Bella’s new normal

Bella continues to do well, confounding everyone. We call her the healthiest sick cat around, and she is. In fact, in many ways she acts more like an elderly cat than a sick one. The prognosis hasn’t changed, but her journey is clearly her own.

When we received Bella’s diagnosis in mid-July, we really thought she probably had days, maybe a week or so at best. Bella had other ideas, however, and a week and a half later, she was doing well. She still is.

Over the past six weeks or so she’s continued to do well, with a few changes from her old self: She sleeps a lot, she’s a bit slower and less active, and she’s thinner. However, she’s put on a little weight over the past couple weeks or so—not back to where she was, but definitely healthier and not bony. One curious change is that she seems less willing to pose for photos, so I have to snap one while she's napping, or just waking up, as in the photo above.

Our attempt at giving her subcutaneous fluids was a disaster. We never got the hang of it, and by the third or fourth attempt she tried to get away from us, and she tried to attack me (I was holding her). We didn’t want that to be how she spent her last days, particularly when the vet said it would buy her only maybe a couple months. She’s already gone past that without the additional fluids.

Even so, Bella is still sick, and the days ahead of her are fewer than they should be. But, for now, she’s doing well, is happy and content, and is healthy (all things considered). Really, that’s not too much to ask for.