11 Nov 2007, Sunday

Another early rising, around 7, I think it may have been because I was so warm. Not only had I forgotten  to turn the heat down before I went to sleep (I'd mainly turned it on because I figured maybe a 60 degree house might not be the best for an ailing kittie), but I was hemmed in by a cat on each side. 

It was a good day/bad day for Jenny. She seemed at least semi-perky and her eyes were bright .  I gave her some water and then a dropperful of her medicine. This was not as easy as it had seemed when the vet did it. I could tell she was better, because she resisted much more forcefully than she did the day before. More water, but no food. Maybe I should have tried feeding her before giving the medicine. The food did not go to waste, of course: Katie the chowhound cat was circling around wondering what Jenny was getting that she wasn't. I figured, why not? She probably needed the extra nutrients also. I tried again about an hour later, this time the food thinned with water. Nope. A bit of finely diced chicken hot dog? Nope not that either, but once again, Katie was up for it. Jenny did take some more water though. I had been putting the water in a teacup and holding it under her chin so she didn't have to work too hard to get it. I knew it was so hard for her to get up and down off of the bed, even with the kittie steps, so I figured, what the heck, it is just a bedspread and would wash if it got anything on it. I was feeding her and bringing her water while she was laying oin the bed. I did put a towel under her though, in case she had an accident or got sick. I  took her to the litterbox and helped her stand up so she could pee.

I made tea and brought it and the Sunday paper into the bedroom so I could sit with her. She seemed so pitiful when I would leave the room. I hadn't read Friday or Saturday's papers either, so I read those first. It was a rather pleasant couple of hours sitting in bed reading. Katie was hopping on and off the bed, staying for awhile then wandering off. I was trying to pay as much attention to her as I could, I knew she was jealous of all the attention that Jenny was getting. They might be sisters and littermates, but they are far from being best friends. When they were kittens they would sleep in a huddle together, but I cannot remember the last time I saw them do that. They will sit next to each other sometimes, but no charming scenes of kitties entwined around each other for them. Just like human siblings, I suppose: we are all different.

Around 10:30 or 11, Jenny suddenly hurled herself off the bed. I couldn't believe she could move that fast, then she was sick all over the floor. We are talking Exorcist-like sick here. Maybe it is a good thing that she barely ate anything. It is definitely a good thing I have a good supply of Oxy-clean spray. I got her to swallow some more water and then helped her back onto the bed. I began to think it was a very good thing indeed that I work mostly at home, so that I could take time out to just sit with her while she sipped water. I wonder if I would have noticed her symptoms a bit earlier if the week before had not been a production/tech week for opening the play. 

In any event, I couldn't stay sitting with her on the bed all day long. I thought maybe I'd try to get to the store as soon as I could to buy a little cat bed so that she could sit in the studio while I worked. In the meantime, I improvised. A low box with a pillow in it, plus the little catnip-scented blanket-pad thing that the vet had given her on top of the pillow. Well, no need to buy a cat bed. I should have known that she wouldn't want to sit in it. She would just crawl out each time I put her in it. I got another towel and put it on my extra office chair and set Jenny on that. She stayed there for hours, purring and watching me work, seemingly quite content. Meanwhile, that little minx, Katie, was visibly peeved. I tried hugging her and petting her, but she hates to be picked up, so that was not all that easy. Then she walked over to the little improvised cat bed. She got in and I thought, good, it will get used! Unfortunately, while I watched, Katie gave me a scathing look (if you have cats, you know they can) and promptly peed on it, then looked right at Jenny. They have lovely green eyes, but Katie's are full of jealousy. This is going to get worse before it gets better, methinks. In so many ways.

For dinner, I made myself some salmon, poached in court boullion. I also made rice and a spinach salad, possibly my all time favorite meal. I chopped up some of the salmon, added in a bit of rice and a spinach leaf or two and took it in to Jenny. I was very happy to see her eat a little of it, not much, a teaspoon or two at most. Even though Katie had gotten a nice portion of the same thing (and before I fed Jenny,of course!!), she got Jenny's leftovers also. Afterwards, we all went back into the studio to watch a little TV and so that I could make a stab at catching up on my email. Jenny was sitting on the spare office chair again and Katie was sitting on my keyboard (as usual). Awhile later, Jenny leapt off the chair. I was afraid she had fallen, because she lay on the floor, but it really looked like she jumped. The reason was apparent when a spreading puddle appeared. Poor Jenny, she looked so embarrassed, but I was absolutely amazed that, like when she had to throw up earlier, that she felt she had to get off the furniture and onto the floor! I remember that when they used to sound like one of the was trying to get rid of a furball, I would always say "Can't you go do that in the bathroom where it is tile?" Maybe she was actually paying attention, I thought as I cleaned the floor. Oh well, it is only carpet, it can be cleaned. Fortunately, nothing eventful happened the rest iof the evening.

More later, it is difficult to type with a Katie-cat on the keyboard, and I think she needs some attention right now too...