Friday, October 07, 2016

Panda's End?



My shy and beautiful Panda, now over ten years old, had a sudden event.

It was Fantasia who took me to her, worried out of her mind  Panda was in the living room behind one of the plastic garden benches that contain three litter boxes.  When I approached she moved, but not far.  She could only walk, hunched down a few feet before plopping.

Worried sick, I put a soft blankee over her and put her in the bathroom.  That first night, after examining her, I thought it was the matted hair around her rectum causing her pain and suffering.  I spent two hours clipping it clean.  It's painful to have hair pulling, especially there.

I left her in the bathroom all night and she seemed ok, let her out the next day.

I was gone much of the day but yesterday evening, I went looking for her.  She seemed to be sleeping.   Again, I thought she was ok, but then when I went to pet her, from a step ladder, since she was in a cat bed up on a cat run, she could not even hiss at me.  Panda is not a tame girl.

Frothy blood tinged foam came from her mouth when she tried.

I called the ER vet and got her down and took her in.  $502 later, I still have no clue what is wrong.  Blood work and Xrays were normal.  She was sent home on pain meds and got an antibiotic injection just in case.   She does have a bad heart murmur and a slightly enlarged heart.   The vet said she was dehydrated but not to give her fluids due to the heart murmur, as additional fluids and some of the electrolytes in it could cause her heart problems.

I don't know what happened or what is wrong with her.   She can't walk far before plopping, like it hurts.  Did she fall?  I don't know.  Did she have a heart event or seizure?  I don't know.

Now its a wait and see venture, for her and for me.

Panda came from a Lebanon apartment complex.   I had been asked by a Safehaven employee to help out there, where a relative of hers lived who fed cats.  It was hellish.  I had to go around two young adult men, who refused to help and remained glued to playing video games on two different TV's in the living room.  The young woman was pregnant.  One of the young men was the father and bragged to me he'd already fathered 5 babies at 19.   I had stared at him in disgust.  And finally said, "And yet you support none of them".  I couldn't help myself.   He was so damn lazy and useless.  That was ten years ago.  I wonder if he's changed, become responsible, grown up, become a man.   Probably not.

I trapped I believe about ten cats, but did not return, after fixing,  the four youngest, which included Panda and Soloman, her brother.  They had mats so bad they couldn't lower their chins.  Their sister had a pellet hole through one ear.  She died within six weeks of rescue, suddenly, of a heart event.   Scooter, their brother, went to a barn home.  I doubt he's alive today still either.  Panda was always too wild, too shy, to get a house cat home, so she stayed here, with Soloman and now they are older cats.  Both are very kind hearted kitties with many friends.

Panda had six teeth pulled almost exactly one year ago.

I love her.   I don't know what's wrong or if she will make it.



In other news, I took my car in to where the tires were rotated, and the wobble is now gone.  They rebalanced the front, but not the rear tires.  They were not balanced.  I wish they had done all four.

15 comments:

  1. I am so sorry. You must be incredibly worried. Good luck. For you and for Panda.

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  2. Fingers crossed that Panda improves quickly.

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    1. Still not eating or drinking on her own, but seems to be less wobbly now on her feet and she is very actively hissing at me, which is a good sign.

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  3. It's so hard when no one can figure out exactly what's wrong. I recently had to put a very beloved elderly cat to sleep because I couldn't stand the idea of too many invasive tests to diagnose a problem that might/might not have been fixable. My thoughts are with you, and Panda.

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    1. Thanks Kathy. If she doesn't improve in a couple of days, like start eating and drinking, I'll have to do that for her also. She's wild, so just going to a vet is terrifying for her and not productive since her fear can produce test results that are off kilter.

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  4. Surely hope the best for Panda... however, I think I'd like it better if those young men were trapped, neutered and then released into society again. What a waste! I prefer helping cats!!!!

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    1. Good idea, on those young adult men, TNR'ing them. I figure trapping them would have been so simple. Bait: beer, pot, meth, video games, compliments to their extreme egos, free anything....

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  5. I'm so sorry that Panda is ailing. I'm hoping for the best for both you and her.

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  6. Wow, I sure agree with Odd Essay's comments. Blessings to you, Panda, and company.

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  7. hopping for best for both of you dear

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. She is now peeing on her own but still not eating. However this morning she expressed some interest at least. I am hopeful.

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