Nekkid cat pics (Gingy got a haircut)

Poor Gingy's lovely long fur became very matted in late summer. I could brush her a little but not nearly enough. She had to make numerous trips to the vet because she had a urinary tract infection, which then also affected her kidneys. Her fur around her back end was really matted...not good. So i called around and found a place nearby to get her groomed. Suffice it to say that it cost more than i've paid in my life for a haircut!

Her cut is called a "lion cut"...they leave the fur on the face, a little bit of the ruff, anklets on the feet, and the tip of the tail...the rest is trimmed right down to the skin. Here she is, right after her haircut.

Poor naked kitty! The one upside...Gingy has been more willing to sleep near the boys

Now, four months later, her fur has grown out to about an inch long all over...and in the meantime, Gingy has taken over the prime "spot between the pillows" as her personal napping zone.

After a couple of months of medication, weekly subcutaneous fluids, and a change in diet, she has started to feel a whole lot better. I should probably take her in for another round of tests, just to make sure her kidneys are doing o.k.

But in the meantime, Fuzzy has been unwell...he's been very constipated. I'll spare you the details (which don't involve an enema, yet) but he's felt very miserable. However, his vet prescribed Lactulose, which is a stool softener, on the off chance that he might agree to take it (most internet citations say cats hate it). It's a sticky liquid and he's been taking it from a syringe with no fuss. It seems to be helping, although there's still a whole lot of "stuff" that needs to move out.

In the meantime, he inexplicably has lost several pounds, maybe because he was just picking at his food... All of his bloodwork is good, and now that he's feeling better, he's started eating and drinking and snuggling regularly again. I'm so relieved. Hate to see my big guy be so uncomfortable, missed his snuggles when he spent the night hunched uncomfortably in his nest box instead of in bed, and even worse, hate the reminder that he's at least 16 years old and is becoming an old cat.

I've started him on a very palatable canned food to get more liquid into his diet and every few hours he comes to get me to tell me he'd like another teaspoon or two of food. I am soooo happy to oblige!