Calling falls ill

I went to visit Calling last Thursday. He seemed to be behaving oddly and appeared to be restless. He greeted me with his usual meows and walked around my calves but something seemed amiss. I couldn't really put my finger on it until I saw his back.

What used to be a furry patch below his anus had become a scarred, reddish slit. My first thought was that I had mistook Calling to be a tomcat when it is really a tabbycat. As it made its rounds around my legs, I took a closer look to the ears and my initial thought was immediately proven wrong. The left ear had its pointed tip lop off and a reddish line ran across the top of the ear. So, there it is - Calling is a tomcat that has been neutered recently. Well, that certainly explains a lot.

I proceeded to open up a pack of tuna Friskies and poured the contents on a piece of paper to feed him. Though that pack was meant for kittens, I noticed that Calling seemed to like it when I fed him last Monday, so I got the same one again. To my surprise, he gave the food a casual sniff and walked away. I put the food in front of him but he was not interested at all. Patchy, a female kitten that I'll feature here in time to come, trotted up to me and hastily gobbled the food down. Calling made no attempt to swat her away, like he usually does but just sat there watching her wolfing down the food meant for him.

Today, I went to visit Calling again. I scouted the area, searching for him and Patchy. As with other days, today was no different for it was Calling who found me instead. He emerged from a nearby drain with wet patches on his paws and body. "What are you doing in the drain? Just look at you," I said, half-amused at his less than pristine appearance. As he walked around my legs, he did something that shocked me - he sneezed.

I squatted down to get a better look at him and noticed that his nose appeared to be redder than usual. All of a sudden, he began sneezing for a few times consecutively. The intensity of the sneezes caused him to jerk his head at an unnatural angle and he had to open his jaws wide to draw in air. I witnessed such symptoms before but it was not in a cat; it was my pet rabbit that had passed on. Calling is now sick and I worry for him.

I brought mackerel for him today but again, he didn't eat. A cursory sniff and nod were his only responses. The food didn't go to waste, though, as another female stray, Brownie, was nearby and she finished the food. Calling was content to crouch by the grass, observing the surroundings. The only movement he made was when he had the occasional sneeze.

I stayed near Calling to comfort him, stroking his head and back. Many thoughts ran through my mind. Will he get well? Shall I bring him to the vet? If I bring him to the vet, can I spare the time and effort to nurse him back to health? Can he still adapt back to being a feral cat if I bring him home for extended periods to feed him medications and stuff? More importantly, is Calling going to die like my pet rabbit?

I felt really sad as I recalled the happier times, when he would run energetically to me as I approach and how lively he is when he got into the occasional skirmish with Patchy. All he could do now is to crouch there. It seems that Calling has aged 10 cat-years overnight. I related Calling's condition to Dear over the line and she surmised that Calling might has fallen ill due to complications after the neutering surgery. Among a myriad of factors, I think wound infection would be at the top of the list.

Dear also believed depression to be a main factor. As she put it bluntly, "How would you feel if someone drugged you and cut off your balls? You will feel it and know it, right? Calling will feel the same. And humans get sick more easily when they are depressed, so are cats." Dear is no expert on cat psychology but I have to agree with her on this. And yes, cat neutering is really worlds apart when compared to human sterilisation. More about cat neutering here.

I don't blame the person(s) who brought Calling for neutering. After all, that person(s) must have had Calling's well-being in mind. Besides, bringing a cat for neutering does not come free and I don't think anyone would actually be willing to fork out money to deliberately inflict pain on a cat. Furthermore, there are many neutered strays out there and they are all getting along fine. It's just life, I guess. We will all die someday; it's a matter of time. Still, I hope that Calling will recover and resume his usual self again.

Below are some pictures of that I took weeks/months ago, when Calling was in a much better state.















The first time I fed Calling. It was really heartening to see him, for he went missing for a fortnight. I thought he has been adopted or perished in some freak accident.















Taken on the same day as the one above. Calling rests by my foot after the meal. He hasn't done that for a long time but I don't mind.















Calling lazing around after a meal. This picture is taken a few weeks later than those at the top. There was this Indonesian maid who feeds the cats in that neighbourhood at around 8pm everyday. I spoke to her and she said it was her employer's idea. The employer must be a real cat lover; providing free meals to strays everyday is no easy feat.















Calling and Patchy squaring off. Patchy is the only cat that dares to sneak up and eat Calling's food. I seldom feed the other cats, so they don't quite dare to approach me. In fact, they sort of know that I favour Calling more and tend to hang around waiting for scraps that Calling left behind. Calling, notwithstanding his bigger size and being male, usually gives way to the relentless, feisty Patchy. Sometimes, Calling may throw a punch or two at Patchy before relinquishing the food to her. Then, he will look at me with those big, round cat eyes, as if trying to gain sympathy. To overcome this problem, I usually bring two packets of cat food. I'll open the second packet for Calling while Patchy is sufficiently distracted.