When we first brought Benji home, I thought he was the cutest little thing I've ever seen. I was so entranced by this tiny creature that was filled with curiosity as he slowly made his round, sniffing every corner of our home. Benji also seemed to get along fine with our first cat Chubbster, so it looked like everything was going great.
It was only later that night when we realised that Benji was not eating. Whenever we lead him to his food bowl, he'd completely ignore it and stare silently at his food. Refusing to eat or drink, he would remain still, almost statue-like and would not budge until we picked him up. We initially attributed it to discomfort in adapting to his new surroundings but his condition persisted throughout the night. He was also very clingy and looked almost vulnerable, like we do when we fall sick.
The next day, we took Benji to our neighbourhood vet where we were assured that he was merely acting up due to his new environment. He was sent home after a worm shot but his condition worsened and he became extremely listless and could barely walk. We started to panic then as we supposedly purchased a healthy kitten, but all the signs were obviously showing otherwise.
We decided to rush Benji to Healing Rooms pet hospital in Subang Jaya for a second opinion. As it turned out, Benji was suffering from a type of feline condition with a really weird and long name, which I still can't recall until today. If left untreated, he would not have made it for another night! With much reluctance, we left him behind for observation and treatment. He had to be put on drip since he wasn't taking any food or water. We visited him the next day and I snapped this picture using my phone camera, which is why the quality is rather poor. One of his legs had to be shaved to accommodate the drip and he had to use a collar to prevent him from chewing the tube. Benji looked miserable and was meowing desperately for us to bring him home, poor baby!
After 3 nights at the pet hospital, we were allowed to bring him home with a clean bill of health. His treatment came up to almost RM400 but we were just relieved to have our baby back that we didn't bother much about the cost. Our happiness was short-lived however as he was attacked by another condition several weeks later; a skin problem, which led to some serious fur shedding and unsightly patches on his skin. This time, we had to take him for a weekly medicated wash, which including consultation cost us minimum RM70 per visit. This amounted to a very high sum in the end but since Benji was showing gradual improvement, we continued his treatment for several months. Benji was rather moody and depressed during this period. Notice the red patch on his nose?
By the way, when he was younger, Benji's eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. We noticed his eyes gradually changing color after a while and enquired about the possibility of his disease causing this change. The vet assured us that this was not the case. Usually when eyes change colour, it is due to age and genetics but this would normally occur before 6 months old. It is normal for this to happen but you can of course have your cat checked by the vet to ensure there are no major malignancies that are causing this pigmentary change.
Our little scare with Benji really opened our eyes to the fact that caring for cats is a major responsibility that could get quite costly, especially if you're handling Persians like me. Aside from their food, vet bills and grooming maintenance, there are emergencies where you need to be financially ready for. If we had some form of pet insurance for Benji back then, perhaps we could have saved a bit of money. Apparently, there are insurers who provide pet protection such as Autonet HGV Insurance Group. Besides the usual car, truck, home and travel insurance, Autonet HGV Insurance Group also offers Pet Insurance at unbeatable prices with a money back guarantee. They will gladly give you a refund if you can find another cheaper pet insurance with equal coverage. Covering both cats and dogs, this pet insurance will definitely give pet owners added peace of mind knowing that their hefty vet bills will be covered should something happen to your furry friend. So if you're a pet owner who'd like to find out more on the exclusions and coverage provided, do stop by Autonet HGV Insurance. You can also get a quick online quote for a tailored pet policy, according to your pet's needs and requirements.
Today, Benji is a healthy, chubby cat with beautiful brown eyes. His favourite pastime is lazing around and snacking. We love the fact that we have our own little Benji tale to tell our friends; we tend to get so dramatic when relating the story on how we almost lost Benji when he was a kitten. From a scrawny looking thing that was so sickly at one point, Benji has grown into our chubbiest cat with the longest and healthiest coat of fur. In fact, he just turned 2 a few days ago so Happy Birthday Benji! We love you and hope you'll remain healthy and fluffy forever! :)
44 comments:
kesiannye Benji!
Sick cats are really hard to take care! Once Cleo had cirit birit and my god was that tough! We had to lock him in the bathroom because he was just letting go everywhere. He looked so sad but we had to. Giving him meds was a nightmare too!
Wow...I'm so happy to read Benji's biography! He was such a cute kitten...and now he's a healthy little lion. Thanks Marzie! I hope you're having a great week:)
how is benji's health now????
i was not knowing abt insurance for pet animals...
thanks for informing me...
he is such a cute cat....
& i know u love him more than any thing in this world...
take care...
regards,
I zoomed here in a rocket! wow! i am first! And Happy Birthday Benji! He is so cute!
