Felix (don't worry, it's not a goodbye post)

Felix has had some rough times lately. He's been moved twice in 18 months, and lost sister-cat Gypsy just a couple of months ago. He's always had a finicky stomach, and has had increasing episodes of diarrhea and vomiting, and lost a lot of weight. A vet visit last summer gave us some good advice that helped him along for a year, but he took a worse turn the last couple of weeks, so off we went to a new vet.

The bad news is that he has low-grade kidney failure, and because of his finicky digestion we really can't treat it. But that generally moves slowly; and meanwhile the new vet had some much more effective suggestions. He got a steroid shot while in the office, and came home with new food, both canned and dry, specifically designed for cats with frequent diarrhea. Given how serious his condition is, the vet said to switch immediately, no gradual transition. He ate and ate and ate for 6 hours, and none of it came back out precipitously, and then he (and I) slept through the night for the first time in months. Today he is a bit subdued, but calm and relaxed and still very happy with the new food. And I am very relieved to see him comfortable and content, though sad about what is to come. But he's 16, after all; and I hope to have him with me for months or maybe even another year or two.