I came home tonight as per usual, and fed both cats - Trub and Lothario. Lothario was off his food and one of his eyes looked a bit gunky. In fact all of him looked gunky - much more matted and non-glossy than it had for months ...
While he was eating I grabbed Trubs brush and started to work out some of the tangles in his fur and kept shying away from me - more than he had usually done lately - and he wasn't eating well. I finally picked him up and he has been in a fight. Lots of fur missing and the third eyelid of one of his eyes was half filmed over his iris.
I just started crying. I couldn't send him back outside looking like that. Now the thing is he is the neighbourhood stray. I've been specifically forbidden to feed him or in any other way encourage him to be around. My rental contract specifically prohibits me from taking in any other cats than Trub. Even if Trub dies, I'm not allowed to get another cat.
My landlady lives next to me and has urged me to throw things at Lothario and kick him away. Which of course I cannot do. So when she's not looking I bring him inside, feed him and pet him and then he goes back outside.
So tonight he looked so bad, I think if he continues this life he will only live a few more months - he's been on the loosing end too many times recently and not just from other cats. I rang some vets and cried down the phone to them (I'm very emotional when it comes to the furry members of our civilisation) but as it was nearly 7pm they all insisted on an up front payment of $150 after hours fee before they would look at him.
Well that was a cold shock to the system. I rang Workmate A . She's had cats all her life and is far more pragmatic than me. She immediately offered to meet me at the vets with the $150. No quibbling - straight out offer.
I actually got through to her that what I really wanted was would she come over and look at him and see if I'm freaking out about nothing. A and her 16 year old daughter were here in less than 10 mins (usually its a 15 minute drive). She looked at him and found two abscesses I had missed.
The end result is yes he does need a vet but not necessarily tonight. They took him home to their place in Trubs pet carrier and they have spare bowls and litter trays etc at home. They also have a cat and two dogs in residence but they can lock him on one of the rooms overnight. I *know* he can use a litter tray because he uses Trubs sometimes.
A is going to drop him off at the vets tomorrow morning on her way to work (she works locally like I used to) and will email me when she hears from the vets.
If he needs drains etc, they are prepared to take him in and care for him as they can. If he settles in with the rest of the menagerie then they will keep him. If he doesn't then I've decided I will fight the landlady and see if I can get my rental contract changed and I will own him.
Neither A nor myself could stand seeing him live like this for much longer. He simply wouldn't live. He;d be dead by Xmas. He may well be anyway after having such a hard life, but we both felt it was worth it to give a few peaceful months if that is all he have - or a few years if we can do it.
We will also fight over who gets to pay the vets bills after they mount up - probably pay half each. After we finish crying of course ....
All over a neighbourhood stray.....
25 comments:
That "neighbourhood stray" has a very soft spot in a lot of people's hearts, mine included. You did well, honey!
I am so glad "Workmate A" was able to come to your rescue and I bet she gave you a great big hug too. She's a sweetheart.
Will be waiting for news.
She did - she gave me a number of hugs and told me I was doing the right thing and I shouldn't call myself an idiot for being sympathetic to an animal in need:) :)
I think you are wonderful for taking care of him! The life of a stray cat is harsh. I see it around here all the time.
Good for both of you, and here's hoping Lothario springs back from his war wounds and finds happiness with your friends; it's hard for cats who've been out for a while to acclimatize to belonging somewhere, but it does happen, I think more often than people are willing to give them credit for (psycho cats are just as easily found having never been stray). Luck and hugs all around!
Sending lots of good thoughts out for all of you! I firmly believe that the sentiment about entertaining strangers pertains to the four-legged furry ones who come into our lives as well as humans.
And Karen, I agree 100%; my mom has a psycho cat from h***, and she was never a stray, we brought her home from the pet supply store as a kitten!
Yer no idiot in my book, Mel! Lothario needed someone to take of him and obviously it was you! I'm glad "A" could come to the rescue with the vet and with housing him until the big decisions get made. It's a good thing you did and don't let anyone tell you otherwise... how the heck do you think I ended up with Phred? Brad said if no one took this last one, he was gonna kill him. Well.... ready or not, I couldn't let that happen!
Cats always seem to have the worst of it. We always had rescue cats but when the last of them eventually died we said no more. However that didn't stop this stream of stray/feral cats that we seem to have inherited. Someone has to look out for them and it doesn't take much to give them a couple of tins of food a day. You are doing a wonderful job Mel and luckily you have A to give you a hand and some moral support. I'll keep my finger crossed for Lothario but I'm sure with the vets help and some tlc from you, he'll do just fine.
Got this from update from workmate A at 7:30 this morning (about 40 mins ago):
Lothario very quiet overnight, but looking heaps better this morning with less swelling on his face & opening his eye without the 3rd eyelid moving. He has had some words to say, not a lot but more than we heard last night. I have him in my cat basket (slightly bigger & with better outlook) beside me here until I can slip out to the vet.
Yea! Glad to hear he's doing okay. Bless you both for being willing to take care of the boy. He's actually quite a handsome fella and I see why you named him Lothario.
