The Pandemic Pantry
Velcro Kitty is my oldest cat. he’s almost 16. In cat years that’s old, but not ancient. Velcro was a bottle feed I rescued from my friend, Yoshi’s back yard. He fit easily in the palm of my hand and I had to feed him from a bottle for a couple of weeks.
The night I brought him home I was lying in bed and he started lightly sweeping his paws over my back in a systematic pattern. I’d never had a cat do that. I rolled over so I could see him and he did the same thing on my torso. The when he found the nipple he circled in and started licking me there. I realized he was looking for food. I told him, with a chuckle, “I can’t help you with that buddy, but let me get you a bottle.” He’s always thought I was his mother. I guess I am.
My cat is sick. I had to pack him up in the carrier and bring him into the city today to his vet.
i packed up my wipes and sanitizer and Face Mask and into the city I went, expecting to touch practically no one and nothing, and that’s what i did.
I made the usually 1 hour and 40 minute drive without hitting the brakes until i was exiting ON Manhattan Island (or IN The City, for you out of the area folk).
39 minutes in a min-van – wasn’t even speeding that much.
The City is eerie. About 1/2 of the Manhattanites have fled. There are about 2 million people left sheltering at home. The streets are mostly deserted. It feels like some Twilight Zone, post apocalyptic episode. They wouldn’t let me into the vets office, just pick up and drop off at the door so I sat in the mini van doing work on my computer. In view, the only person on the streets, a “homeless” man stood against the side of a building the whole time I sat there. Just stood. I can’t stand that long. With no foot traffic and most restaurants closed I wonder how they get any food or money. Certainly soup kitchens and shelters, if they are even open, are c-19 killing fields.
When I started my trip home, it’s just a few blocks to the Henry Hudson Parkway, Route 9A – The only Highway running north/south on the west side and only one of two in The City. The highway is The East River Drive, aka “The FDR”. I turned the below map sideways, so north is to the right.
9A – The Henry Hudson Parkway on the top, and the FDR Drive, on the bottom are the wide bright green roads – 3-4 lanes in each direction. Usually stop and go traffic on Manhattan Island.
Manhattan Island rotated
North is to the Right
9A/Henry Hudson Parkway AKA West Side Highway
Northbound 79th Street Entrance
9A Henry Hudson Parkway / West Side Highway
12:30pm Thursday Afternoon 4/9/20
41 minutes to return.
I don’t miss the traffic.
IKnowTheCow 
something upset his stomach so that he couldn’t keep anything down. he tried to drink water (and you know he has clean chilled water – and room temperature water as my sister has a fountain without a chiller that he was drinking out of).
he has Zofran in him to alleviate nausea. we know he’s hydrated for a couple of days, the trick is to get him to eat and drink tomorrow or the next day and see if he can keep it down.
since there didn’t appear to be an obstruction – by vet palpation – he was too angry after the blood draw to let them xray him, and they didn’t want to sedate him due to his condition and age, we’re treating it as if it’s alimentary.
he hasn’t come out of his carrier and it’s 7 hours now. he’s letting me know I was a dick for taking him to the vet.
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Wow. Velcro doesn’t even look dehydrated. I have never seen the West Side Highway empty.
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i have some pictures of him this morning. that pic was way before the issues began.
I feel it’s disrespectful to post pictures of him sick to the public.
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How is Velcro kitty feeling?!
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Thank you for asking.
They examined him, took his blood and hydrated him. He’s looking and feeling much better, but he’s so mad at me that he won’t come out of his carrier. it’s been 4 hours.
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I read this blog entry about 40 minutes after your reply to Diane… and what struck me is you made no mention of what the Vet said about Velcro Kitty 😳 When Velcro comes out of that carrier, what can you do to assure he stays hydrated? Thinking about that, is it any different than what I would do for my dogs? Meaning making sure they have a plentiful supply of clean fresh water.
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