Max Update
Max Investigates Robochick A while ago I reported that one of my cats, Max, had lost a lot of weight down from 12lbs 7oz to 9lbs 3oz (weird that the vet used pounds and ounces, and also weird that I never thought to question that until now). He's been on medication, half a pill twice daily, to get his thyroidal hormone count down and his appetite (and hence weight) back up.
Last week Max went back to the vet for his monthly bloodwork, and I am happy to report that the vet called back Tuesday to report that he is in "astonishingly" good health. His weight is back up to 12lbs 8oz (1 ounce heavier than his fighting trim), his kidney and liver are in excellent shape, and his thyroid count looks "great" (she did not specify numbers, and since she left me the information via voicemail, I could not ask).
My hope is that his weight now plateaus, and does not continue to rocket upwards by one pound a month (or come Christmas, that will be one plump kitty). He will continue to get his twice-daily pills for the rest of his life, unfortunately, but the Pill Pockets are making this task mostly easier. You would think a cat who eats the same boring dry cat food day in and day out would not turn his nose up at treats, but it happens occasionally ("Oh... another salmon treat? You got anything else? No? Well... hmm... do I really feel like eating this?"). One those days we first try switching the pill to the chicken-flavoured treats, and if that doesn't work, if I'm feeling charitable we go to a piece of Gouda cheese. If I'm not feeling charitable we go to the hold-cat-down-and-force-pill-down-throat option, and nobody enjoys that much.
Instances of Max turning down treats have diminished significantly since I have started psyching him out: Max has always wanted whataver Dave (other cat) has. Max could be eating his very own lake trout, and if you handed a piece to Dave Max would walk away from his fish to make sure that Dave wasn't getting something better. So now I ignore Max and give Dave a treat. While Dave is happily gobbling it down and Max looks on with some consternation, I suddenly remember Max, and offer him his treat as well, and he usually just snaps it right up. Suckah! Smarter than a cat! Yes!
Max goes back for another check-up and bloodwork in six months, but I suspect (hope) that this is the last Max Update for a while. Things are looking good.