I had the pleasure of looking after Dinky Cat over the last few years when her parents went on holidays. She had the softest fur and a real character. She has been unwell recently and had a few vet trips for stomach problems, she has always had a sensitive stomach. Saturday her owners went on holiday for a week, she had been checked over at the vets last week and had a new prescription diet as they were not sure what was wrong with her. Saturday evening she was fine, Sunday she seemed okay but didn't eat all her food. Yesterday morning I popped in to see her and she was just sitting on the floor upstairs with a small pile of vomit by her. She wouldn't move, so I picked her up and took her downstairs and let her into the garden. She drank a lot of rain water but was not herself. She just kept laying down. I contacted her owners who were in France and they rang me asked if I could take her to the vet, which is also my own vet. Booked her in for 5pm. They did blood tests which came back high white count, kidney levels were high at 500 and positive for pancreatitis. Vet gave her fluids under skin, antibiotic and pain relief. She said she needed to go on a drip overnight to flush out all the toxins, so I got my friend to take us to the emergency vets as I get lost in the dark if I don't know where I am going. Outrageously VetsNow the emergency vets said they can't treat her unless I pay up front a deposit of £400. I said I wasnt the owner and they were on hols but she is insured but they refused. I gave them owners number and they finally managed to get through and got the deposit. They then asked me to come back in the morning at 07.45am to collect her and take her to her own vet and then to take her back in the evening to the emergency vet. Talk about stress the cat out! I was fuming. I said I couldn't get there at that time but we then agreed to see how Dinky was overnight. They said they would do more bloods and an ultrasound and put her on a drip. I rang them at 0745am and they were on the phone to the owners at the time said they would get back to me but she had deteriorated and they thought there might be a tumour. Owners contacted me a bit later, said she was anaemic, kidney levels had gone up even higher and ?tumour. She would need a blood transfusion but they couldn't do that, before investigating further but because she had not responded to the fluids and treatment the kindest thing would be to put her to sleep which they did. She was around 15/16. So sad for the owners being away on holiday and not being able to say goodbye to her but really grateful to me for taking her to the vets. She was one of my favourite little cats that I petsit. RIP little Dinky Cat, you will really be missed
