Urine For It Now

Poor Pudgy.  She pee’d on the bathroom run.  She pee’d on the boot tray. She pee’d on the kitchen rug, and she pee’d in a freshly dried basket of laundry.  Pudgy was miserable, and I wasn’t far behind.

Earlier in the week I had taken her to the Veterinarian where it was discovered she had a urinary infection.  The Vet suspected her cat food was causing her to be too acidic, and thus sharp, glass-like crystals had formed in her urine.

As a consequence it hurt to pee.  In a cat’s way of thinking, maybe, just maybe, someplace other than the litter box would be comfortable.

The Vet placed her on an antibiotic and a special food designed to alkalize her digestion process.  The first few days it seemed to be working, but then she relapsed over the weekend.  Having a sad, wilting, cat is heart-wrenching.

Pudgy is normally feisty and frisky.  With her bladder issues, she was lethargic and straining to urinate.  I was getting seriously worried there was more wrong than first realized. I felt that old pang of motherhood where I couldn’t fix my child’s cold or infection or fever.  Pudgy is a cat, but the feeling of wanting to protect and nurture is still there and strong.

This morning Pudgy and I returned to the Vet’s office.  He took an X-ray to make sure she didn’t have a kidney stone or some other issue he wouldn’t be able to detect in a routine exam.  Pudgy was cranky and growled at the doctor and his staff.  I couldn’t blame her.

Her X-rays showed she still had crystals in her urinary tract, but that there were no bigger issues.  The Vet prescribed a different antibiotic and told me to keep her on the special food.  He’d recheck her urine in two weeks.

As we drove home Pudgy tried to purr. It was a dull, quiet kind of purr. I stuck a finger into her carrier and stroked her head.  Many people think spending money on pets for medical treatment is a ridiculous waste.  Over the years I’ve had people say, “A bullet only costs a few cents, why pay a Veterinary?”  I can’t go there.  Pudgy and Booker give us joy, health, and love.  Returning the favor was the best part of my day.