bookofmirrors | Smithers

So, we took Smithers to the vet today to have him checked out. Turns out he has crystals in his urine. The vet said it basically burns like fire when he tries to urinate. Poor kitten. Anyway, he said many times he was soooooo glad we brought him in when we did, 'cause this sort of thing inevitably leads to an obstruction, which almost always leads to death within 36-48 hours. So, um, yeah, we're pretty glad we took him in, too! He gave him some shots - an antibiotic, 'cause he said there's always an underlying bacterial infection; an anti-inflammatory for the swelling in his urethra; and a smooth muscle relaxer, to relax the bladder and urethra. He said all that would help him pass the crystals. We also have pill forms of the first two, to give to him over the next couple of weeks.

The other thing we have to do is put him on a special diet, which he's going to be on for the rest of his life. Which means all the cats are going to be on it for the rest of his life (and maybe theirs, if they all like it). He said it was very palatable, and that he suggested that particular type, 'cause the type designed for the urinary problems is extremely bland, and a lot of cats don't really like it. He said with us having a multi-cat household, this stuff would work just as well, and it's VERY rare for cats not to love it! It's also a weight-reduction formula, which ain't gonna hurt any-a my cats none. (Maybe I should eat it...) So, we bought 3 20-pound bags of it, and some canned, for treats, 'cause I can't really give treats any more, unless they're approved (I got some approved kind while I was there, too). Turns out the that vet at Petsmart sells it, too, and our vet had already said they'd be happy to call/fax a prescription over, so we could get the employee discount on it in the future. Woo hoo, since it's even more expensive than the food we've given the cats in the past.

And, speaking of the other food we've given the cats in the past...

We can't give it to them anymore. At least, we can't give it to Smithers, and since it's way too much of a pain in the ass to separate out their food, we not not gonna give it to any of them. So, I have a shitload of cat food to give away. What I'm currently using is a mixture of Avo-Cat and Nature's Variety, a mix of the chicken, beef, and lamb flavors. Now, I'm not trying to give anyone food that will kill their cats. My other cats are fine, and the vet said that no one really knows why some cats get this problem, and others don't. He said it was caused by high magnesium levels, but that cats have to have some magnesium in their diets. Looking at the nutritional information on the websites, it looks like the new prescription diet has a "low" magnesium content of 0.59%, whereas the Avo-Cat has 0.9%, and the Nature's Variety has 1.2% (chicken), 0.25% (beef), and 0.12% (lamb). So, I don't think that this will cause problems in any cat that isn't already susceptible to them, in which case, if you're not already feeding your cat something with a ridiculously low amount of magnesium, they'll probably get it eventually, anyway. So, I don't feel that, by giving this away, I'm endangering anyone's pet. In fact, everyone who's ever used this stuff with their animals has seen a noticable change (for the better) in the condition of the cat's coat, the decrease in the amount of waste, etc.. (Ask

SimplySakka/

Wyzard_Vyrnahnn or

LuneNoire for testimonials.)

But, that's the bottom line here - I have a lot of cat food to give away. We had just done our usual huge purchase to keep in storage for a long time, so we have a mostly-full storage container of it (couldn't tell you how big the storage container is... say 15"x15"x45"?). Preference will be given to first-come-first-served, and those willing to pick it up themselves. We live by Emory.

Let the vultures descend! :)