So last night, during the usual Dance of Parm Trying to Get Comfortable (I.E., he wants to flop over on my face and I don't want to let him, he wants to be under the covers but it only lasts for two minutes before he wants out), Parm went all wonky for a second. I don't know if it was in response to the dogs barking outside or what, but he yowled twice, the "I'm being taken to the vet and I don't like it one bit" yowl, and then was completely unresponsive for a couple of minutes. I pet him and he didn't react to me at all, I asked him if he was okay and he ignored me, didn't duck his head under as usual when I pet his head, just kind of stared off into space and stayed put where I moved him. Then he eventually started purring, and everything was normal.

..Until 3 AM, when he started horking up a hairball. I woke with a start and made a mad dash to the bathroom with him, and when he was done, he jumped on to the bathroom counter and drank water for close to a whole minute straight. Again, completely unresponsive to me, didn't flinch when I pet his head, just lapped up water. It didn't even seem like he was really drinking it; usually it's lap lap lap swallow lap lap lap, but this was just lap lap lap lap lap lap lap lap lap for nearly a minute. He eventually started purring, and I came back to bed with him and asked him to tell me if something was really wrong. He said nothing, just purred his head off and proceeded to do the usual Dance of Getting Comfy again.

I'm hoping it's nothing, of course, maybe he was just in a weird space. But I'm worried about it. He also does this thing when he settles in my lap sometimes, just kind of jerks like cats do when they've just burped. He's been doing that more and more frequently lately, and he's jerked a little violently a couple of times.

I need to take him to the vet and get bloodwork done, but I just don't have the $200 right this second.

He's not a young cat. And I'm really just posting this so that I have something to come back to in case something really is wrong, so I can point to this date and know when I first really noticed anything weird.

But if you've got good thoughts to spare, send 'em on through for Parmesan, won't you?

http://super-donkey.livejournal.com/197466.html

I can't even imagine a vet telling me that the only way to save my cat is never to see him again.

edit: Kitty will be returning home! I AM SO HAPPY. I was literally trying not to cry here at work, despairing so hard for him.

My cats all three just had a horrible fight. It took me ten minutes to coax Ish out from under the couch, and his nose is really scratched up. Midori hid under the bed and not even treats called him to me. Parm made himself tight and compact and wouldn't let me skritch him.

Eventually I got everyone calmed down (after sustaining some panicked puncture wounds from Ishmael. He would not. stop. growling.). And then I bought the Dr. Horrible DVD to make myself feel better.

My hand still hurts tho.

CAST:

GIRL: a 33 year old woman who lives in the house with ISHMAEL.
ISHMAEL: a cat. America's Favorite..well, you know.

ACT ONE.
GIRL sits at a computer, hundreds of little slips of paper arranged in neat piles before her. She is intently staring at the piles, sometimes shifting a slip from one to another, typing furiously. ISHMAEL enters the room.

ISHMAEL: mrrrrrt?

ISHMAEL coils around the base of GIRL'S chair, purring. GIRL ignores him, intent on her papers.

ISHMAEL: (insistent) MRRRT?

GIRL notices ISHMAEL, and reaches down to scratch him behind the ears. ISHMAEL ducks out of reach. GIRL goes back to her papers. ISHMAEL returns to GIRL, continuing to purr and wind around her chair. GIRL absentmindedly puts her hand down, not really watching him, and ISHMAEL briefly rubs against her hand before walking away.

ISHMAEL: MMMMMRRRRRRRT?

GIRL: Hello, Ishmael. I see you.

ISHMAEL: Mmmmmrrrrrrrrrt? ISHMAEL walks up to her shyly.

GIRL: Yes, hello. She scratches his chin, and he flops over on the floor, out of easy reach. I can't pay attention to you, I have months of finances to catch up on.

ISHMAEL: Blinking hard, purring, stretching, and trying to make himself as cute as possible. prrrrrt. Prrrrt. Prrrrrt.

GIRL: Well, come over here, then, and get scritches. She extends her hand toward him.

ISHMAEL: Mrrrrrrrrrt?

ISHMAEL gets to his feet, walks three steps away from GIRL, and flops over, purring and kneading the air with his paws.

GIRL: Screw you then. Pet your own damned head.

ISHMAEL: mmmmmmrt! Blinking, purring, rolling over.

GIRL: You don't even like me anyway. You're just in here cause J's asleep.

ISHMAEL: (busted) Mrt.

ISHMAEL exit stage right.