Posted on 07/09/2012 2:12:10 PM PDT by NoGrayZone
Long story short. My cat Mimi (she is actually a he), thought he was a girl when they lived in my backyard for almost a year, is going in for major surgery tomorrow.
I was vetless at the time I decided to bring her in. I took her to an holistic vet, to be sure she was fixed and didn't have anything she could spread to my 2 other kitties (now down to 1) and an over all healthcare check up.
I told the vet about her consistent cough and he said "sometimes cats just cough". I believed it, due to her 40,00 layers of down onto of her 4000 layers of fur.
Anywho, he wanted to do about $3500 worth of "vitamin" testing. I of course balked and asked them to just do testing for anything she could give my other 2 and go a general health check.
She came back negative for anything that could be spread to my 2 others, and that was that.
Mimi continued to cough. I've had her for almost 3 years now and noticed her cough was getting worse. Still vetless, I didn't take her to a vet. Soon before I found my new wonderful vet, I noticed she started panting after one of her fits.
I decided to bring her to this recommended vet. He's about 1 1/2 hours away, on the North Fork, but SOOO worth it.
I told him about the cough and he immediately imitated her cough to a tee. She was diagnosed w/ chronic asthma. I felt so guilty, knowing I allowed her suffering for so long.
He said an x-ray had to be done to be sure her lungs were clear, no fluid build up.
Well, there was no fluid build up, and they also took blood. I/we knew nothing about Mimi, nor her past. The x-ray revealed a mass in her chest. Of course the 1st thing you think of is cancer.
I took her back for a biopsy. With the biopsy results and blood work, it revealed a very high level of liver enzymes. The highest it should be is 103. Hers was 216.
The biopsy revealed not a cancerous mass but a diaphramic hernia......in which the diaphram was opened and her liver eventually moved into her chest.
I asked him what on earth would cause such a thing. He said he usually sees it with animals who have been hit by a car. I told him Mimi was an indoor cat (anyone who has tried to wrangle an indoor/outdoor cat to be strictly indoors know what I'm talking about).
He said she could have been stepped on. My first reaction, since this poor kitty was dumped, it was more likey she was kicked.
Anyway, the rest of her blood work came back fine.
Her surgery is tomorrow morning. If she didn't have the chronic asthma, I would not be so worried. Going under is risky in itself. Add chronic asthma, and well, you can hopefully understand why I am so worried.
I would love, if anyone, even one person, could include Mimi in their prayers tonight. She is a sweetie and Lord only knows what she has been through before I became her mommy.
I thank you for any support and any prayers to be given to her.
So glad your kitty is going to be ok.
I’m late to this thread... got pinged for some mean guy that got zotted (yay!). I’m glad your kitty Mimi is doing better. :-) We have a plethora of critters here on the farm and I know what it’s like to get attached to them...and yes, we pray to The Lord for them when they are not feeling well too. :-)
A prudent person ares for his animals.
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Proverbs 12:10
According to the BIBLE, the Creator approves of your kindness to one of His Creatures.
prayers up for Mimi.
Whoa, dude. Don’t disrespect people’s love for their kittehs.
Prayers for your sweet kitteh and hugs to you!
doooood! get a life!
One of the MAIN reasons I donate to Free Republic is to be able to talk to people of like mind all over the world. There’s more to life than just politics. Sometimes we all need to reach out and know there are kindred spirits out there. I pray your heart receives the softening it needs.
Thanks for the update. So happy to hear Mimi is on the road to recovery. It probably is a good thing to have the vets take care of her for the first week. It did not sound like a simple procedure. They definitely DO touch our hearts but it is ALL worth it. I thank the Lord for the two we have in our lives right now and for the ones that help make us what we are in the past. I will continue to pray for Mimi’s full healing and that she thrives in good health and happiness for many years to come.
NGZ, thank you for the update. I am so glad your baby is doing well. Praise God. I know how much you miss her....my last cat had to spend a week in the animal hospital once, and when I visited, those sad little meows made it so hard to leave. But Mimi will be back home soon.
Bookmarking thread to read tomorrow
“This cat careth naught for thee”
ROTFL
Ditto what I said and I meant to say “HE” not she. I know God knows what I meant!
What do I care about a damn cat.
Die in a fire.
I’m so glad your kitty is doing better. Our kitties went “under the knife” today too, they got spayed. They made it through surgery OK and we can retrieve them tomorrow.
I posted a “help me!” thread about them when we got them.
One, Lola, is still a super fraidy-cat, long story short hubby said this morning “you HAVE to give them the rabies shot on this visit, because we are NOT getting that cat back here anytime soon!”
I hope Mimi will be feeling much better soon and I dare to hope that Lola might be even a tad less neurotic without her reproductive organs. Or...at the very least...not MORE neurotic!
Doubt you’re lurking, but just on the off chance you are, here’s a little friendly advise for you:
Life is hard. People find what little comfort they can where they may. For many people, that’s with their pets. They matter a LOT to them. So if they want and need some moral support for something frightening and scary to them, what’s so wrong with that? And for you to kick them when they’re clearly down is ridiculous. Finally, it’s not hard to spot vanities, so if you ever are un-zotted, maybe just don’t click on them?
This isn’t rocket science. It’s simple humanity.
So very glad that little Mimi is gonna be OK! I’d like to think that the combined good wishes/prayer strength of all the FReepers helped in some way toward her successful surgery.
You will probably be amazed at how quickly she bounces back, but it’s wise to allow her to have a bit of peace, quiet, and lack of a boisterous playmate for a while til the stitches start to knit up.
Boy will that girl be GLAD to come home, I can tell you from experience with my own cats. Don’t be surprised if your other cat initially growls or hisses at Mimi, because cats identify each other by smell and Mimi will have a different scent she picked up at the animal hospital.
I want to give admiring kudoes to the fantastic ZOT art of our talented FReepers. I particularly liked the one with the hissing cat at the top of a “poster”. Hisses and scratches at the dumb trolls that attempted to denigrate the importance of a pet’s welfare to its loving “owner” (we cat people ALL know who is really the “owner”, don’t we, LOL?).
Lurve yer poster! Apocalype Meow, tee-hee.
You can bet your bottom dollar the combined prayers and good wishes from my fellow FReepers was the answer to my prayers! I can never thank all of you enough!!!
She’s still at the vet. Since I work, I can’t be here to make sure she cared for, so I’ll be picking her up next Wed. morning. That will give her an entire week of medical care!
By that time, I won’t worry so much about giving her her daily asthma pills. It’s ALWAYS a song and dance when I do!
P.S......That ZOT was awesome!!
“Me-Me”.....lmao!!!! That is so her....er, him!!!
Yes, hugs all around!! You thought of “Me-Me” through out your work day? How sweet! Special (((hug))) for you!!!
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