The news isn’t good. This came from Phyllis today.

Dear friends,

I am very worried about Mr. Boots. He ate
some tuna yesterday morning for Dan, but he hasn't eaten anything since he got home. He has drunk just a little water. The swelling in his tongue is down but he is holding it to side for some reason. Dan force fed him a little while ago. If he doesn't start eating, I have a real problem on my hands here.

This morning I set him up with three dishes - one with tuna, one with yogurt, and one with canned XD which he was eating well before all this happened. He moved the tuna around a bit in the bowl but I doubt if he actually swallowed anything. He didn't touch either of the
other bowls. He acts like he is thirsty but just sits in front of the bowl. He acts like he is hungry but just sits in front of the bowl.

This is very upsetting.

Later this evening…

Dan called a few minutes ago to see how Mr. Boots is doing. I told him that I still see a will to live. When it was supper time at our house where all the kitties get a dollop of canned food, he was right there with the other three wanting his bowl. Problem is that he couldn't
eat it. He wants to eat and he wants to drink. Something is stopping him.

So tomorrow Dan is going to tranquilize him and check as far down as he can to see if he can find any other thing that is causing this. Then he is going to insert a stomach tube so he can be fed regularly and get nutrition until this mystery unravels itself. He is wondering if the trauma of stuff coming crashing down may have caused a slight stroke which made him bite his tongue. We may never know for sure, but we aren't giving up yet. He wants to eat
and drink. He just can't for some reason. If Mr. Boots still is fighting, then my feeling is that we need to also.

Hang in there, Mr. Boots.

We love you, Dr. Dan

Dr. Dan, you are the best. TCP heard from Phyllis with the latest report.

Just got off the phone with Dan. Mr. Boots is recovering but not recovered yet. He would send him home if I insist but would rather keep him another night so I said OK. If he were to come home I would need to confine him again which would agitate everyone. Then I asked what the charge will be for all this TLC. He said $10 a night
plus the medications and fluids. I nearly dropped the phone!

Dr. Dan is being flooded with thank you cards and emails

Sunday update on Mr Boots

Phyllis informs the TCP crowd and Mr Boots fans out in cyberspace:

Just got off the phone with Dan. Mr. Boots ate a little tuna and tried drinking water. That is still tricky but at least he tried. He wants to keep him overnight again so he can keep the iv going and give him more antibiotics which he is doing by injection in order to get faster reaction. Hopefully he will be coming home tomorrow. Oh yes, he has him on a heating pad. Heating pad and tuna! He won't want to come home!!!!!!

I haven't a clue what this will cost. What I do know is that he is getting best of care and he is responding! This sweet boy sure has a lot of friends!

+

He's a survivor and fighter, indeed. The TCP gang is going to deluge the kind doctor who is tending to Mr Boots with fan mail and thanks.

Further update on Sunday evening from Phyllis:

Just got off the phone with Dan. Mr. Boots ate a little tuna and tried drinking water. That is still tricky but at least he tried. He wants to keep him overnight again so he can keep the iv going and give him more antibiotics which he is doing by injection in order to get faster reaction. Hopefully he will be coming home tomorrow. Oh yes, he has him on a heating pad. Heating pad and tuna! He won't want to come home!!!!!!

Late night update on Mr Boots

Bless his heart! Dan called to let me know that Mr. Boots is resting comfortably. Because we jumped on this quickly, he thinks he will bounce back pretty quickly. With the IV fluids as well as a pain medication he is already acting perkier. He also started him on the two meds. I can't believe the good fortune of having Dan appear here! Without him, I would have to wait until Monday to get him into the vet and even that might be iffy if they were all booked up.

Thanks to all who have offered prayers for Mr. Boots and encouragement for me. I really was pretty frazzled when I took him in this afternoon.

Caroline observes:
Mr. Boots is a survivor, though, and I have a feeling that he will bounce back and be happy to get back to his new kitty friends (except for Tuxxie maybe) and your loving care.

That certainly is our prayer for Mr B!

Update on Mr Boots

Phyllis wrote in at 6.15 EST

Dan finally got home. He was filling in for a vet in Cookeville today. He called me when he was heading home and met me at his clinic. Mr. Boots has a very swollen tongue with abrasions on one side. The only thing we can figure is that he got into some of the glass before Dottie got there to clean it up. He is already dehydrated because he can't swallow with that swollen tongue. He probably is also very hungry. Anyway, Dan wrapped him up in a blanket and took him home with him so he can get some fluids in him and start him on two meds - one to bring down the swelling and the other will be an antibiotic.

Poor guy. Life is not easy for him. And here I thought I was providing a safe haven. I'm feeling really bad about this!!!!!

So all of you readers, keep your good thoughts and prayers for Mr Boots, for Phyllis and for Dottie, too.

URGENT prayers for Mr Boots

Phyllis posted this note at 12.47:

Something is wrong. He is oozing putrid slightly yellowish stuff from his mouth. He just stands over his water bowl but does not drink. Dan is in Cookeville which is about 45 minutes from here. His wife is expecting him home middle of afternoon. She will contact him to see if he can get home sooner. He will call when he gets back and he will see Mr. Boots. This happened suddenly - at least I didn't notice anything unusual last night. His breath is pretty bad anyway but this has an awful smell.

Prayers, please!!!

Could it be an abscess? Glass in his mouth?

Prior to this note, Phyllis had said of Mr B:
Mr. Boots seems to be feeling at home. He has turned into a constant talker so I always know where he is!!

As for the follow-up to the mega disaster caused by Susie:
I just got back from hardware store where I got new braces for the shelf and kitty proof locks for all the cabinet doors!

PD is home with Mr B

Sounds like things got a bit wild chez PD. This note doesn't feature Mr Boots, but shows what new household he now inhabits. We've all known that Susie is a terror... well, she has proven herself once again as a feisty orange girl. [The picture that accompanies this note dates from a while ago (July 2002) and is entitled, 'Susie at play.']

Phyllis reports:

I'm home with the Trio plus one or the Quartet or the TN 4 or whatever you want to call them.

The trio are fine and Mr. Boots is very much out and about. I think he is dividing his time between Molly and Susie while Tuxxie stands aside very confused about the whole thing!

I came home to a disaster of sorts. Because Susie is the one who likes to climb and also opens doors, she is the likely culprit. When my cat sitter came in today she found one of the cupboard doors open and glass everywhere. That glass had been my mother's Fostoria Early American (or something like that) along with salad plates to her china which were English Wedgewood. I keep telling myself it is just stuff but I must admit that I am heart broken. Apparently there was glass on the counters across the way and spread from one end of the kitchen to the other as well as in drawers. It was everywhere. Molly and Tuxxie were hiding under the bed. No one had gone to the litter boxes which are in the laundry room beyond the kitchen. Their food was full of pieces of glass. I just hope no one swallowed any of it. My cat sitter was busy cleaning it up when we pulled in the driveway. She was quite upset. I am afraid I may have lost a cat sitter as the result.

But at least we are all safe and warm! What a welcome home!!!

PD, TN4

Condolences to PD on the occasion of the destruction of her china. Let's hope that chandelier-swinging Susie doesn't teach Mr Boots any new tricks.