(no subject)

Fourteen hours' sleep. And two hours later, my brain has only just started functioning again.

(I woke up starving.)

Yeah. I guess I really was tired after all.

I think today gets to be a day off, really.

(no subject)

Fourteen hours' sleep. And two hours later, my brain has only just started functioning again.

(I woke up starving.)

Yeah. I guess I really was tired after all.

I think today gets to be a day off, really.

The Cat: help, please?

Um. What do you guys know about viruses of the mouth which affect cats?

We took the boy to the vet today, because his gums are red rather than pink and look swollen, he's been drooling more and smellier than usual (also yellower), and he's been only picking at his hard food. Although wet food still equals nom nom nom, apparently.

It's been what, three years since this cat saw a vet? Yeah, bad human, I know. But vets are expensive, and I'm a student, and it never seemed particularly urgent.

So the vet, who's an unpersonable country bloke in his mid-forties, pokes around in the boy's mouth for half a minute, and says, mouth virus, recurring, needs steroids and antibiotics to treat, also cleaning of the mouth and removal of any loose teeth. And oh, since it's most likely a recurring thing, maybe you want to think about having him put down if it comes back again.

This is a cat who's, admittedly, never been very energetic, and gets bullied by every other creature in the neighbourhood, most of the time. We got him as a rescue cat, and he's always had a bit of a limp, too.

But, um. Vets recommend putting down cats who have treatable mouth viruses? Who are still eating and purring and otherwise much as they've always been?

The boy's only about four, four and half years old, and hell, if it is a recurring thing it's going to be a hell of an expense and an annoyance, what with the whole mouth-cleaning and steroids costing hundred forty euro and needing to feed him pills. But if it's an expense that only happens once or twice a year I'm damn well up for it.

The vet, who I started out disliking and now rather distrust, since I'm really rather opposed to euthanising animals unless they're beyond help (I figure if you take home an animal, you ought to front up and not euthanise them unless they're in the same kind of straits where you could see the merits for euthanising a human, because sentience is one of those tricky ethical propositions where I do not buy your average humans are the only sentient species on the planet crap. Although I own to hypocrisy, since I do eat meat.) - the vet now suggests that we should leave the cat in tomorrow night for the mouth-cleaning operation the following morning, and oh, if it turns out he has cancer of the mouth or something, said vet will call us.

Which we're doing. Although I really wish I'd gone alone, and not had the parent with me (the parent has a car, which is necessary for cat transport) since that meant the vet talked at the parent, and not to me, and the parent will get the call, not me.

Well, to the extent said vet spoke clearly to us as people, rather than as annoyances getting in the way of his (possibly I project, but he was definitely not a personable person) bottom line, he spoke at the parent.

(Which is probably all to the good, since I have lately discovered within me a boundless rage for specialists who fail to explain themselves clearly or talk down to people. They have joined politicians and missionaries among the category of people I would rather punch than talk to.)

But, mouth viruses. Can any knowledgeable sort point me at more information, please?

The Cat: help, please?

Um. What do you guys know about viruses of the mouth which affect cats?

We took the boy to the vet today, because his gums are red rather than pink and look swollen, he's been drooling more and smellier than usual (also yellower), and he's been only picking at his hard food. Although wet food still equals nom nom nom, apparently.

It's been what, three years since this cat saw a vet? Yeah, bad human, I know. But vets are expensive, and I'm a student, and it never seemed particularly urgent.

So the vet, who's an unpersonable country bloke in his mid-forties, pokes around in the boy's mouth for half a minute, and says, mouth virus, recurring, needs steroids and antibiotics to treat, also cleaning of the mouth and removal of any loose teeth. And oh, since it's most likely a recurring thing, maybe you want to think about having him put down if it comes back again.

This is a cat who's, admittedly, never been very energetic, and gets bullied by every other creature in the neighbourhood, most of the time. We got him as a rescue cat, and he's always had a bit of a limp, too.

But, um. Vets recommend putting down cats who have treatable mouth viruses? Who are still eating and purring and otherwise much as they've always been?

The boy's only about four, four and half years old, and hell, if it is a recurring thing it's going to be a hell of an expense and an annoyance, what with the whole mouth-cleaning and steroids costing hundred forty euro and needing to feed him pills. But if it's an expense that only happens once or twice a year I'm damn well up for it.

The vet, who I started out disliking and now rather distrust, since I'm really rather opposed to euthanising animals unless they're beyond help (I figure if you take home an animal, you ought to front up and not euthanise them unless they're in the same kind of straits where you could see the merits for euthanising a human, because sentience is one of those tricky ethical propositions where I do not buy your average humans are the only sentient species on the planet crap. Although I own to hypocrisy, since I do eat meat.) - the vet now suggests that we should leave the cat in tomorrow night for the mouth-cleaning operation the following morning, and oh, if it turns out he has cancer of the mouth or something, said vet will call us.

Which we're doing. Although I really wish I'd gone alone, and not had the parent with me (the parent has a car, which is necessary for cat transport) since that meant the vet talked at the parent, and not to me, and the parent will get the call, not me.

Well, to the extent said vet spoke clearly to us as people, rather than as annoyances getting in the way of his (possibly I project, but he was definitely not a personable person) bottom line, he spoke at the parent.

(Which is probably all to the good, since I have lately discovered within me a boundless rage for specialists who fail to explain themselves clearly or talk down to people. They have joined politicians and missionaries among the category of people I would rather punch than talk to.)

But, mouth viruses. Can any knowledgeable sort point me at more information, please?