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!!!
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