Dear folks,
 
The good news is I just brought home a four-month old jill who's an absolute
delight (a thousand thanks to Bill and Diane Killian--hope you had a good
time here in Chicago!)...she's sweet, smart, and adjusting with amazing
speed to her new digs.  The bad news is that my four-year old sprite,
Mookie, is not eating well, not playing well, and seems sort of disenchanted
with the new situation.
 
Immediate medical history:
I took Mookie to Dr. Ness at the Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Clinic two
weeks ago because of some hair loss on the tail and hind feet: she was a
little underweight then (1 lb 12 ounces--she's usually around 2 lbs 1 ounce)
but I attributed this to our recent move...also I confess I'd been trying to
keep her weight down because she's not that active).  Dr. Ness noted that
her spleen is slightly enlarged, and the results of the blood test were
normal except that her glucose level was low--I attributed this to the fact
that she'd been fasted too long (almost 12 hours).  This was stupid of me
but I assumed that an overnight fast was what was required for the blood
test.
 
After reading the FAQ on enlarged spleens I called the hospital; Dr. Ness
is supposed to call back later today.
 
Behavior:
I am worried because of the contrast between Mookie and the new kit: I used
to think that Mookie (who would run around for about an hour in the morning
and off and on for brief periods each day) was just a lazy ol' gal but now
I'm starting to think she's really lethargic.  When the two of them play,
Mookie is a counter-puncher, preferring to lie back and wait for the
assault, then generally fending the little tornado off with a couple of deft
defensive moves, and giving that irritated feral hiss when the kit doesn't
back off.
 
She prefers to lie down, sighs alot and seems to be trying to keep up her
old routine of getting her raisin treat, getting a sip of orange juice, and
heading for the bed the minute the morning snack time is over.  She'll play
a little but she really doesn't seem to be all that excited at the prospect.
One other thing--she's never made any noise (except the occasional
hiss)...she doesn't dook or bark or scream EVER.  She's not deaf, however.
 
Eating:
She normally eats Iams Kitten Chow (I've been trying to get her to eat Cat
Chow with little success) but this morning she ate nothing.  This morning
she also had diarrhea so I don't think she ate much of anything yesterday
either.
 
Now it's more than likely that Mookie is just stressed out.  We moved at the
beginning of October, a week later she had to go to the vet, she's having to
change from kitten chow to cat chow, and now to top it all off she's got to
deal with the new kid on the block.  Maybe she just looks lethargic when you
compare her with a vibrant youngster.  But maybe she's got an infection or a
virus, maybe that spleen is giving her trouble, or maybe she's got
insulinoma-- she sometimes stares off into space, something I always put
down to her meditative approach to life...today I've pretty much diagnosed
her with EVERYTHING I've read about in these FAQs.
 
I'm going to quit monkeying with her diet and give her some Nutrical--if I
can find it--blended with water and Ensure (I've never had to worry about
getting her to eat before).  Sorry to take up so much space but I've been
noticing all these little things and now they're starting to worry me.  I
lost Dody two years ago to an intestinal blockage and I'll be damned before
I'll lose Mookie to some unknown malady.
 
Thanks for your patience and any advice you can offer.
 
Anatole, Mookie, and the rambunctious but as-yet unnamed Zen's Sable Jill
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[Posted in FML issue 1355]