Emergency Surgery for Mama

Earlier today I noticed Little Mama was still bleeding, and it had a terrible smell to it. Now, I'm a bit of a worry wart. When one of the critters is exhibiting anything that could be something serious, I call the vet right off. This time, vet said to bring her and the babies in.

At first, they thought they had found another baby. X-rays however, revealed two different serious problems. The first is that she has a very bad blockage, the size of her over sized kittens, in her colon. The blockage is serious enough to require explatory surgery both to relieve the blockage and to find out what is causing it.

The second problem is Endometritus or Endrimitriosis. I can't remember which Endi it is, honestly. The babies were in fact past due. When they were born, they were already at the size they should have been at two weeks old. Their size created some internal problems for Mama both while carrying them that long, and during birth. The vet has her comfortably drugged up right now. She goes in for her emergency hysterectomy first thing in the morning. If there had been a kitten in there, they'd have had to do it tonight.

There is an increased risk of internal problems because Mama only just gave birth a couple of days ago. There is also an increased risk of infection, and rejection of the kittens. The vet will be keeping her and the babies an extra day after surgery just to make sure she is okay and she is accepting the kittens back.

Tomorrow, I'll be vaccuuming and cleaning the carpet in our bedroom. I hope that it's dry enough for her when they return, though she may have to go back to the cage for a few days. It's the easiest place in the entire bedroom to keep sterile.

I am glad, again, that we were able to bring her in and start to tame her a bit. Otherwise, she wouldn't last a week after the birth of the babies. Now, my next concern is how we're going to pay for this.

I haven't told my husband yet how much this is costing, and I'm not putting it here since he reads this blog. It's not going to be cheap though. Honestly, I really want to locate the guy that abandoned her to begin with. If only I could take some sort of legal or civil action against him to recover some of the costs.

Oh. And to add to the problems, her uterus was over sized because of the size of the babies, but it was also complicated by her being in heat. Again. Already. *sighs*

Due me a favor, please. Before you consider getting an animal, even if you think you're set and can handle it, think again. Are you truly committed to this animal for the rest of it's life? Are you prepared for the medical costs of the critter? If you wind up being forced to move, are you committed to finding a home where your animal will be permitted? Will this animal be a part of the family, or a disposable creature?

All of the problems Little Mama is having could have been prevented by taking care of her, and having her spayed before her first heat. If you think of pets as just animals with no regard to how they are feeling, emotions they may have, physical pain they may experience, then think again.

I once knew a man a long time ago that claimed to be a "devout Christian." This man insisted that animals were just animals. They were barely more than rocks or plants. If they die, they die. No big deal. They have no emotions, feelings, etc. What this man was forgetting is even in the Bible, it states that we were created to care for the other creatures of this Earth.

Our animals provide so much for us.. They comfort us when we are hurting. They play with us when we are joyful. They hunt mice, alert us to burglars, protect us from harm. Cats and dogs alike have been known to rescue their humans from dangerous situations. Other animals feed us, fertilize our plants, clean up our scraps, clean up the dead animals left as roadkill.

The animals of this planet take care of us in more ways than any one person, even me, could ever realize. If nothing else, then gratitude alone should be enough of a reason to take care of the critters we take on voluntarily.

So before taking on any pet, remember Little Mama. Remember that all of her problems could have been easily prevented. She never would have gone feral if she had a loving, attentive home that didn't abandon her. She wouldn't be going in for emergency surgery now if she had been spayed. Remember her. Then decide if you're ready for that responsibility. Because once you bring it home, it is entirely your responsibility. Their life is in your hands.

If you aren't ready for an animal full time, but wish to be around animals, then you have a couple of choices. Volunteer at your local animal shelter. Volunteer with a pet rescue group. Be a pet foster parent. (That way, if the responsibility is too much, you are able to stop fostering.)

Anyway, I'm done rambling now. I have a long day tomorrow, mostly consisting of waiting by the telephone for an update on Mama and the babies. Here's to a wonderful and fantabulous day tomorrow!