The latest update on Morris and Otis:
Otis is back home; everything in his test results came back GREAT, for the most part (slight bit of infection, slightly low thyroid probably due to stress)… nothing to indicate the kidney is inflamed, or not working 100%, or anything like that. He doesn’t need medication or a special diet, we just need to keep an eye on him.
So he’s back, and after three days of refusing to eat, drink, or use the litter box at the vet, he’s doing all of that with great enthusiasm.
After getting him home and settled in, I went off to get Morris … the shelter lady’s house was filthy beyond description. I mean, cat poo EVERYWHERE, litter boxes filled - literally - to the brim. Poor neurotic Morris, in a dirty house with 50-odd other cats (I didn’t know there were so many in the house!), a huge dog, and a ton of people in and out.
(and not to be an ingrate, because the dear woman is doing SO much for animals, and bless her for being so willing to step in and take Morris when we didn’t know where to turn … but that is just not healthy, for cats nor people!)
After 90 minutes of fruitless searching (and trying not to step in cat poo), the shelter lady finally offered to help - peeked behind her clothes dryer, and there he was. I don’t know how long he’d been there, but he didn’t seem to know how to get out, or perhaps didn’t have the strength. I climbed back there, got him, and whisked him to the vet.
He was dehydrated (he’s had fluids under the skin), and they gave him a dose of the flea-killing medication to be safe. While he was waiting for a cage to be prepared - they wanted him to stay the night for observation - he peed all over the inside of the cage and soaked himself. I can’t imagine how long he’s been holding it, trying to find a clean litter box to pee in.

He was horribly upset and thought I’d be mad at him for that. (he got a hug instead - I had to head home to medicate the rest of the herd and get some dry food to take back for Morris, so I just changed clothes - they were filthy from the shelter anyway)
So now I’ve given him a bath, syringe-fed him a nice big meal (he liked that), and tucked him in the BIG cage at the vet, with nice thick padding and a big soft towel over top of him as a sort of cave to hide in. He was happily sorting out his damp fur under the towel when I left.
I’ll get him again tomorrow morning.

Pray that both he and Otis continue to use the litter boxes!