Lora, I am so sorry to hear about Stray. I know how hard a decision that had to be. You and your husband are in my prayers.
Cindy --- Lora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Belinda could you please add my beloved Stray to the > CLS? Thanks! > > Thursday 01-26-06 me and Christopher (my husband) > got > up around 2:00 P.M. with intentions of driving to > Owensboro, KY to cash his check and to buy a can of > Bright Beginnings baby formula (stocking up for > delivery.) > > While Chistopher is in the shower I am downstairs > loading the dishwasher that turns into sweeping the > kitchen floor (I am obsessive-compulsive like that. > I > have trouble stopping at one chore. They easily roll > into two and three, etc.) > > Anyway, I open the backdoor to sweep out the cat > litter that has been kicked out of the utility room > litter box when I noticed Stray, my neutered male > orange-tabby cat who would have been two (2) years > old > in March) happily batting at something in the back > yard. > > Thinking nothing of it I step out side to > investigate. > He had a baby field mouse and it was unharmed! > Awww...Stray was playing gently as he always did. No > harm done. I picked up the mouse...I had an idea! > > I raced back in the house, leaving Stray to look for > the missing mouse, and made a beeline to the > bathroom. > My husband was still in the shower. Hehe! > > "Look! Ain't it cute!" I squealed with a huge smile > on > my face. Christopher slides open the shower door and > just about comes unglued right there! > > "Why, that's...that's...where the hell did that come > from?" He stammered. "And why aren't you dressed > yet?" > > I looked down at the pajamas I still wore. "I was > loading the dishwasher." I explained still holding > the > little mouse. > > Christopher is clearly getting annoyed really quick. > "Put that damn mouse outside were it belongs and get > dressed. We are never going to make in to the bank > in > time! > > LOL. Grouch! > > Heaven only knew that was the last happy moment that > I > would have for several days to come. > > As we were leaving the house Stray approaches us > wanting in the garage to eat. He is an outside cat > via > day and an garage kitty via night/winter. > > "We have to let him in." I tell my husband. "He is > hungry." > > "Lora we do not have time!" Christopher barks. "We > are > already running behind schedule!" > > I become very angry. If my kids want to eat. They > eat! > To hell with being on time! > > Christopher unlocks the door with a huff and Stray > walks through the utility room straight into the > garage. Did I jsut see Stray stagger? Na! I tell > myself. I am just seeing things. > > Had I know that would have been the last time I > would > see my baby walk, I would have never left his side! > > So we close the garage door and lock the side house > door. We were off! That was around 3:15 P.M. - 3:30 > P.M. > > We never made it to the bank. By the time we pulled > into the parking lot they were locking the doors > from > the inside out. > > Christopher was livid because of the mouse and > Stray. > Little did he know he would come to regret that > anger. > > > We arrive back home around 5:00 P.M. to a quiet, > normal-looking house. Everything seemed to be fine > and > in its place, afterall we were only gone roughly two > (2) hours. > > Then I hear it. Meowing. Constant meowing. > > "Uh-oh." I tell Christopher. "Mason has another milk > ring again." Only he does not. Mason rounds the > corner > at the sound of his name with nothing in his mouth. > > Okay. It is time to do a head-count then. We open > all > of the doors to see if anyone had been accidently > locked up. Nothing. We count all ten heads in the > house. Normal. Then who the hell is meowing? > > I turn my attention to the garage and shear panic > washes over me. There is Stray trying to claw his > way > off on the pillow. His hide leg are completely > paralyzed! He slithers across the room and bile > wails > up in the back of my throat. I scream and run back > into the house. > > Completely beside myself in hysteria, I cry out for > Christopher. All the while poor Stray is just > holling > in agony, begging for us to help him. > > It is 5:00 P.M. at night, Christopher is preparing > to > go to work (working third shift) I am nine (9) > months > pregnant and I cancled our "emergency" credit card > last Friday 01-20-06! Oh, God! I was going to puke! > What were we going to do? > > I race upstairs to find my parents. I scream/cry > what > I had found. I beg for money. Babbling about > emergency > clinic...life threating...in pain. > > My folks come downstairs thinking that the situation > was not "all that bad." HA! Mom returns from the > garage white as a sheet. > > It is now 5:30 P.M. and something has to be done! I > call Fort Branch (my veterinarian) in an off-hand > chance that they would still be open. They were! I > try > so hard to remain calm as I explained to Kristi that > my kitty had hind-leg paralysis, but had not been > hit > my a car. He was in the garage all day. He even > walked > into the garage by himself! > > "How soon can you get here?" Kristi ask. > > "Now. Can I come now?" I beg losing my composure. > > I hang up the phone trying to function like a normal > human being in a crisis. (Not easy to do.) > Christopher > lines the carrying crate with pillows to support > Stray's non-working hind legs and blankets to keep > him > warm. > > I keep telling myself that everything will be fine. > He > is not in shock, he is breathing, there is no blood, > he is struggling/fighting (which is a sign of > wanting > to live) he has passed a bowl movement, etc. > > I scoop up the bowl movement and place it in a > disposable plastic container. Stool sample. Just in > case. For process of elimination purposes. > > At this point, I can only think in baby steps. My > brain will not process anything else. I try to think > of how this happened, but my brain shuts down with > every attempt. > > He fell off the cat-tree tower. Cruched pevis? He > was > playing with a mouse earlier this afternoon. > Poisonous > mouse? Did the farmers spray their fields today? > Antifreeze! Did Stray get into any chemicals? I > look. > Nothing is out of place. No containers are spilled. > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
