Poor kitty

When I got home from work Thursday night, there was something missing. My cat ALWAYS runs to the front door to greet me, just like a dog. But this time it was only the dog at the door...

At first I figured that maybe the cat had once again escaped out the dog door, and hoped that she would make it back soon. After being home for about half an hour, I went upstairs, and there was my little Irie, sitting on the top landing. Still not making any move to come to me.

When I actually looked at her, I noticed that the hair on her side was all matted...and there looked to be some blood around the area. I started to panic a little bit. When I picked her up, she protested...an open mouth silent meow. My little girl was obviously in a lot of pain. I checked her over, couldn't visibly see anything wrong. Moved her legs, felt them for damage...she seemed OK.

I left her alone, thinking that maybe she had just gotten in a cat fight and wasn't used to it. She hid under the bed for the remainder of the night...which for my cat is very odd. She is the most sociable cat I've ever seen.

I decided to give her a bath to get rid of the muck on her fur...didn't want her in bed with me like that. She was pretty feisty in the kitchen sink....and then, once her hair was all wet and slicked down, I saw it. My cat had a hole in her!! Holy shit! A hole, about the size of my pinkie nail, in my little kitty. K, NOW I'm freaking out a bit. At this point I feel totally bad that I've manhandled her into the sink, which for her is traumatic enough. Now I've done it after she's obviously been attacked my some toothy canine and is hurting big time. Fantastic.

First thing in the morning I called the vet...they couldn't fit me in til 3:40. She slept most of the day in the same spot. When I picked her up to bring her into the laundry room where her food is, she protested a lot more. She was one hurting little unit.

At the vet's office, our friendly neighbourhood vet confirms that she's been attacked my either a dog or a coyote, and he's actually surprised that she got away and made her way home, as whatever jerk that had her in his mouth chomped down on her hard. She's got 2 puncture wounds...one on her shoulder, one on her lower belly, as well as a slice and a few deep scratches. He calls a tech in to hold her while he attempts to take her temperature...anally...and she's having none of it. Even in her injured state she still knows that nothing's supposed to go in there. Good girl!

He gives me the option to either have her x-rayed to see if there is muscle separation, etc. My other choice is to just leave her for a few days and see if she improves with drugs. I choose that. She's pretty resilient, and she's even better than she was the night before. If her condition worsens in the meantime, I'm given the emergency number to get her in for surgery.

$150 later, pain medication to be given daily for 5 days, and antibiotics for 14 days, we're on our way back home, where I intelligently drug my crazy cat before cleaning her wounds with a warm cloth. I'm no dummy.

Anyways, she's doing better now. She managed to keep me up most of the night getting into everything in my room...garbage cans, makeup bag, magazine rack. She's a bit more mobile, and she's even back to biting my feet under the covers.

And as much as I say I hate her when she drives me nuts, I would have been heartbroken had anything happened to her. She's my ba-ba....even if she does still have 2 big holes in her.