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Barnyard Buddies:  Hurt kitty has an appointment today**Update  |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 09:40:38 AM
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I'm just posting this to ask for a little prayer/well-wishing for a stray cat my husband and I found over the weekend.
It's a young cat, or big kitten, with a hurt tail. We spotted it running around in traffic at the end of our street when we were going out to dinner Saturday night. The three cars in front of us had to slow down and proceed carefully to avoid it. We got out of the car to take a look, and the little guy ran right up to us. Obviously someone's recently lost (or dumped) pet. When we saw that it's tail was raw and bleeding, of course we had to do something.
We took it home and we've been keeping it in our basement, isolated from our own cat. Shamefully, I've let his vaccinations lapse since we took him in from my sister. He's strictly indoor-only, and we had a lot of questions about the safeness and necessity for yearly immunizations, and we just never got our thoughts resolved on that issue.
I couldn't find a shelter or vet open on Sunday (except the city Animal Services, and they told us straight up that they would have to euthanize an injured cat). After much calling around, I've got an appointment with a vet that also does animal adoptions.
So "Junior" and I are going in at 2:30 for a combination medical checkup and intake assessment. If they think this little guy has a good chance of being adopted, they will accept him/her into the shelter. If they decide not to, for whatever reason, I'm stuck with the vet bills!
The cat is adorable, of course, and very friendly and trusting. I'm sure it will make a great pet. I'm just a little worried about the tail. It may need to be amputated, which might make the cat harder to adopt. And I hope no infection has set in since Saturday night. Plus, there's also the chance that the poor thing has one of the really nasty contagious diseases and I've exposed our own helpless cat. I really hope I've done the right thing!
**Update**
They took her! (I learned that she's definitely a female.) Her tail is gangrenous, so it has to be amputated. Gangrene sounds scary to me, but the vet didn't seem terribly concerned. He said that he'll do the surgery, which will be spaying plus amputation all at once, sometime in the next day or two when he has time in his schedule. I paid them a donation of $150, which seems like a lot to me but they wanted a lot more. I actually had to bargain the vet down like I was buying a used car. I can't stand haggling, so it was very stressful. I understand that the vet is losing money and doesn't get any funding for the shelter part of his operation other than the donations. But at the same time, he signed up for this, whereas it's coming totally out of the blue for me! I think I may start making regular donations to the shelter though to make up for it.
The receptionist said it's fine if I want to follow up and see how she's doing, so I will do that later this week after they've had a chance to do the operation. Best of all, I waited for the blood test result and she's negative for both leukemia and FIV. So our cat is safe, and we can stop stripping off all our clothes and showering every time we go down to the basement...I know, that was extreme, but we were really feeling guilty about not having our darling's shots up to date. 
I'm glad so many of you would adopt a cat that had lost it's tail. My own cat, Mr. Stubbs, is naturally bobtailed and I think he's just adorable. That's why we were calling the stray cat "Junior", by the way...we figured if she lost her tail, she'd look just like Stubbs.
As you can probably tell, we are both kind of sad that the little cat is gone. But we really aren't ready to have 2. We hope she recovers nicely and finds a good home. She's a real sweetie. 
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Edited by - Amie C. on Dec 15 2008 4:11:16 PM |
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Lainey
True Blue Farmgirl
2401 Posts
Elaine
Waco
Kentucky
USA
2401 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 10:10:21 AM
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You all will be in my prayers. Amie you are a sweetheart, most people wouldn't have bothered at all with the cat. I'm a softie when it comes to our four legged animal friends. I hope all goes well and that the tail injury is the only problem with the kitty. I also hope it finds a good home.
Hugs!
Farmgirl Sister #25
http://countrygirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 10:51:23 AM
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If your own cat has had vaccines in the past which it sounds like I would not be concerned. Vaccines I think last longer than they say too. I agree with you on that one. Keep us updated.... If the tail is not bad I would put neosporin on it and wrap it to try and keep any infection out. Just a thought.
