Sometimes Pet Sitting can be stressful especially if the pet is sick. Last week we completed a pet sit with a dear cat who had been sick before his parents left for their holiday, but they thought his condition was stable. However, some cats are extremely sensitive and take awhile to get used to having new people in their home. We can’t be sure of course, but I’m wondering if that’s what happened to this poor pussy cat. He was eating well for the first week or so, but couldn’t keep his food down. And then, he just wouldn’t eat at all and I was so worried because cats can start to get organ damage (especially the liver) if they don’t eat for 24 to 48 hours (at least that’s what I read on some websites written by Veterinarians). He stopped drinking from his usual water bowl too, so I put another bowl of water in his bedroom and a bucket of water in another room. We both saw him drinking from those, but not from the other water bowl, which was a bit weird.
John and I felt too worried to go out for long, so for a couple of weeks, we only went to the gym and the shops a few times. The rest of our days were spent cleaning the floors and tending to the cat. I was writing to the owners every day and talking to the Vet’s nurse every few days, getting advice for how to help him. From my Nursing days many years ago, I remembered we should keep documentation about the patient. So, I started a Google doc with detailed notes about Darcy’s habits, and could relay this information to the Vet’s Nurse.
It all ended well though, thank goodness! The Vet finally recommended we give him an anti nauseous tablet, because she thought he was feeling nauseous and that’s why he wouldn’t eat. After administering the tablet, Darcy started eating, just a tiny bit at first, but a bit more each day. So, we had a few days of our 4 week sit to enjoy ourselves and Darcy’s company. The best part was that now the cat looked healthy and definitely much happier.
