Cat tales -- again

Finally got a photo of him with eyes open! He was sitting in my lap washing his face after a good meal and I was able to angle the iPad and get his attention for a moment. He's come a long way in a week, which is gratifying. Certainly no longer stressed -- quite the opposite. He's king of his hill and acting more cat-like all the time. Yesterday I saw him chasing a little ball around while I was watching dishes. And he plays with the catnip mouse often, too. This may not sound like much, but he wasn't too interested in any of it, initially.

I had to pick up more meds for him from the shelter on Saturday and learned that they were antibiotics. I could have looked that up, but hadn't really thought about it. So in my efforts to make him feel better I'd already upped the quality and quantity of canned food. On the drive back to Eugene from the shelter near Corvallis I decided to treat him like I'd treat myself, or another human, after long exposure to antibiotics and medications. So -- I researched what probiotics work in the feline body, found two specifics, then tried to find products that contained them. Most of the feline probiotics on the market didn't contain either, and only one contained both. Most of them have common strains that we might find in our yogurt. They won't hurt the cat, but also aren't likely to help much, either. I ordered the winner and it should arrive today. On Sunday I bought some natural vitamins, but the problem is getting him to eat them. Sometimes he will, sometimes he won't. But I figure whatever I get inside him is better than nothing. I think a different form would be useful, but this is what the local pet store had.

He's really just a lovely elderly gentleman. Well-mannered, calm and loving. Just wants a lap to sit on or a warm body to snuggle up against at night. My goal is to get him as healthy as possible, and give him a loving home for his remaining years. He's not ancient -- only 9 -- but with the FIV and the respiratory issues, and possible unknown issues, he needs to be healthier and stronger if he's gonna have a lot more years. IMHO!

Other than that -- we have another heat wave coming in this week, with a couple more 100+ days. Our local weatherman says that August 7 is traditionally the last time we see 100+ temps here, but as we all know old norms are not new norms. We're still going to hike Wednesday morning -- a lesser hill that hopefully won't be too bad early in the morning. These hikes are about the only real exercise I'm getting lately, plus they're fun, so I don't want to cancel.

Stay well and safe, everyone!