We had a recent scary experience in our home. Back in mid-March, I noticed our cat Ender was looking a little lethargic. I didn't think too much about it at first. But then one evening I was fixing dinner and he came in the kitchen and plopped himself down in the middle of the floor. He NEVER lies on the floor in the kitchen. I gave him a little nudge to get him to move out of the way, but he would hardly budge. Still, he's a cat, which means he's stubborn by nature, so again, I did not think too much of it. He wandered off after a little while.
Later that evening Craig and I were sitting in the living room when we heard the most pathetic yowling. Seriously, words cannot describe it. We thought it was some weird siren at first. Then the cat came limping in. He looked awful. I followed him into the kitchen, where he collapsed on to the floor.
I checked him over, and found a MASSIVE lump in his belly. It was hard as a rock, and was obviously causing him a great deal of pain. My immediate thought was cancer.
I rushed him to the emergency room (yes, they have ERs for pets!), and the doctor immediately rushed him to the back. Turns out the massive lump was his BLADDER. The poor cat had stones that were blocking his urethra. Which means he couldn't pee. Probably in days. Can you imagine being forced to hold it for DAYS??!!
His Urea and Potassium levels were totally off the charts (as in, so high they literally could not chart it). Doc said that had we waited until morning, he would have been gone. He probably would not have lasted even another few hours. As it was, he was just barely hanging on.
Fortunately, the doc was able to remove the stones and drain the bladder. Ender was in the hospital for several days. The house seemed so different without him. We never realized how much he meant to us until he wasn't there. We knew we loved him, of course, but when he was gone it was like a weird void was left in his place, and none of us liked it. Cameron was particularly upset, and really wanted his cat back!
I am happy to report that all is well with Ender. It has been over a month since the incident, and he is back to his normal self. We were told that his issue is very common in male neutered cats (I remember our cat growing up had a very similar problem). Ender is now on a special diet. It is outrageously overpriced, but it will help keep him well. For us, he is worth it. Our pets are not just animals. They are our family, and we take care of our family.
There is a humerous side to this. They used a catheter to drain the bladder, but they had to shave a little fur on his rear. We have been calling him "Baboon Butt" all month, lol. Fortunately for him, the fur is starting to grow back in.
