Pax is in the ER, remix contest announcement postponed (Patreon)

PAX

UPDATE 8/7: Pax is still doing great! I've discovered that he just isn't really a water drinker. Milo's drinking in the water bowl every day and sticking her paws in there like it's a toy, but Pax couldn't care less. So no wonder he was so dehydrated. So it's up to me to give him as many moist foods as possible. He (and Milo) both love the Nulo mousse and it's a complete nutrition so that's going to become their main food source. He sometimes likes goat's milk, sometimes not. And he loooves the Churu bisques! It is the creamiest texture. And they prefer to eat it out of the package and not in a bowl. The other good news is the pet health insurance company paid a good chunk of my $6k vet bill since this wasn't a preexisting condition. Thank goodness, I was really worried!

UPDATE 7/20: Pax is doing really great and I'm so relieved. He's been urinating easily and it's a beautiful shade of clear. We love to see a hydrated kitty. He's not much of a water drinker, which is why I have been putting water in his wet food, but it's not been enough. Now he gets 4 Churus a day (vet approved) which he LOVES, and I've ordered some Churu bisque and broths after experimenting with diluting Churus, which he was sometimes into, sometimes not interested. I gave him tuna water and chicken broth toppers and they're also hit or miss. He's been separated from Milo for the most part to reduce any stress around resource guarding and so I can monitor his pottying. But they have been getting controlled meets ;)

UPDATE 7/19: Pax is home. There is a nonzero chance he will experience another blockage in the next couple of days, so we're not out of the woods just yet, but he's sooo happy to be at home without a cone around his head!

7/18: My illustrious orange assistant got stressed out by something (? not enough flat 6 chords??) and was struggling to pee, so he's spent the last 2 days at the ER. Things are looking good and it's just a matter of time before he's ready to come home! The ER staff are wonderful. They let me visit him whenever and for however long I want every day, and today he melted into my arms and then fell asleep on my hand - they had to sedate him a little so he wouldn't keep tangling and kinking his IV and catheter lines!

My sweet guy gets incredibly affectionate, almost baby-like, with desperate kneading of paws and requiring constant close contact and head butts, when he's nervous. So I know he wants to go home just as much as I want him to. Milo, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying her only child vacation VERY much. Pax is the dominant cat, and while I'm sure she misses the playtime and snuggles, she sure doesn't miss him being the boss!

For all you cat parents out there - he was diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis, aka his urethra got inflamed and swollen for an unknown reason. NO crystals, stones, or bacteria in his urine, thankfully. I welcome all and any suggestions if you've dealt with this before! I've already bought more litter boxes, more water fountains, pheromones, duck bone broth to encourage more liquid consumption, syringes if I have to squirt it in his mouth every day, glucosamine, and L-methionine (the active ingredient in prescription urinary cat food that dissolves crystals and stones - just to err on the side of caution) to put in his wet food. What stressed him out is not clear, but I will try to attune to him more and be more sensitive to introducing changes in his life. I can't imagine him going through this again and again.

REMIX CONTEST

I have been struggling to sleep and am so preoccupied with Pax's situation that I'm postponing announcing the winner of the Calling Me Back In remix contest. I don't want to promise a new date at this point, not until I've chosen the winner. It's been suuuch a cool experience so far, and I hope it was for you too! Thanks for understanding, and very sorry to disappoint. But by now you probably know I'm always lae to everything ;) More soon ~ixi