Felix Randomkitty hospital update three, dead furnace update two:

I just got off the telephone with the veterinarian. Felix’s blood sugar count after a day is down to 304 (down from 520 yesterday, normal is 80-120). He continues on an IV for hydration, and is improving. A nasty eye discharge that developed in the car while we were taking him to the vet has cleared up: She said that is associated with dehydration.

He’s still not eating, so they force-fed him last night with a giant syringe. (Our tiny insulin syringes couldn’t even come close to his needs.)

She asked if there was any special foods he can be enticed with; my wife told him bacon, ham, and sausage (all of which Felix loves, and none of which are available at the veterinarian).

She started the cat on an anti-depressant this morning (not because the cat is depressed, but because the drug stimulates appetite). She is still waiting on lab reports about infection (blood tests have to be sent hundreds of miles away - the advantage of living in a rural area).

She also noted that the cat seems a bit disturbed by the music they are playing for him (Country & Western). I suggested ditching the C&W and replace it with music usually heard around our home: Progressive Rock, New Wave, or Irish folk music. She’ll look into that.

On the furnace: Woke up to a refrigerator for a house again. The gas company mechanic arrived right on time, noting “he hates to work on floor furnaces” (because you have to go under the house crawl space o work on them.

The thermocouple for the pilot light was burnt through (my suspicion, but I couldn’t get to it). Amazingly, he had a new replacement part for an old Montgomery Ward furnace built before my mother was born. Furnace fixed, enjoying warmth again.