8/25/21

Tomatoes: The Final Showdown

This morning's post has to be fast and short. We're taking poor Smitty to the vet this morning. He's not doing well at all. We're both plenty worried about him. He spent pretty much his whole day yesterday in this position:


He's still sneezing, and he feels warm, although his nose is still cool and wet. By last night, he'd started a sort of "huffing" sound with his breathing. We called the vet yesterday morning, and they asked a few questions. Apparently feeling it was safe to wait until this morning, they gave us a 9:30 appointment. And so I'm writing fast in order to pack him up for the trek into town.

There isn't much to say about yesterday. I thought I might be spending less time in the kitchen, but I spent another whole day finishing off the last of the tomatoes. I had enough for one more batch of pasta sauce. When that was finished, I still had two baking sheets with roasted, halved, and skinned tomatoes. Those went into pint jars as just plain old tomatoes. Now, it's all finished. My yield was 18-1/2 quarts of pasta sauce, 5-1/2 pints of salsa, and 5-1/2 pints of plain tomatoes. And, phew! That was a job.


It'll take me a whole day just to put it all away, I'm afraid. When I get home from the vet this morning, I'll get started on that, and I'll also be trying to catch up with everything else in my life. There are flower pots to water, vegetables to harvest, bird feeders to fill, and housekeeping chores to do. No rest for the wicked...or the weary. I thought we might be doing our grocery shopping today, but Smitty's vet appointment caused me to postpone it a day. I was hoping for an NBS day tomorrow, but it will include a trip to the grocery store first.

Sadie is so worried about Smitty, we found her on the catio last night...flaked out next to the outer wall under the ladder. Having her friend sick feels cat-aclysmic. 


When I got up this morning, I couldn't find Smitty anywhere. I went through the house at least three times when I found him under the far side of the bed in our guest bedroom. He was not inclined to come out for his morning treats. I have an idea we'll be bringing him home with some antibiotics. I just hope Sadie isn't going to get sick too. And, I hope we'll bring him home, and he doesn't need to stay...or worse. But let's just not go there, okay? I'll keep you posted.

23 comments:

Barbara said...

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. ~ Anatole France

piecefulwendy said...

Oh golly, this wasn't what I hoped to read! I'll be worrying over here and waiting to hear.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Sending good thoughts for Smitty, and Sadie, too! I love reading about them. Hope there's a good solution for him and he feels better soon!

Min said...

I too, hope Smitty has a speedy and easy recovery. I feel for how worried you all must be.
Min in British Columbia, Canada

bcarlf said...

Oh, my heart is hurting for your pain. I have had a very sick dog and a very sick cat. I hope the vet works quickly to cure him. He is so beautiful!

Tosty's Quilting Tidbits said...

Sending positive thoughts for a speedy recovery for Smitty and hoping Sadie stays healthy.

Anonymous said...

Hope the vet can identify the cause of Smitty’s sneezing, and get him on the road to recovery quickly….sending only positive thoughts his way, and hoping Sadie doesn’t catch it. Keep us posted.
Sandra B
scb304@juno.com

dortha said...

Poor you’ll. Smithy doesn’t seem to know he is sick but you’ll do. Sure hope he gets better soon. He has people to snuggle with and varmints to catch.

Betty said...

Sending hugs and positive vibes for Smitty. I hope some meds and TLC have him feeling fine soon!

Katie said...

Oh Smitty! I hope this is a simple fix and a quick trip. After all, you just went through the disgrace of the carrier and a vet visit a few days ago. My kitties and I will be sending good vibes your way today.

Robin said...

I'm sending all the good vibes I've got for Smitty all the way across the country. He's a strong kitty, I'm certain he'll perk up. You are a canning powerhouse! Wow.

Connie W. said...

Hoping to hear good news about Smitty soon. A pet is a family member so, it's no wonder that a sick pet brings us so much worrying. Great job of sticking to the tomato processing despite the three days away from sewing and gardening.
Connie

Julierose said...

Sending good thoughts for the best outcome for Smitty...hugs, Julierose

Quilting Babcia said...

Hopefully Smitty just has a mild case of kennel cough and some good antibiotics will bring him around. Sadly it's always tricky at the vet's office with so many animals in close quarters. Hugs to you all.

Kathy said...



Get well soon, Smitty! Mom can't quilt without her supurrvisors and Sadie can't handle it on her own.

Shirley said...

I hope all will be well with Smitty, our furry friends can give us quite a scare. All the best

Lee said...

Poor Smitty :( hope all is well!

Jenny said...

Oh dear, poir Smitty, do hope whatever is troubling him is easily treated. Hang in there, it's really hard when our pets are sick.

MissPat said...

Well, I read the update first, so I'll just comment once here. Happy to hear a cause was found and treatment is underway. Also glad the shopping got done so a NBS day can still be in the cards. Smitty will be back out chasing moles, voles, squirrels and what have you, before you know it.
Pat

Darlene S said...

I also read the update before reading this earlier post. Glad I read them in the order I did, but I'm still worried about sweet Smitty. I hope you continue to see big improvements every day and he soon feels 100%

Elaine O'Connell said...

Hoping your kitty improves! So sorry to hear. Both are such a part of your life...and I love the pictures you post of them often.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Awww - poor Smitty - and poor you because I know you're worried. Sometimes trips to the vet aren't good when you come home with something worse than what you went with.
Good on you for getting all those tomatoes processed! You must feel such a sense of satisfaction looking at those tidy rows of jars.

Carol in Texas said...

Barbara, I will be saying little prayers for Smitty. We are big cat lovers at our house and I so enjoy seeing your cats on your blog. I know you will keep us posted.