He's Headed Into Surgery Now

Either veterinarians live to scare people--which is entirely possible as I once took a cat in with a skin irritation & the vet called me with all these possibilities of diseases & did all sorts of expensive tests, then sent me home with a $500 bill, bottle of shampoo and instructions to give the cat weekly baths until the problem went away--or my little sidekick is much worse off than we first imagined. He's heading into surgery now to either repair ligaments or to fuse the bone. The vet also floated the idea of amputation, but neither of us could stand to do that to poor little Theo. We're not sure yet how much motion he'll get back, but we are supposed to be able to bring him home tomorrow. His days of being able to go outside without supervision are probably over, but we're probably quite lucky that we didn't lose him yesterday. I think I'll be able to take him out for walks on a leash because he generally trots along beside me wherever I go anyway, and at least I've already so thoroughly humiliated myself in front of the neighbors that this won't impair my reputation in any way.

I don't actually have the heart to sew today, but Calisto is hanging out with me today for moral support. She doesn't actually like Theo, but she does seem to be missing him--go figure. She's even doing her best Theo pose:
Sewing really is Theo's favorite thing after all, because cats will often try to hide from pain or injury, and Theo's first hiding place of choice was indeed the sewing room. Softy that I am, I'll probably spend the rest of the day fixing up his favorite sleeping places in here.

Comments

Qutecowgirl said…
I hear you, I would be doing the same thing. when our dog Snick was sick I was cooking her food and making sure her bed was all fluffy.

My thought are with you and Theo.
November 24, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Georgi said…
Poor Theo, I hope it works out for him. HOWEVER, let me know if you get him to walk on a leash. and most important, take a picture :-) All three of my cats refuse to move when they have a leash on, they lay down and roll on their backs.
November 24, 2008 at 1:59 PM
bittenbyknittin said…
Hope Theo recovers! And yes, must have photographic or YouTube evidence that your cat walks on a leash. The Leash Incident is one of many reasons my cat does not trust me.
November 24, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Kathleen C. said…
Oh no! Poor, poor Theo! It didn't sound so bad in your last post... what happened, do you know? Sounds like a car incident maybe?
I'm sending thoughts of healing and good health his (and your) way.
That was awful nice of Calisto to fill in for him though...
November 24, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Beverly said…
I know how you feel - our Duke had surgery a few weeks ago (it was to repair an acl - so he's on the disabled list and done for the season) He's recovering but he's missing a square of fur from the rear.

I hope your theo recovers nicely and continues to be a torment for Calisto.
November 24, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Janet said…
Thoughts and prayers your way for Theo and yourself. Remember, animals, cats and dogs, generally do very well with amputation. Also, get him a harness for use with the leash, rather than just his regular collar. The harness works much better. The regular collars generally will either choke him, or he will pull on it hard enough to have it slip over his head, lol. It really is quite funny watching a cat learn to walk on a leash. Good for Callisto to keep you company. I know all about the aloof attitude and contention between 2 cats, but when one is missing from the scene, the other generally looks for him/her. Take care and hugs.
November 24, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Jillsknit said…
Poor Theo! Chief & Bert send their best wishes for a very speedy recovery and hope he does not have to suffer through too much embarassment like kitty swim therapy!
November 24, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Bianca said…
Aww... poor Theo. Best wishes though for him
November 25, 2008 at 2:47 AM
Donna said…
{{{Hugs}}} for you and Theo. May his mommy not worry too much (yeah, right) and may he have a speedy recovery. I have 4 babies but they all stay in the house. I would worry myself sick if one of them got outside. They now have a screen porch for "outside" visitations. I tried to leash walk one of me first cats. She too just laid down on the sidewalk. It didn't look right to just drag her along. LOL
November 25, 2008 at 5:31 AM
RobinH said…
Poor Theo- and poor Toni- I'm sure you're worried.

Many years ago, we had a cat who tangled with a racoon- they had to pin a badly broken leg but she recovered fine (the hardest part was keeping her from jumping and running around before it healed). And we didn't let her out after that, but she still had a long and happy life (the other cat would bring live chipmunks onto the screened porch for her to play with- to our considerable dismay).

The current cat will meander around on a lead with a harness, but only if she gets to pick the route - she walks us, not the other way around.
November 25, 2008 at 7:01 AM
Mandy said…
I do wish Theo well. Poor cat. I do hope that all goes well with the surgery and he is better soon.
November 25, 2008 at 9:56 AM
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