After losing Boo, we decided to get a new kitten. This time I was hoping for a girl. My college has a vet’s office on campus with pets available for adoption… but no kittens were available. I found the number of another shelter in a nearby town. I called that shelter and found out a litter of kittens had just been brought in and there was a “female” kitten available for adoption. When I arrived at the shelter to pick up the kitten, I was in utter dismay at the facilities. In the same room as the kitten was a whole wall of feral (stray) cats that were collected to be spayed and neutered. The floor was filthy and nothing seemed to be in order. When I looked into the cage, I saw the most adorable little black kitten who just looked at me with “her” big eyes… ears all perked up with the expression of “save me” written all over that endearing face. It was love at first sight. “She” was very tiny and looked as though she had not eaten in days. “She” was covered in muck and as soon as I picked “her” up, she curled on my shoulder and nuzzled into my neck for a nap. It felt like a sign that this kitten and I were meant to be together. Notice I keep saying “her” and” she” in quotation marks. More on that in a minute.

I immediately asked the woman how much I owed her so I could be on my way home with my new companion. I paid the woman and we were off. That afternoon I made an appointment for the next day to have her seen at my vet’s office, and gave her what I was sure was the first bath and real meal of her life. It became apparent that the kitten I had just adopted was not only malnourished, but was also 2 weeks younger than the pound claimed she was, making her only 4 weeks old, and she weighed only about a pound. I also realized that the animal shelter had not inspected this kitten very closely. “She” was not a she at all. She was a HE. I named him Mumble because this was a very boisterous kitty, mewing at me frequently. Mumble was a very happy kitten, running around like little kittens do, causing all sorts of mischief. I was thrilled with the newest addition to the family.

About two years ago, my mom acquired a new member of the family… a very large black cat named Boo. A friend of hers at work was moving and she was not allowed to bring her cat with her – a very common problem – so my mother, being the loving soul that she is, offered to take Boo in. He was a happy cat, two years old, neutered, and he had a very relaxed aura about him. He loved to be held but only on his terms, and for those of you that own cats you knows that’s pretty normal. I was away at school when I got a phone call from my mother saying that Boo didn’t seem to be feeling well. He kept going into the litter box but was not producing anything. I told her to call the emergency clinic and explain Boo’s distress. She called and described Boo’s symptoms and asked what they suggested she do. They said that she could bring him in that night to the emergency center, but that he could probably wait until the morning to be seen by his regular vet. With word that he could wait until the next day, she kept watch over Boo and headed for the vet first thing in the morning. Sadly, Boo passed away in the car on the way there. We were anxious to understand what had happened to our beloved pet… why he had died so quickly after showing signs of feeling ill. It turned out that he had a urinary obstruction – neutered male cats, around the age of two, tend to get these especially if there is a lot of ash in their diets.

Disclaimer: The information listed in this post – and all Whales & Friends posts – is not intended to replace advice from a veterinarian. Any and all health concerns regarding any animal should be discussed with a licensed veterinarian. Urethral obstruction is a serious condition, and left untreated, can be fatal. The normal flow of urine can be obstructed allowing toxins build up in the blood, leading to uremic poisoning. Death can result within 72 hours. Treatment of obstruction may consist of catheterization, fluid therapy, antibiotics, and in rare cases, surgery. If your cat shows any symptoms of distress, lethargy, using the litter box often but with little or no urine output, frequently licking his genitalia, or suddenly attempting to urinate in unusual places, contact your vet immediately.

Hello!

Welcome to the NEW Whales & Friends blog. Thanks for joining us! ☺ I’m MumblesMom. To fill you all in a little bit on me; I’m a 20 year old college student studying veterinary medicine and I love what I do! As long as I can remember, I have wanted to care for animals, grow up to have a house full of them, and become a vet. My parents tell me this obsession with animals started when I was 5 years old.

I’m thrilled to have this forum to share my passion and I invite everyone to participate. Tell Whales & Friends about your dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles, ferrets, snakes or any animal that interests you. Share stories about a recent whale watch, a TV show or documentary on penguins, wolves, lions or tigers. Submit photographs, video clips, a memorial to a lost pet, stories, pet jokes, or just drop in to say “Hi.” Looking forward to hearing from all pet lovers!

Sincerely,
MumblesMom