Sick Kitty :((((

This is a picture of Big K at the vet today.

Last night there was some cat pee on the off-white bathroom rug. It had blood in it, but I washed it, threw Miss P. out the door and put it at the back of my mind.
Every morning I find Big K's face outside the narrow window by the front door. He's peering in, waiting to be let in and get his daily ration of moist cat food. I did not see him this morning, which is odd but not unheard of. At times he is late or is at the sliding glass door at the side of the house. Today he did not appear, despite me calling him several times. If I emit a series of 7 tongue clicks 4 times, he appears either immediately or within 10 minutes. I was even sure to face toward the wall outside so the clicks would echo. But no Big K.

Distraught, I drove around the block looking for a grey body :( I also walked down the main road of the development. No kitten. (Although he's 10 and a half years old, he'll always be my kitten). After returning to the house, I looked high and low and saw a grey fuzzy butt behind the entertainment center. He NEVER goes there. I knew immediately he was sick. It must have been he who peed on the rug and not Miss P. He must have been there all night and did not even come out to beg at the table. We had pork chops, his favorite dish.

I immediately took him to the vet and they said he has a bladder infection. He got some medicine and a subcutaneous injection to help rehydrate him. I gave him a dish of freshly roasted chicken (real people food) but he would not touch it. About 6:30 PM he came out and limped to the litterbox in the back bathroom. The vet said to check if he was straining while urinating, so I tried to peep in the slots at the top of the litterbox and I heard him whiz but could not tell if he was straining. Then he tried to go behind the entertainment center, so I put him in his crate with food and water. I will call the vet again tomorrow.

I love this cat so much. I have had him for 10 and a half years. He’s traveled to PA with me in the car a couple of times, spent nights in hotels, and been a guest at my sister’s and mom’s houses. I can’t lose him now, because I’m STILL adjusting to being a stay-at-home parent, and being home with him is one perk I try to remind myself of in a somewhat thankless, 24/7 we-never-close job. Big K is so cool and loves to be around people. This spring when we had 30 Chinese here to make dumplings, he laid in the middle of the floor, all relaxed and stretched out like he enjoyed the party. Big K likes pork roasted with soy sauce, ham, chicken, salmon, tuna, turkey, and beef braised in wine. He has a very cultured palate and has been such a good friend to me. I’ve known him longer than my husband!