Update on my gato Jean Luc
Good news, he's back from the vet, and hence still alive.
As was postulated yesterday, he has a bad middle/inner ear infection (in at least one ear).
The ER vet cleaned them out yesterday and gave me ear wash and antibiotics to take home (which they used each once on him while he was there).
Bad news is, this morning he's even worse than he was yesterday, still can barely walk w/o falling over, hasn't eaten in a day and a half now, hasn't drank (that I've seen), and poor thing can't keep his eyes closed, think it makes him dizzy, as soon he seems to fall asleep he pops back up, so I imagine he's also pretty friggin tired.
And he hates the ear drops and esp. the antibiotics. I'm gonna go get some tuna this AM, maybe that'll entice him to get some food and moisture in him, but if he won't even touch that I'm gonna call the vet again this afternoon.
Gonna be a stressful day I think.
Thanks again for all the good wishes yesterday, y'all are the best ... s'why I'm here all the time 
EDIT: as mentioned in Post #17 below he ate a little canned tuna and lapped up every drop of tuna juice that was in it, so that's good news!
Pic back in healthier days
= new reply since forum marked as read
I didn’t see your post yesterday about Jean Luc. I’m so sorry
Poor baby! Aarrgghh it’s so tough to see our beloved fur babies so ill and acting strangely.
I hope those antibiotics and your TLC get him back on his paws in no time.
Sending massive amounts of healing vibes your way. Please do keep us posted.
Very best of luck. Kitties are important.
And glad you are doing your best for him!
I hope the abxs kick in quickly & he is back to normal soon!
Healing vibes still flowing to him!
💓💓💓
just small amounts more frequently if he has nausea. You might have to carry him more the next few days to help lower his stress. Read the side-effects info on the med he was prescribed, how it affects appetite, etc.
One of these types for cats:
Have you tried an antibiotic shot for your cat? It's a bit expensive, but they work really well. The huge plus side is that you don't have to give your cat those pills. We have several cats and they're all in door and out door. One of ours got beat up pretty badly by a feral tom cat. We opted for the shot instead of the pills and it was well worth the extra expense. It sure made life easier for both us and our cat. Again, I hope that Jean Luc has a speedy recovery!
Would've paid the extra money in a heartbeat. Doctor specifically said he needs the oral one twice a day. I gather they think this infection is pretty bad, and the shot, while 'good' ... is not good enough for his case, need the 2X equal dosing for 10 days.
He sure friggin hates it though. In the evenings Mandy will be here to help (and he freaking loves her, even more than me), but alone here this AM, it was a challenge. Need to perfect my towel wrapping technique. It's funny he's normally a very docile, chill AF cat, but he does NOT like oral meds being forced on him. And he's about 10lbs of pretty much solid muscle. If he gets real pissed? He can definitely f*** me up. 
When I do have to give them pills, which is extremely rarely, I have my wife come in and help with the task. It sounds like you have this covered and Jean Luc is in great hands!
but sorry he's still feeling the effects of the infection. I KNOW how stressful this can be. Unlike children you can't talk to him and explain why he feels so loopy.
Best wishes the antibiotic starts having an effect soon and JL will be back to his old self again and YOU can breathe easier.
My girl sends her love and support to Jean Luc.
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At least it's something treatable. Hang in there.
More expensive of a kitten than I could afford (or at least justify ... I inherited him actually) but man ... he's like a perfect cat specimen in every way. And his personality is even better. Only had him just over 1 year, but I love this boy to the moon and back
And also a diehard quilter.
She used to vacation in the South of France at resorts specializing in quilting activities every year or so.
Anyways, my mom is pretty sure that JL was named after hot, young French tour guide my aunt had a little crush on
I'd not be shocked if he was actually named after Picard and my mom just didn't know it, however. My aunt was a big TV fan and I'd imagine would've liked TNG ... and Picard.
To me ... he's The Captain 
I'd think Patrick Stewart/Picard ... is pretty desirable
As a (mostly) straight guy ... I just think he's a badass, and great actor
He never stopped eating or drinking but he definitely consumed less, maybe half of normal.
His balance was off a bit, like the infection put pressure on the inner ear, which throws off equilibrium.
He absolutely couldn't jump on high surfaces like our kitchen counters or bathroom vanities, which he normally does all the time, I mean ALL the time. When I brush my teeth he has to be on the vanity with me, in my way (he thinks he's "helping" . When it was bad he couldn't even jump onto our bed which is quite a bit lower than the countertops. A couple times he tried & just fell backwards onto the floor, it was sad to see.
And yes, he's normally a cat who is comfortable anywhere, but when he had the infection we could tell it bothered him, it was like he was trying different places/positions to make it feel better, but of course none of it worked.
Our situation ended up being a bit more than just an infection. When we took him to the vet the first time it was obvious his ear was infected so we got the usual drops. We used up all the drops (6-8 weeks I think) & it was only a little better, so we took him back to the vet. On the second visit she did a more thorough exam & discovered he had a polyp in his ear canal that was blocking it & the infection was deeper in the ear, behind the polyp, which was why the drops didn't work. So, he had to be scheduled for surgery to remove the polyp, & at that point she was able to completely clean out his ear & she applied a salve of some sort (I may have the name, if you want it) that stays in the ear canal for a while, no drops needed, & that did it, the infection was gone.
And, after being tested at a lab, the polyp was benign, not cancerous, so big sigh of relief there.
I still remember watching him recover, & how thrilled we were the first time he jumped up on the kitchen counter like there was nothing to it. He was back to his old self 3-4 weeks after surgery & finally getting rid of the infection.
My wife & I & our 3 children (all feline) are wishing you & your gato the best!!!
"No, this infection is such that he needs the 2X daily oral antibiotics".
I've gotten that shot for my previous cat, but it seems like this infection is particularly bad/deep in the ear, such that she's worried the time-release shot won't be strong enough.
Thanks for the good vibes, too 
