There's something happening here....

After sighting ONE single flea on Percy, we went into full attack mode in the house.  We've been through this before.  There are cats outside that we feed, one is Scruffy's sister and the other his Mom.  There are 3 or 4 others.  Once in a great while, a flea finds its way inside.

So we immediately salted the rugs and sprayed the cat bedding and ours and the furniture with an all-natural deterrent.  Then we attempted to powder or spray the cats.  Some are easy (Lupo, Notte, Percy) and the others are most definitely not.  

Scruffy was walking past my husband at the kitchen table and my husband grabbed the flea spray and managed to get his butt.  Scruff was not amused.  

Right after that, he stopped coming out of the dining room.  He would hang out on the table all day.  He did not come to the kitchen to play with his beloved "mousie",  He did not come into the living room for pets and scratches, or to cuddle with someone else.  

He sat on the dining room table waiting for his food, which he ate, but refused to go anywhere else.  He slept there.  

Wow, was he in a snit or what?  Well, it turns out it was "or what".  

After 3 or 4 days of this, we noticed something under his chin.  To me it looked like a "raw" spot.  My husband, being more bold, touched it and it smelled like an infection.

This morning he trekked to the vet and got some antibiotics.  Luckily, if I pulverize things into his food, Scruffy is a good boy and scarfs it all down, and he did just that.  He also allowed us both to pet him.  He came into the kitchen to get a drink.  He was also in the kitchen again, on his pad, just hanging out for a little while.  He even spent a little time looking out the back doors.  

He has 9 more days of antibiotics, but I am encouraged by his immediate response.  Or maybe he just knows we are trying to help him.  

What happened?  Was he scratching too hard?  Did he have a flea or two?  Or was he playing too rough with someone and got scratched?  This we will never know.  But, hopefully, my sweet boy is now on the mend.  He is alert, he is eating....good signs.  Let's hope for the best.

Where have you gone.....where are you now?

 Percy.  Oh....Percy.

This boy has issues.  

He's such a sweet cat....so affectionate, loving and playful.  He gets along with everyone, and if he doesn't (with Missy Tee, the Queen) he keeps his distance.   But they never actually fight.  They just avoid one another, for the most part.

He's huge and he's adorable....and he has....issues. 

I have had "health" issues...a mismanaged gall bladder surgery that led to pneumonia that led to an emergency laparotomy that discovered a leak, as well as a bowel perforation.  Oy.

So, three times, no, excuse me...FOUR times, in the hospital since March.  It's been a nightmare.

Well, it's been a nightmare for Percy, too, as he is bonded with me.  

He managed to sneak out of the house twice in my absences.  Recovered, and fine, within a short time...but nevertheless. 

He also started peeing in my husband's chair, which is now covered in..well, covers with waterproof backing AND a pee pad every single day. 

While I was gone...each time I was gone...he peed several times a day in said chair.  My husband was convinced he wanted out.  I had to explain it was something else.  

So, I've been home a week and he has gone about 4 out of 7 days without peeing in the chair.  Not once.  On the other days, maybe once.   And just a dribble, a token.  

Percy is also hell bent on crippling me because he wants to hang out on my lap if I am in the living room and he is a LARGE cat that causes my legs to go numb.

Well, he is finally calming down a bit.  Hopefully I can stay clear of hospitals for a while.  That would be nice.  At any rate, Percy isn't peeing every day.  Yay.