Feral Fables

Tonight I found a small crusty "thing" on the tip of "Braveheart's" ear.

It is no surprise that I have not been able to keep up with blogging with all that has happened around here in the last month. In early November "Hunter" came home with an injury to his front right paw. I wasn't sure what it was as I saw no bleeding or scratches, but upon examination at the emergency vet service (the receptionist knows me by name now when I come in the door) it was found that he had a bite wound. As always with bite wounds, there is a very high risk of abscess with any bite. His was infected and required a cleaning and the placement of a drain for three days. He had to be crated during this time, but took it in stride pretty much. He was allowed out in the house when supervised, but not outside until fully healed.

On the day he was being taken in for stitches to be removed, I decided to remove his "e-collar" so it would be easier to get him in the carrier. Unfortunately the collar was not easy to un-hook and Hunter got freaked out by all the movement around his face. When I finally removed the collar and went to pet him, he reacted with a bite to my hand. OK....... I probably deserved that (from his standpoint) but it made me feel dejected for a while.

I have been bitten before........it is part of dealing with animals in the wild....... so I knew to wash it right away and apply antibiotic salve. Unfortunately, I could tell within minutes that I needed to go to the doctor for antibiotic medication. The clinic got me in right away because they know cat bites can get nasty fast. So the doctor prescribed the pills and I  was on my way to the drug store. Then I took Hunter to the vet to have the stitches removed. Driving home with him, I noticed that my hand was hurting more and more and was getting redder and more swollen by the minute. I marked my hand with a marker so I could see how fast the red area was spreading. To make an already long story short, after three calls to the Doctor and a visit to an Urgent Care, I was driven (quite madly) by my friend Heidi to St. Mary's ER where I was admitted and remained for 4 days on IV antibiotics.

What basically happened was I developed cellulitis from the bite which spread across my hand and halfway up my forearm before receding completely. It was a little un-nerving to say the least, but it kind of goes with the territory. Since I was bitten before I already have had the rabies series and tents shots. (Rabies shots are not all that bad any longer.) I should have used more caution. Cats that have come from off the street have an unknown history. We do not know what may have happened to them and so they can sometimes behave unpredictably. I had previously noticed that Hunter is uncomfortable with motion around his head or body. If I walk past him, he may perceive that as threatening. So it is no surprise really to me in hind site that he bit me. What I learned----------never remove an e-collar again-------use sturdy gloves when interacting with cats who are injured and hurting.

Now if this was not enough, two days after I got home poor "Jingle" was bit AGAIN in his neck and shoulder. Worse bit than Hunter-------there was already a small abscess that had formed.

He required surgery also and is now recovering. It has been very difficult because he is so vocal. I can not walk away from him or he just howls and howls! I am at my wits end! Thank God I have a great vet who understands this predicament and will prescribe something to settle him down, especially at night just for the next few days when the stitches come out. Wonder if she can prescribe something for ME??? I need it too!   :-)

Things have been quiet around here for the most part. No ER trips recently------We have been having very mild, dry weather for this time of year and I think all of us Wisconsinites have been enjoying it as much as possible as we know what winter tends to have in store for us. Today there is very high wind so all the leaves and garden debris is being whipped around all over the neighborhood.

The other evening I had a moment or two of worry, looking for Kibble. Kibble is always around.......she stays either in the house or very near by so that when I call she comes running. Well after returning home from a small shopping trip, I left both of the garage doors open as I brought in a couple of light bags of groceries. Usually we try to keep the cats out of the garage for various reasons, but that night I didn't bother. Awhile later, I found myself noticing that I hadn't seen Kibble in over an hour. I hunted around the house, hitting all of her sleeping spots, but she was not in any of them. Then I called for her repeatedly outside, but she did not come running. I had a sick moment of panic---------I looked out to the street-----thank God, there was nothing there. I was worried because about this time last year she was actually trapped by a neighbor down the block and I found her at Animal Control, quite by luck.

About the time I was really beginning to panic, I looked out to the yard again and happened to glance at the  small door of the garage. It has a window about 4 feet off the ground. Well-----there, in the window, I saw a little head peeking out! Kibble had been closed in the garage and now she was literally hanging on the trim around the window so I would see her face in the window! It was the funniest sight (not to her I'm sure.....). She has been locked in the garage before, so you'd think she'd learn. Ha!! You'd think I'd learn!

That's all for today!

When Blossom passed away the potential owner who had been waiting all this time for her cat, was still interested in having a cat. Well, it just so happens that I came across another potential cat. My neighbor down the block has a new cat that has come around. He was named "Baby"by the family. Actually we did not know if he was a male or female until we took him to the vet. He is so beautiful and FRIENDLY that I couldn't believe he did not have an owner. We took him Baby since he is so friendly and really should not be outside because of that. We took him to her house over the weekend and so far, all is well. Seems it is a good match. If not though, Baby will come right back to my neighbors who will continue to watch over him.

We have spent time winterizing the porch for the cats. All is ready for the colder weather and even though the weather is still pleasant some nights, some of them do choose to sleep on the porch in a heated bed. The cats are really enjoying the daytime weather in the 50's and 60's with sun. They have been lying about the yard and keeping me company as I cut back some of the garden and take the last of the flowers before our first frost which should be any day now.

This week I helped a friend with a kitten who needed to be trapped and neutered. Her work schedule doesn't allow her to get the cat to the Humane Society for the surgery in the morning so we have worked out a plan. We keep the cat overnight at our house. Then in the morning, Marty loaded up the kitten and I drove it over. The kitten is a female and so tiny------her name is "Itty-Bitty." Now my friend has just two more cats to get, so that is the goal for the next couple of weeks.

