On our first Saturday together, we took Jett to the vet for what was his first actual visit beyond his trip to Operation Catnip several years before. Even though he had a clear skin issue, his previous humans didn’t take him to the vet to have it diagnosed.

Based on what his previous family told me, and the condition of his skin, we decided he likely had a classic flea allergy. The other options were a fungal infection or a food allergy. But because of the visible small bumps on his irritated skin, the first option to treat was fleas.

After an antibiotic shot to protect his open skin, and an internal flea preventative, he came home to his crate. He felt safe in the crate and was obviously stressed by the herd of cats.

He also exhibited his food anxiety by heading for the food bowl whenever he was stressed. He seemed to enjoy the petting and snuzzles we gave him, but as soon as he was done, he would go eat a little food to relax. Because of the vet stress, we cleared the office for him and let him have the run of it alone.