Cat health (or rather, lack thereof) update

Brendan is better. He's eating on his own from the bowl more, but I'm still feeding him from my finger. He's not sneezing or wheezing. I think he's definitely past the worst, and he's being very cooperative about being separated. Of course, it's easy for him because he sees us overnight. I can't say he's been letting me sleep through the night, so it's been hard for me.

On bad news, Georgie is definitely sick. I took him to the vet last night and he understood I was not looking to hospitalize him unless it was necessary, so he gave him a bunch of shots (an antibiotic, an appetite stimulant and a vitamin shot) and I went home with a strong antibiotic (only 1/2 pill once a day) and instructions to use the same antibiotic nose drops that Brendan is getting. And we had to separate him, too, so he got the front upstairs room, which he was NOT happy about, and found fairly inventive hiding places. Unfortunately, he stopped eating and probably drinking, even though we went out and bought the sardine cat food the vets swear every cat will eat. He was still somewhat active, but I know it's really bad for cats to not eat for more than 48 hours, and I didn't want to chance it, so Kevin and I took him tonight and left him, he'll be there a few days at least. I just don't have what it takes to force feed one of my cats. Pills, ok. Food, no. Georgie especially. The first 1/2 pill I gave him, he pooped a little nugget (the other two came out at the vet's). The second time I gave him the pill and nose drops, he let out a huge wet fart (I was sure there were going to be poop bits in it, but I guess since he hadn't been eating and he had already gotten the poop nuggets out previously, there just wasn't anything) and by the end of our struggles he had a HUGE amount of dripping snot that ended up attached between his nose and the air conditioner he was hiding next to. It was a good three inches long and 1/8 inch thick. It was just a bad situation all around.

And also bad, I think the Riaowly is also sick. She's been hanging out by herself on the futon, and hasn't been eating much. But tonight she ate grilled chicken, a good amount of it, so I'm hoping she's only a little sick and part of the problem is that everything's so topsyturvy. Plus the vet said to start her on the antiobiotics that we originally had for Brendan (a much milder antibiotic) and the nose drops antibiotic. But I won't be surprised if I need to bring her to the hospital in a few days, too.

Basically, I'm feeling like my life sucks right now, and I'm really stressed and don't feel much like eating either. I'm glad that at least we are home for the rest of the year.