Watching your pet struggle with illness is heartbreaking, especially when it cannot tell you what hurts.
One Malaysian pet owner recently took to Threads to share her distress over her cat Ginger’s condition, saying the haze had worsened her pet’s asthma and left her wheezing.
Alongside photos of Ginger, the owner described how the orange cat was struggling to breathe and experiencing severe itchiness around her mouth.
‘How can my cat tell me she’s in pain?’
According to the owner, Ginger’s discomfort had become so bad that she was putting her paws into her mouth to try to scratch it.
Look at what happened to Ginger. She has asthma and an allergic reaction. The haze has made her condition worse.”
In the comments, the owner, who also has asthma, explained why seeing Ginger suffer was particularly difficult.
“I have asthma. When I’m unwell, I can tell the doctor. But how can a cat tell us it’s in pain? All we see is that it’s suffering. I can’t bear to watch.”
When someone suggested keeping Ginger indoors, she clarified that all her cats were already fully indoor pets and that she also used an air purifier at home.
Was a stray who came looking for food
Speaking to WeirdKaya, the owner shared that Ginger was a female stray she had adopted in 2020.
Their story began when Ginger appeared at her home during heavy rain, looking for food. At the time, she did not have any cats.
“She was still outside my house a few days later, so I adopted her. She has been with me ever since.”
Received medication and a steroid injection
The owner said Ginger already had asthma and that she believed the haze had aggravated her condition. She also wondered whether Ginger’s advancing age was contributing to her recent health difficulties.
Explaining the swelling around Ginger’s mouth, she said the cat had been trying to relieve the itchiness with her paws.
“She puts her paws into her mouth as though she wants to scratch it with her claws,” she added.
According to the owner, Ginger received medication to relieve itching and inflammation, as well as a steroid injection.
Tons of money spent on clinic visits and supplements
The owner shared that she had taken Ginger to several clinics and spent hundreds of Ringgit, although she could not recall the exact total. The expenses also included supplements for Ginger.
She described Ginger as a cat who rarely fell ill previously, making the recent bouts of illness a noticeable change.
Before this, one of the more challenging periods had been caring for Ginger after she was spayed, as she was difficult to give medication to.
Other pet owners worry about animals outdoors
In the comments on the original post, other pet owners sent Ginger well-wishes and shared their concerns.
One said their indoor cat had developed sore eyes, which they suspected were linked to the haze. They also wondered how animals outdoors were coping without someone to care for them.
Ginger’s owner echoed that concern, saying it was upsetting to think about animals unable to express their discomfort.
Get well soon, Ginger.
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