This week that same friend also lost a cat she was trying to place in a home. This cat just showed up one day in her yard, but was clearly not a feral--------she was just way too friendly. She was all white with a long coat, but she had not been cared for in awhile. We named her "Blossom" for a lotus blossom which is pure white. We took her to the vet as we thought she may be pregnant. It was not possible to tell yet about a pregnancy, but we did find that she had a mammary tumor. These can form in female cats when they have not been spayed and in fact is one good reason why you should spay your female cats. Anyway, we found a foster for her to have her kittens if she was indeed pregnant. Well the time passed and there were no kittens so we made the spay appointment with the vet who was to remove the tumor at the same time. She came to our house on Wednesday night. She looked so beautiful------her fur had filled in so nicely and was soft, pure white. My friend came to see her and we were so happy she was to go to her new home soon.

The next day I drove her for the surgery and acted as a contact for my friend who's job kept her from being available for this. About 10 a.m. I received a call to tell me that Blossom was not doing well with the anesthesia...... a minute later we lost her. Blossom was not pregnant, but her cancer had spread to 7 or 8 mammary glands, and her respiratory system-------her heart could not tolerate the anesthesia. The vet said even if we had not brought her in for the procedure, she only had 7-10 days to live. The saddest part of all was the vet said one of her mammary glands had already been surgically removed in the past. This means that she belonged to someone at one point (which we already knew) and that owner basically turned her out when she became sick and the costs were probably too much. How sad....... I have a very difficult time understanding why someone would do this. It seems so intentionally cruel. Poor Blossom------all she wanted was to be loved.......

I apologize profusely for all 5 of my dedicated followers that I have been off line for so long. It has been a hectic 10 days! Before everything with Jingle settled, I had to rush him to the vet once again. Tuesday morning after Labor Day, the slight scab that had formed on his forehead had been most likely scratched off, and now it was open and oozing again.So back to the vet he went for clean-up, re-check and new recommendations. He again had to be crated for the evening which of course provoked another night of vocalizing every time he heard me or Marty. I finally gave-up what I was working on that evening and joined him in the family room so I could keep him company until bedtime. The wound was closed the following morning and even slightly smaller in size so I released him back into the yard. He was and is so happy! Jingle is just not an indoor cat. Even in the cold of winter, when he is given the option of coming into the house for periods of time, he chooses not to. I am happy to say that the wound is now only a small dried scab that will fall off naturally any day now. Even the hair that was shaved is growing in and he is looking like his old self. There have been no fights to my knowledge since that night.

About 9:00 on Saturday night I noticed Jingle did not seem to be himself. He appeared lethargic and disinterested in playing. That is not usual for him, especially at that hour of night. I quickly went online to look for information on "bite wounds" and found a site with such info that scared me to death. cat bite wounds) What I was seeing in Jingle was exactly what was described in the article. For a couple of days the cat feels and acts normal. Then a fever begins to develop as the bacteria moves in and begins forming an abscess, an accumulation of pus under the skin. If not caught and treated it can lead to a very serious situation requiring surgery and or death. I have had experience with an abscess in a cat before when drainage tubes have to be inserted at the wound site. Believe me--------it is not pretty. And, it is very difficult for the cat who has to wear a collar until healed.
(This is "Hope" a cat we rescued off the street from a neighbor's yard. He required three drainage tubes in his hind quarters for several days from a bite wound abscess. I am Happy to say he recovered completely and awaits adoption at "The Cat Network" rescue. ("The Cat Network")

Anyway-----I rushed Jingle to the Emergency Room (The Animal Emergency Center). He does not like riding in a car and is very vocal about it, however on Saturday night his protestations did not have usual vigor. When we arrived, the clerk behind the counter looked at me and heard the meows and said, "Your Debra, right? With Jingle?" That shows you how many times I have been there before with my daring little boy. They are great at this Center. Very friendly, thorough, understanding......three of my cats have been treated there over the years. Jingle had a slight fever and what we originally thought (and prayed) were scratches, did turn out to be a bite. An abscess was starting to form over his left eye, as I suspected when I saw him at 9 pm. The Vets sedated him slightly and drained the abscess, gave him an anti-biotic and some pain medication and released him home with me. We had to set-up the crates at home as he had to stay confined until I could get him to another vet for an injection of "Convenia", a long-acting antibiotic that some centers and vets don't carry due to the cost. Of course this meant a night of howling, crying, and trying to get out of the crate before settling in to sleep. I went to bed about 1:45 a.m., definitely not typical for me.

Yesterday (Sunday before a holiday)-------I had to find a vet who carried the medication. Luckily I found an ER in Waukesha (a good 45 minute drive from my house) who had it. We loaded up Jingle and got going. Now Waukesha is the kind of place no one wants to drive in-------one way streets that are twisty-whindy, streets that have multiple names....... once you get into Waukesha, it is kind of like the twilight zone------you don't know how to get out. So of course, we get lost on the way, called the center numerous times for more directions, back-tracked and started again, got stopped by a train------------all the while Jingle is crying and crying in his carrier like he was being tortured! Finally-------we got there, they took Jingle, did a quick exam, gave him the injection and sent him home. The vets said the wounds looked good and he should be able to got out when we got home. Jingle was delighted of course, but he still had to cry and howl all the way home!

When we got home and I released him from the carrier on the deck, you'd think he would run as far from me as he could, but he didn't. He just wanted to swish against me and rub his cheek on me for reassurance. Then he walked around the yard, doing the same thing on his favorite plants and bushes. Then he settled in to rest.......finally! And me.......???? First I went to get an ice cream sundae, which I totally deserved and then------I did the same thing (the resting, that is)       :-)

That's life with my feral colony!