Ishuheri :(

Shoobaloo

It's been a hair-raising couple of days - panic stricken mum here. Shue (my grey kitten) seemed okay on Tuesday. There was no more throwing up, but he was still very lethargic. I assumed it wasn't life-threatening, though. I was pretty shattered but loads better than before. Went to bed with a headache around 11pm.

1am I wake and I can hear Shue throwing up. I go to check on him and there's a river of watery slurry-smelling sick all over the floor. I throw a towel at it, give him a cuddle, remove his collar and make sure he's comfy again. I go back to bed and hear him drinking water.

2am, same thing. Then pretty much on the hour every hour throughout the night. Each time he was sick he drank water, then a while later it came back up. There was nothing I could do for him, so I just lay there listening to it. Around 2:30am I sent a text to a vet that Jo had given me the number of a while back. I had no idea if it was a text number or whether the guy even spoke English, but I had to do something.

I was woken early on Wednesday morning with a text back, in English, saying 'bring him in.' By this time Shue was completely despondent and cold as ice. I was terrified he'd die before I got him there. I was kicking myself for not taking him the day before, but he honestly hadn't seemed that bad.

I tried in vain to find something to use as a cat basket, but no joy. I'd called Jo to let her know what was going on. She told me to check what rat poison they're selling at Ndoli's. My heart sank when I saw that the only brand in stock was warfarin, an anti-coagulant. Mild hope kicked in as there was no blood in his vomit. Jo had told me that Kabibi had been vomiting all the time too, but that it had been bright yellow. Again, mild hope.

I got back to the house and D was cooking in the kitchen - an amazing vat of potato stew that tasted phenomenal! He ran and found me a taxi. I manoeuvred Shue into my big cotton bag. By this time his head was shaking uncontrollably and he was totally floppy. All I could think was damage to the nervous system. Considering how much fluid he'd lost, it was probably just chronic dehydration and shock at being so ill.

The taxi arrived and I bundled him in. I phoned the vet, who explained to the driver where to take me. The driver ripped me off a blinder - £5 to go just up the road and back! At the time I really didn't care, and he waited around to take us back afterwards.

Alphonse, the vet, is a lovely guy. You wouldn't know he's there. He's turned his garage into a very nice, modern-looking veterinary clinic. He had treated Kabibi, so he knew what poisoning looked like. I was mildly reassured by his calm manner. Shue was an absolute star for him. He put up with the thermometer up the bum, the stethoscope under the chest, being prodded and poked - such a good kitten. Probably too ill to object to much. He really was in a bad way.

His temperature was incredibly low. The vet agreed it was some form of food poisoning. He gave three injections to help protect the nervous system, raise his temperature, and stop him vomiting, then told me to take him home and, after one hour, to give him some milk. He said he shouldn't be sick after that, but if he is I should call. I felt so reassured just knowing there was a professional vet nearby. He was so good with Shue. 

Shue seemed to take a turn for the worse on the way home. He was probably in shock from all the injections and feeling so bad. He stuck his head down my side and tried to blot out the short car journey home. He was still freezing cold. The moment we got back, I put him on the chair and he just lay there with his eyes half open. A couple of times I was sure that he'd died, then saw that he was breathing very faintly.

Despite being so cold, he didn't like being covered with a blanket, preferring to sprawl belly-down on the cold concrete floor. I just let him get on with it - do what you need to do to get comfy.

After a while, he drank a massive amount of water then slept for hours. I was supposed to go in to work. I phoned to ask whether we were approving signs and Léon told me 'not until next week, stay at home and rest.' Ironically, I was feeling in excellent health for the first time in six weeks. I really did turn the corner on Tuesday.

I was so relieved. It meant that I could stay and keep an eye on Shue. I would have felt awful if I'd gone to work and he'd died. I had to put Mao and Sula out for the day to stop them jumping on him. We just stayed here, quietly. He occasionally took some water but mostly just slept.

Jo and Pierre came over in the afternoon to see him. I know they're my cats and I've had them for about five months now, but I still get nervous when 'Mummy Jo' comes over. They were here kittens first lol My three are big, strong kids, usually in the prime of health - very well fed and very sociable - so Jo always leaves smiling. Now that she's not working for VSO, she's got a very swanky shiny black car - not jealous in the least ;) Like Sue and Eric, they're heading back to England soon. I'm really going to miss them, but they've bought some land here and, after Pierre finishes his MA, they'll be back to build a house.

By evening his temperature had crept up to just about normal. He still wasn't taking any milk and was barely moving. I'd stuffed myself on D's stew. That guy can really cook, though he'd never tell you that! We watched a film before turning in. When I went to bed, I reckoned it was about a 50/50 chance as to whether he'd survive the night. He had wet the blanket he was on, which was a positive sign that 1. he was rehydrating and 2. things were moving through his body in the right direction at last. It was just so sad. Shue, of the three, has never peed or pooped anywhere but the litter tray. He's such a hygienic little lump, so I knew he had to be really weak not to move.

Anyway, I woke up this morning prepared for the worst. I was woken up by both Martine and Jo texting in quick succession to see how things were. I took a deep breath and went into the living room. 

There was Shue, sprawled out on the chair, eyes open. 

I thought that was it. 

Then D looked over my shoulder and not only did Shue look up, he sat up!

Massive relief washed over me. He's looking very much more alert, there's a glimmer of the old Shue there now. I went into work but Léon told me to go home, rest over the weekend, get properly better, and come in on Monday. My colleagues are so sweet!

I did come home again and I've been watching over my boy. He's been quite active, still very weak but he had a wander around the garden, sun bathed, drank more water. He's even responding when I stroke him - purring a little and pushing his head up when I touch him. His temperature is normal. He still won't take milk, egg or anything. It's been four days now without food, but judging by the change so far I don't think it'll be long before his apatite returns. Looks like he's going to be just fine. The shaking has mostly stopped, so it doesn't look like permanent nerve damage. The others are looking after him, washing him and cuddling up to him, although Mao has tried to bonk him, which wasn't particularly helpful.

I am just so relieved. I was feeling so guilty for leaving it so long to take him to the vet. He's a hardy tiger, and the fact that he was a lump of muscle seems to have helped him through. He looks like he's lost a lot of weight, but at least he had it to lose. I just need to get him to eat something; last hurdle and then I'll believe he's fully out of the woods.

Fingers crossed :)

PS: People keep asking - Ishuheri means 'wind storm,' like a hurricane. It's Kinyarwanda, pronounced: Ish-oo-hairy, or just Shoo-ee (Shue) for short.

PPS: Dad and M have started their injections today. They're coming out in September :) The count-down begins: 11 weeks :)