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Saturday, March 29, 2014

How I saved my cat by hand feeding her for a month...

About six months ago my sweet little furbaby Jazzy got really really sick.   She was sneezing for about a week and I thought it would go away on it's own, and I didn't take her to the vet right away.   BAD IDEA.   I only took her to the vet because I noticed she stopped eating for two days.  After some internet research I knew that was bad because if she doesn't eat her liver will shut down.  


She had to stay at the hospital for a week


She had a upper respiratory infection and the Dr was basically telling me she was going to die because she was a old cat.   He didn't have the heart to tell me that exactly but I could read between the lines.    I wasn't trying to hear all that..

The problem was that when cats get sick they stop eating.   They die because they just starve to death and I wasn't going to let that be the reason she goes.   That's what I did for almost two months, I force fed her.   Everyday I would wrap her up like a burrito and use a squeeze bottle to feed her the pureed cat food.    



This cat loves me.   That's why I love animals, they give you the purest form of unconditional love.   Since the first day I got her in 2001, she is always near my side or comes to me when I call her.    As kitten I carried her everywhere so all she knows is me and my kisses and hugs.  When I would feed her, I would look at her little face and keep saying thank you, thank you (for your love and friendship) ... I just wasn't ready to say goodbye, not like this.   I've never lost anyone or anything close to me, I got a taste of it with her and I got scared.   So everyday I would go through the drill of feeding her and it was definitely a huge process.  I'm going to tell you right now that it's not easy.    I needed for us to be alone in a room while playing Miles Davis'  Flamenco Sketches, because  it helped calm her down (and me too).  It was very traumatic for her to have to be wrapped up in a blanket and not be able to move.   Then I had to squeeze the food into her mouth and watch her being forced to chew it and swallow it.  It would fall out of mouth and I'd have to keep wiping her face with a warm napkin.  I went though so many rags and towels those two months.   

I had to do the same thing with water, after each gulp of food I would squeeze two squirts into her mouth and drink at least a cup of water per day.



In my closet office and about to feed her


I tried to do it this way at first but it didn't work.  I ended up buying a Wilton cake decorating squeeze bottle and it was easier to use.  Aim and squeeze

One day after coming home from my mother's bday dinner at my brothers, I came home and crawled into the room and onto the bed with her.   I was so full and tired, I looked at her and just wished she would eat on her own.   I left her alone for two hours, when I came back  into the room, she was playing on the bed with Tiago.  She seemed happy and like herself, so I tried it, I opened a can of her favorite Fancy Feast and let her sniff it.    Her infection affected her sinus' and that's why she couldn't smell, cats don't eat what they can't smell first.  (smart)    But she smelled it and then she licked it and then ... Then.. she ate it on her own.   It was a miracle to me, someone heard my prayer that night and cut me a break.  I didn't have to feed her and once again the beautiful essence of what lives in our Universe showed itself to me.  I don't know how people can be atheists. 


She's good now, we are still dealing with her thyroid issues but at least I have more time and I appreciate every single second.  

This is the squeeze bottle I used.  I cut a bigger opening in the tip..
Artie had no problem eating out the squeeze bottle though..  







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