A good knock on my head, a stark reminder – Juno needs sunshine.
I recently got acquainted with a new nutritionist and we got talking yesterday. I told him I contracted mycoplasma pneumonia and I mentioned Juno had a mycoplasma infection too, in early October this year.
His first question was: Mold? Fungi? Cold damp environment? How did your kitten contract it? He asked if I always stayed confined at home, away from the sun. I said no, I walk in the sun every day. Just that lately, there hasn’t been much sunshine.
Then it dawned on me.
Juno.
Juno hasn’t been getting enough sunshine.
Oh dear…it’s my bad.
When Juno was first rescued from the middle of the road, she was so small I had to keep her in the upstairs bedroom. The bedroom got the evening sun, though. Then we brought her downstairs when she was a bit bigger. But by then, her collapsed lung and aspiration pneumonia was uncovered. That had to be treated. I could not risk giving her time in the garden. So she was confined inside the house.
All our other cats have sunshine, soil and grass in their respective catios. Well, except for Tabs who doesn’t like other cats. But Tabs is smart, she goes upstairs to get sunshine from the bedroom window every day, so she gets her daily dose of sunshine, for long periods too. Smart. Riley goes upstairs too and she also goes to Bunny’s Place to play with the Blondies. The rest all have plenty on sunshine – Ginger and the Monsters, the Blondies.
Then, Juno had mycoplasma infection (not pneumonia, just the infection). I asked the vet to do many tests to rule out other more serious illness like heart disease, IMHA (what I fear most because of little Hiro), etc. She did, all ruled out, even repeated the FIV/FeLV and heartworm test – negative. The most likely was mycoplasma infection. Juno recovered with 14 days of Doxycycline and tender loving care.
Then Juno came down with coccidia infection which was so serious, she had to be hospitalised, on drip. So, little Juno was sick three times, and I never did get the chance to give her exposure to the garden, to more sunshine. To the natural world. She was always indoors.
I think that’s the answer I was seeking and my new nutritionist friend gave me a good knock on my head.
Juno needs more sunshine!
From today onwards, Juno is going to get daily sunshine. I’m going to put her in Bunny’s Place every morning to play with the Blondies and get some sunshine, eat grass and get a taste of the natural non-concrete world. I would just have to strengthen her immunity with probiotics. The expensive Feline Gut Soothe for her then.
I asked the vet why she has soft stools after eating grass. My vet says it could be due to a sensitive tummy.
Well, we will toughen her up.
Juno needs sunshine.
Cooked food for her until she passes the six month mark to prevent a relapse of the coccidia infection. Then we will see if she wants cooked or if I can switch her to raw. We’ll play it by ear then.
There’s no sunshine now, it’s only 4.45am. I could not sleep all night, but that would be the next story…
Disclaimer: This is only a sharing about Juno needing sunshine. It may or may not extend to all cats or other animals. If you do wish to expose your pet to some sunshine, kindly ensure your pet has the freedom to move away from the sunshine if he/she is uncomfortable. Over exposure to sunshine can cause heat stroke which may have very serious consequences.