The Basket Case

I took Keiko to the vet this morning to have him examined and have some tests performed on him. We want to understand why I found him with no leg strength in his rear left leg, and motor skills that mimic my dying Tug to a "T" just languishing in the middle of the road about six or seven houses down the street..

I took him in our grocery basket; it was extremely easy to do and he put up no fight whatsoever. He was unusually quiet, and only got a bit "hissey" when I took a corner and the basket tipped over spewing him about. Keiko did try to climb out twice, but I just tapped his hind quarters and "knocked him down" as I used to do with Tug when I wanted him to sit still and then he was quiet.

At the vet in Katsuyama, we waited for about 10 minutes before heading into the examining room. The first thing that the vet noted is that Keiko is 500g SKINNIER than when Mayu first found him on his last legs, flea and lice-ridden back in June! How strange.... because we have been feeding him twice a day a LOT of food for three months... but it very well could explain his lack of muscling if he hasn't been getting any food for the two weeks we haven't seen him.

Please take a look at my video, This is Keiko: The Final Journey, if you have no idea of what I speak.

The vet noted that the inside of Keiko's mouth is very red (i.e. possibly infected). But his skin and fur looks as healthy as it has ever been!

Then they gently but firmly held him down, stuck a probe up his bum (he was rather loud at that time) and took some blood.

I put Keiko back in the basket and we waited outside the exam room for the comprehensive test results to come back. About 10-15 minutes later, as Keiko quietly, but attentively eyed the monster dogs that came and went, the vet came out and told us that aside from a fever, and that red mouth, as well as a high white blood count indicating a possible infection, Keiko is as healthy as an ox!

I had him tested today for feline aids, feline leukemia, liver illnesses, kidney illnesses, white blood cell and red blood cell counts, and some other tests. All came back negative, aside from the high wbc count.

We gave him an antibiotic injection, and are supposed to take him back again in two weeks (if he hangs around and lets us, right?)

I only paid $150 for all these tests (I'm pretty darn sure that back home it would have cost a LOT more) and then took Keiko banking, post officing, and then home. We ate some (he ate some) raw chicken, some dry cat food, drank some water, went for a long pee and stumbled around. I put him back up on his chair for the afternoon and got to work. I checked in every once in a while, then took him out and he peed again. He tottered back, ate some more raw chicken (as if it was his first meal in ... two weeks?) and cat food. Then I put him back up on his chair and (*checking*).. Keiko is still there, all curled up in a little ball.

So.. what can I say? How many lives does he have left? I have no idea.

I took some more video footage and will piece it together in a day or two when I have some time.

Weird... weird....

Well, at least we know if the supermarket foods continue to go through the roof, we'll have some healthy meat on hand!

Here is the shopping list:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Tofu
• Stray Cat
• Dish Detergent
• Mayonnaise
• Coffee
• BBQ Sauce
• Potatoes
• Black Pepper
• Garbage Bags
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Eggs
• Nair Hair Remover
• Onions
• Aluminum Foil
• Jack Daniels

I love you!

Cam

P.S. When it was time to go there were about six or seven people in the waiting room. I picked up the basket that Keiko was in (see image above), looked at everyone, put on a big smile and said, "Well, it looks like it's time to continue my grocery shopping for today's dinner!" They all burst out laughing and waved at me as I left the premises.