Smudgie Goes to the Doctor

I took Smudge in to the vet this morning. He was due for a booster on his shots and the vet wanted to make sure that he was putting on weight. He's only gained 6 ounces in the past 3 weeks - up to 2 pounds 2 ounces. The vet said that he should be at least 3 pounds. If he really is as old as the shelter says he is he should be double the size. She's concerned.

So... they are going to do some blood tests. Check his fecal. The poor little guy. He's so tiny they had a horrible time getting the blood sample. I could hear him screaming in the back room. They shaved his poor little chest. You can see all these red spots where they poked him with the needle. They also poked him on his leg. The vet said that they might not have enough blood to do all the tests, so I might have to bring him back on Monday for another blood draw.

The vet doesn't know what it is. He could have worms. He could have a bad parasite infection. He could have some kind of virus. She said even if he is just a genetically small cat, you shouldn't be able to feel his bones the way that you do. So, they are going to run the tests and we wait and see.

I'm all upset. Poor little guy. The more I think about it, the more I realize that he does spend a lot of time sleeping, not playing. I think Riley was much more active than Smudge is when Riley was that age. Smudge is so cute the way he crawls into my lap and snuggles so close and falls asleep that it hasn't occurred to me that he should be spending his time bouncing sideways and racing around the room and chasing anything that moves.

I hope he's okay. I hope Freesia is okay and that she doesn't get what he has. And I hope it doesn't bankrupt me to get him better.