An update for everyone after your kind words and support for our boy Toulouse. I am including some photos of our road trip which was really long, and very tiring for cat dad Paul. The weather threatened rain but it did not appear, thankfully, until we were on our way home.
- I took smartphone photos for speed so none of these are fancy.
We were up very early and Toulouse got a small meal with Gabapentin in it. It worked, he was very quiet on the way there. We had a bit of a wait but there was a special cat waiting area so so stressful mixing with dogs. The staff at Massey were super helpful, friendly and kind and there were even Feliway sprayed blankets to cover cat carriers with. This worked well for Touly as you can see.
After the usual questions and form filling we had to leave him with the Cardiologist for a through examination and ultrasound.
We explored a little of Palmerston North and grabbed some lunch. It used to be a wonderful place with some gorgeous buildings, like the Town Hall and the Regent on Broadway Theatre, but others had not been well cared for so it felt a bit sad.
Diagnosis for Toulouse
He is confirmed as having heart disease. Mostly it affects the right side of his heart. He has been given daily medication to ensure no fluid build up around his heart Flusapex/Frusemide and a new one Clopidogrel, a blood thinner.
- The second is bitter and will prove difficult to administer but we will work our way around it when the medicine arrives.
Toulouse got fidgety so we had to help by feeding him Puree Kisses (the tube treats) while the vet nurse held him firmly and the Cardiologist finished her heart scans. Four of us were gathered around Touly (who was seriously hungry) letting him guzzle stuff and holding him down – I wish I could have taken a photo I am sure you ALL would be in fits of giggles.
Rainy Road Trip Back
The heavens opened on our way home. Thankfully, we were able to follow the road on my smartphone and once we were on the motorway it became a lot easier to drive.
Touly got a bit restive on the trip back so, half an hour from home we pulled over and I moved his carrier on to my lap so he could see where we were going. He was interested as, unlike Dusty, he had never been so far from home before.
It was a full-on day with everyone was tired when we got home. Needless to day we sent out for a pizza treat and a tired tabby crashed after his long day.
PS I am looking at different colours on the blog (if it looks different to you) I am not quite there yet…
Cat Photographer, Instructor and Writer
Professional Member of the Cat Writers Association,
Winner of the Kuykendall Image Award
Published at the Guardian newspaper
