Bad morning

Today Cliff and I were getting ready to go to his reunion, so I got up and made some Old Settler's beans to take in the crock pot.  At six o'clock I got my Gabe, my dog, up, fed him, and went out with him like always.  I also open up the garage then; the cats like it in there, and that's where there food is, up high where the grandson's dogs can't get it.  

Blue the cat is always there waiting for his breakfast when I go out, but he wasn't around this morning.  I noticed Gabe tracking, nose to the ground, around the front of the garage, then around a corner, on past the water hydrant still sniffing, and around the end of our trailer house where my flowers are blooming.  Strange.  While I was out I called for Blue several times, but he didn't come.  Shortly after that, the grandson next door let his two dogs out.  When they came back near our place those dogs were tracking the very same places Gabe had, and they even went in the flowerbed.  The flowers are dying from drought anyway, but the dogs were sure interested in the flower bed.  I finally told them to go home, looked closely myself, and found a clue.  There was blood on a leaf.

So I knew Blue was in trouble someplace, if not dead.  I was afraid he was under the back porch:  When cats are sick or injured, they try to hide and don't want to be messed with.  I came back inside and told Cliff Blue was hurt somewhere.  I began to get ready to go down to the reunion at Lake of the Ozarks, but I sure hated to.  I went outside once more, and this time I found my cat in the flowers, hiding.  At first I thought he was dead, but I picked him up and he sort of tried to get up; one of his back legs was very obviously broken.  I put him in the inside back porch, shut the back door, and watched him lay down on a rug.

I called the two closest veterinarians to us, but they were swarmed and told me to call a place in Lee Summit that takes emergencies at all hours.  I called, but nobody was there and I got a message for me to go to Overland Park, Kansas.  I sure hated it that we ruined going to Cliff's reunion, plus him having to mess with me and my cat.  In the back of my mind I already knew that a broken leg would cost more than I was willing to give, and I had in mind the most I would spend on my cat, thanks to a couple of T-bills that I will be getting back soon.  We have nothing but Social Security to live on, and it's plenty until something like this happens.

Sure enough, when the doctor came to tell me what needed to be done, the cost was over my limit.  She was very sweet, and at one point I asked her how much they would charge to put him down.  Honestly, I forget how much it was, because she really didn't want me to do that.  She said they have a list of doctors (three doctors) in different places that will do things for less.  She gave me two different meds to keep Blue from hurting, and one to fight infection.  She said amputation would be cheaper and safer than surgery.  That's fine with me; once he gets used to it, the cat won't care.  When she inspected the wound, she said there were bite-marks on the bone.  Probably coyotes.  Or maybe a dog or a fox.  

I am keeping him in the back porch for now.  It's a small space, and the doctor said that's what he needed.  We stopped on the way home and got cat litter, although I'm not sure Blue can crawl into it in his shape.  He drank a little water when I offered it.  The closest of the doctors on the list is Raytown, so I'll call him on Monday to see what can be done and when.  And "if", because I don't know how much of a break on the price I'll be getting.  

At least my cat isn't hurting too much now.  I just wish it hadn't happened.  Of course, if you have an inside/outside cat, you always know these things are a possibility.  Cliff said we had better start locking the cats inside the garage for the night so this won't happen again.

Believe me, I will.