Here's the thing...
No symptoms when I first grabbed her or for several hours afterwards.
No fever.
No loss of appetite.
The other cats didn't catch it (which the vet said they would have, despite the extraordinary measures I've been taking, and I do mean extraordinary)
It's hung on for two weeks and will not go away.
So we decided she was allergic to something in my bathroom and had never actually been sick at all. Linda, at the pet supply store, said it was probably the silica in the clumping cat litter I'm using, combined with kitty being shut up in such a small space. I google'd silica and kitty respiratory problems.
Turns out, the silica in clumping cat litter may have deleterious effects on both cats and people. It's a bit controversial. You can read about it here:
The Cat Site
Pet Care Tips
I don't know if that's what's causing the problem or not, but now I'm using a different kind of litter, Feline Pine. It's all natural, biodegradable, organic and chemical free. There's no odor, no tracking, no mess, no silica dust and you just scoop and flush solids. When it's time to change the box out completely, you can use what's left as mulch or compost. How cool is that? So far, I'm really liking it.
Since the kitty is allergic to something in the bathroom, it's clearly time to get her out of there. Cats aren't pack animals like dogs and they're territorial, so introducing a new kitty needs to happen gradually. She's been in there for two weeks, so both Ophelia and Grainne are aware of her, and she of them.
Ophelia:
Grainne:
Yesterday, I put Ophelia (aka "Fuzz Butt") and Grainne, (aka Binky) in the bedroom and closed the door. I let little kitty out to explore the rest of the place. She was out for several hours, long enough to investigate every nook and cranny and get comfortable enough to take a nap on the couch.
Then I put her back in the bathroom and let the other two out to sniff her scent all over the apartment. That went on for a couple of hours and once they settled down, I let little kitty out. Well, I opened the bathroom door, anyway.
There was a little hissing and growling, but no actual fighting. Little kitty decided she was safer in the bathroom, so she stayed in there, curled up on her towel. Not exactly what I had in mind.
I closed her up in there again last night when I went to bed. I didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night to a cat fight on my head!
This morning, I've opened the door again. There was some eyeballing and sniffing from a distance, but no growling or hissing. She won't come out, though. She's still in there, curled up on the counter. Every time I walk by the bathroom, she meows at me, but she won't come out. Grainne and Ophelia will go up to the door, but they won't go in.
When she was out yesterday for several hours, she stopped sneezing and her nose dried up, so I think we're on the right track with the allergy thing. Now if I can just get her to come out of there for good!
Stay tuned!
