Here we go again. Feline Friday is here. Lucky for us that every darn week includes a Friday!

Cleo’s outlook is still unclear. We all return to tomorrow morning to meet with our regular vet, Ann Sakamoto, who just returned from vacation. We go back more than 15 years with her, and need to have her second opinion on Cleo’s condition and her prognosis.

We were back at the vet last Sunday for a recheck and another blood test. The results were not what we hoped for, and showed continued deterioration of her kidneys. After reviewing them, we agreed with a recommendation that we try an antibiotic, in case there’s an underlying infection involved. We’ve been watching for improvement all week, but the most positive thing, an increased by inconsistent appetite, appears to be the result of an appetite stimulant rather than the antibiotic.

So we wait to get another reality check on Saturday.

But the positive thing is that while we wait, our three older cats have totally accepted Cleo into their midst. There hasn’t been any agression, and it feels like they can sense that she’s sick and needs a comfortable environment. So you’ll see in this week’s photos that Cleo is pretty well integrated and has been enjoying free access to the whole house. We have continued with the daily dose of subcutaneous fluids. Cleo doesn’t like this, and we don’t particularly enjoy it, but it does make her more comfortable, so we continue.

Anyway, on to the week in pictures. A few of note. Bessie likes to get in behind the window shade and enjoy the early morning sun, and I’ve included three photos that capture a bit of the action. Then there’s Kinikini with his glass of water. He’s decided that this is how he wants to drink. Sometimes he just drinks. Other times he reverts to his outdoors habits and dips his paw into the water, then licks his paw. Of course, this makes quite a mess, both as he “drinks” and then as he leaves wet footprints wherever he goes next. But he’s a really good cat, and I’m so glad we adopted him despite being FIV-positive.