Cat Update - Good News and Bad News

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Originally uploaded by Taking5

It has been a while since I posted an update on the cats. That's not because it has been uneventful; on the contrary there have been many events, most of them sad.

First, Brucie. Brucie was this beautiful brown Siamese-Birman type cat who used to live in the road next to us but moved down a road or two some time back. He used to be a fierce, aggressive cat who actually attacked cats he felt were invading his territory. He was sterilised after injuring a cat belonging to someone living nearby; the owner of the injured animal took him for sterilisation thereafter. But over time, he was relatively friendly and came by for feeding regularly. Over time, however, his condition deteriorated somewhat. Then came the ear injury, which he recovered from. But thereafter he had another jaw injury and couldn't eat. He disappeared for a day or two, by the time we got to him and took him to a vet the prognosis was poor. So we put him down.

Then our dear Casey cat felll ill. She was not eating and was a little feverish. She was taken to the vet but there her true nature emerged as she gave the vet and assistants a hell of a time. She resented the subcutaneous drip, and the antibiotic jab. She ran around the vet's clinic and hid behind his computer. We brought her home after that but she still wasn't eating or drinking so back to the vet she went. This time she stayed for two nights. She came home with a collar around her neck, her long sharp claws clipped and a bandage over her paw when the intravenous saline drip had been inserted. The vet was labelling her a "psychotic, semi-feral cat". That's our Casey for you. Oh, and apparently she jumped and hissed everytime any one passed her cage. What to do? Our sweetie is used to a peaceful, quiet environment where she is an absolute Princess. Not a place where people grab her and poke sharp needles into her, full of antiseptic smells and worst of all, Other Animals. Anyway, she recovered and is fine now but those were a stressful few days (especially for the vet).

The next incident (and this is the good news, the only good news) was the advent of Smudge. Smudge was found on the roadside, by my father. We brought him home and cleaned him up. It is such a pleasure having a kitten around - playful, mischievous little things that they are! Smudge got on well with his big "uncles". They loved playing with him, and he for his part loved wrestling with them, a small little David to these surprisingly gentle Goliaths. I put him up for adoption (via facebook) and was so fortunate that a nice lady fell in love with his adorable little photo. She came by and within the hour had made her decision. She brought Smudge home, took him to the vet and made a monumentous discovery - Smudge was a she! Well, well, well. But Smudge has made a happy home with her.


Finally, Sootie. This is indeed the saddest story of all. We had been looking after Sootie for some time now, probably for slightly more than 3 years. The neighbours a few doors down also loved him, especially the two daughters of the house. Friendly and affectionate, Sootie loved showing us the white flash on his belly. Then one morning, I opened the gate to drive out. As is my normal practice, I did a cat scan (a scan for cats) to ensure that I didn't reverse over an unwitting animal. I saw Sootie lying against the gate. I went to check what he was doing and realised that he was unnaturally still. We picked him up a little and realised that blood was flowing from his mouth. He must have been hit by a car, or run over, but there were no visible wounds. His fur was still beautifully soft and lustrous, his body still a little warm. But that was the end for him. It's been about 6 weeks, but we still miss him very much. That's why his is the first photo at the top of this post.