Update on Mandrake


Mandrake

The vet made it abundantly clear over three weeks ago that Mandrake wasn’t going to be alive today, that his number was up, and that it was necessary and a kindness to euthanise him because of his having tested positive for FIV. Well, he’s still here, and he’s doing very well, thank you very much. He’s out of intensive care, as it were, and metaphorically wandering around the wards, feeling well enough to get bored of being stuck indoors.

For over two weeks I nursed him round the clock, bringing down his fever with cold damp flannels, carrying him everywhere from bed to sofa to litter tray because he was incapable of walking, feeding him using a syringe every hour with a concoction of liquified convalescence food with calcium powder and Omega 3 and 6 oils, and wiping away incredible amounts of nasty matter from his eyes as often as the stuff appeared.

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Saturday, October 25th, 2008

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How do I deal with feline jealousy?


Fat tabby Tom is so jealous of the attention Mandrake is getting because of his ill-health, he’s started scratching up wallpaper in a few places and spends most of his time staring at me intently from various vantage points around the house. He’s also ‘calling’ as if he were unneutered.

My beloved and I trimmed his nails the other day (oh, he didn’t like that one bit) as they were very long, but it hasn’t stopped the destructive behaviour.

If he was a human child I’ll tell him to stop being so bloody jealous and petulant and spiteful. I’d also recognise his insecurity, and I have, and take whatever steps I could to dampen it down.

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Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

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