Billy would like to thank everyone who sent him get well messages and kind thoughts. He is finally feeling a lot better. Last night he ate two and a half servings of his kibble for dinner - the first meal of dry food he's eaten since he took ill. He is outside eating another serving of kibble for breakfast as I write and tonight I'll offer him tinned dog food instead of cat food.
Yesterday things started looking up when Billy noticed I was holding his grooming comb. He bustled out to the porch from his sick room (the laundry) and took up his "groom me" stance. He stayed there enjoying the combing until my arm got tired and I called a halt. He looked disappointed that it was over and returned to his sick bed, but it was a definite improvement.
Things looked grim for Billy's and my love affair for a while. While Graeme and I were in Melbourne my neighbour came over twice a day to check on Billy and spoil him a bit. I had asked her if she could check him once a day and see if he would eat something. I only asked for once a day because my neighbour lives about a 15 minute drive and six closed gates away, but she loves Billy and made the effort to check him more often. She's a wonderful woman. Billy was much happier staying home with my neighbour checking on him than he would have been in a cage at the vet's. On her first visit she brought over some steak rissoles to see if she could tempt him, and tempt him she did. Billy scoffed the lot, one at a time out of her hand and looked for more. My friend had to have a complete wash down after the event, but she said she didn't mind, she was just glad he ate something. Billy refused all offers of tinned cat food in the hope that more rissoles would appear. I didn't leave his tablets out for her to give him because Billy resisted taking those tablets quite strenuously and my neighbour is nearly 80 years old. When I got home the tablet insertion into Billy resumed and only tinned cat food was available. I would have bought him rissoles or whatever his little heart desired but it was the Easter weekend and all shops were shut. Billy made it perfectly clear he didn't love me anymore. Every time I entered the laundry he'd duck his head or turn his face away. When I offered him tinned cat food (his former favourite food) Billy clearly said that he wanted my neighbour back as his nurse, and if she brought more rissoles so much the better. She knew how to treat a sick fellow he said, none of this forcing nasty tasting white things down his throat; just kind words and tasty treats. Now that he's had the last of his tablets we are back to our love fest with each other again.
I was really worried when I wrote last week about Billy being ill. I thought I was going to lose him. He was so sick and looked close to death's door. It's taken quite a while for the big fellow to recover and the vet still doesn't know what the problem was. He feels that the huge mouth ulcer and the nose bleeds were symptoms rather than causes. I'm just grateful that Billy is now feeling that life is good once again.
I don't imagine it will be long before Billy makes his way down to the ferret cage to resume exchanging insults with The Gang Of Four. I think they've missed him too.
2 comments:
Thank goodness that your gorgeous Billy is feeling so much better, you must be so relieved. Now you know what to do, don't you? Get into your kitchen and start making him some rissoles!
Thank you so much for the update on Billy. I've been thinking of the two of you every day since you reported his sickness. I'm so very happy his outlook is better. Here's to a continued improvement until he's his old self.
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