Did I jump too fast? (photo included)

[Lizzie]

First, the photo to satisfy you image-hungry posters:



Now the question. We all beat ourselves up whenever we think, or know, that we waited just a little too long to take one of our cats to the vet. I suspect, in fact, that the majority of us take our cats to the vet at just the right time, but we always forget that. I'm wondering how many of you panic and rush a cat off to the vet and then realize that you could have waited, even your vet says you could have waited.

Yesterday morning, Thumper was his usual hungry, toy-mad self. That evening, he wasn't hungry and, while friendly and enjoying his cuddles, didn't want to play. He was in isolation in a warm bedroom (ousting poor Ginger) within half-an-hour. He was at the vet this morning. He doesn't have a temperature, hasn't thrown up, litter box stuff is normal. The vet put him on antibiotics as a just-in-case but couldn't find anything wrong with him. Thumper, in fact, spent most of the time at the vet fighting being examined, jumping down and prowling the room, and occasionally trying to get in a good nip at either of us. He is one of my FIV+ boys, which is one good reason for my haste, but he's a young and healthy one.

So, do you sometimes fly straight into panic mode and find you didn't need to? (And I'm not talking about realizing you accidentally spat out a cough drop and then your poor cat rolled on it, as happened to Lisa ) Or maybe you can list those times also for fun.

Now, as a reward for reading this, you get another image. He's an interesting looking cat isn't he? Big ears, big eyes, and very short legs.

[kimlovescats]

I think all of us have panicked a little prematurely at times over our babies! I'm just happy that everything is ok, and I'm thrilled that we got pics!!!
Thumper is GORGEOUS and I love the big ears!!!

[Freedom]

Oh yeah, I jumped too soon when Crystal was a baby. She arrived here with something which "may" have been ringworm. It did not luminesce under black light as it should have, but it LOOKED like ringworm. So the vet had me treating it as such. Problem: it was on the front top of her head. Trying to shampoo it and put on the ointment or salve or whatever it was, the vet told me to be CURE NOT to get it in her eyes.

Well, a 2 pound kitten has NO concept of staying still while you wash her umpteen times a day. And the thrid monring, I got the shampoo in her eyes, and she squeezed them shut.

Let me tell you, I was at the vet's office with her so fast I don't think the FAA has figured out what that missile like object was YET!

By then she had her eyes opened,was blinking, they were NOT tearing, she was looking all around her normally. The vet looked a them with . . . black light? . . . and said they looked OK. But since I was there, we may as well be safe and flush the eyes with saline solution.

If I thought washing her was hard, I soon discovered that was a piece of cake compared to flushing her eyes.

Forty five dollars later, the vet told me I probably overreacted and could have waited 2 or 3 seconds to see if her eyes cleared, if she showed pain, rubbed them, or something before I took her in again.

You cat is GORGEOUS!! What a ham for the camera.

[RedHedd]

I think almost every cat mom has done that. I've rushed Mishi to the kitty ER in rush hour traffic when I thought he was blocked - he wasn't and $100 later I was sent home with a clean bill of health for the big boy.

[Terminalvelocity]

I think panic reactions are perfectly normal, with our pets and with our children. In my opinion, that reaction is a blessing. Yep.. I've over-reacted many times and I'm glad I did.

We just don't know when that feeling that tells us to seek help is going to be a disaster or a dud. So, we pay attention to it. Smart move.

Don't ever feel ashamed or embarrassed for doing the right thing. Sure, you could have waited, but it might have been too late. Then you'd have to live with the guilt.....

[catmandu]

When I first had Pouncer and Scarppy I used to pnic all the time.
But as I got older and more Cat Wise I calmed down.
Sadly when its thier time, theres little that can be done.

[rg_girlca]

Quoted by Lizzie;
So, do you sometimes fly straight into panic mode and find you didn't need to? (And I'm not talking about realizing you accidentally spat out a cough drop and then your poor cat rolled on it, as happened to Lisa ) Or maybe you can list those times also for fun.

LOL!!! I love your comment about the cough drop.

Oh yes, been there, done that. There was one time that Poppy had fallen from my towel rack and landed the wrong way onto the toilet. When I called him to me, he got up to walk, but took only 2 steps and then plopped down. His back seemed to be at an odd angel and I thought for sure that he had broken his back. I was in tears and was a nervous wreck. The hubby who is the logical one, said not to panic and see how Poppy is later. Well later that night he did seem to be better but had a bad limp. I told the hubby that if he was still like that in the morning, off to the vets we would go. Sure enough, despite the hubby's protest to wait it out for a day or two, it was off to the vets that morning. Poppy was examined and everything was fine except for a slight sprain in his backside. The vet said in a few days he would be fine and sure enough he was. Needless to say, I got the old, "I told you so," from the hubby.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Your cat sure is gorgeous. Yes, I'm also guilty of rushing my cats to the vet when I should've waited a bit longer. Now I try to wait a little longer but not too long as in the case with Pearl's last episode.

[Lizzie]

Thank you for your "panic mode" stories. I can relate to every one of them, especially the shampoo in the eyes one since I went through that recently and wondered if I'd have to rush to the emergency vet. And the blockage fears, I know that well. After my Artful Dodger blocked many years ago, I rushed him to the vet several times when he was perfectly fine. I adored Dodger and was convinced it would come back again, though it never did.

Last night, Thumper was feeling so much back to normal that I put the meds away and let him out. He hasn't been in the upstairs area for several months, ever since I saw him spraying up a bookcase and wall. I keep telling him that staying upstairs is entirely up to him. No spray and stay. Last night I remembered why it had been difficult to sleep when Thumper used to live upstairs. He likes to sleep with his face facing yours and about 6 inches away. I do hope he behaves since I have a special fondness for this cat, he's quite the character.