11:00am further update from Workmate A:
Well he is being *fixed* today, + microchipped + a nasty abscess on his forehead cleaned out - poked & the mess squirted out…. He may have a nerve damaged which drives the 3rd eyelid, that will be looked at whilst he's on the table. Worst possible scenario the eyelid won't work, but it doesn't add much to the working 2 eyelids so he can operate wo any hassles. I didn't get any indication of his age, but will ask when next in contact .... he'll be ready to go today, so I'll stop in on my way home.
Well, you are a very good cat mum, that's for sure.
You cannot see anyone suffer, no matter what living form, that's great, Mel!
As for crying... that was as good a reason to cry and show your feelings as any other. Anything that lives deserves to be loved and you love that cat, too.
And the reaction of your workmate really is wonderful. She must also be a die-hard lover of anything that lives :-)
Does your landlady have a specific reason for her refusal to keep cats? Maybe she's allergic? I recently found out that usually allergies to cats comes from a protein the cats produce when they lick themselves. The spit they use dries down and leaves this protein on their hairs and of course everything they touch, so it's really hard on them. I have a neighbour who can't come in very long at my place, because of that reason. He still does, but it's well possible that he then has to leave occasionally to catch fresh air - literally.
If that's not the case then you should fight her for the right to keep the cat - or another cat after Trubs has to leave this world.
(((((((((((((Mel)))))))))))))))))
Glad to hear some good news here. I know how fond you are of the boy.
Workmate A is doing such a great job there. She sounds like the best kind of friend to have :)
My landlady has never lived with animals. Ever. She never had a pet as a child. Frankly she has no clue of the love she is missing out on.
I went straight to Alison's place from work this e3vening. Lothario has his own cat house. One of those soft baskets with built in hood type things. He has a litter tray, food, water and he's in a room by himself. He was still a bit groggy from everything that got done, but he seemed happy and settled.
He actually purred !!!! He purred his little heart out before he dropped off to sleep again. I so rarely heard him purr and it was a quick startled purr that stopped as if he couldn't believe *he* was making that noise. And now he is purring fit to burst !!!!
Alison also insisted I stay for dinner which her 16 year old daughter cooked. We discussed how to integrate him into the household. If anything Alison and her daughter love him as much as I have. The vets confirmed that he has definitely been living as a stray so we aren't taking anyone's pet. He has not been looked after. When he goes in next week to get his stitches out they will give him his shots, check out the dental work etc etc.
Unless there are major hassles with the already resident cat, then Lothario has a new home. And he so far appears to be very very happy with the arrangement!
Oh she's such a sweetie. And how nice to see her called by name instad of "Workmate A" LOL.
Lothario purred, oh wow, he knows that you girls want the best for him, so sweet.
Will they still call him Lothario??
I'm conscious of using people's real names on the net without asking their approval first - but this *is* only going to my contacts so it *should* be OK.
Alison has already subconsciously developed the habit of calling him "old fella" so we will see. He has however lived on the streets, so I suspect he will come to any name you like as long as you have some food in your hand .....
I was just soo overfilled with happiness to see him not only doing OK after surgery, but actually being relaxed and happy - well that could have been the drugs he was on - but he was purring his heart out! It just feels soooo damn good to hear it .....
Oh bother I'm crying again.
You might be crying but I know these are happy tears which is a good thing :)
Definitely a great story. I'm so glad to hear that he's doing well and now has even more people to love him.
I most likely will never have a cat; J is so very highly allergic to them that I just don't see it happening. The shame is that he likes cats, and if he didn't feel the need to breathe freely on a regular basis, he'd want to have one! :)
Glad to hear he's doing so well - the Comeback Kitty! Yay! Hope he keeps purring spontaneously!
Thats great to hear he is hopefully on the mend AND that he has a new home. I'm sure he is one happy puss.
This morning's report from Alison:
Coaxed purrs out of Lothario this morning again, until ….. I gave him his pill & eye ointment …. He was not happy, but I think the pill did go down his throat - definitely noticed his shorter lower jaw when prising it open. I grovelled & crawled a couple of times afterwards, managing to coax a very faint purr the last time. Medicating a cat is not the best way to bond with the said cat …..
Ummm....I can see that would not be the best way to bond....poor Lothario. Hopefully at some point he'll understand that it's all for the good:(
Lothario daily update from Alison:
Lothario gave me a surprise when I went in to say good night last night, he was out of his house investigating the food bowl! I was relieved, as I'd expected more improvement than I had seen. To my further surprise, he curled up against my belly on the bed (yes, I put him on the bed) to accept TLC, then decided he was safe & comfy enough to groom. This morning his bowl was empty, & the grated cheese vanished. That is the improvement I wanted to see!
This morning I shifted him into my room to allow the other animals in to have a good sniff around. Lothario was last seen under my bed heading towards the food bowl.
Oh, that is so good to hear!! Yay, Lothario!
Lothy will be such an asset to their house. I'm so thrilled to hear his wonderful progress, it started me sniffling yet again.
Wow - this is great news! I'm so glad to hear that he's improving!
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