Last week, we brought Pea Pea and Dodo to the vet for a routine check. Prior to that, we had planned to bring them for awhile but Cat Dad finally made the call to go last week when we noticed Dodo hasn’t been eating well and had lost quite a bit of weight. Initially we thought her lack of appetite was due to her ingesting fur balls when she’s grooming herself, which had happened before. We gave her supplements and treats for fur balls but still saw no improvement.
Cat Dad found this other pet clinic which offers an extensive variety of services. We decided to give that a try, so we packed up the maos and off we went!
Here they are waiting anxiously patiently for their turn!
It was quite a long wait because the clinic did not allow appointment bookings. Pea Pea and Dodo (and their astronaut bags) got a bit of attention 😄. There were already a few people waiting in the clinic when we got there but as the night progresses, more and more people trickled in.
Despite the number of patients and concerned pet parents in the waiting area, Dr. Vanessa was very patient and thorough in her procedures. We found out that Dodo was actually running a fever and Dr. Vanessa suggested doing blood tests on both Pea Pea and Dodo to make sure that everything was well with them. We also found out that Pea Pea was borderline overweight and have to watch his diet from now on 😂.
The process of waiting for the blood test results was very quick (15-20mins). We waited a little longer though, which was understood because of the sheer number of patients that evening. When the clinic assistant finally called us in, we were so relieved to hear that the results were good. Dr. Vanessa even said that both the maos were very well behaved throughout the whole time they were in the examination room. #Proudparents. Dodo had to be on medication for the next 8 days, but otherwise, we were told that everything we are doing for the maos is good, and we were cleared to go.
Fast forward to current time, Dodo is completely recovered now. Her appetite has improved quite a bit since a week ago.
Meanwhile, Pea Pea’s tummy is still round 🤣🤣.
The routine that we now have, comes from endless research and experiment to find out what works for the maos and what doesn’t. For us hoomans, it was especially rewarding to hear that what we are currently doing is good for them. Here are some of the things we do to ensure that the maos are living the best they can.
Cats are not exactly the biggest fans of being in water. Same applies for drinking them. As such, they can be more prone to kidney and urinary tract diseases. To encourage the maos to increase their daily water intake, we have multiple drinking bowls in the house, one of them is a water fountain which we set up in the bedroom. The water fountain includes a pump which ensures that the water is always moving. Ever since we had the fountain, we noticed that both the maos have been drinking way more than before. They would even go into the bedroom in the midst of doing their daily cat stuff just to drink from the fountain.
In addition to more water points, we also give the maos canned food once a day. Canned food are higher in water content, keeping the maos nice and hydrated. Not to mention, they love the stinky-ness of canned tuna 🤢. Apart from canned food, we make sure that the dry food we give them are low in artificial contents and fillers. As the majority of their diet should be dry food, we felt that it is important that the food should be of good nutritional value.
Hygiene-wise, we try to brush their teeth whenever we can with toothpastes that are specifically for pets. It was also suggested by Dr. Vanessa to give them dental treats that can help with clearing the bacteria and build-ups in their teeth.
We have two litter boxes that are cleaned daily. The litter is changed and the litter boxes are washed every two weeks. We used to have only one litter box and for the most part, Pea Pea and Dodo shared it quite well. However, Pea Pea is a bit of a clean freak (although he really doesn’t look like it 😂 ) and would not use the litter box if it was not cleaned. As a result, there were a few mishaps. After countless bedsheets, bath mats, handbags, and one REALLY soiled cat condo later, we got another litter box. Yeah… that boy sure knows how to make a statement 😪. Having two litter boxes would mean that at least one would be clean at all times for either cats to deposit their gems.
On top of that, we also keep their fur clean by giving them baths once every few weeks. They don’t seem to mind being in the water and we’ve recently upgraded the size of their bath tub.
So far, both Pea Pea and Dodo are contented with standing on the spot or taking small steps around the tub. We have yet to see them swim. Any cat swim coach out there who is interested in collaborating, hit us up! 😂😂
Having cats, or any pets for the matter, is a huge responsibility and a lot of work. Sometimes you sweat, sometimes you cry, other times you bleed. But one thing that we can say on behalf of all pet owners is, nothing beats the feeling of seeing our pets happy and contented, and knowing they are healthy. It almost makes all the soiled bedsheets worth it 😜.
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