Poor, Sick Babies

A few weeks after we brought the kittens home, Kali started throwing up pretty regularly. We whisked her off to the vet pronto and they ran the usual tests but said she looked healthy to them. They told us it was most likely an immature stomach or an intolerance to the food.

We've spent the last few months switching foods, getting her to eat slower, having "down time" after she eats... and still cleaning up puke. About three weeks ago it mysteriously stopped and we thought we were home free. A week later, Rocky started throwing up.

Because the vet didn't have any answers (and I felt largely like he was giving us the brush off), we took Rocky to a new vet. What a difference! The vet listened to our concerns and gave us a few proactive steps to take while they ran test. The next day we found out the culprit - hookworms (which the first vet told us he had tested for). It's likely that's what Kali's problem was too, since they share a litter box, so they sent us home with pills for both of them and antibiotics for Rocky, just in case.

Rocky and Kali each had to take a pill and a half of the hookworm medicine. And then Rocky needed another round in liquid form because he threw up the pills. Add in the antibiotics and we've medicated the cats a collective 23 times this week. (If you've ever tried to medicate a cat, you know what an accomplishment that is!)

The trick we use is the "kitty burrito" - Mark swaddles them up in a blanket and holds them while I pop the medicine into their mouths. It's a good system - prevents scratching and keeps them relatively calm.

And, it's working. We're three days puke-free! I'm so happy my little guys are finally feeling better!