Hey Baby Mits, great to see u here again. Oh poor Chloe, I must go and visit her! It's difficult for us to give meds to the kids too, we need 2 persons for that! ;)
Bobby!! Benji is ROFL at ur comment and his Master is equally happy to be owning a cute little pet lion! Lolz... I'm definitely having a good week now! :)
Hola Raghav! Thanks for coming by and Benji is doing awesome now. We're so relieved that everything turned out well in the end, other wise I'd be very sad right now! :(
I wasn't aware of this pet insurance too, so it was a good discovery for me. :)
MT! Thanks for the birthday wish meow! And I love it when u zoom in and out of here in a rocket, that's so cool lolz... :)
Happy 2nd birthday Benji! :) I love the last pic, so gebu and inviting... macam bantal!! LOL
GP, this entry is rather touching and sad at the beginning. I was getting anxious reading each and every line, I was thinking something bad happened to him, but releaved to know he's a happy baby afterall now.
wow, you really do care and love your catties a lot. how wonderful GP. I am not used to pets, and I admit, i even hate pets. I love looking at pretty fluffy cats, but I run a mile away when they approach me- allergic to feline.
anyway, take care little Benji, and if you can, change your eye colour back to blue ok? :)
Thanks Nessa! Oh I love it when someone calls Benji gebu he he he!! :)
Hello Farah! Lol... I told u I tend to dramatize the story he he...but yes, we're glad that our fat Baba is doing great now.
My older sister is like you too. She likes looking at cats but will run away when one is near cause she's allergic too! Benji is the friendliest among all my cats. He really is harmless despite his big size. You must try and pat him one day ha ha ha!! :)
Hi Mariuca,
I must say I envy you that you have Benji. Benji is so cute and adorable. If I were your neighbour, I'd come y every day and bug Benji, not you. Lol. Get well Benji (oops I almost type Benjo hehe).
Hi Marzie, landed on your blog by rocket again! Congrats to you winning the blog Lottery! Cheers! Zooming away....
Hey any insurance that you can recommend to Barisan when they loose their 2/3 majority? Hehe!
Hola Phatelara, welcome to Mariuca's blog!
Oh I wish u were my neighbour, then u can see for urself just how cute and friendly Benji is to his visitors! He'll run to you, sniff your feet and roll over them, waiting for u to carry him! Adorable!
And hey, Benjo is actually one of Benji's many nicknames ha ha ha! :)
LOL MT!!! So cute of u to come all the way here to say congrats to me, in a cool rocket too! :)
Bokjae!! I see you're all set to cast your vote huh? Good luck to u lolz... ;)
ya Allah, me patting a cat?! you must be joking, elok elok cat tu nak manja, tengok I jerit the cat will cakar i habis! LOL
rain check on that ok? LOL LOL
hi there... i like ur cat. nice cat. BTW nice to meet u to.
Ha ha ha Farah!! Scared u didn't I? But seriously, Benji won't cakar anyone he he..he's too gentle and I'll trim his claws before u pat him lolz! ;)
Hola Krizal, welcome to Mariuca's blog! You can come visit Benji here any time, he's very friendly! :)
Oh poor baby! Glad he made it thru! Happy Birthday Benji! Love the last picture! Kuchi kuchi!
Thanks Emila, we're so glad too that Benji is okay now. I love the last pic too, geram and so huggable! :)
Hi GP! I'm back!!!....just doing my blog rounds, while waiting for the repeat of american idol..
I always love a happy ending and that is what Benji's story is...people might wonder why we care so much, some won't even understand why we would spend so much money on just "mere animals" but we both know what out kiddies means to us eh... I would not even bat an eyelid if we had to spend a fortune on them just to see them healthy and happy... and the results is so self-fulfilling..
Here's to us and our kiddies and may they never fall ill or at least nothing serious lahh...:)
And Happy Birthday Benji!!!
Hola LJ, yay you're back! I knew you'd understand how we felt back then, we were so worried cause baru je dapat Benji and he fell sick, we couldn't play with him at all, poor thing. And thanks for the birthday wish, Benji is happily beaming now he he he! :)
Thank God he is ok now kan and with all the care and pampering he's getting from you and B...I'm sure he'll live to a ripe old age :).. and he look so handsome beaming away... Aunt LJ can see even from here...hehehe
Your kitty so insanely cute lah!
Definitely LJ! Even the doc at Healing Rooms pun cakap he is tooo cute to be sick, boleh? He he...Anyway, Benji says
"LOL! You can see me Aunty LJ? I just brushed my fur he he! Send my meows to our furry frens in Ampang!"
Ha ha ha thanks Rozella! Feel free to visit him here any time k? :)
Poor Kitty...went through a lot didn't it!! Glad that he's grown up to be a strong and handsome cat with such a majestic look!
Cheers GP! :)
Ooooooh I love the sound of majestic he he, thanks GK! We just love our fat cat and can't bear the thought of him bein all sick then, thank god he's okay now, truly a relief I tell you! :)
Sooo cute, i'm jealous!
Hola Tara, welcome to Mariuca's blog and thanks for the cat compliment. You can visit Benji here anytime! :)
Happy birthday BABA the Japanese Furball...
Happy birthday BABA the Japanese Furball...
Is that u DD? Baba says thank you! :)
Oh sorry Gordo, thot it was DD! Anyway, thanks for wishing Baba here, you know la you're his favourite! :)
yes, i think pets such like cat or dog need insurance, especially for their health.
Hi Hendra, thanks for ur input and welcome to Mariuca's blog! :)
hi benji! kuchi kuchi kuchi musyuk musyuk musyuk
Wah Aunt Emila's on a roll lah Benji..hehe..penat gak Aunt LJ kejar ni...lolzz
Kuch kuch hota hey!!
benji, you got 2 aunties who love to play kejar-kejar!
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Love n Hugs from Genie Princess!