Vickers, those are my shoes, give them back. You are a cat. They don’t even fit.
Vickers is an old man and lately he’s been having some old man problems.
He lost his appetite and all but stopped eating. When you pick him up, he feels so much lighter, with shoulder bones sticking out. Have you ever seen a skinny Vickers? This has been a matter of great concern and heartbreak.
The vet shaved his belly and gave him an ultrasound. They found a cyst on his liver. The test was inconclusive. It could be lymphoma, which is a form of cancer. Or it could be lymphocytic portal hepatitis.
If it’s lymphoma then he’s all done. Another month, maybe two at the most. If it’s hepatitis, he will be taking steroid pills for the rest of his life, and he should be good for another few years (he’s 14 or 15).
So I’ve been giving him the pills. I tried stuffing them inside cat treats, but he’s not feeling these treats. (Has anyone seen Pounce on the store shelves lately? Gaspereau Forks is dry.) I have to tilt his head back and push them to the back of his little mouth with my fingertip. Vickers wasn’t too crazy about this at first. He has gotten good at taking pills though, and lately it doesn’t even interrupt his busy purring schedule.
Anyway I swear to god he’s been putting some weight back on since we started on the steroids. I’ve also put him back on Special Dinner. We’d had him on this swirly food that supposed to be all nutritionally ideal and blah blah blah but Special Dinner is all he ever liked to eat anyway.
I’d been planning on doing some serious touring this fall but I haven’t really been setting anything up. It doesn’t seem like a good time to be travelling. Should I just be optimistic and book a bunch of shows? Or should I be pessimistic and book a bunch of shows. I don’t know. I think I’ll probably just stay home.
Vickers is my best buddy. We’ve been companions since the mid-90s and I’m used to always having him around. The house has felt a little empty, a little eerie while he’s been doing tests in Saint John.
I got in the habit of leaving items of black clothing bundled up on the floor or lying on furniture around the house. I would notice the amorphous black bundles out of the corner of my eye and for a second I’d think it was Vickers having a snooze.
Anyway he’s back home now. We’ve just been hanging out, same as always. His personality hasn’t been affected in the slightest.
You guys should come for a visit.
I sincerely hope it’s just a cyst. I lost my cat last Monday night to cancer, 3 days short of the 5-month anniversary of losing her brother to liver failure. She also lost about 2/3 of her body weight but ravenously ate anything that wasn’t her dry food. My advice to you is to spend as much time with him as you can, and closely watch his behaviour. If he begins to lose weight again, doesn’t want to be near you and starts hiding in places around the house he doesn’t normally hide in, don’t let him outside.
I’m thinking good thoughts for you both.
Reading what’s up with Vickers made me a little misty, even though I’ve never met him. I’ve admired him from the pictures you’ve posted. I’m sending good vibes your way.
love to you and vickers. I know pet (best friend, it’s all the same) difficulties. Enjoy being with Vickers. He’s probably tough as balls and will be fine, so keep him going. Tour this fall, come for a visit, and let’s drink tea. I may be who knows where, but I have a lovely place in St. John’s now. It’s a hippy commune, but one of them eats meat, so steak in the fridge can be shared with you.