I just gave my cat an antidepressant

[lph]

So it turns out Lyra cat, Drama Queen of the Universe actually was pretty darn ill. She tested positive for salmonella, probably from eating a bird a few days before, and had a serious gut infection. But after four days at the vet, IV-treatment, blood samples, ultrasound, two different antibiotics, force feeding and a whopping bill, she started eating again and ould come home. A bit subdued, but much better.

Yesterday I gave her the second dose of a pill meant to stimulate her appetite. Out of curiosity I googled it, and it turns out it's used as a antidepressant for humans. Whatever the reason - this morning we were woken up by a VERY talkative, companycraving, hungry and curious cat wondering WHERE WE WERE AND WOULD WE PLEASE GET UP SOON!

And she can't go out loose for the next six weeks! Time to try walking her in a harness, I guess.

[OakLeaf]

Oh man! I didn't even know cats could get salmonella! So glad she's feeling better ... hope the housebound weeks aren't too hard on all of you.

[Catrin]

Sorry to hear that she, and you, had such an "adventure". I am very glad to read that she is getting back to normal I suggest getting a bunch of new cat-toys for her enforced stay inside.

[lph]

That's a good idea. At the moment she's glued to the kitchen window "kekk-kekking" at all the birds she can't hunt. Maybe a Roomba would be fun ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbo

[IBrakeforPastry]

I'm glad your cat is on the mend. Whenever my little guy tries to stick his head in my coffee mug (our table manners are pretty loose when it's just the two of us), I try to tell him the last thing I need is a caffeinated kitty.

[Pax]

Glad your kitty is on the mend!

[IBrakeforPastry]

That's a good idea. At the moment she's glued to the kitchen window "kekk-kekking" at all the birds she can't hunt. Maybe a Roomba would be fun ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbo

That video opened more questions than it answered! Who thinks of these things? Somebody has way too much time on their hands.

[lph]

Oh yeah, so whoever told me that walking a cat is not like walking a dog was telling the truth. Not that I expected it to be, I had expected it to be the cat walking me, but I hadn't considered that where a cat wants to go is very often not a place I can follow. Her way of getting fresh air is to stand outside for two minutes and just stare, then prowl the perimeter of her territory, then go sit under the steps for another minute or two. Then venture out into the cul-de-sac, and promptly dive under the neighbours fence and into their garden. When picked out of there, complaining loudly, she'll find a very large snowy tree to crawl under and sulk beneath for another minute or two, then attempt to dash through another neighbours garden. Sigh... At least she did get some fresh air!

[Irulan]

Wouldn't having a cat on a leash be preferable to letting them roam, anyway? There is a much Less chance of them being hit by cars, eaten by predators, getting into mystery items, and doing frivolous hunting.