Phoebe Update

I spent time Saturday and Sunday giving Phoebe drugs, drugs, and more drugs. On Sunday, I did not know if I was waking up with eight cats instead of nine. On my way home this evening, I wondered if I would find Feebs alive when I got home.

She's had a rough couple of days and I am pissed, pissed, I tell you, at the stick insect who works in the same office as Hunky Vet.

I've done some digging on the interwebz and have found a number of people who have asthmatic cats. More than one have oxygen set up at home.

I called Dr. Stick and asked her about it. She got back to me late this afternoon and said, "I spoke with a feline respiratory specialist - "

With a who? With a what? Who is this person you consulted? Is she actually here in New Jersey? Who is she?

" - and she said to give Phoebe the albuterol as often as once every six hours."

And what about oxygen?

"Oh, you know, it's just so dangerous. We really don't advocate that. But you could get Phoebe a nebulizer and put saline solution in it. Until then, you can just put a couple of drops of saline into Phoebe's nose."

I was not happy when I got off the phone. I felt like - and still feel like - I being kept away from someone knowledgeable about the intricacies of caring for an asthmatic cat.

Oxygen is dangerous? Of course it is. But 'splain to me why everybody's granma and granpa head off to AC with a tank strapped to the back of their Jazzy. For crying out loud, the last time I heard, smoking was still allowed in the casinos.

I expressed my frustration to Rosita.

"They just want to keep you in their system is all. They got you in their system, they got your money."

This did not calm me, either.

I need to still keep digging.

In the meantime, I have thrown out the disgustingly moldy shower curtain that was in the bathroom. I now have a box of Feline Pine because the dust from regular clumping litter could be a problem for Phoebe. I've got the vaporizer on in the bedroom along with the tiny, insufficient air cleaner. I've got the whole house fan on, hoping it will filter out nastiness. I know I have to go buy a super-allergen trapping filter.

It helps only a little that Phoebe, rating on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the zippiest and happiest ever and 1 being ready for the grave, rated a 2.0 Saturday, 2.5 on Sunday and maybe a 2.8 today.

I just have to be faithful in dosing her and continuing to clean up the house.