It has been a long week.

Last week, Silverman suddenly lost his appetite. For a cat who is typically more than enthusiastic about meals, this was obviously not good. On Saturday, it was off to the vet to get him checked out. And it was a good thing that I didn’t wait. Blood and urine tests showed (a) that he is suffering from diabetes, (b) had become seriously dehydrated, and (c) this caused his chemicals to get way out of whack. It was off to intensive care, at least for part of the day, then overnight in the hospital and all day Sunday for glucose testing. I brought him home on Sunday night with appetite restored, although still showing the effects of his unexpected crash landing.

He’s now getting canned low-carb food, which he is enjoying, and insulin shots, which he is definitely not enjoying.

By mid-week, he was feeling a lot better and eating well. Giving Silverman his insulin shots isn’t as easy as Duke. Duke sits still when I bribe him with lots of pets and brushing, but Silverman wants to be in motion. It looks like I’ll have to try a different technique with him, sort of light restraint, a friendly arm around him briefly while finding a target for the needle. At least that’s where I ended up after these first few days.

Now he has to return to the vet for another round of tests to see how his chemistry is reacting to the initial small insulin dose. Meanwhile, we’re still searching for the correct dose for Duke, which has continued to be elusive even after four months.

In any case, click on Silverman’s photo to see the rest of this Friday’s Felines.