Don't forget the Pets!!!

My poor cats (and fish too for that matter) have had a traumatic weekend. (which means if you love them, so have you!) :)

Jezi is my sweet, lovable cat. She was so scared and worried, as her brother, Tango, wasn't here for the first time in her life ever (he was at the animal hospital having surgery). She was underfoot (not like her, though like Tango) and crying and obviously upset, not knowing why Tango wasn't around. She was also getting into everything and being a little stinker, which is usually Tango's job. In our new townhouse, there is this 3 story drop, which is basically like an empty elevator shaft, so if you're on the top floor, you can yell down to the basement, as it's all open. At the very bottom, sits my aquarium.

Sat morning, Jezi was crawling between the stairway slat thingies (I have no idea what they are called) and was dangerously balancing on the edge. Next thing I knew, she went falling down that empty elevator shaft area, she landed right in the aquarium, busting the top light and cover for it, and swimming for her life, unable to get out as it was too deep. Thankfully, Larry was close by to her, and helped her out of the water. She went flying upstairs dripping wet. As she ran, I had to laugh, realizing she must not have been hurt, just scared and sopping wet. It was one of those moments you'd want to have on video. While I spent efforts trying to dry Jezi while she squirmed and shivered, Larry tried to fish out of the fish tank bits of plastic and car hair that were abundantly floating in the water. I'm predicting we loose a few fish from the escapade...

Tango is my special needs, bullying, very vocal, mean, but pretty cat! He sadly earned himself a declaw surgery this weekend, which broke my heart. I have never done it until now, thinking it inhumane, but now that there is just more than me involved, had to agree to get it done, as he has clawed at people, and more especially so... children. If he ends up hurting Kaleb, Larry will kick him out without a thought. So it was a way to hopefully keep him in the family... but oh so painful and hard to do! He of course caused trouble getting to the vet, at the vet, and since... that is just him... but the poor thing came home yesterday. He spewed out the pain meds at the vet (just like he spews anything you try to give him other than a treat or food, which is why I gave up giving him anxiety meds as he won't eat them even covered up in treats). So, he didn't have much pain medication in him, his paws are all bloody, and the poor thing is a wreck. I spent yesterday locked up in the room with him, trying to provide him some comfort, even though he spent most of the time under the bed. When I'd leave the room, thinking he was just under the bed and didn't care, he would come out and cry and howl at the door, so I'd go back in. I guess my company was all I could do for him, but it was something. And there are several more days of this. He keeps bleeding, and is obviously in pain.

But, to put a different twist on it, when I went to the vet to pick Tango up, there was an older, military looking gentleman inside, with a small animal carrier on his lap, his hand inside stroking his loved one, and tears rolling down his face. I didn't want to stare or ask questions, giving him as much privacy as possible, but in keeping my eyes away from him so he had more space, I tried to catch on to what the situation was. The vet tech came out to ask a few questions, and I overheard enough to realize that he was there to put his baby to sleep. It totally broke my heart. I felt for both of them, but didn't know how to offer comfort, other than letting him have his privacy and not looking at his tears and pained face. I think after my ache and pain for them sunk in, part of me realized that it could easily be me doing that someday for either one of my cats. What an absolutely heart breaking moment for that man, and eventually, when it is my turn to be in his shoes.

SO, when I got Tango, this grieving gentleman was also leaving at the same time, empty handed, and he had parked right next to me, so I saw the look in his eye, probably of jealousy that I still had my pet. I put tango in the car, who was howling and screaming and very much vocalizing how unhappy he was. I had to laugh almost the whole way home, realizing I had my tango still, and he still had his little personality. Instead of letting his howls and cries hurt me, I had to laugh, as each one said he had fight and spunk left in him to fight and hopefully heal quickly. I have him for a while longer, for which I am grateful. Don't ask me why, because apparently, I am the only person in the world that could love this crazy cat, but I do love all of my babies!