Rupert vs the sink

I have been threatening to give this boy a bath since he showed up here, and last night was the night. My husband didn't understand why I was so insistent that Rupert need a bath because I hadn't let him get too close. Today he spent some time with him and he got a first-hand sniff of what that boy needed one and he agreed.

Not really sure what his issue is. I believe it is mostly urine and a complete lack of grooming. So far all this boy has done is eat, sleep and a little snuggling. He hasn't played with toys, he has licked his paw a couple of times, but he just doesn't seem to have it in him to do a full groom. That's okay, you save your energy for rebuilding your muscles, We'll take care of the smell.

He did really well. He didn't want to be there and that was pretty obvious, but there was no bloodshed - either mine or his - so I'm going to call it a success.

My husband is getting a little better at taking photos.. or at least keeping me out of them as much as possible ☺  I did soap him up a little on his belly where it was the worst; I tried to get the gunk off his toes too. I was feeling bad that the bath was taking 'so long' (it wasn't, I'm just concerned about him) so I didn't get everything off that I wanted, but at least now he isn't as offensive. After the bath, but before the drying I held him in my hand and he just laid there. The bath must have exhausted him.

I felt so bad. I wanted to just wave a magic wand and make him all better.

I used very little soap, that's 99% him. We went back down to the kitten room and snuggled him while he was drying.

I was getting very concerned about him Wednesday night. When I went to feed him on Thursday morning and he hadn't eaten any of his food, but had consumed most of the water and peed five times throughout the night, I wrote to the shelter to let them know. They were concerned enough to ask me to bring him back in to be observed closer to where the vet is in case they felt another visit was in order. When I checked on him on Thursday afternoon I was surprised to see my husband home (he got home a little early from work) and in the kitten room. Rupert was happy he was there but was confused as to why he was not getting all the love and attention he's used to when people show up. He went back and forth between the food bowls having a bite or two and then to my husband to ask for attention. I was so tickled to see him eating that I had hoped that things were getting better.

When I got home he weighed more than he did when I went to work, so I texted the foster coordinator to report and see if she still wanted him back. She said if I was comfortable keeping him then so was she.  So, he is still with me, thankfully.

Then this happened.

He is still nibbling his food, having just a bite or two and wandering off, but he will go back several times. He's still drinking a little too much water in my opinion and he is peeing far more often than any cat I've seen in a while, but I'm hoping with the more regular consumption of food that abates.

He's such a cheeky little boy.  His whiskers are still ridiculous. I hated, hated, trimming his 'bangs' but I'm glad I did it for his sake. Hopefully, by the time they grow back he'll be eating on a more consistent basis. I also trimmed his claws. He is so underweight that his feet really lack that muscular feeling and have more the consistency of Muffin's arthritic feet. Nothing a good number of calories won't fix I'm sure.

I am not willing to say we are out of the woods. I'm not even sure I'm ready to say we see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm crossing my fingers that we are 'on the path out of the woods' and it gives me hope.