom with you when you have a bath or shower, as the steamed-up air helps to clear them up.

Other sources of URIs include below-freezing cold weather (if a cat goes outdoors, or if they sit in front of an open window) and any other of the problems that typically trigger asthma.

The biggest factor that seems to help fix up a sneezy cat - if it really is an Upper Respiratory Infection - is relatively good food. It doesn't have to be fantastically good, but I feed my cat an all-natural food (I like it because it is good for cats and kittens, which is good when I foster kittens) that costs less than Iams, and it clears up sneezy cats. I have had cats that won't stop sneezing for weeks and I feed them Iams when they arrive because that is what is given to me by the Humane Society. If their cold won't go away then I feed them my healthier kibble and they are usually all better within a week.

ETA: Some cats have allergies, but most of them get bumps or skin reactions, rather than sneezing. Check to see if he has any weird bumps on his skin. Those tend to be food reactions, or an allergy to plastic, so you would find those bumps near their face most often. Also, I once had a cat who was allergic to seafood and I found that out because he had the most violent reaction to fish-based catfood (the same brand as before, so it was just the seafood that caused problems) : he projectile vomited his wet food as soon as he swallowed it. This wasn't exactly pleasant, but at least it was an easy problem to solve.

If it's allergies... then I have no idea. If he doesn't get worse (and he isn't an outdoor cat, so that's good) then don't worry about it. Who knows, maybe he's a smart cat who enjoys the attention he gets!