They're smarter than we give them credit for...(silly Wimsey story)

[badgerpup]

...not that Wimsey is silly...far from it!

An issue addressed at one of Wimsey's rare vet visits (:hug:) was that he gets crusties in the inner corners of his beautiful aqua-hazel eyes. He very graciously allowed Sainted Dr. Sonia to insert some strips under his eyelids, tolerating this quite patiently.
They always make me so proud of them, they behave so well...O8)

Turns out he doesn't make quite enough tears...he's a bit on the dry side. Sainted Dr. Sonia recommended some high-quality eye drops for him, use 1-3 X a day, see how that works (Wimsey gets the Refresh Optive^TM, which runs about $7 for a little teeny bottle. I use the Visine knock-off, which is about $2. That's as it should be, right?).

Cat + Eyedrops = CHALLENGE...:yoiks:
Fortunately, my cats trust me enough that they'll permit me to do Rude Things to them (yearly vaccinations, putting Animax in their ears, ear cleanings, front claw-clipping, oral meds as needed...and now, eye drops).
I don't know how much they take in, but I always tell them WHAT I'm doing to them, WHY I'm doing it, and how it will benefit them. They also get a reward of some sort after treatment, so one way or another, they get their treatments without bloodshed or too much fuss. :thumbsup:

Wimsey isn't thrilled with his eyedrops, but he tolerates them, and he doesn't get the crusties in his eyes when he gets his drops, so his eyes probably feel better.

Earlier today, he jumped up on the desk and STARED at me (the "YOU WILL DO MY BIDDING" stare).
He definitely wanted something, but it took me a while to figure it out.
He usually gets his eyedrops first thing in the morning...he's curled up on the computer chair, so I give them to him right there, and he gets his Bach Flower remedy immediately afterward as his reward. :9
Last night for some reason I'd left my purse on the chair, so he couldn't sleep in it and the normal routine was disturbed.

WIMSEY WANTED HIS EYEDROPS, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH...:wow:

He's made the association between getting the drops put into his eyes and his eyes feeling better.


They're going to take over any day now.
I hope they'll be nice to me...I've done my best to take good care of THEM...:hide:

[emilyg]

1. Smart.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I LOVE your story!!! Pls add a picture of Wimsey!!!

[MadMaddie]

3. Ha...I love your stories about your critters....

Wha? "You can't recommend threads from this forum". Dammit....I wanted to recommend this.

[Warpy]

4. First, bag the Visine, it contains an antihistamine

which is not good for the cat. You should be looking for artificial tears, not any combination "get the red out" product. There are several brands out there and you can probably find one that's cheaper than the others.

I'm sure Wimsey is a lot more comfortable when those drops go in, so he's a smart kitty who realizes you're trying to help. If he gets that look on his face other times during the day and looks expectantly at you when you pick the bottle up, another dose of artificial tears will likely keep him comfy and won't hurt him. Visine might.

Second, the Schirmer test isn't uncomfortable although it looks like it should be. I've had it several times, myself.

[badgerpup]

5. Wimsey doesn't get the Visine, I do.

He gets the 'good stuff': Refresh Optive^TM Lubricant Eye Drops.

That's one of the brands Sainted Dr. Sonia recommended for him.

Have several friends who shake their heads at the level of care my monsters receive ("Eyedrops? For a cat?")...but these same friends have also stated that they want to come back in their next lives as one of MY cats. :shrug:

[Warpy]

6. At least she didn't recommend Beon

They're overpriced and overpackaged but they're the only ones that felt good after I had a corneal transplant. Ouch!

Still, any tear replacement will work for Wimsey, just read the labels to make sure they don't contain any junk. Look for carboxymethylcellulose or hypromellose/Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as active ingredients.

If he starts asking for his tears three times a day or more, consider Celluvisc, it's a more viscous tear replacement product that lasts a bit longer.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Yes, yes they are

and they are, as much as people refuse to see it, self aware.