All comfy, Tasha curls up tight on a warm afternoon after a stressful couple of weeks.

It’s been a tough time for our little cat. Tasha was due for a visit to the vet –annual exam, booster shots, etc.– and we’ve been worried about some other things. She has been scary thin since her skin problems and weight loss of last year but at the beginning of this month other things started happening. The skinny cat begged for food all of the time, had very stinky litter box visits (you know what we mean), and a noisy gut… and gas! A cat with gas is not a pleasant companion! The doctor visit was more stressful than usual but completed successfully with a blood draw for organ function. Twenty-four hours later Dr. G. called with the news… “It’s not just hyperthyroidism, it’s hyper-hyperthyroidism!” No humor intended: apparently the thyroid hormone levels were astonishingly high. We quickly filled her prescription for methimazole at the local Rite Aid and started dosing to control the situation. Though full control takes weeks, Tasha’s symptoms began to resolve within the first couple of days. Dr. G. recommended suspending Tasha’s low-level doses of prednisolone, intended to control stomach or bowel inflammation and vomiting. All was good and improving until Tuesday, a little better than a week after the vet visit… Tasha started vomiting. I gave her a big dose of her prednisolone and called the vet the next day; the regular course was resumed. So Tasha has been gaining weight, eating and keeping her food down, and no more gas! Though the cat may have been uncomfortable, I believe I may have suffered more with worry than she did with her tummy troubles. We know old Tasha (about 12+) doesn’t have a long life ahead but we hope it’s a happy one. For now, she’s improving and even indulges in the occasional nighttime crazies, or what we call “runnin’ and roarin'”, and we’re glad for it.