How to give a cat an inhaler
You learn something new every day...
Hello and a happy Friday to you,
I’m writing this to you from a wet and windy Bath, Somerset, where I have been looking after a 20-year-old cat this week.
It’s been quite stressful to say the least.
I looked after an older cat on one of my pet sits before. She was 17 and crushing up some medicine into her carefully weighed food was fine.
This week, I took on a cat sit where I had to give a very asthmatic cat an inhaler, as well as chop up raw meat, including offal, for it four times a day.
When the lovely owner demonstrated on Monday morning, she made it look easy: “You straddle (!!) him like this, make sure you’re not sitting on his tail and stroke him.”
On Monday night, when it was my turn, things did not go so well. The wheezing cat did not want me to administer said inhaler. I ended up giving him about five puffs instead of two because he was clawing off the device before he had breathed it in and I then panicked when he was very chilled afterwards. I ended up phoning a vet helpline but while I was on the phone, he perked up, and when I spoke to the owner the next day, she said: “Oh yes, he’s a very chilled cat.” She added giving him a couple of extra puffs was absolutely fine. Phew.
The next morning, the cat had also peed on my clothes, probably to get me back. Aged 20, the feline, who is also deaf but the owner forgot to tell me, also needs to be taken outside to encourage him to go to the toilet there instead of inside.
So yes, it’s been an interesting week. I leave today, and last night I finally managed to administer the inhaler successfully on the first attempt.
I hope you’ve had a nice week and are not too bogged down by this crappy weather.
Enjoy the good news I’ve rounded up here and have a restful weekend,
Becky x
My Podcast This Week
The guest for the second episode of Life, Oh Life, is the amazing Poorna Bell, whose third book Stronger: Changing Everything I Knew About Women’s Strength, came out in April.
In this episode we talk about her book, fitness and exercise, mental wellbeing, confidence and strength. We also talk about social conditioning, the ghost of shite PE experiences past, bodies, social media and being an auntie, among other things.
And as this is a podcast about life advice, Poorna shares the best advice she’s been given, the advice she’d give her former self and the advice she wants to pass on to others. Hope you enjoy it. You can listen to the first episode with Selina Barker here.
Uplifting News Stories
Lego Launches First LGBTQ Set | Mashable
58-Million-Year-Old Footprints Show When Mammals Began Paddling In Sea | New Scientist
Watch The First Friends Reunion Trailer | Variety
Features Worth Sharing
Like Naomi Campbell, I’m An Older Mother. My Experience Is A Gift To My Child | Independent
Power Of Black Identity – In Pictures | Guardian
Dr Radha: Small Steps Can Help You Find Your Purpose In Life | The i
What I’m Watching
A very different role for Line Of Duty’s DCS Patricia Carmichael, who stars as Julia, a busy working mum in this hilarious comedy co-written by the brilliant Sharon Horgan and also starring Diane Morgan. The third series has just dropped and it’s the best yet with a guest appearance from Joanna Lumley. Yes I binge-watched the lot.
Below Deck Mediterranean | Hayu via Amazon
After falling under the spell of Below Deck via Netflix and managing to consume all series up until Covid happens, I’ve now succumbed to a free trial of Hayu via Amazon to watch the Med series. It’s trashy TV (especially the first two seasons of the OG series) but I can’t get enough of it. It’s about the people who charter super yachts for a ridiculous amount of money, but mainly focused on those who serve them in the cramped crew quarters below deck.
This is The Uplift, a weekly newsletter by me, journalist Becky Barnes. If you enjoyed it, or my podcast, feel free to buy me a coffee.
The Uplift will arrive in your inbox every Friday, featuring good news, self-care and life advice.
A bit about me: I’m a journalist living in London. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.