Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Right, time for an update. Apart from a £300 car break-down (now paid for, but on the old credit card because I really had no choice - Mr Happy couldn't get to work without it) there have been two more disasters.

Firstly and most importantly, on Saturday afternoon I was reversing out of our yard and I hit our old cat with my car wheel :(:(. It was one of the worst moments of my life. He must have been walking behind the car just at exactly the wrong time. I didn't go over him thankfully, but I must have clipped his back end with my wheel. He made the most awful screeching, yowling noise which I heard above the car engine and I knew straight away what had happened. He couldn't walk and fell over when he tried. I took him straight to the emergency vet who gave him medication and pain-killers and said that there were no apparent bones broken or organ damage, but that he would need to see him again the next day (Sunday) when the shock had died down and the painkillers kicked in. He has now diagnosed bruising and possible nerve damage to the lower spine, meaning he can't feel where his back legs are, hence the wobbly walking. The prognosis would be good for a young cat, but he is 15 (equivalent to 90 in a human) so if he recovers at all it will be slow. He is on 'bed-rest' and goes back to the vet on Friday. I can't describe how awful I feel about it and I really hope he recovers. We have decided to give him as long as he needs to recover at home, provided he can be kept pain-free, but due to his age and hatred of vets (and also the cost if I'm brutally honest) we won't put him through an operation. Not that the vet has mentioned an operation, that's just my mind running ahead. The money really doesn't come into it, but at the back of my mind I am dreading the bill coming - a minimum of three trips, one of them on a Sunday! So, fingers crossed for him xxxx

The other disaster is that our tenants have reported the central heating boiler not working. We drove over to check and we can't make it work either so an engineer is calling today. It could be something minor, but the way my luck is running at the moment it won't be . Anyway, we should know by the end of the day. He will do the annual gas service while he's there so that means only one call-out fee.

Right, must go and attend to my cat's every whim! He's got me on a guilt-trip for the rest of his life now .

pennywisepoundstupid

I'm so sorry to hear about the cat, I can only imagine what your feeling right now, sending you and the cat lots of hugs.

Hopefully the boiler is something simple and can be fixed easily and cheaply.

grannyx2

Oh Mrs Happy, how awful for you and poor puss. Lots of very comforting Granny hugs sent your way and well wishes for poor cat.

Fingers crossed boiler will be sorted out with service and won't actually need anything major.

Granny x

Box_of_Fluffies

I'm sorry to hear about the cat. Hope he recovers quickly. We lost one of our fish today. He got his fin stuck in one of the ornaments and I think went to into shock. That was on Sunday. Yesterday he was very quiet but when we got up today he was dead. We'd have him for 3 1/2 years so for a fish, he had a long life. Mr F and DS1 (who fish it was) had a quick ceremony before sending him to the great fish graveyard in the ocean!

Honey_Bear

The boiler will either be fixable or replaceable, and I'm sorry about which ever it is, because it will cost money that you don't have easily to hand, I know.

The cat, oh the cat. Poor, poor you. Don't be too hard on yourself. The cat was having a senior moment, flinging himself under your tyre (which he's always been bright enough not to do until now), and I heard a few years ago that cats can and do go senile. (Fancy that.) In the meantime, at 15 years old, please don't let him have surgery, even if the vet tells you they can operate, regardless of whether they are willing to do it free. IMO general anaesthetics and old age are a very bad mix. I have let two animals so far die of a condition that could have been helped with surgery simply because they were so terrified of the vet that to leave them there prior to the general anaesthetic and then put them through the recovery when they don't understand why they feel so yick .... No. The kindest thing you can do is spend as much time as you can giving your much loved cat a fabulous life while it still wants it, and when it's ready (at whatever age) to let go, let it go as painlessly and quickly as you can. (Preferably in the comfort of your own arms, on it's favourite cushion at home if you have an accommodating vet and the money, but's in a perfect world and we don't all live in one.)

I'll be sending you and the cat the best wishes I can to get both of you through.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

I am so sorry to hear about the cat and I can't imagine how you feel. Honey Bear iis right, cats do go senile and strange things happen, and I can imagine you spoiling the cat with as many titbits as you can find.

Best wishes, Tilly x

lucielle

Hugs for you and the cat. Hope the boiler isn't too serious.
L

HappyNow

Thanks for all your positive cat vibes . I think between you, you have pulled off something rather magical because Ralph (he has decided not to bother with a pseudo-name!) is looking much, much better. He still has a wobbly, side-ways walk and his back legs are dragging a bit, but he is brighter, eating and drinking well and flatly refusing to use a litter tray, insisting that outside-is-best. He passed several hours laid outside in the sunshine yesterday, then spent a very comfortable night sharing Master Happy's bed (Ralph got the big half). I'm sure he's not out of the woods yet, but he seems content and pain-free. He has another appointment with the vet tomorrow morning so I should find out more then - I will also get the bill!

The boiler - not so good. A major part has failed and it is costing £400 to repair (which will also include a service and the annual landlord safety certificate). We've had to give the go-ahead as we really don't have a choice, so that's a bit more custom for MBNA! Hopefully it will now chug along for a few more years.

So, still a cr*p month financially, but my elation over Ralph's improvement is taking the sting out of it .

Fluffies - sorry to hear about your fish and hope DS1 isn't too upset x
Honey Bear - thanks for your thoughts and I agree with everything you have said. If he should relapse, he won't have an operation.

Aurora_

Hi Happy,

I'm a long time lurker but thought I had to post about Ralph (love the name btw!).

Our dog had a similar thing a few years ago when she ran out of the drive and straight into a white van man going 40mph down our road. She was completely paralysed on both back legs, but after a few weeks and some rest for the swelling to go down, she recovered almost completely. All she has now is a bit of a limp and she gets tired quicker if she has lots of walks. Very pleased because she's a big dog and if she hadn't have recovered she'd have had to be put down. So miracles can happen- animals are amazingly resilient things!

Anyway, good luck to Ralph and to you for your debt-busting- great work so far!

Ax

Honey_Bear

I'm so *pleased* about Ralph! Thank you for letting us know. (At least the boiler didn't need replacing!)