Indy has always been an enigma.
To tell you 15 years of unexplained issues in Indy would require me a write a book, but I think regular readers would remember the many times that Indy had baffled vets with his unexplained and unidentifiable illnesses which miraculous resolved itself either by trial and error or by sheer luck and that’s 50% of each.
This round and it’s not the first time is his unwillingness to eat. Or was it he being extremely choosy or taking too long take the first bite of food, I don’t know.
But many weeks ago, Indy stopped eating his baby food in the morning. He’s been on baby food for a long time now, ever since he had that breakfast vomiting problem. Baby food (Cindy’s pureed food with goat’s milk) was the only thing he could retain in the morning.
Then some weeks ago, Indy stopped eating the baby food.
That spelled trouble. What is he going to eat now?
So I resorted to force feeding him Coco&Joe’s. Fortunately, if he isn’t sick, Indy is very, very easy to force feed. You just plop blobs of food into his mouth and he will most willingly swallow them. One minute is all it takes and he’s fed.
So I’ve been doing this three times a day for weeks now. Indy, in fact, looks great. His conformation looks good, he has a “waist”. And he’s been good too. And he hasn’t vomited out the food until two days ago. It was just a one-off thing.
But yesterday, after Hiro bit my first finger on my right hand so badly that it is swollen until now. So I’ve lost my feeding and pilling finger. I’m totally right handed and my left hand is as useless as it comes.
I’ve long realised what a nightmare it is to even lose the use of any one of our fingers. I used to accidentally cut my thumb very often whenever I cut vegetables and believe me, if you are a parent who has to cook, wash, clean and do everything and there is no one to take over when you are incapacitated, you will surely agree with me. One finger temporarily “out of service” and you are unable to do so, so many things. Right?
So to force feed Indy yesterday, I had to use my middle finger. But it felt awkward and Indy bit my middle finger. So there goes TWO fingers out of commission now!
Fortunately, Indy’s bite wasn’t was deadly as Hiro’s. Granted, Hiro wasn’t feeling well and I tried to force feed him, that made him very angry.
So this morning, I wasn’t going to risk getting another finger on my right hand out of commission, otherwise, my entire right hand will be unuseable and that would be a complete nightmare with Jayden and 18 cats to look after.
So what could Indy eat then?
Hmm…back to baby food?
He ate! Boleh makan sendiri, kan? Yang pergi mengada-ngada tu apasal?
Good! Otherwise, he’d be starving.
Yesterday I was only able to force feed him a minimum amount due to the excruciating pain in my first finger (my pilling and feeding finger). So by evening, Indy was yelling. Yes, “yelling”. Not yowling or mewing, or howling, but yelling. I know he was hungry. I just gave him some kibble with the hope that it wouldn’t cause any stomach upset in him.
Indy has the weirdest stomach too.
Everything is weird about Indy. But my husband says Indy is a TCM doctor. That’s Traditional Cat Medicine for you. He heals himself.
Okay, fine, if only he’d feed himself too – that would be good.
Cow also needs daily pilling. The story is like this: Cow always gets inflamed eyes and it would start tearing up pretty badly. Maximum Ophtal, which did wonders for Bunny did nothing for Cow. So I experimented with papase enzyme (Beazyme) and it actually helped! I told my vet and she said it’s fine, so Cow is now on daily papase enzyme. It works as an anti-inflammatory.
That’s barefoot experiential “medicine”!
Pilling Cow is a challenge, but it can be done. However, I need my pilling finger. So this morning, I had to just open his mouth and plop the tablet in without pushing it down his throat. Luckily he was willing to swallow it.
Pilling Cleo and Samantha is completely out of the question. That is Mission: Impossible. Whoever can pill these two, I bow nine times to you.