Monday 13 July 2009

Our pets are our family too

We got home from a birthday party last night to be informed by a neighbour that one of our cats was on his garage roof and apparently injured.

I got the stepladder out and climbed up to retrieve Saysha, our silver grey tabby, who was lying on the roof in distress.

When I was able to look at her closely and report to my daughter (she's a head vet nurse) on the phone I was able to see that her right hind leg was injured and she was unable to put any weight on it. Her breathing was a bit on the fast side and her left paw was missing a claw and scuffed. It seemed to indicate that she may well have been hit by a car.

Now if it had been our other cat, Garfie, then it would have been more expected as he is an outdoor cat and being an ex-stray he is used to roaming the streets and inspecting his patch.

Saysha, however, is a shy, timid, cat who likes to stay very close to home. Although not an indoor cat she rarely goes further than our neighbours garden. I always joke that she is more like a dog than a cat as she follows me around all the time and is very dependent rather than independent like most cats.

Now, after a visit to the vets, I am sitting waiting to hear the outcome. The initial observation by the vet is that she may well have a fractured leg or pelvis and she was taken away from me to undergo a spell in the vet's kennels where she will be given painkillers and await at least 2 x-rays. If there is a fracture then she will need an operation and a pin put into her small body.

The estimated cost so far is anything between £200 and £1,000 although this will all depend on the extent of the damage to her little body. The vet did say that if it was the leg and the cost was too high then a cheaper alternative would be amputation and that cats can manage quite happily on 3 legs! How could I even consider such a thing. When it comes down to it somehow we will manage. After all when you give birth to children you do not put a price on their health and nor can you on your pets for they are as much a part of your family, and life, as any human life form.

Lets hope she recovers fully.

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