Gracie spring update: Action edition

I’m beginning to think that Gracie’s OBD is finally, finally under control. I’ve been reducing her prednisone gradually for months now, and last week spoke to the vet and reduced it to half a pill (2.5 mg), once a day. One of the problems with the prednisone is that it’s making Gracie’s stomach bleed, so she also gets a quarter pill of generic Pepcid for stomach irritation. And the way I found out about her stomach bleeding was after the IBD made her eject the contents of her stomach. She’s since been eating grass, and I’ve twice more seen traces of blood. So I spoke to the vet again this week, and said that there was no negative symptom at all since cutting her down to the half-pill. So now she’s on a quarter pill per day, and it’s been two days, and not a sign of ill effects. The rain has kept her inside, so no throwing up grass, either. I’ve been watching her closely the last two days, and breathing a sigh of relief every morning when I wake up and find no signs that Gracie vomited during the night.

What makes me think even more that the IBD is nearly gone: Gracie is happier than she has been in years, and I have the action shots to prove it. She rarely plays with toys, but she’s been playing with her ribbon toy for a couple of weeks now.

That is, of course, her tissue-paper nest. When Gracie is feeling exceedingly joyful, she takes a flying leap onto the sofa and lands on the tissue paper, happily rustling it into the corner and then yowling for me to come fix her nest. She has even gone after my hand while playing, something I can’t remember her doing since she was a kitten.

Just this morning I got her to leap over the side of the sofa onto her nest, and could not stop laughing as she pawed at the ribbon toy in mid-air and then landed in the nest. Alas, we did not get that one on film. Some other time, I hope.

These are the pictures of a happy, happy cat. I think that springs from several sources. She feels better than she has in months, perhaps even longer than that. I now work from home, so I’m around more than I’ve been in years. And I keep more of an eye on her, so she gets more petting and playtime than she has in the last couple of years—and Tigger doesn’t get to pick on her while I’m around. The vet mentioned that they’re really not sure what triggers IBD. It could be diet, allergies, germs, or even stress. The stress part of Gracie’s life has been greatly reduced, thanks to a confluence of events.

As a result, my girl is very, very happy, and at the age of ten, starting to play like a kitten. She’s stopped licking herself bare, and all of the former bald spots are growing back—even her tail, which you can see in this picture. I think part of that is stress, part dry skin. Next winter, we shall get a vet’s opinion the moment she starts up.

And she may be able to go off the Prednisone very, very soon. Here’s hoping. Now excuse me, I have to answer an Imperius Mew from Princess Gracie. She wants me to pay attention to her.