Cold weather woes
Another three felines come down with the virus that affected brat cat yoyo
AS I WRITE, I’m surrounded by animals, each curled tightly into a little ball. They’re all really, really cold.
Bangkok may be warmer than the East Coast of the US, but it’s certainly cold here (despite what a Swedish friend says).
Bugsy, the long-necked turtle, who loves cold weather, seems to be enjoying himself, but all the other turtles are suffering.
Turtles, being cold-blooded, cannot regulate their body temperatures the way warm-blooded animals, like mammals, can. They rely totally on the outside temperature, and if it’s too cold, they cannot move very well until the weather warms up.
They cannot even eat until they’re warm enough. My turtle herd (apart from Bugsy) wait until the afternoon, when the temperature climbs slightly, and they can finally tuck into their food.
A few of the turtles have stopped eating their vegetables entirely, nibbling only on the chopped shrimp and red worms I’ve given them.
The cats and Wan-Wan, my poodle pup, have another problem. Yoyo came down with a viral infection last month, but with the help of medication, he recovered.
I thought we were all going to be okay, but then, last week, Thep, one of the soi boys, came inside for his morning meal and started sneezing. He ate a little bit, but then curled up and went to sleep. He didn’t even go out for his nightly job of keeping the soi free of strange cats.
His best friend Thong, who came into the house that night, ate a little bit, then curled up next to Thep. He was sneezing too.
Both boys also felt very warm. It was time for the vet.
At the clinic, their temperatures were quite high. The vet decided that they should stay at the clinic until their temperatures came down. She didn’t want my other cats to get their viruses.
This morning, Manohra comes down the stairs, curls up and goes to sleep. She doesn’t eat anything. For the year she’s been with us, she has exhibited two abilities: to get herself into trouble anywhere, any time; and to find and eat any food around.
A cat who doesn’t eat is sick indeed, especially Manohra, but now, she just wants to sleep. When I touch her, she feels extremely hot. At the clinic, the vet finds that her temperature is over 40 degrees C, extremely dangerous, whether you’re a cat or a human.
The days pass. The two soi boys and poor Manohra have been kept away from other cats and given their medicine twice a day.
What a nasty virus all three have! For two days their temperatures go down, then up again. With Thep and Thong, one cat gets better, one gets worse; the next day, the one who is sicker is better, and the one who is better is sicker. The boys, at least, are eating.
Manohra is the sickest of the three. She has to be force fed, or she won’t eat. Her temperature fluctuates from day to day too.
At last, we have good news. She still has a temperature, but she’s finally started eating by herself.
The three kids will have to stay at the clinic for a few more days. First, their temperatures need to come down to normal (around 37 degrees) and remain at that level for two or three days - and Manohra needs to start eating with her normal enjoyment.
I’m hoping that their return will be soon. The herd at home keeps waking me up in the middle of the night to ask me where they are.
