On the mend.

I haven't posted for a little while, it's been pretty chaotic at number 5 lately. I had two or three posts in mind with supporting photos taken of each adventure and then when I was just about ready to sit down and blog them disaster struck.
Joey our beloved cat got run over! Presumably on the lane outside our house as we were out when it happened. He wasn't there to greet us on the wall outside or the stairs when we got in (usually looking groggy on the top step with 'bed head' after a deep snooze) so I sensed something was wrong. When I called him he cried from one of the bedrooms, he was curled up on a blanket looking all weird and scared. I checked his claws and sure enough they were all bust up and bleeding (the sign that he'd been in a road accident) We whizzed him straight down to the vets, who assessed him and put him on a drip to avoid shock. He was kept in for three nights so as to be observed and have some xrays done under sedation. The verdict- severe pelvic bruising, seperated tail (to be removed at a later date) and loss of bladder/bowel muscle control.

It was really hard not having him here but thankfully on the third day we were allowed to visit him twice so we took him his favourite biscuits, the flowery bed I made and some of his play things. Here he is in cat hospital last Wednesday, you can just see his drip tube at the front. He had to have a nasty tasting bandage over it to keep him from pulling it out, it made him walk about with a wooden leg. The visits made us happy but we were all sad when it was time to go.

So Joey has been home since last Thursday, recuperating and having lots of attention and care. We were all happy to be reunited, Myrtle was upset by his absence and gave him a thorough ear washing when he got home, he must have forgotten to do them himself. He was really just being a bit inactive, staying mainly in his basket or on the bed, aside from that he was his usual purry self. Here he is on our bed watching re runs of As Time Goes By starring Dame Judy Dench.

The vet then recommended confinement so as to help his pelvis heal so he's been in Myrtles big crate with his tray and food bowls most of the time with the occasional windowsill outing in his basket (carried there and back). He's enjoyed those on these hot days, listening to the birds, noseying at the neighbours and taking swipes at passing flys, just to show he's still got it.

However the basket had to go as yesterday he woke up unable to bear weight on his back legs so needs to be able to stretch out flat, a bit like when humans have back problems. The new sleeping arrangement seems to have done the trick as he is more mobile today and not growling when I stroke him. Sorry Joey no more window sill trips, just crate rest from now on.

So now it's just a waiting game, to see if he gets his muscle control back. He is making good progress, small steps but all positive ones. Fingers, and everything else, crossed he'll pull through like the strong little wonder cat he is.