[Life] I guess we were lucky we had anything in savings at all, really.

The only good news is that we caught it early. About as early as you could catch something like this. And that we didn't go the conservative route. Dr. Barry was really good about reassuring us that we are doing everything right.

Maybe is currently on pre-meds and strong opiate painkillers for what is very likely an intestinal obstruction from some foreign matter she ingested last night (read: the fabric part of a necklace I've had).

The vet mentioned words like 'life-threatening' and 'you can't be too blase,' and we'll know in an hour and a half what's going to happen in terms of surgery. There is a tiny chance it could be severe intestinal spasm (and therefore, possibly, no surgery necessary), but either way, she definitely ingested that foreign body, she's definitely been vomiting for twelve hours (and not remotely interested in food), she's dehydrated, and she's in a lot of pain.

The other bad news is that it's likely to cost us between $1000 / $2000, which will effectively wipe out every inch of savings in every one of our savings accounts, and we don't even know if we'll have to borrow from others yet (which we hate doing). That was our 'paving for the back of the house and possible cheapie holiday for the first time in two years' money. The great irony is that we had just about decided on pet insurance for the cats, but were still weighing up the different companies.

Some more good news is that I got to pat a german shepherd puppy today, but then immediately afterwards we got all of THIS news and now mostly I feel like crying.

(no subject)

We are go for surgery. As we speak, they're doing abdominal surgery to remove the obstruction.

Poor Maybe.

And on an aside, our poor bank accounts, too.

Will keep everyone posted.

Moar on Maybe.

Firstly, a big thank you to those who have pimped artwork, bought artwork, and that one special person who donated money (you know who you are, *epic hugs to you*) for this. Thank you so much for your prayers, well wishes and thoughts, it is so touching to realise how many hearts Maybe has found her way into in such a short amount of time. :)

Maybe has made it through surgery, and is just waking up now.

We're allowed to go visit her around five/five thirty, but she'll be in overnight for at least one night of observation. I'll bring my camera with me and see if she's up for a no-flash photo, but otherwise I'll take a photo of the crap they pulled out of her intestine, since we're gonna dissect it together, like a big party of 'the crap from Maybe's intestinal tract'.

The necklace she ate wasn't actually the problem, and it was likely she ate the fabric trying to flush out the two other objects she ate, which none of us have any idea about (not like we could have, her behaviour didn't start changing until late last night). They are greeny blue, and fuzzy, apparently. We think it may have been part of a cat toy (we're progressing onto small Kongs and Wubba Kongs for her anyway, with her teething/chewing habits, normal cat toys are becoming 'death traps,' literally).

In the meantime, Dr. Barry asked us who had her sterilised; and we were like 'no idea, she was a rescue kitten (i.e. she was sterilised, vaccinated and microchipped before we got her), it'll say on her vaccination form.' The original vet who sterilised her left remnants an ovary and a piece of uterine lining inside of her, which - uncool!

Incidentally, the place where she was originally sterilised was Ocean Keys Vet Hospital.

I am pretty stressed out, but grateful, today has been an ordeal for all of us. Our athletic, slightly insane, intelligent, loving beauty has only been with us for three and a half months, but she's already made a huge impact on us.

Except for Moet. Moet is dealing with her absence just fiiiiine. Heh.





Meanwhile, I suppose it will be 'cone of shame' (I do not like the cone of shame) for about two weeks; which I've already dealt with before with cats (i.e. when Smokey had an eye removed, which was another 'epically major' surgery, but then, he got caught up in a hit and run where the driver didn't stop...). Poor Maybe. She's had a rough life. Left on the side of the road in the middle of bushland with her two sisters. Saved thirty minutes before being slated for euthanasia.

And unwanted by everyone except Glen and I because from some angles she is a tad cross-eyed and apparently 'boring looking' despite being a 'vet thinks it likely' bengal cross, and having those killer ear tufts, and finally stuck with a family who bombards her with cuddles, hugs, love, toys, cat towers, and an older brother for her to boss around, and clearly greeny blue fuzzy things for her to eat. And now, major abdominal surgery and randoms playing around in her insides, plus the cone of shame. Eesh.

I am so glad we get to visit our girl this afternoon.

As usual, more to come...

Photo/s of the day. (And an update on the state of Fentanyl Kitty).

What do you mean she got her drip out? She's high as a kite! - To which we said 'oh, it's nice to see she's as mischeivous doped up as she is sober.' She had removed her drip. Here she is, shaved everywhere, spacey. She needed a fentanyl patch for the pain. We're looking at between $1500 -> $2000 for costs; provided nothing goes wrong in recovery.





( More under the cut; warning, picture of the bowel obstruction and the excised ovary under the cut. )