Hello! Hyperthyroid Holly Here!
Well, I should say I used to be hyperthyroid Holly. The words tumble so nicely off the tongue and impress all the neighbourhood cats, so I still use it – even though I am now all cured and well again after radio-iodine treatment at The Hyperthyroid Cat Centre. As you will soon see, I may not have opposable thumbs but I am just as skilled with the keyboard as I am with the mouse!!! Well, rather I yell until I make myself understood by my Mummy. You don’t think I would do all the work myself do you? No, rather I like to watch and supervise.
Myself as a kitten!
My real adventures started when I was diagnosed as hyperthyroid and the vet told my Mummy my best chance of recovery was radio-iodine treatment – but that meant I had to go away from home for a while. I had not been away from Mummy for more than 7 days in my entire life of 13 years, while Mummy once went on ‘holiday’ – though she soon realised no ‘holiday’ was complete without me and my sister. After a great deal of thought, and phoning around a lot of different places, my Mummy decided on The Hyperthyroid Cat Centre in Wetherby. They could offer the shortest time I had to be away from home, and had no waiting list. Mummy wanted me cured asap so she packed my favourite bed, a blanket, some catnip and toys, my favourite food(!) and even bought a new covered litter tray (which I didn’t need in the end) – as of course none of these items would be able to come home with me as they would be radioactive.
It was very nice there with kind people, but oh how I missed my Mummy, my home and even my sister – though don’t tell her I said that! When I did come home 7 days later I was radio-active. Yes – just like Spider-Man!
My Mummy wanted to keep me locked up in the spare room (as if!). I waited until she was asleep, jumped up and clinging precariously to the door handle, after swinging my body as if on a trapeze – I managed to open the door all by myself. I then went into the bedroom, aiming to have a nice nap on her chest, including giving her a pleasant surprise of her favourite sandpaper kisses. Instead she screamed when I jumped onto the bed, as unfortunately she was reading and not fast asleep at all. Worrying about me no doubt. Anyway, I was unceremoniously carted back to the spare room, where – according to my sister – she tied the door handle to the banisters with a piece of string so it would not open inwards. Grrrrrr. The cheek. The next day there was even a lock on the door like I was some kind criminal – a cat burglar maybe?
As all cats know, patience is a virtue and I had my revenge the very next day when I caught a spider! Having turned my nose up at the salmon she had poached for me that morning (in milk not water), I deigned to eat a little roast chicken instead – followed by a nice plump spider for dessert. I wondered – a radioactive spider bit Spider-Man and gave him super-powers. What would happen to the spider if I ate it then regurgitated it (still alive)?
You will be pleased to know the experiment was a partial success. My thinking was correct, and I was indeed right that the spider was now radioactive, though Mummy spoilt the fun by promptly donning her marigolds and squashing the spider with kitchen towel. Boooo. I didn’t see if it would turn into errr Spider-Cat after all. Mummy then carefully put the poor dead spider into the bin of radioactive waste where she keeps things I have apparently ‘contaminated’. My litter tray contents go down the toilet, but everything else goes into this bin for storage for 6 weeks until it is not longer radio-active. There are even some videos on the website which you can watch to see all about marigolds, and storage bins.
Well that was enough excitement for one day, so I settled down for a nice snooze in the comfy new bed Mummy had bought me. I will update you on my further adventures soon!
Purrs and head bonks – Hyperthyroid Holly.