Navaho Gunleg

Holy cow — yesterday was a terrible day. The cat went to the vet for some heavy cancer-surgery thing and we got her back with a big fat stitch across her belly with 2 tubes sticking out, so that excessive fluid can leave her body. The big fat stitch is there because her milk-glands, nipples and related tissue have been removed from her belly. Well, on one side now anyway.

Of course, she was still a bit numb from the sedative and stayed in the travel-basket for quite some time.

Because of her big fat stitch — to prevent her to bite herself in that area, we had to think of a way to protect her belly from herself….. The vet suggested something like a sheet, some holes in it for her legs, and to put that on her.

Well, that didn’t go as expected: she freaked out and kicked it all of — including the big band-aid type thing that the doctor had put over the stitch.

I tried to settle her down after and then she bit me. Now, I know cats. I know nails, I know the type of hurt that can do to a human.

But I wasn’t at all prepared for this bite. Two large teeth, each shoved in my index-finger about 5mm deep. Top and bottom. Any deeper and she would be able to rip my flesh off.

I had to make a split-second decision, quickly grabbing her jaws with my other hand, trying to force them open. In that panic it’s pretty hard to figure out which way to move your finger to get it of the upper tooth, and then to get it off the lower tooth. But I managed.

My girlfriend though she scratched me…. But after seeing the trail of blood that I left she questioned that. I told her that she really did not want to know what happened because I know she would faint.

I quickly asked her for some fluid to clean bite wounds or other scratches but, well, if blood gushes out that fast I couldn’t imagine any of the fluid to reach the inner part of the wound.

So after recovering from that and calling the vet again, the best solution seemed to put on some kind of collar-thing around her neck, which is kinda hard to describe in English, but it prevents dogs or cats from hurting themselves. When we walks around, her head now looks like those lights in the Pixar logo.

She didn’t like that either.

She fought and kicked and got it off, once. The second time I put it on her (and luckily she was still a bit numb and sleepy so I actually could), it’s still on as I write this. *knocks wood*

So until 22:45 last night, she stayed in her travel-basket. At first we tried a box, so she wouldn’t jump out of it, but guess what she tried the moment we put her in that box?

After 22:45, she jumped out of her basket and started her marathon. She kept walking and walking and walking and … Until about 3 AM middle of the night.

Haven’t really slept either — awake an hour, sleep for a few minutes, awake for an hour again. But she did jump on our bed and lay in between us like she usually does.

This morning she even purred again. But I bet she’s still in pain.

At about 12 today I had to give her some anti-biotics too. By injection. Yes indeed. The vet gave me a couple of syringes, one filled with medicine. I have to give her 0.38ml injections every day.

So that was quite a scary, nerve-wrecking, experience but all-in-all it could’ve been a lot worse. Without any hassle or fight I could put the syringe in her neck and slowly inject the medicine.

Damn it took me a few minutes to relax — shaking as a mofo. Tomorrow same time, same thing. Yay.

As I write this, she’s still a bit restless. I hope she’ll settle down in a bit and sleep.

So… If you get kittens, sterilise as soon as possible and don’t give her contraceptives. That could prevent you from having to experience this stuff.

The whole drama of this all is that only one side has been done. And in the end, both sides have to go.

What has been removed is currently in the laboratory, so there is a very slight chance the tumour isn’t a bad tumour and don’t have to let her go through all this again.

Life can be dreadful at times…

Animals, Pets, Cats, Surgery, Recovery