It's not a Coyote!

It’s been a very busy week. We moved our 18 year old into Sewanee: The University of the South this weekend where she will be freshmen. I haven’t been able to report on our cat since the Vet visit. The problem turns out to be a Bobcat so to speak. Not a direct attack by a Bobcat but a disease from a Bobcat called “Bobcat tick disease” Cytauxzoon Felis.  It is identified as a blood parasite found in Bobcats in the south but moving north and west. The Bobcat is unaffected by the disease. A tick transfers the disease to the domestic cat (This disease doesn’t affect humans, thank God).  Domestic cats infected with the disease tend to lose liver function within a few days and become jaundiced, losing color in the gums and nose. The vast majority die in one week. This is a very difficult disease to treat. The Vet indicated that there are no standard treatments and the cat is likely to die. We are not sure what our next step will be with Creamy, but we are researching treatment.