Cat in a Cast

2/20/01
This isn't so very cute, but it is true.

See, I have a large and overly-effusive dog named Tess. I also have 5 cats, ranging from small to large. They are in a few stories on the site. Now, the cats all LOVE catnip. Unfortunately, so does the dog. So the catnip is kept hidden and each animal gets a wee pile in its own area - thedog in the living room, the cats in a bedroom. Keeps the peace.

Somehow the kitties found and violated the catnip jug. There wasn't much left, but an impressive trail was left on the floor of the laundry room. I noted this as I brought Tess in from an extended bark at the world and washed the mud of her feet. She seemed to not notice. Wrong. She was waiting for the all clear, the final wiping of the wet goo from her feet. Then she sprung into the laundry room, intent on huffing up all the catnip she could before the kitties' knives came out and chased her away.

Swee Pea, the largest, made a stand. He is a serious addict of green leafy things, catnip being the most addictive one of all. He bopped the dog on the head. No reaction, just frenzied whuffing and huffing sounds. He boxed her ears. No notice. He sunk all claws into her skull between the ears. This got her attention. She backed up, flung back her head, Swee Pea attached. He did a flip-thing, still attached, then as Tess slid on the linoleum he flipped back and disengaged. Cat came down, dog fell. Dog got up, got grabbed and hauled out of the room (about 45 seconds have gone by, v e r y s l o w l y). I knocked a small step ladder over. Dog took off into entry way, cats scattered, I screamed.

Once all was calmer, I checked to see what got broke. A small dish, a plastic cat toy. OK, check the kitties. 1, 2, 3 ok. 4 ok. 5, not ok. Swee Pea had a horrid list to his left arm, a bend where he ought not have one. AND he was jammed behind the hot water tank - a place where the littlest cat has a hard time getting, and he is twice her size. Rearrange the room, move the dryer, paint cans, kitty condos. Encourage poor Swee Pea to come out. Remove the ladder. Swee Pea comes out, hobbles at 60 mph into the bedroom and under the bed. Many minutes (hours) later, he is at the emergency vet, indignant and bloody nosed (the cat carrier fought back on the ride there, apparently). Xrays confirm my worst fears - the paw is broke. Whether stepped upon or other-how, my big fat sweetie has a very broke leg. He gets wrapped and sent home to find a vet who can do surgery, if needed.

No surgery needed, but a kitty cast is. 1st cast is wrapped with a bright yellow wrapping. Not cool. Other kitties are disgusted and snort and hiss. Miggins, youngest one, finds cast fascinating after shock of vet smell and color wear off and stalks Swee Pea - hissing when caught, of course, but if not caught, swatting cast and running like hell.

Check up produces a trimmed cast for ease in litter box entry/exit and comfort and a beautiful deep azure wrap. Other kitties like the new color better. Now they hiss only when Swee Pea touches them with cast. Swee Pea has learned that cast is an effective weapon, great for thumping kitties when he needs access to food and water bowls, thumping dog when she tries to sniff his butt, even better for scaring kitties and dog with evil THUMP thump THUMP thump THUMP noises in the night. Scares the humans, too.

Swee Pea has learned to manipulate humans too. When extra goodies, cuddles or attention is wanted, a crippled hunching and dragging of paw under belly technique is used. When quick action is needed (caught robbing kibbles from dog's bowl, touching the sacred pig ear jar) he can run like there is no cast. Cat nip ?? No problem, he can climb onto the counter and wrench open the cupboard (guess that solves who got the catnip out the 1st time) and tumble the fresh jar to the kitchen floor. (the catnip is now in the fridge. Swee Pea is not big enough to get that door open). Time to leave the living room for the night, no knocked over knick-knacks needed, he can't even slide off the couch to the floor, he must be carried to the bedroom and deposited in his 'special' bed, the 3 pillows and soft cotten spread in the center of the closet, placed there so he could sleep/hide/rest without interference from other critters.

Only 4 more weeks of 'crippled' kitty. I wonder if he will adjust to life without a cast now that he has adjusted so well to life with a cast ??

4/4/01 - Soon the cast will be off!
update - April 16 is the day the cast should come off. Swee Pea has learned to move more like a rabbit than a cat - a very odd sight. He has also learned that digging his claws into the couch doesn't work too well with the cast on - one arm catches, the other slides off and he hangs there all lopsided. If I laugh at this point, he gives me a rotten look and hops back to his 'room'. If I don't, I get a pitiful 'Please help' meow. Poor guy. Only 2 more weeks of sympathy. I wonder if he is going to use the 'crippled kitty' defense in the future when he is caught doing something he shouldn't. Like my mom's cat, CC, who holds her paw up in a wounded fashion if found in the middle of mom's bed. (she had a bee sting 8 years ago. Still milks that paw for all it is worth).

3/8/01Update on Cat in cast
Update on Swee Pea - he got a red wrap at the last vet check, decided it was not his color, and removed the entire cast ! Needless to say, we made another trip to the vet, and he now has a triple-secured cast with a blue wrap (vet doubts Swee Pea can tell the colors apart, but just in case.....) He didn't talk to me for 2 days,wouldn't even look at me, but now is all cuddly 'cause he can't scratch that side of his body - he falls over when he tries - and I can, so he has decided to 'speak' to me again in order to get his itchies scratched (it is shedding season here - vet said that is partly to blame for the removal of the red cast).

4/16/01 - The cast came off!
well, the cast came off, but he had a wrap for 2 more weeks after the 16th. He had pretty much destroyed it before it was to come off, but it did its job, kept the weight distributed and supported well enough.

SweePea is now cast and wrap free, he still holds the wounded paw up when he is looking for cuddles, but he runs with it when he is in a hurry (can opener ?? can opener opening cat food ?)

The lower leg is a little crooked looking, but the vet said that it will straighten out some over time. SweePea had his nails trimmed last visit to the vet, and he can't dig in and pull up the rug like he wants to, but he tries, so I suppose he is healed pretty well now.

The pitiful I am helpless and hungry thing is still happening. So is the I need cuddles right now or I will die of pain and boredom, I can't play ! thing. He beat the dog up pretty good the other night, she stuck her head in the closet (his new den) and he took offense. He wasn't in the closet, but he caught her in there and left a bare spot on her butt when he was done. I think he has the piece of fur he whacked out hidden in his nest somewhere.

The other 4 monsters are finally getting used to SweePea being able to run and play, and have included him in the nightly romps. They have knocked over the new and expensive speakers, pulled books down from the book shelves, re-arranged the couch cushions and left kitty paws in the dust on their 'daddie's' new tv screen (not to be touched by any one, and he is a dolt about cleaning).

And the mystery butter thief is back. Due to the coincidence of injury - no butter molestations - healed - butter molested and stolen - I believe that the butter thief has been exposed. And he is the only one I never caught on the counters, or any higher than a couch cushion !