Thankful Thursday: Begging for Medicine

Skylar writes:

Yes, those of you who commented on yesterday's post were right: I DO beg for my medicine. I'm very thankful to have it! Before my vet figured out I needed to be on medication, I would have days when I was racing all around terrorizing everything (including my littermate sister), then days when I would be too tired to do anything. I was happy, but hyper. That continued for 5 years, before I adopted Mom. My other family didn't know what was causing it, and the vet didn't run the right tests. When I adopted Mom, then she and Dad returned the favor, they took my sister and me to the vet. There, they ran blood tests on me and figured it out: hyperthyroidism, also called hyper-T. It's really common in cats, especially older cats. You can find out more about it here, but the basic symptoms are increased blood pressure, rapid weight loss, increased water consumption, and sometimes heart problems.

When I don't have my meds, I revert back to all that really quickly. It didn't take me long, only a couple weeks, to figure out it was that little tablet that made the difference. At first, I didn't want to take it, and would eat around it even when Mom put it in cheese or hotdog or something else I like. So she'd make me sit and then force it into my mouth. I'd spit it right back at her, of course, so she'd hold my mouth closed while I swallowed it. Once I figured out the tablet was the key to feeling better, though, I started running toward the kitchen when I heard the pill bottle rattle. For a few days, I would get mixed up and come when it was Mom's medicine bottle, but then I learned to distinguish between the two. I would even remind Mom and/or Dad when it was around the time I usually take my medicine! Mom was so surprised, but that's when things really started turning around health-wise for me as well, so she assumed that I'd made the connection. Now, even if I'm half-awake, I walk out to the kitchen when I hear, "Skylar, medicine time!" and patiently sit down. She has to open my mouth for me still; after all, I have to have some of my feline dignity! But that little tablet makes all the difference in the world, so I LOVE my medicine!