Introducing… Beatrix Andrew

Beatrix is the newest addition to the Andrew family. We adopted her a week ago from a cat rescue- she was about 12 weeks old. My husband and I love her dearly, and Bryan (our 10YO cat) is taking to her very well so far. She is a classic tabby. We named her Beatrix after Beatrix Kiddo, but she also looks quite a bit like Beatrix Potter’s Tom Kitten illustrations.

A few days after Bea came home, she got really, really sick. She tested positive for the Feline calicivirus, as well as Mycoplasma Felis. She has pneumonia as a result. Here’s a timeline of her illness:

Sat afternoon, 7/10: Normal activity level and appetite. Sneezed a few times so I monitored her carefully, knowing the risk of upper respiratory diseases in kittens. Normal cycles of playing, eating, sleeping.

Sunday, 7/11: Normal activity level and appetite. Sneezed several times. Normal cycles of playing, eating, sleeping.

Monday, 7/12: Slightly decreased appetite but still bright and playful. Sneezed several times.

Tuesday, 7/13: More sneezing, eating but not with the enthusiasm that she had on Sat/Sun. Not as playful but not lethargic. My vet did a house call in the evening and took a throat/eye swab. She looked for mouth ulcers and did not see any. Temperature was 101.5.

Wednesday, 7/14: Sneezing about the same, limping began, appetite the same. Did not look quite as robust as she did on Sat/Sun.

Thursday, 7/15: Decreased activity level, limping, sneezing, appetite weaker, appeared to be dropping weight. Ate two extremely small meals despite several attempts with fragrant soft food, one in the morning and one very late at night.

Friday, 7/16: Pronounced decrease in activity level. Slept virtually all day and showed little interest in surroundings. Diarrhea. Sores in throat. Sleeping in more secluded places (under bed instead of on bed, etc). Obvious weight loss, lost her roly-poly kitten appearance. Still drinking well but barely eating. Looked weak when she walked. Temperature was 103.5 at home. Brought her in to Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in the evening and she stayed over. This was the first time she left the house since we brought her home. Got the swab results (positive for Calici and Mycoplasma). Temperature was 103.8 at the hospital. X-rays showed beginning signs of pneumonia. Got fluids, antibiotics, coupage, nebulizer, pain killer, etc as treatment.

Saturday, 7/17: Ate in the AM at the hospital. Temperature had dropped and was normal by the afternoon. Much rounder in appearance. Far more alert. Eating very well. Drinking very well. Slept almost all day. Still has diarrhea although vet tech said she had none at the hospital. Slept on bed part of the night and in cat bed part of the night. Started the Metronidazole (antibiotic for diarrhea), Chloramphenicol (antibiotic), and Buprenex (pain killer for mouth ulcers). I am bringing her in the bathroom for 15-minute steam vapor treatments a few times a day and working on my coupage technique.

Sunday, 7/18: Brighter-looking and acting. Looking roly-poly again. Extremely affectionate in the early morning (purring, rubbing, etc). Eating very well. Drinking very well. Diarrhea in the AM but firmed up by PM (not normal yet but improving). Started to think about playing with toys. I am limiting her activity, but left three “boring” toys in the bedroom so she does get into something destructive like chewing electric cords or something equally awful.

Monday, 7/19: Good appetite, drinking very well, bright and getting more playful. I can still see slightly labored breathing. Extremely affectionate in the early morning (purring, rubbing, etc).

In brighter news, it was a pleasure to see some really nice press in the Pet Connection blog!

Sarah’s Wizard: Sarah K. Andrew could be one of the best photographers of horses in the business. The more I read her Rock and Racehorses blog I more I realize that her photographs are an extension of her soul. In the latest post, she muses during an indoor ride on Wizard, a.k.a her Gumby Horse. Sarah’s prose is sensitive yet accessible, relaxed yet precise, and another beautiful reminder of the different forms the bond between person and animal can take. Her portrait of Wizard is worth a thousand words.