There are certain moments in life you never forget. One of them is when the vet looks you in the eye and recommends that you have your beloved cat's leg amputated. Another is the moment you get your newly tri-pawed pet home, stare at the wound site, and wonder if you really made the right... Continue Reading →
Amputation, yo. Ain’t Nothin but a Thang
Day Nine. I left our bedroom door open for the first time since Inara came home from surgery, then took the dogs out for a walk. When I came home, she was calmly watching kitty TV out the downstairs front window from her favorite old spot. My oldest son informed me that she'd come all... Continue Reading →
Day Seven: I’m Totally Not Secretly Recording My Cat Surreptitiously Exploring Her New Cat Tree
So, here we are. Surgery Day, a week later. I won't belabor the point, but it didn't even take a full week for my cat to begin acting more or less like herself, with a slightly different gait and a still-shaven side. Here's what her walk (and her face-washing) looks like today. https://youtu.be/_m0SI5bkRGk On another... Continue Reading →
Day Five: No Longer Any Doubts
As I am typing this, my beloved cat is curled beside me, her adorable little chin tucked up against her adorable little paw and her tail curled around her adorable little back legs. Her breath is deep and steady. Her fur is fluffy and glossy. If you didn't know, you would never guess that the... Continue Reading →
What Do We Want? CUDDLES! When Do We Want Them? NOW! (Day Four Redux)
Today definitely feels like we turned a corner. I've been amazed at her resilience and strength throughout, but today was the first day she really seemed like herself. She woke up bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and proceeded throughout the day to impress me with positive changes. Among other things, the weird gulping stopped, almost as if... Continue Reading →
Day Four: Bright-Eyed and Bushy Tailed!
All that watching my cat groom herself yesterday paid off. My sweet baby is shiny and bushy today, like her old self. I mean, look at her. Her wound site is still clean and normal looking. I check it several times a day for signs of heat, and there's been no sign of infection. It's funny... Continue Reading →
The Eagle… Errrr… Turd… Has Landed! (First Post-Op Poop ON VIDEO)
Bwahahah! When I set out to record her Day Three mobility level, I got a bit more than I bargained for. Good news, though, we have a first poop! Woot! https://youtu.be/TTX1hkLJkTY As you can see, she's doing very well with mobility, even able to scratch open a spot to bury her poop in. However, she's... Continue Reading →
Day Three: Missing a What Now? Barely Noticed
After her brief down spot last night, Inara woke up this morning in fine form. She got up in the middle of the night once to eat and pee. I, being the ridiculous over-protective mama that I am right now, got up with her and hand-fed her. Afterward, I could see her contemplating the leap... Continue Reading →
Day Two Redux–Evening Rough Spot
She seems to be a little rough tonight. Nothing dangerous or scary, just uncomfortable and unhappy. She's been hiding behind the mirror most of the evening, and moved away from my hand when I tried to pet her. She doesn't usually reject cuddles, so that struck me as unusual. I gave her another dose of... Continue Reading →
Day Two Post-Amputation: Sleep, Eat, Pee, Jump–Oops!
It's been a long week, but I think we're on the part where it starts to get better. Inara sleeps most of the time, but gets around just fine when she's awake. We have her closed in our bedroom, which is not perfect, but presents a relatively controlled environment. She has a crate set up... Continue Reading →