The news about Salix is not good. I took him in for an evaluation and the diagnosis is that he has Feline virus. This is a non-treatable condition that affects all the internal organs. Salix was quite yellow in his skin color, indicating possible kidney failure among his many possible problems. He weighs 8 pounds, down from the 13 pounds of last year when I brought him home. His attitude is good, and he is lovey, purrs, and sleeps with us at night. He still likes me, and is always wanting to be picked up and held. They said he was dehydrated, but he drinks a lot and eats well. They didn't have any sort of timeframe for him, so we can only hope for the best. He had the virus when I adopted him, so it is not necessarily a fast-moving disease.
It is not likely that Calla will get the virus from Salix, as it requires that they fight and share some sort of fluid transfer to make this happen. In a year this has not happened, so I think it unlikely. Calla certainly does not suffer from a "failure to thrive" condition.
So, we are all a bit sad about this. Salix seems OK with it, and he is just the same. If his condition takes a turn for the worse we will certainly step in and make his last days as comfortable as possible. Until then, he is as happy and friendly as ever.
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