The Precious Challenge

Precious After Landing on the Back of the Couch – Photo: L. Weikel

I’m not looking forward to tomorrow, which I can only characterize in my mind as the “Precious Challenge.” Not aprecious challenge. The Precious Challenge.

As I sat here this evening getting ready to write, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Precious inelegantly jumped onto the back of the couch. She does this periodically, making quite the scratchy racket as her back claws work to gain purchase on the throw draped over the back. It scares/surprises me every time she does it. The effort to heave her not insignificant body onto the back of the couch really does create a sharp, sudden clatter. The drama of it all just seems so unnecessary. Yet, inevitably, I never see it coming until she’s literally in my face. She is, after all, jumping up from behind the couch.

Tomorrow, though (and I have to write this quietly because if she gets wind of it, she’ll disappear for a few days), we’re going to run up to the vet’s office. She needs another shot of steroids for her auto-immune disorder. And trust me – when I say it’s going to be a challenge, I’m not kidding.

Don’t Be a Trickster, Precious! – Photo: L. Weikel

Hot Mess

Precious, as I’ve written previously, is our kitty who’s riddled with anxiety issues. Making matters worse, back in September she was also diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder that causes some mighty uncomfortable skin issues. I’m pretty sure these two conditions are connected, too, because as soon as she received her first steroid shot, both Karl and I could feel a sense of huge relief and calm emanate from her energetically. The corollary to that, of course, is that, as the effects of the steroids have lessened, especially recently, her misery and paranoia have escalated once again.

Sadly, she makes it really difficult to give her consistent treatment because she has an uncanny internal warning system that alerts her whenever I’m getting ready to take her to the vet. She’s also been extremely uncooperative in taking her hyper-thyroid medication.

The steroid shot’s effectiveness lasts about three months. This tracks, since she was diagnosed in September, received her shot then, and only started relapsing with her worst symptoms over the past month. She seems to be degenerating rather quickly, though – yet she is her own worst enemy.

Had To Cancel

Two weeks ago I’d set up an appointment for her steroid shot and had to cancel because she got wind of it and hid in the cellar for a day.

I’m hoping we don’t have a repeat of that scenario again tomorrow. Which is why I’ve labeled our appointment tomorrow The Precious Challenge. I hate seeing her suffer and hope she can sense my desire to ease her discomfort and allow that to overcome her terror over anything out of her routine.

Wish me luck.

(T+50)