Roy's big day
Jan. 31st, 2008 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI haven't mentioned it but since that day of the dunking and getting his butt kicked, Roy has been sick. It started as an irritation of one of the scratchs around his eye. It's progressed to infection and pneumonia or bronchitis or something. Today he was so bad gobs of ick were hanging off his face. Earlier in the week I thought he'd die. He was unable to eat and didn't do much but lie in the box I have for him.
There is no such thing as an emergency vet here. I finally made an appt for today because he was too weak to leave the porch so I was relatively sure I could find him come appt time. Thank god I asked for directions or I would NEVER have found this place. Head Left on Mt Zion Rd, we're the 4th drive on the left (they were, as it turned out the 6th drive on the right). The vet's place was a clapboard cabin that I thought was a feedshack for the farm...up a washed out dirt road. So here I come, cat in a cardboard file box with a bungee cord around it (because nothing says hillbilly like bungee) the little monster had enough strength that in route he reached out and clawed the crap out of my car doing real damage but otherwise he rode quietly.
The vet tech asked, think he'll let me take his temp? I said he's usually pretty friendly but as far as I knew he'd never been to a vet so we take him out of the box and he just lay there like she wasn't sticking something up his butt, purring for her. Weighed him (9 lbs) and I petted him while we waited for the vet. He was flat on his back for a belly rub when she came him shocked at how mellow he was about all this. We discussed my options. she didn't want him outside and he needed two doses of antibiotics a day. Well, he's a total mess, dribbling pus everywhere. Even if I had a bed and litter for him I wouldn't want that in my house so I said test him for HIV and Leukemia and if he's clean you can keep him here.
He was and she did...to the tune of 400$! I guess he's my cat now for sure. She's keeping him a full week, doing surgery to his face to clean those wounds, neutering him and giving him every shot known to man along with some worm medicine. Damn, I had forgotten how expensive pets were. Mom's like you paid 400$ for a stray....well, I guess you HAVE been feeding him for 3 years (yeah I've invested that much in food alone).
As I was sitting there waiting on the blood tests, Roy was back in his new cage holding forth to anyone who would listen to him. Not upset yowling mind you. He was just chatting away to the dogs, to the techs, to the rest of the patrons. People were laughing at him. It's like oh god. It's my cat Iktomi reborn. We figure Roy's 4 (well I've had him three so that's a good bet)
Keep your fingers crossed for me that he won't spray up my house when I get him back (and tips to keep that from happening welcome. I've only ever had one boy before and I had him neutered as soon as possible)
There is no such thing as an emergency vet here. I finally made an appt for today because he was too weak to leave the porch so I was relatively sure I could find him come appt time. Thank god I asked for directions or I would NEVER have found this place. Head Left on Mt Zion Rd, we're the 4th drive on the left (they were, as it turned out the 6th drive on the right). The vet's place was a clapboard cabin that I thought was a feedshack for the farm...up a washed out dirt road. So here I come, cat in a cardboard file box with a bungee cord around it (because nothing says hillbilly like bungee) the little monster had enough strength that in route he reached out and clawed the crap out of my car doing real damage but otherwise he rode quietly.
The vet tech asked, think he'll let me take his temp? I said he's usually pretty friendly but as far as I knew he'd never been to a vet so we take him out of the box and he just lay there like she wasn't sticking something up his butt, purring for her. Weighed him (9 lbs) and I petted him while we waited for the vet. He was flat on his back for a belly rub when she came him shocked at how mellow he was about all this. We discussed my options. she didn't want him outside and he needed two doses of antibiotics a day. Well, he's a total mess, dribbling pus everywhere. Even if I had a bed and litter for him I wouldn't want that in my house so I said test him for HIV and Leukemia and if he's clean you can keep him here.
He was and she did...to the tune of 400$! I guess he's my cat now for sure. She's keeping him a full week, doing surgery to his face to clean those wounds, neutering him and giving him every shot known to man along with some worm medicine. Damn, I had forgotten how expensive pets were. Mom's like you paid 400$ for a stray....well, I guess you HAVE been feeding him for 3 years (yeah I've invested that much in food alone).
As I was sitting there waiting on the blood tests, Roy was back in his new cage holding forth to anyone who would listen to him. Not upset yowling mind you. He was just chatting away to the dogs, to the techs, to the rest of the patrons. People were laughing at him. It's like oh god. It's my cat Iktomi reborn. We figure Roy's 4 (well I've had him three so that's a good bet)
Keep your fingers crossed for me that he won't spray up my house when I get him back (and tips to keep that from happening welcome. I've only ever had one boy before and I had him neutered as soon as possible)
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-31 11:34 pm (UTC)It was a good thing you did there.
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Date: 2008-02-01 02:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 12:28 am (UTC); D
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Date: 2008-02-01 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 01:49 am (UTC)I'm sure Roy will appreciate it.
Her Royal Majesty The Queen Cockleburr screams all the way to the vet... then she calms down and tries to hide in the box during the visit - occasionally molesting the vet techs - and then screams all the way home. Once, she was ill and the vet had to keep her over night. When I went the next day to pick her up from the office, it was all nice and quiet. Then I said, "Hi. I'm here for Cockleburr". MEOW MEOW MEOW! She began to scream like a banshee. Everyone in the office thought it was cute and funny. I said, No, it isn't! She does that in the car!!!
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Date: 2008-02-01 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-02-01 02:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:16 am (UTC)You know, I think he's owned your ass for quite some time now. You post about him a lot.
Oh and if he's neutered, I don't think you need to worry about him spraying.
What are your plans for dealing with the landlord issue?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:21 am (UTC)Well he's older so he might still spray (they warned me about that but I already knew it could be a problem)
dragging out that flyer about how we all love our pets and we can have them so long as we keep our DOGS chained up. He has a security deposit. IF Roy screws up, use it
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:25 am (UTC)And I had to keep him in a carrier for 6 weeks to let his leg heal. Yeah, that was a barrel of laughs, let me tell you. Leg healed great though, and now he's purring and watching me type.
I'd look online for that special stuff that's supposed to get rid of the smell of cat urine. I think that's supposed to help.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:45 am (UTC)I'm crossing my fingers for you on the spraying thing, because that's the one thing I can't deal with in a cat.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 03:27 am (UTC)Oh, you also might want to look into getting this: http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/obedcat/l/blfeliwayspray.htm.
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Date: 2008-02-01 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:18 am (UTC)Yeowtch for vet bills, huh? Yeowtch.
But yay for Roy being your guy. *laugh*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 02:24 am (UTC)tell me about it. I about said forget it. Here's a 50, do what you will. I may still go get him on monday and shave SOME money off my bill but they said it wouldn't be much
just what I wanted. A cat.
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Date: 2008-02-01 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 04:53 am (UTC)As far as the spraying goes, I can only say what I've said to countless people at the adoption center: it depends on the personality of the individual (I've had mature males who didn't spray, and I've had spayed females who sprayed). I hope Roy is a confident male who doesn't feel the need to advertise.
Bless you for caring enough to take him in.
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Date: 2008-02-01 04:58 am (UTC)I'm sure hoping he won't. He's a very submissive cat so...
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Date: 2008-02-01 11:29 am (UTC)As for him not spraying... Being neutered should help with that. I don't know any tricks for discouraging it though (all my cats were neutered so young that they never developed the habit/urge).
no subject
Date: 2008-02-01 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-02 10:38 am (UTC)Oh sure he will. He'll just be sure to do it at 3am on a Saturday ;)
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Date: 2008-02-02 02:31 pm (UTC)