So, our kitten is stoned. We went to the vet today for an exam, second round of shots, and for them to take a look at his ears because they were filled with gunk, and he scratches at them and has scabs. Turns out he has ear mites. Easily enough fixed - cleaned his ears, put some medicine in them and some Revolution on the back of his neck.
Here is a very unhappy Clinch ignoring all treats and looking like a Gremlin
However, about ten minutes after (while we were waiting for the Feline Leukemia/FIV test to come back (he's clean!)), he was still shaking his head, scratching at his ears, running around the room, and yowling a bit. I asked about it, and they said he could be in discomfort because of all the cleaning and what-not. They gave him some pain meds that were SUPPOSED to make him a bit sleepy.
Well, in the three hours or so we've been home, he's not slept a wink. He's been running around, harassing Pixel, chasing after jingle balls, and... just a little bit ago, he started pawing at the water bowl like he was scratching in a litter box. Water EVERYWHERE. After a hurried conference with Steve, I picked up the bowl and tried to clean things up. The kitten was still running around and weaving himself in and around the metal holder we have for the food and water bowls and acting nutty in general.
I just called the vet, and they said that it's likely because of the pain meds. He's "feeling happy," they said. "So he's stoned?" I said. She laughed and said, "Yeah, probably. It'll wear off." I sure hope so, because the kitchen floor is damp, my socks are soaked, and there are little wet kitten footie prints all over the place. He's even wet on his head. I wonder when he'll wear himself out so we can nap.
(Here ends the archived report. Read on for the rest of the story.)
Well, it took a really long time for him to calm down. I put the bowls and their holder in the sink, and I kept hearing clanging going on. Every time I went in the kitchen, he was in the sink messing around with the bowls. The holder ended up going outside, and I washed the bowls and put them in the drainer. Did that keep him out of the sink?
No.
I must have taken him out of that sink 10 or 15 times. I kept coming back into my studio to type on Facebook and to message Steve about what to do, and I kept hearing him in the sink.
I started feeling very frazzled and frantic myself and almost climbed in the sink with him, but instead I called my father-in-law, who has decades more experience with cats than I have, has studied veterinary technology, and has worked in an animal shelter. He said I should put Clinch in his carrier until he calmed down. I did that then put the water and food bowls back for Pixel and Fe.
Since I also needed a nap, I put him in the bedroom so I could lie down and keep an ear on him. He was quiet for about 15 minutes, then he started meowing and scratching the inside of the carrier a bit. I'm a softie, so I closed the bedroom door and let him out of the carrier. He wandered around for a while, then we were both able to sleep a little.
He was a lot better by the time Steve got home, but we had to pick the water back up because Clinch kept sticking his paws in it and splashing. It wasn't as forceful as before, but it was enough to make things wet.
Once the meds fully got out of his system he was better, although he does still stick a paw in the water from time to time.
Here are some pictures of Clinchfield being cute in his first days of settling in:
On the chair in my studio
On Steve's lap
Peeking out from behind my computer
(Yes, I know my desk is messy - more on that tomorrow!)
His other favorite spot - on top of my filing trays to the right of my computer
(I have the laptop's lid closed in this picture.)
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