If you have read some of my other blogs, you've heard me mention my cat, Phoebe. Phoebe is a calico kitty with a large attitude and throughout the years has earned a long list of nicknames for her crabbiness including Crabby, Crabby-patty, and my personal favorite -- Craberton.
I have always just thought she was crabby because she's from the streets (her previous owners found her in an alley) or because she's well, a cat.
I recently learned the hard way that poor Craberton may have her reasons for the catitude.
For a bit of a back story, about a year ago I took Crabby into the vet because she had dropped a ton of weight and wasn't eating. After some tests we discovered that she has hyperthyroidism -- an overactive thyroid that causes her metabolism to run crazy. It's actually quite common in cats and can be controlled with medication, so not a huge deal.
Fast forward to last month, I was out of Craberton's medication so I sought out a vet in Long Beach. When the vet was checking her lymph nodes, Pheebs hissed at him. I didn't find that all that unusual because -- as we covered -- she can be kind of a crab. It worried the vet though, because she had been calm during all the other tests. He suggested I think about getting her X-rayed to make sure she didn't have an injury. The X-rays weren't as expensive as I thought, so I agreed.
The vet pulled me into the viewing room and showed me Craberton's film. And this is where I found out why Crabby is so crabby. The poor thing has horrible arthritis in her spine and the last three discs near her tail are nearly gone. She's just in pain all of the time.
I always thought her crabbiness was part of her charm, but when it gets to be too much now -- I give her a bit of pass. Plus, she does have redeeming qualities, like good snuggles.
Also, this vet trip (and the subsequent ones after) are one of the financial reasons I've delayed buying a van so far -- if anyone is wondering. So for now, it's just me and the trusty Sparkly Taurus touring the States.
