A Work-in-Progress

Ms. Christopher still isn't eating her proper portion of kibble, so I've resumed feeding her with the big-ass syringe as a supplement to whatever she manages to chew and swallow. She's taking it quite well, and I'm getting better and better at shooting the soft food into her mouth and down her throat. This way, I can be sure that my Girlish Girl is getting the nutrition and hydration she needs to fully recover while she gets used to chewing again.

Other than not licking the bowl clean when she eats, though, Christopher seems to be doing pretty well--she's been more sociable, sitting out with me when I watch TV in the evenings, grooming herself and letting me comb her out with minimal protest using the stainless-steel pet comb from Target that the vet had mentioned (she wasn't sure it was exactly as good as the one she uses at the hospital, but the one she uses at the hospital costs $50--this one is slightly more affordable). At night, I bring Chris to bed with me, and she curls up under one arm or the other, purring loudly.

Ms. Christopher is still a sick kitty, but that's the thing about a work-in-progress--for there to be progress, you have to work. She seems willing to do the work. And I know I am. So we'll get there. It may take time--Superbadfriend said that her cat, Other Ernie, had to have teeth pulled and didn't get back to eating normally for a couple of months.

I hope it doesn't take Chris that long to get back to her regular munching ways, especially not with her kidneys and liver out of whack. With the two of us working on it together, though, and with the vet overseeing our progress, my lovely old girl get where she--we--need to go.