Piglet's explosions at both ends

Piglet had an unusual roman nose, or so I thought.  By the fifth day, his diarrhea had cleared up nicely, but he seemed uncomfortable and his eyes were runny, so I soaked a washcloth in warm water and tried to wipe them clean.  He reacted strongly, pulling away from the rag; some kittens just hate to have their faces washed, so I got a firmer grip on him and proceeded to gently wipe his eyes.  Suddenly, a stream of bloody pus shot from his face!  I was so stunned, it took me a minute to process what I was seeing.  Finally I realized: that's not a roman nose, that's an abscess above his nose and between his eyes, and it just popped!

Abscesses are common in cats; another cat's claw or tooth pierces their skin, the tiny wound closes up too quickly, and bacteria grow wild.  But an abscess right between the eyes is nothing to mess with.  Left untreated, a facial abscess can spread into the eye orbits and even penetrate to the brain.  I requested and was authorized to make an urgent care vet visit.  The vet confirmed that he was feverish but otherwise stable, and the abscess appeared to be superficial.  Her recommended treatment was warm wet compresses to help it drain, and an antibiotic.  24 hours later, it's amazing how much better he feels.  The cheesy-smelling ooze from the lesions above his nose has almost completely dried up.  He was terribly lonely in the kitty condo without his brother, so I've been letting him explore the house and (try to) make friends with my old, grumpy cats and my slightly over-enthusiastic dog.  He found a sunbeam on my desk to sleep in for a while, and spent a lot of time in my lap.

In fact, a couple of nights ago he gave me an experience I've never had before, and would be glad to never repeat: he was sleeping on my chest, and when he stood up, his hind end was in direct line with my left nostril, about an inch away.  Before I could move him, he ripped an audible fart just as I was breathing in.  I felt the wind of that fart hit my nostril and suck right down into my lung.  It wasn't as foul-smelling as I expected, but it was a bit of a shock.  I think it means we're bonded for life, nostril to asshole.

Very shortly after this incident, I saw him play for the first time.  I'm sewing a braided rag rug, and he tentatively batted at the hanging braid.  It made me very happy.  I'm sure I'll be less happy the day I find him climbing the curtains.

Here's a picture of him playing with a string.  You can see how well the wounds are healing where the abscess drained.