I want to go shooting with you, still, Burrell. I'm stacking up a list of "celebratory thangs" and I can't really justify the expense until income, but I want you to know I'll keep you honest if you still want to.

And if I ever work again...

Back from the emergency vets (which is one of the premiere animal hospitals anywhere) with the cat ensconced for the night where he can be checked on hourly. He LOOKS fine and ACTS fine, but evidently insulin shock isn't ruled out until 6 or 8 hours have passed.

Thanks for the kind words, all. Tomorrow (if all goes well) when I pick him up, they're going to give me the full "Your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, this is how you treat it" orientation with injection practice and so on.

Cat's mom is in the ICU at last word, so I'm not going to bother her with news about this until she's out of danger, especially as this cat means so much to her. (She was taken to the hospital last night, so aside from directions on the label of the insulin bottle box, there wasn't much information conveyed.)

Talk about your stupidity tax, I'm paying it.

Interesting note of the night: the animal hospital has separate Cat, Dog, and Other waiting rooms to minimize stress on the animals. And complementary covers for the cat carriers because evidently some cats get overstressed staring at all the strangeness, and if you have them hunker down in the dark they're less nervous.

I want to go too, ita! Plus I still haven't made that sangria. I hope it's okay that those fruit have been macerating for weeks, er...

Interesting note of the night: the animal hospital has separate Cat, Dog, and Other waiting rooms to minimize stress on the animals. And complementary covers for the cat carriers

I approve of both policies. I can't tell you how many times my cats have gotten stressed out at the vet's because there were too many dogs in the room.

No, Theo, you did good. No stupidity tax, just unknown tax.I wish I'd been online sooner to catch. Email me if you want pointers. Username.1 gmail. I'm outta that game but it was, what, a decade?

And frankly, cat will be fine,sounds like. I had to counteract insulin ODs with karo and never saw the vet because it was over after I clued in that his sugar had bottomed-staggering a definitive indicator- and sugared him and all was good. But since you're a novice, less stressy for them to monitor.

Theo, you are an awesome friend. Do you have paypal? Would like yo help you cover the expense.

Oh yeah, the vet I used to go to had separate entrance doors for cats and dogs.

I hadn't realized the ICU aspect to the story. I think you are right not to bother her with this, especially as he seems to be on the mend.

Yeah, not talking about it on Facebook where it's possible his Mom might see it.

No overnight communication from the vet, so that's good!

Man, I am fucking exhausted, and feel kind of bad about it, because I know I have not been working as hard over the past month as a bunch of my colleagues! I do not know how they are still functioning.

My current vet has separate entrances for cats and dogs, but the waiting room is shared. It's pretty big and they do try to get you into an exam room quickly. Covers for the carriers is pretty brilliant.

Sounds like you're handling the crisis well, Theo! I'm with msbelle on the cost, btw.

I gotta check my savings balance. Getting the engine rebuilt took a lot out of it!