<p>Thanks so much, everyone.</p>
<p>I’m very happy to say that Ziggy seemed entirely himself this morning, as lively as always and with a healthy appetite. So much so that he gobbled up most of a small can of Purina Fancy Feast for breakfast in several minutes (he eats 2 cans a day, plus some dry food), and promptly threw up about half of it – not a sign of illness for him; it is, unfortunately, a regular occurrence when he eats too quickly. But at least it gave me the chance to see that there was no sign of blood in what he threw up!</p>
<p>I’m actually a little embarrassed that I was so worried last night, and not thinking very clearly. I should probably have realized that he’s very finicky about eating dry food, that the food looked undisturbed, and that, yes, he’s very much a 'fraidy cat and probably did react like a cartoon cat and zoom away at the speed of light to hide somewhere when the bulb exploded. And I’m sure that if I’d been home at the time, I would have seen that he had on his guilty-face (and he definitely has one – whenever he scratches the sofa, or nibbles on a plant leaf, he keeps looking back over his shoulder to check if I see him, and if I yell “STOP,” he freezes in place!).</p>
<p>But Ziggy is the first pet I’ve ever had in my life, and I had no idea when I adopted him as a kitten 4 1/2 years ago that I would love him so much. I felt so sad for him last night that I carried him around, with his head resting on my shoulder, for close to an hour on and off. (Fortunately, he loves being picked up and carried, and asks for it all the time by standing against me with his paws reaching up as high as possible. Not so different from when J. was a toddler, really. And I love doing it!)</p>
<p>I’ll take all of this as a reminder that I definitely do need to find a local vet, and figure out the location of the nearest 24-hour animal clinic. There was one in New Jersey not so far from where I lived, but I’m sure there must be one closer.</p>
<p>And thanks again to all for being so helpful.</p>