I've learned to harden my heart against stray animals...it's been a necessity for our household; otherwise, I would be well known around these parts as the CAT LADY of Upper Antioch Heights; you know, that person who at last count has 268 meowers and a few barkers thrown in for good measure carousing the jammed packed shredded interiors, dining on salmon chunk hor d'eouvres, and lapping up all the white wine in the cupboards before their maid, cook, and poop picker upper is dragged off to the Clover Bottom Estates for the once-upon-a-time-mindful mindless.
Sometimes I slip up...well, more like a voice from somewhere above nudges me and says not this one...you can't walk away from this one...period! She's little Miss No Name for now...I've never been one to pick a pet name out of thin air in any manner of timeliness. Sweetheart Jesse was Mr. No Name for two months...see what I mean...I think it has something to do with perfection, you know...that perfect name and no other will do.
I was told a kitten was in the culvert by the office. It had been seen several times that afternoon, and I did what I usually never do...as cats are dumped at our park all the time by shit people (I'm sorry, that's the only word I have for people like that)...I took a look. After being coaxed out, it was clear it was injured. I called my vet...it's 1:45 pm on a Friday and my vet is closed on Saturdays, I'm 40 miles from home, another 20 miles from my vet clinic that can get me in at 5:00 pm...I tell my boss I have to go, take a potty break, and I'm flying home in my little toyota solara with half grown kitty as my very quiet passenger.
A stop at the house for cat carrier, then on through all that city traffic to the vet...couldn't believe I made it there by 4:30 pm. We think something large with teeth grabbed her on the inside of her left leg and shook the hell out of her. She had a hole in her upper leg as big as a baseball and her body was covered with bruises. It was time consuming cleaning out all the maggots and disinfecting it all, and the decision to only partially sew it up to let it drain was made. I almost got a headache waiting to see if she was feline leukemia free...cause if she wasn't she wouldn't be coming home with me...I had to think of Andee and Zoe. No leukemia...yeh!...given some fluids, an all fleas drop dead pill, and we made it home just in time for Vic's 8:15 pm phone call from Afghanistan.
She's taking up all my time right now...plus I've had to actually start thoroughly cleaning my house for when I let her venture out of the bathroom, where she is protected for now from the other cats, so she can rest in blissful peace. I'm not sure at this moment if she will be okay. She's been up and around, but she not eating as well as I would like to see....time will tell. She's due again at the vet this coming Wednesday.
My gardens wait for no one...and winter follows fall, so these photos will be seen this winter if I wait until I have time to apply labels and some witty clever commentary. Enjoy, and I should be back before winter :)
Spider webs in the grass in fog
Vine with leaves of three, four, and five...
Friend or Foe?
Spreading Liatris
Milkweed Bug
Driftwood
Choose which you like best...
What a kind-hearted person you are, I couldn't walk away either, especially since she was injured and surely would have died.
ReplyDeleteI hope she quickly continues to improve....
Your garden pictures show a changing season, a favorite of mine, I must add :)
~Jo
I have to agree with Brit. I never can walk away myself. I hate seeing animals hurt and lost or dumped. I do so hope and pray she will be ok. One thing I did when my mom gave me a kitten that was too small (I know your kitty is a bit older but maybe it will help it eat?), is to give it the meat baby food in a jar. It is good for them and not so hard to eat if they aren't feeling well. Hugs to you, Clipped Wings!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I have a hard time to walk away too! As for the photos.... LOVE THEM!! The first 'sun flower' is the best, to me!! ~KM
ReplyDeleteWhen our cats are weak, we give them canned food. When one of our cats had a litter of 8, we did that. She was such a small cat and having so many almost killed her. She didn't seem to have the energy for dry food, but canned food worked.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a good way with photography.
Thank you for saving another Kitty soul. Perhaps her name should be Lucky? The weather here is changing quickly, your pictures remind me I should be trying to get some as well. I love the last photo the best, you have an excellent eye.
ReplyDeleteI am cheering for her here in Savannah...we recently picked up a stray kitten too. She is solid white, one blue eye and one green eye. She's stone deaf...and so comical. We named her Fay. If she were a person, she would have been a ballerina...all willowy and long legged and graceful.
ReplyDeleteAnd noisy, lol.
As always, I come here for your photography and am captivated by your writing.
So glad we met.
Take care, good luck with the baby.
I was going to say that I love the berry pics and then all the pics below were breathtaking as well! Dreamy. Beautiful. Sometimes those strays seem to be sent straight to you for some reason, you know? :)
ReplyDeleteLove the story and hope all goes well for your new friend! Love the photos too! Just hopped over from over 40!
ReplyDelete