Sunday, February 10, 2008

Jack, as crooked as they come.




Meet Crooked Jack. Isn't he cute? Don't you just want to adopt him??? Okay, so we won't get off on that tangent. He is the only one of the Fab 4 that I didn't take to the farm, and only to have them return. He's the lucky kitty that got to stay. He didn't always look like this.

This was Jack-a-roo when he was about 8 weeks old.

He was born with straight and normal posture, until that fateful day in July. Poor little guy: he was lying by the door, wobbling back and forth like a little kid that's fighting off sleep. Then he tried to get up and just fell over! I raced him to the vet who informed me he had an ear infection and gave him antibiotics to take.


Great. I had to give the cat 2 pills a day for 2 weeks. The vet also should have prescribed antibiotic cream and bandaids for the stubs of my hands that would be left after fighting with a feline to get a tablet down its throat.



But actually, Jack did pretty well. Of course I bribed him with kitty treats. He now has PTA (Pounce Treats Addiction), but the rehab centers are full. He's on a waiting list.



Jack took his pills, I survived with all 10 digits, and then..... Jack fell over. Again. Back to the vet. More pills. Pills gone, fingers survived, then... Jack fell over. Again. Back to vet. You get the point.



At what point should I say, "NO MORE!"?? At first, I made the investment, thinking it's a one-time "shirt off your back" experience and, well, I've wasted money on worse things than a cute cat who's sick. But then I went back, optimistically thinking, "Okay, so it's another $100, but he'll be fine NOW!" By the third visit, I started to realize that if I didn't get his cat fixed, all the money I had previously thrown at him for shots, visits, pills, etc. would truly be lost and dang it, I hate to lose.


After 4 visits, (isn't it ironic how the number 4 and the $ sign share the same key on the keyboard) the vet recommended that I have the cat operated on so she can see what's going on in his inner ear. Um, no.


Thankfully, the last round of meds left him able to stand and walk and even run, but leaving him just a little crooked and probably with double vision. And it's okay. He might not be able to climb trees, or figure out which bird is the real one, but he's got his Pounce treats and we get to enjoy his cuteness.

8 comments:

Indian Lake Papa said...

I was thinking of what you are willing to "pay" or "sacrifice" to keep Jack healthy. I ask myself; "What do I need to do today to make sure I keep healthy spiritually today?" Take good care of Jack - and yourself! :o)

ummmhello said...

Poor crooked Jack! Hey, at least you made it through with all your fingers intact and you don't have rabies!
Good luck with the fab 4 felines :)

carrie said...

that is sure a cute picture of Kitten Jack! What a face!

CrossView said...

I'm shocked that you do still have all your digits!

And I'm usually more shocked at the cost of a vet. I don't like having to decide between health care for a pet or groceries for the kids... =P

Flea said...

Oh poor Jack! He reminds me of our Lou, except Lou has no pretty white chest, just stripey orange. He sounds sweet.

Thanks for popping by my blog!

Karen said...

Poor Jack! We had several puppies end up with crooked heads like that, with no infections. The vet diagnosed it as a spring fever of sorts. When puppies are born and raised inside and then put out for a few hours of bright spring sunshine, it somehow throws their equilibrium off, making them cock their heads. It takes anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to wear off.

But it appears that Jack has deeper issues. Poor little guy. I'm not a cat person but am such a sucker for the underdog.

Unknown said...

You know, that cat would fit in quite well at our house, The Home for Physically Challenged Pets. We've got the Tiny Bladder Dog, the 3-Legged Dog, the One-Eyed Dog, the One-Legged Turkey, and the Titanium Husband.

Jack sure is cute, even with his Leaning Tower of Pisa look.

... said...

what a cute little kitty. makes me miss mine (he went to kitty heaven last november).