Some of you may have heard about our cat that was being chased by a car & got her butt whooped. We have no idea how it happened, but Kona was out all night a few weeks ago & we didn't see her until the next afternoon when our neighbor stopped by.
Two houses down, our neighbor found Kona in the middle of his driveway, unable to move out of the way. He knew Matt & I were the owners of two black cats so he came knocking on the door to let us know. When we saw her, she looked fine... but couldn't use her tail or back legs. There were no spots on her that looked "bad." She came home & drank a lot of water, but still didn't move. It was a Sunday afternoon-- the clinic down the road was closed. We figured the worst since she couldn't use her legs... but she was still herself. There was no weirdness or reclusive behavior, which is what dying animals usually exhibit. So we called Dennis, the family friend & veterinarian that I used to work for in NH. He agreed that if her back legs were unresponsive, her spine & legs were probably broken & her life would be sad, at best.
Let me say that I have great family affection for our pets, but draw a very firm line between what is normal & what is beyond realistic when it comes to health & well-being. While working for Dennis, I saw a lot of people who went to great lengths to keep their pets just as THEY wanted... without consideration of cost or natural limits of the animal. *
After a lot of discussion & pulling Kona's little legs (to see if she could pull them back), we were at the point of letting her go. Her collar was off & Matt was going to take her to a cousin's back field for a quick "fix." But then, in one final attempt to save her feline life, she pulled her legs from our grasp!!! I quickly called Dennis again, to hear his opinion. There we a lot of "ifs" but we believed that Kona might pull through without surgery or major medical costs.
After a trip to the animal clinic, we found that Kona had a fractured pelvis and moderate nerve damage, but she is walking around now and whining to go outside (yeah-right). She can go up & down the stairs and is almost able to jump onto the couch. Her pelvis is almost healed and she isn't limping at all. Though her tail remains "asleep," she will be able to return to normal outdoor play when the vet says so.
Two houses down, our neighbor found Kona in the middle of his driveway, unable to move out of the way. He knew Matt & I were the owners of two black cats so he came knocking on the door to let us know. When we saw her, she looked fine... but couldn't use her tail or back legs. There were no spots on her that looked "bad." She came home & drank a lot of water, but still didn't move. It was a Sunday afternoon-- the clinic down the road was closed. We figured the worst since she couldn't use her legs... but she was still herself. There was no weirdness or reclusive behavior, which is what dying animals usually exhibit. So we called Dennis, the family friend & veterinarian that I used to work for in NH. He agreed that if her back legs were unresponsive, her spine & legs were probably broken & her life would be sad, at best.
Let me say that I have great family affection for our pets, but draw a very firm line between what is normal & what is beyond realistic when it comes to health & well-being. While working for Dennis, I saw a lot of people who went to great lengths to keep their pets just as THEY wanted... without consideration of cost or natural limits of the animal. *
After a lot of discussion & pulling Kona's little legs (to see if she could pull them back), we were at the point of letting her go. Her collar was off & Matt was going to take her to a cousin's back field for a quick "fix." But then, in one final attempt to save her feline life, she pulled her legs from our grasp!!! I quickly called Dennis again, to hear his opinion. There we a lot of "ifs" but we believed that Kona might pull through without surgery or major medical costs.
After a trip to the animal clinic, we found that Kona had a fractured pelvis and moderate nerve damage, but she is walking around now and whining to go outside (yeah-right). She can go up & down the stairs and is almost able to jump onto the couch. Her pelvis is almost healed and she isn't limping at all. Though her tail remains "asleep," she will be able to return to normal outdoor play when the vet says so.
Why is this important...
* de-clawing your cat is a horrible way to keep your upholstery in good condition. It is major surgery & probably equivalent with having YOUR finger and toenails permanently removed from hands & feet so you won't pick your nose or experience ingrown toenails.
**gan·grene
(gāng'grēn', gāng-grēn')
n. Death and decay of body tissue, often occurring in a limb, caused by insufficient blood supply and usually following injury or disease.
When I was a child, about 8 yrs-old, my goat (go ahead & laugh) got gangrene** on one of her udders. The poor animal had a 50/50 chance & there was nothing else my parents could/would do for her. She was given appropriate treatment, but her fate was out of our hands. So I prayed. I really cried my eyes out before the Lord and asked him to heal my favorite pet. I knew He didn't have to, but believed that he could. If he knew about the sparrows, he certainly knew about my Saanen named Beatle.
Beatle lost one of her udders, but remained a faithful companion for all my fanciful playtime. She pulled wagons, wore ribbons, hats & dresses, and birthed new playmates for me time after time. Since 1988, the truth of God's love & fatherly care is poignantly remembered in this simple story. He made me realize the importance of "insignificant prayers."
So I prayed for Kona. I considered all the Calvinism theology that often deters certain supplications, and prayed nonetheless. Did He have to save my cat? No. But now I have a chance to blog and share this story again, 20 years after the goat.
Beatle lost one of her udders, but remained a faithful companion for all my fanciful playtime. She pulled wagons, wore ribbons, hats & dresses, and birthed new playmates for me time after time. Since 1988, the truth of God's love & fatherly care is poignantly remembered in this simple story. He made me realize the importance of "insignificant prayers."
So I prayed for Kona. I considered all the Calvinism theology that often deters certain supplications, and prayed nonetheless. Did He have to save my cat? No. But now I have a chance to blog and share this story again, 20 years after the goat.
Here is Kona during recovery,
chillin' in a contained space with her favorite toy, the Weenie Dog:
chillin' in a contained space with her favorite toy, the Weenie Dog:
* de-clawing your cat is a horrible way to keep your upholstery in good condition. It is major surgery & probably equivalent with having YOUR finger and toenails permanently removed from hands & feet so you won't pick your nose or experience ingrown toenails.
**gan·grene
(gāng'grēn', gāng-grēn')n. Death and decay of body tissue, often occurring in a limb, caused by insufficient blood supply and usually following injury or disease.
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