In a Cat’s Ear
Posted By Kathleen David on March 26, 2008
For the past couple of days I noticed that Stalin had been cocking his head and he had his left ear down. When I would pet him, he would shake his head if I touched the left side of his face. I pointed this out to Peter who picked up Stalin and agreed that something was not right. My further evidence was that Stalin went into the cat carrier with no protest what so ever. He is usually the hard one of the three to load for the vet. Somewhere in his little brain he knew we were trying to help him.
The vet examined him. No fever which is a good sign with cats. The vet looked in the left ear and proclaimed that Stalin had a funky ear infection. He cleaned the ear out much to Stalin’s fury. Stalin is a master of the swipe and escape when he doesn’t want to be somewhere but the vet’s assistant held him as the Vet got all the crap out of his ear. Staling also got a shot of antibiotics and cortisone to help with the inflammation in the ear cannel which was apparently very painful. We now have an ointment to squirt into his ears for the next two weeks and then he gets a recheck. Fortunately this is not something that is going to spread from cat to cat.
We brought him home and let him out of the car carrier. He spent a good part of the evening curled up on the sofa behind me with his chin on my shoulder. Good defensive position for him to be in. He would occasionally nuzzle my neck and purr, which I think was his way of saying Thank you.
This morning both ears are up and his head is level again. He came by for his morning head scratch and then went off to one of his favorite sunny spots and is currently watching the world out the window. Things are pretty much back to kitty normal.
I am grateful that we have such a good vet that could help Stalin.
Good vets are like gold — treasure them.
I don’t envy you having to squirt ointment into his ears for the next two weeks — if he’s anything like our kitties, he’ll enjoy that about as much as the human Stalin would have at the time…
TWL
I have to ask–is there a story behind how you came to name the cat “Stalin”?
That’s just such an interesting name I figure there must be an anecdote behind it…
Thankfully all it was was an ear infection.
Didn’t the vet have a special canvas bag to put Stalin in so no-one’s lives and limbs were put into unessecary danger? One of the cats I had growing up came down with a bad case of earmites, and that’s what our vet put the cat in while he cleaning the ears out. Cat clawed like crazy to get away, but the bag didn’t let him.
Just wondering.
Chris
is the stuff you have to squirt in the ear in a tube with a long thin nozzle? i really do feel for you guys (but thankful that there are more than one of you there that can work with it…two to hold the cat and one with the medicine!) My biggest black cat and the big Maine Coon male both had something wrong with their ears. One got taken to the vet (not by me since i don’t drive and the vet is a couple towns away) and his ear is fine. Salem my biggest black kitty (and yesh he was named after that cat in the tv show because he looks like the animatromic cat he’s so big and bulky)didn’t get to the vet and sit has a very messed up ear. I was supposed to put that medicine in his ear but after getting shredded a couple times i had to give up.
I wonder if they sell those canvas cat sacks somewhere?
I’m thankful that your kitty ear problem wasn’t spreadable and that Stalin is doing so well:)
jeane
As a cat lover myself (My Elsa turns 15 the day after tomorrow–the longest I’ve ever had a cat, and the only one I’ve had since birth), I can sympathize, as I’ve had a couple of scares myself.
And as someone who had some type of ear infection himself from late December to January, and whose eardrops cost $96 (and without any insurance to pay it), I know how your cat must’ve felt.
But seriously…….
You named your cat Stalin?
What up with that?
Glad all is well – good to hear a happy vet story, as I had to put my friend of 13 years, Delirium – named for the youngest of N. Gaimans Endless – to sleep last week. Her kidneys had been going and after months of treatment she reached the point where it was the only right decision we could make. We have 3 others – Kira, Squeek, and Doe who are all much loved but Del was my special girl.
Please extra nice to all your beffured companions in her honor.
Glad all is well – good to hear a happy vet story, as I had to put my friend of 13 years, Delirium – named for the youngest of N. Gaimans Endless – to sleep last week. Her kidneys had been going and after months of treatment she reached the point where it was the only right decision we could make. We have 3 others – Kira, Squeek, and Doe who are all much loved but Del was my special girl.
Please extra nice to all your beffured companions in her honor.
My condolences, Mike — we went through the same thing with Orpheus (our youngest feline) last summer after 11 terrific years. Having him in our arms at the vet as the final drugs took effect was … wrenching.
TWL
Jeane – I haven’t seen the canvas sacks, but a fluffy towel (bath sized) should work similarly.
i need to find a heavy towel ….but it would have to be a BIG one Salem is bigger than the weinie dogs upstairs. (though i’m sure they outweigh him…..they’re not really weinie dogs but bratwursts with tails!)
jeane
To all the people asking why the cat is called Stalin; The character Porta in the Books by Sven Hassel has a cat called Stalin, more details can be found http://www.dansmith.info/hassel/characte2.asp?ID=18