Just as a new life is such a joyous experience, the end of a life is so painful. Our 13 year old cat, Sam, started acting strangely this morning. He was absolutely fine one minute, but dragging his hind legs and yowling the next. I immediately called the vet (who has built a revolving door for me and my menagerie) and brought Sam in. The dr. quickly determined that Sam had a sizable blood clot and told me that the prognosis was very bad...even if we took extraordinary measures to treat him. After calling my ex-husband, we decided it best to have Sam put to sleep. I came home to tell the children and to give them the opportunity to go say goodbye to our Sam. Neither one of them wanted to remember him that way, so my ex-husband and I went back together. Our vet, who is the kindest, most gentle doctor I have ever known, was wonderful with Sam and so tender with us! Sam was a sweet, gentle cat...most definitely part of the family...and he will be missed by all of us.
The miracle of birth: our younger cat, Abigail (who was adopted a year ago by our DOG! Be careful who your puppy brings home when you let them out to go to the bathroom!) gave birth to 4 adorable kittens on Friday. It was definitely a "Good Friday"! I haven't posted about the kittens yet because many/ most people feel it is irresponsible to allow a cat to have kittens, with the overabundance of homeless cats. We didn't intend for her to get pregnant (okay, y'all can stop rolling your eyes), but I made sure I found potential homes for them as soon as I found out. In fact, we have more people who want the kittens than we have kittens :-) I believe strongly, that all children should experience the birth of a litter at least ONCE in their life. Abigail went into labor at 1:00 a.m., so my children did not witness the births, but it has been an amazing series of lessons about LIFE ever since. An animals maternal instincts are truly miraculous. One day you have a cat who is completely self-absorbed in meeting her own needs and the next she is 100% devoted to caring for her litter of babies. This is without the need for pain meds/ epidurals, a round-the-clock staff of nurses, a mother/ mother-in-law who comes to wait on the new Mommy hand & foot....there is none of that. It's been an extraordinary experience for all of us.
The timing is an absolute Godsend! When we weren't certain if Gretel would pull through, the impending birth of the kitties helped to ease our worried hearts. Today, with the death of our Sam, the children and I can focus on the new lives that are right in front of us. God certainly knew what He was doing when he orchestrated this chain of events!
I made an appointment today to have Abigail spayed, for anyone who feels compelled to suggest it :-)
I took my Gretel to get the staples taken out today (13 days after the surgery to repair her broken pelvis). She is such a little trooper: not a peep, out of her, as the vet removed the 27 staples. I, of course, couldn't wait to get her home and give her a bath. That will have to wait, a few days, per order of the doggie doc! She seems relieved to have those metal objects out of her skin. Perhaps it's just me projecting...okay, it's most likely me projecting! I hardly think she, who went head to head (or bumper to rump) with a mini-van, and emerged victoriously, gave a fig about a few staples. After I took a few pictures of her, I came into my room to find the cats snuggled, happily together on my bed. Animal photo ops abound!
I am, normally, so excited to cozy down in front of my computer when I am beginning a new post. Not so much this time! I'll try to make this as quick and painless, for myself, as possible. As I have mentioned, repeatedly, the vet bills to get Gretel fixed are through the roof. Obviously, I hadn't planned well for this kind of (near) catastrophe. Being unemployed is a mixed blessing right now: I'm able to be home with my pup while she heals, but that doesn't do much in the way of covering her medical costs. Like so many others who are in similar positions, I have been actively looking for employment and am hopeful that something will work out. In the meantime, I have realized just how much "stuff" I have that I neither use or need. If the vet accepted Prada shoes, as payment, I'd be all set :-) I spent quite a bit of time listing on ebay today and ask, humbly, that you take a moment to peruse my goodies. I know how tight budgets are right now, but I have some fabulous jewelry "up" right now. The watch, for example, was informally appraised, by my jeweler, for $2,500-$3,000. All of my listings are "Buy it Now" with a best offer option. I have been selling, on ebay, for years and have found that format works well for those buyers who are impatient (like me), but still enjoy the negotiating/ auction feel of a sale. I would be a lousy car salesman as I find this kind of self-promotion excruciation!
***I just realized that this is my 97th posting. Until I come up with a fabulous give-away for my 100th (I know I don't have to do a give-away, but it's such a great way to celebrate), I'll keep adding a "P.S." to various posts. Is that cheating? I also wonder if I'm breaking some sort of blog record, with close to 100 posts in...what has it been...3-4 months!?
I'll begin this posting by asking for a bit of patience and understanding if I appear to be a bit more scattered than usual...good luck, Gentle Readers :-)
The last 4 days have been the longest and most emotional I've faced in the last several years. First & foremost, my pup is turning out to be an absolute powerhouse in the recuperation department. While she still spends quite a bit of time resting her broken bones, she is able to bear weight on her legs and takes a few steps (with some support). The vet instructed me to "follow her lead" as far as her ability to increase mobility, but didn't expect her to be making this kind of improvement for a week or so. The sun was shining today and it was warm enough to spend some time outside, which both Gretel and I relished. She more than I, I'm certain, as she has been confined to a cage for the last 4 days.
My daughter has been with her dad this weekend, so she hasn't seen the puppy up and about. I'm sure she will be thrilled and, I pray, this will erase some of the nightmarish images she has embedded in her sweet little head!
The reality of the ordeal is slowly sinking in as I try to figure out how to pay Peter now that I've paid Paul. The vet bills, 80% of which needed to be paid upfront, were astronomical. I have not a single regret about doing whatever was necessary to get Gretel the medical care she required, but I was completely unprepared for the enormity of the bills that would ensue! One of the lessons here: pet insurance! A second lesson: it helps to maintain a friendly relationship with your ex-husband (my deepest gratitude, to my daughter's father, for his willingness to help cover the surgeon's bill)!
