UPDATED: He's On The Mend!

UPDATE - FRIDAY NIGHT: Got to go visit with our little guy for an hour today! Which was good, because last night his fever spiked and had the vet - AND US! - worried. This morning though, no fever, but he still wouldn't eat (this is now 2 1/2 days without food). Well, we went to visit with him at 4:00 PM and after his initial freak-out, he calmed down, kept rubbing against us, jabbered up a storm and even played with the toy mouse we snuck in! We tried to get him to eat his regular food, but while he was interested (smelling it and answering emphatically to the question "when do you want to eat?" [Don't judge me for teaching them to talk people!!]), he kept meowing and walking away. We think maybe he associates that food with being sick now. So the nurse gal opened up a can from there and set it before him. He was more interested but still wouldn't eat it. Well...this lovely woman stuck her beautifully manicured fingers in that food and I'll be darned if Gabby didn't eat right from her hand!! Wahooooo!!! SO....if all goes well and he doesn't get sick tonight, he'll get to come home on Saturday afternoon with antibiotics!! I cannot tell you how happy I am that is he coming home!! My heart felt so much better after seeing him be active and almost back to normal. We almost lost Mr. Gabbs this week and that would have been so very sad!!!! He's such a cool cat and I know he has a lot of life left in him - many more mice to play with, manners to teach the new kittens and many more rides on our shoulders around the house! :) A nasty old virus is no match for that stuff! :)
Here's my Gabs as a baby! He loved sleeping either on the keyboard or on his brother Figaro! At almost 6 years old, they still sleep like that sometimes! Silly guys!

A classic "Gabby Pose" - stretched out at the end of the bed!
Not the best picture I know, but this is him answering my "Hey Gabbers!" He's a very vocal little guy! "What?!! Can't you see I'm trying to relax here?!"

Tonight the vet called at 5:30, after I had gotten the "all is ok" from them at 4:50. They said he spiked a fever all of a sudden. 104.1. 105 can be really, really dangerous for cats. So along with the i.v. fluids, they've got him on antibiotics tonight. Sigh.

I wish they could tell me what is wrong with my sweet Gabby! I love this little cat more than I can rightly explain! I believe - and always will - that my dad sent Gabby and his brother Figaro to me after he died! He always said that if reincarnation was real, he wanted to come back as one of his wifes cats (my step-mom, Linda). Well, the day after he died, a petite tabby cat (girl) showed up at his nursery. Of course, they instantly called Linda because they knew what dad had said! She showed up to see this little cat, which had been named Baby in the interim few hours. Well, when Linda walked into the nursery, I'll be darned if that little cat didn't RUN, seriously RUN up to her and beg to be picked up!! When Linda picked her up, Baby started nuzzling her neck! So Baby stayed at the nursery because, come on, who could say that this WASN'T MY DAD, or at least SENT by my dad?! Well, before they could get her fixed, she got pregnant. I knew, right away, that I was going to get one of these babies! When I went down there to see them, Baby, never having seen me before, came up to me and nearly DRAGGED me to see her babies! That's when I fell in love with Figaro, Gabby's brother! I knew I wanted him for sure. When I went to pick him up at 2 months old, Gabby, in all his adorable polydactyl-ly (extra toes!) cuteness just stole my heart right along with Figaro! And he didn't "shut up" the entire 3 hour ride home, heh heh, which is how he came to be cristened Gabriel - or Gabby for short!

I know the above story may sound strange, but I really feel that Figaro and Gabriel were sent to me by my dad! I'm not sure I would have made it past the heavy grieving without them to cuddle. They were - and are - my therapy! And after 6 years (on June 6th), I'm not nearly ready to give them up yet! So Pops, if you are listening, please help our sweet Gabby boy, ok?! I still need him around, to teach these two new kittens how to be cool cats! And everyone else, if you could send some positive energy his way, I would appreciate it! I know to many, Mr. Gabby is "just a cat". But to my hubby and I, he is one of our chidlren! Maybe even the favorite child! But don't tell the others that!! :)

Going to bed early now, so I can be ready to deal with whatever comes tomorrow. The last 2 days have been exhausting.