The beast in normal circumstances.

I’m pretty much glad it happened today because I was home today, but a) vet visits are expensive on weekends, b) the vets really found no clear issue in her, so c) it’s not over.

When I got up this morning, Chayya- my tiny medium-haired black cat- did not run to greet me as she usually does most mornings. I looked around the living room for her, and then in her play tunnel where she likes to hide quite often, and she was not in either place. I went upstairs to the cat room, and there she was. She was sitting in the middle of the floor of the room like a stone sphinx, front paws forward beneath her breast, back feet under her like she was thinking about pouncing. Except as I approached her and then walked around her, she did not move. She barely moved her eyes to trace my circle. She sat there stiff and still. I laid down beside her and talked to her, but it was clear she did not feel good. Usually in the morning, she is talkative and an exuberant greeter of the new day. Today, she was silent and motionless.

I love that little cat.

I found several spots downstairs where she had thrown up clear liquid during the night. She has her issues with hairballs, and one puddle had a little hair in it, but she was otherwise vomiting nothing but water.

I got up and did a few chores and thought maybe she was just out of it for a short while, but after a few hours, heading into the afternoon, she was the same. Just a black rag flat on the carpet. She wouldn’t eat or drink. I tried to persuade her with cat treats and some chicken broth, but she just quickly eyed them and then looked away.

And then she wretched twice in a five minute span, and it was pretty clear. She was not doing well.

So off to the emergency vet we went.

Chayya was fine napping on my lap in the vet’s examination room.

Four hours and $400 dollars later, we finally came home, blood and urine tests ran.

She didn’t appear constipated. Her teeth looked fine. Her test levels all came back normal.

“We don’t know what’s wrong.”

They gave her fluids and a shot to cut the nausea.

Tonight, she has continued her sphinx posture much of the evening. She is still not eating or drinking or chatting or moving around at all. I look at her and wonder if she has an infection of some sort. They did not find a bladder infection in their urine analysis, though.

She responds to petting. She will sleep on a chair next to me as I work at a table. At least we’ve got that.

Yesterday, she was her usual old crazy kitty.

One day later, and she looks pretty bad.

On a few levels, it has been a tough day today.

I am praying that in another day, she has some of her appetite and energy back.