Foster Cat Journal: Princess Fifi Returns from the Edge then Drifts Back Again

Princess wasn't feeling well yesterday morning. She didn't want to eat, she was shivering. I put her in the bathroom with a space heater blasting. Sam held her while I got some nutrical and some kayro syrup. Nothing worked. She wouldn't perk up.

I already had a Vet app't for 11am for Spencer, so I used that for Princess. She was getting limper and more lethargic by the minute. I started to get really scared. I called Connie and Jennifer, but none of us had many ideas other than to get her to the Vet.

Of course I got nailed with my you-know-what, so I was sick to my stomach, had bad cramps and was miserable and feeling overly emotional. Poor Princess. I kept thinking we were going to lose her before we got to the Vet. I felt so awful that Sam drove. It worked out better that way because I got to keep Princess warm. She just laid in my arms and didn't move. I pinched her ear. Nothing. I rubbed her paws. Nothing. I started to cry. I couldn't lose her!

Awesome-Lauren took Princess from me moments after we walked in the door to Maple Ridge. I had to go outside because I started to cry again and I didn't want to upset Dr. Larry's other clients. Damn Period! Even without it I would have been crying. I didn't know if that was the last time I'd ever see Princess FiFi again.

©2010 Connie Henrici. Princess finally eats after she gets to the Vet.

Temp was 106.1°F. BG 144 (good). They put her on an IV. We went home and waited. What I didn't know was that her temp continued to go UP. It went just over 107°F and she was about to start having seizures, but she got the IV in time and she started to cool off before we lost her. I was in 1 hour of losing her. Thank GOODNESS I got her to the VET!.

Sam called at 2pm to check on her, because I had an adopter here...my very first one under the Kitten Associates banner! He actually is the brother of the potential adopter...long story for later...so he was checking out Honey B. since his sister lives in NYC. Sam got the news that Princess was perking up, while I wondered what the this guy was thinking about Honey B. I couldn't tell!

I had a family coming to meet Cinnamon in a few hours, so Connie came over (since she is with AID and they are paying for Princess FiFi's care) and Sam drove them over to Dr. Larry's to pick up Princess and transport her to the VCA Shoreline VREC. They're open 24/7, which is what we needed. Larry was about to close up shop for the weekend, so we had no choice. I felt better knowing Princess would have round-the-clock monitoring, although it's very expensive to keep her there and the discount to non-profits is a measly 10%.

The family came over and adopted Cinnamon! She's my very first adoption under my own rescue group. I wanted to celebrate, but after such an emotional day I was happy to sit down and do nothing for awhile. Meanwhile, Cinnie will continue to stay here until Oct. 4th, when her family will be back from their vacation and be ready to give her their undivided attention. Cinnie will be living with a married couple, their 13 yr old daughter, two 6-yr old cats and a 4 yr old chocolate lab (who is the "Omega" dog, as he gets beat up by the cats and doesn't care). I think Cinnie will be happy there, plus they live close by so maybe I'll be able to stop in a see her?

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Princess got through the night, but her temp kept creeping upwards, then back down. She only went as high as just over 104°F, but her appetite and personality also waned as she got hotter. I spoke with the Vet this morning and she wants to continue to provide supportive care to Princess throughout the afternoon, then re-evaluate the situation again. Since she is so tiny and fragile, of course I fear the worst. She could have ANYTHING, not just a simple URi. I need to know what she's got and if the other kittens are going to get sick, too. Although they did not share food, water or litter, they were in the same room. I am very worried. What is making little Princess so sick?

All I can do is wait and see...