10/10/2026
🐾 MR. NEMO'S WILD RIDE — 8 DAYS, 3 VETERINARY CLINICS, AND ONE VERY BRAVE KITTY! 🐈❤️
Our six-year-old resident kitty, Mr. Nemo, has had quite the adventure over the past eight days — and unfortunately, not the fun kind!
What started as a urinary blockage turned into a much bigger ordeal involving crystals, bladder stones, multiple veterinary visits, surgery, and a whole lot of TLC.
But first, a little history about our handsome Mr. Nemo. ❤️
We originally got Nemo for my mom during COVID, when she was living in assisted care. Unfortunately, because she already had two animals, she wasn't allowed to keep him. So Nemo became a permanent resident here at Mystic Mountain Pet Retreat! He still got to visit Grandma whenever I went to see her, so it worked out pretty well for everyone — especially Nemo, who quickly settled into his new kingdom.
Now, Nemo has always been a kitty who appreciates a good meal. Perhaps a little TOO much! 😹
We had put him on prescription urinary food this spring, but eventually thought a high-quality canned food would be sufficient. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He also managed to help himself to some dry dog food along the way! While we can't say exactly what caused this episode, his diet certainly wasn't helping us manage his urinary issues.
And that's where the adventure began...
Eight days ago, Nemo spent the day at Cascade Animal Clinic in Monroe, where they treated a urinary blockage and cleared his urethra. I continued giving him fluids over the weekend, hoping we were headed in the right direction.
By Monday, however, it was clear that Mr. Nemo wasn't out of the woods.
Off we went to Animal Emergency & Specialty (AE&S) in Kirkland, a privately owned veterinary hospital that I really like.
Dr. Mark placed another urinary catheter, started fluids, and performed an ultrasound and X-rays. That's when we discovered the real problem.
Nemo didn't just have urinary crystals — he had developed bladder stones! And simply treating the blockage wasn't going to solve the underlying problem. Those stones could cause another blockage if they weren't removed.
Surgery was the next step. AE&S was originally going to perform the procedure, but with a specialty surgeons' conference happening this weekend, scheduling became a challenge.
So, time for Plan B!
I contacted Dr. Jackie at Mercy Vet on Mercer Island, one of my regular holistic veterinarians.
Thankfully, she was able to arrange surgery for the very next day!
Nemo stayed at AE&S receiving care until Wednesday morning, when I picked him up and transported him to Mercy Vet.
And, of course, Mr. Nemo couldn't make things simple! 🙀
During surgery, they discovered that the bladder stones were actually embedded in his bladder wall, making the procedure more involved than originally anticipated.
After surgery, I transported Nemo back to AE&S for overnight monitoring. Thursday morning, it was back to Mercy Vet for another day of observation and treatment.
At this point, I'm pretty sure Nemo was wondering why his personal chauffeur kept taking him to different hotels — none of which offered room service! 😹
One of the things I appreciate about Mercy Vet is their integrative approach. Along with conventional veterinary medicine, they offer supportive treatments such as laser therapy, energy work, and homeopathic remedies. I appreciate having those options available as part of his care.
With everything Nemo had been through, including a more invasive surgery than expected, he developed a fever and received an antibiotic injection.
Finally, Thursday evening, Mr. Nemo got to come HOME! ❤️🏡
Unfortunately, the excitement wasn't quite over.
By Friday morning, he was still running a temperature, so Cascade Animal Clinic helped us obtain additional prescribed antibiotics. He's also receiving some strong opioid pain medication to keep him comfortable while he heals.
The encouraging news is that his temperature has been coming down and was most recently 102.3°F, from a high of 104.6. 102.3 is near the upper end of the normal range for cats.
We're still watching his urinary output very closely, as he's not producing as much urine as we'd like. I'm providing fluids as directed by his veterinary team, and we're keeping a close eye on his recovery.
Dr. Jackie and the Mercy Vet team have been wonderful about staying in touch by text throughout the weekend, helping us monitor his progress.
It truly takes a village — especially when that village is caring for one very special kitty! 🐾
A HUGE thank-you to the wonderful veterinary teams who have helped Nemo through this ordeal:
❤️ Cascade Animal Clinic — Monroe
❤️ Animal Emergency & Specialty (AE&S) — Kirkland
❤️ Mercy Vet — Mercer Island
Each clinic played an important role in getting Nemo the treatment he needed, and I'm incredibly grateful for their care, teamwork, and compassion.
After eight days, three veterinary clinics, countless car rides, and one major surgery, we're hoping Mr. Nemo is finally on the road to a full recovery.
He's been through so much, but he's one tough little guy!
Now, Mr. Nemo can only have prescription food and of course, no dry dog food. So us humans will have to do a better job with food management. 😹🐶
Please send our sweet boy some healing thoughts! ❤️🐾
— Mystic Mountain Pet Retreat
