Relieved and grateful to have reached the end of what has felt like the longest week for our little family. It started ordinarily enough taking my 7 month old daughter to a Baby Sensory class on Monday and visiting my parents on Tuesday, but in the very early hours of Wednesday morning, our cat Mara suddenly became unwell with vomiting and diarrhoea, by dawn she was off her food, lethargic and hiding under our bed.
We took her to the vet who ran a series of tests but couldn’t find anything wrong, apart from a very low white blood cell count, and I spent the rest of the day handfeeding her chicken but by the evening she was no better and refusing to eat again. We took her back to the vet on Thursday morning and they kept her in overnight to give her fluids and an antiemetic by IV, as well as antibiotics and an appetite stimulant, and her condition was stable enough for her to return home on Friday evening. We’re still not sure what caused her sudden illness – an infection, gastroentiritis or even a severe food intolerance are all possibilities – and she’s still not back to full health but I’m so relieved that she’s eating, cuddling, purring and even playing a little bit, which are all encouraging signs that she’s recovering.
I was planning to share a post next month to mark the fifth anniversary of the date we adopted Mara, but this week has reminded not to take anything or anyone for granted, so I’m sharing a little Mara update today four years, eleven months and nine days after we adopted her. I always knew adopting an adult rescue cat meant there was a chance she might not be with us very long (Mara is somewhere between 10 and 14 years old now) but I won’t ever regret choosing Mara because she’s been such an affectionate, playful and constant companion, and so gentle and patient with our baby daughter too.
For such a small animal, she’s an enormous presence in our home from whining for food (at all hours!), scampering around when she wants to play, chirruping as she greets us at the front door, purring and padding at the foot of our bed as she settles down for the night, sunbathing on the windowsills during the summer and stretching out in front of the fire in the winter.
I’m so thankful to the vets for their diagnosis and treatment options, as well as for pet insurance (which has paid for itself again and again), but most of all, I’m grateful for Mara, who has always been so much more than a pet, bringing so much love, affection and joy to our lives. Take care, and have a lovely week. X
Lovely and Grateful 
I hope your kitty continues to improve. Both my cats were very ill with an infection this summer and we thought we would loose Pixie. With the help of great vets she pulled through and is fine now and I hope your cat will soon be too🐈🐈😀
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Thank you. I’m very sorry to hear your cats have been unwell, what a relief that they’ve both recovered – nine lives indeed! ☺️ X
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Oh how scary! I’m relieved to hear she is doing better, our pets are so important to our well being, they truly are our family!
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Thank you, and I couldn’t agree more. I think one of the hardest parts of having animal companions is knowing that they have such comparatively short lives, but it just makes the time we have them more precious. X
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What a dreadful few days you must have been through. I’m so glad that Mara shows signs of improvement, and I look forward to reading that she has made a full recovery.
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Thanks, it’s been quite subdued in our house the last week, but Mara definitely improving day by day. X
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So happy to hear Mara is doing better. She is a beautiful cat and it’s clear you’ve given her a wonderful life! ❤️ My cats are my world and I’m so grateful to have them.
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Thanks. I really think cats are very misunderstood, but they have such big, quirky personalities when you get to know them. X
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Bless her, and hoping she contiunes to get better, obviously an important member of the family.
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Thanks, she’s a very special cat, she’s had a fair amount of adversity from needing to be rehomed when her previous owner died to having to have her tail amputated when she had cancer but she’s still such a resilient, trusting and brave girl. X
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Gosh, what a trying time for you. So relieved to hear Mara is now on the mend. I love the way you have been able to articulate what a big part of your lives she is. She looks absolutely adorable. I hope she continues to get well. Xx
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Thank you. She’s a very special cat and so many of our daily routines and decisions revolve around her. X
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I know the feeling. We have two cats, Billy and Molly, we adopted a couple of years ago. Their owner had passed away. Billy was in a bad way. He was all anxious and kept over- grooming himself. Now its like we are there to serve them, opening doors for them and so on. I get woken by Billy’s face in the morning telling me he is ready for breakfast! Mara looks super soft with all that white fur. x
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Love hearing about other rescue pets finding a safe, loving new home. 😊 X
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Oh poor Mara, I hope she is continuing to recover. It’s so sweet that she is so loving with your little one too. X
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Thank you. Still not fully recovered but getting better every day. Mara was a bit shell shocked when we first brought the baby home but has slowly accepted her as part of the family, our daughter adores her and starts grinning and bouncing with excitement whenever she sees Mara. 😊 Hope Hugo and Slinky are well. X
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They are both great thank you. Definitely keeping me sane through everything. xx
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Pets are great for keeping us grounded in reality when the world feels topsy turvy. Take care. X
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