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 10:55:56 AM
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Good luck, Amie...and don't worry, I don't do the kitty vaccines every year--about every other. Our guys also stay inside, and it's HECK trying to get them to hold still for a second.
Oh, and one of our boy cats is a "tail amputee"...he got it stuck in a fan belt as a kitten, and it only made me want him more. He is a black and white tom, who, without a tail, resembles a Boston Terrier :)
You've done a good thing, farmgirl--nothing better than a big heart. |
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janiee
True Blue Farmgirl
820 Posts
Janie
Shawnee
Oklahoma
USA
820 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 11:12:23 AM
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Good for you Farmgirl! that is a wonderful thing you did for the litte fellow! i would have done the same thing. And don't worry about the vaccines...my cats are over 12 years old -strictly inside - and i only did theirs every other year....had one live to be 18 years before diabetes got to her.
proud of you!
janiee
farmgirl #390 |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 11:13:34 AM
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Good luck to you both, Amie. You'll be in my thoughts. And hugs to you for being such a compassionate person.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 11:25:16 AM
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Aww Amie, you are so wonderful to take kitty in. I think as long as the cats are isolated from each other, your kitty should be fine. Most diseases are passed through saliva/bites, and waste material of infected animals, anyway, so as long as kitty didn't have long exposure to this stray and he's had his vaccines, there is little to worry about.
I'm with Violet here, I don't the tail being amputated makes a difference and I think some would find a stubby tailed cat actually endearing...so I wouldn't worry over it either.
Good luck!! And big hugs!
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 11:46:10 AM
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What a nice thing you have done for this cat. My sister's cat had to have his tail amputated and he looks adorable with a little stub tail. Some people pay alot for a manx cat so that should be no problem with adopting him out.
The only shots we ever do for our cats is rabies. They are mostly indoor cats. Remember, even if your cat is indoors it needs to have an updated rabies shot! We got a bat in the house last year and I was so terrified that it bit one of our cats who was past due on his shots. We tested it for rabies since it was found in our daughter's room and it turned up negitive so that was just a reminder to keep their shots updated!
-Elizabeth |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2008 : 3:54:54 PM
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What a sweet thing you have done for this poor kitty. I'm so glad there are people like you in this world. I think we are in a certain place just for this. I sure hope it's going to be ok.
And I am anti vaccines for humans and animals. The only shots all my cats or dogs ever get is when they are spayed or neutered and then it's required to get them. I have almost 12 year old Rat Terriers who were spayed at 6 months. They've lived this long outside and in the country, too. I also have an indoor cat I got from a friend of a friend's sister about 3 years ago. She'd already been spayed and I've never taken her to the vet. She does go outside sometimes, too.
So I don't know, it seems like when I do take cats and dogs to the vet they get sick or get run over or take off. So I don't do it anymore. That's just me. And I am a responsible pet owner. They are just all fenced in and do not raom.
I did find a little white kitten a long time ago that had her tail cut off in a car motor and she was so cute. Had her for years.
Thinking of you and the little kitty, Kris
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Lainey
True Blue Farmgirl
2401 Posts
Elaine
Waco
Kentucky
USA
2401 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2008 : 06:11:02 AM
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Oh Amie, I'm so glad that they took her and that she was otherwise healthy. I hope a loving family adopts her soon! This is such good news!
Farmgirl Sister #25
http://countrygirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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Beverley
True Blue Farmgirl
2707 Posts
Beverley
atlanta
Michigan
USA
2707 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2008 : 9:28:29 PM
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I am glad you found her no telling what would have happened to her if you had not so be proud of yourself and don't worry about the vet wanting more money like you said he went into this so he better be ready for whatever comes across his desk... Good thing the kitty is going to be alright too!!!! Who hoo for you!!!!
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog....Charles F. Doran
beverley baggett Beverley with an extra E...
http://bevsdoggies.googlepages.com/ |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2008 : 05:49:04 AM
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| Thank you all for being so encouraging. I've been feeling bad because the vet was so mean about it, but the most important thing is that the little kitty is being treated. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Hurt kitty has an appointment today**Update |
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Hurt kitty has an appointment today**Update
