Last night, I slept really, really well. Too well... because my little Pearlygirl wasn't climbing all over me and giving me kisses all night. When I woke up this morning and realized she had never come to bed, I went looking for her... and found her huddled behind the sofa.
She just gazed up at me and wouldn't come out. I moved the sofa away from the wall, and she still wouldn't budge. Finally, in desperation, I found the famous Pink String, her favorite thing in the world, and dangled it.
And bless her little heart, she came stumbling clumsily out to try to catch the string... and that's how I discovered that her back legs weren't working right. She'd take a step and one leg or the other would crumple under her, or her hips would fall to one side. You can imagine my horror.
I picked her up just around her chest, so as not to handle her back half, and took her into the bathroom where I could examine her on the counter. I didn't find any visible injuries, no blood or anything... but it was clear that she was very nearly paralyzed in the back.
So I put a lot of towels in a carrier and lowered her in gently so she could arrange herself in whatever way hurt least, and we headed to the vet. They took us right away, and the doctor watched Pearl try to walk, then examined her... and she found a tender spot on Pearl's spine, a couple of inches above her tail. Then she pointed out something I had missed: Pearl's tail was dangling, just barely moving at all.
That scared me to death, of course -- a broken leg or a dislocated hip is one thing, but a spinal injury... permanent paralysis... no no no, not my Pearl!
So they x-rayed her, then brought her back to me, and I held her while they developed the films. I told her no matter what, I would always take care of her, even if it meant she could never use the litterbox again. She listened carefully and reached up to pat my face. I love this cat.
But when the doctor came back, she said the x-rays didn't show any bone damage! That's not necessarily proof that there was none, she said, but she felt it was most likely a soft-tissue injury, and as such, should show marked improvement within 48 hours! Thank heaven!
The doctor gave me three syringes of anti-inflammatory medication for her and said to keep her confined in a small space until tomorrow, so she won't do too much moving around. If she doesn't show improvement, or if she gets worse, I'm to bring her back in on Saturday morning.
So... I'm just hoping hoping hoping she's right, and my Pearl will be fine in a few days. I've got her set up in the bathroom with a nice comfy kitty bed, plenty of food and water, and a litterbox. And although I dislike the practice of carpeting bathrooms, I'm grateful for it just this once -- it's safer for her to fall over on.
She's crying for me now, so I'd better take a book and go stay with her awhile.
She just gazed up at me and wouldn't come out. I moved the sofa away from the wall, and she still wouldn't budge. Finally, in desperation, I found the famous Pink String, her favorite thing in the world, and dangled it.
And bless her little heart, she came stumbling clumsily out to try to catch the string... and that's how I discovered that her back legs weren't working right. She'd take a step and one leg or the other would crumple under her, or her hips would fall to one side. You can imagine my horror.
I picked her up just around her chest, so as not to handle her back half, and took her into the bathroom where I could examine her on the counter. I didn't find any visible injuries, no blood or anything... but it was clear that she was very nearly paralyzed in the back.
So I put a lot of towels in a carrier and lowered her in gently so she could arrange herself in whatever way hurt least, and we headed to the vet. They took us right away, and the doctor watched Pearl try to walk, then examined her... and she found a tender spot on Pearl's spine, a couple of inches above her tail. Then she pointed out something I had missed: Pearl's tail was dangling, just barely moving at all.
That scared me to death, of course -- a broken leg or a dislocated hip is one thing, but a spinal injury... permanent paralysis... no no no, not my Pearl!
So they x-rayed her, then brought her back to me, and I held her while they developed the films. I told her no matter what, I would always take care of her, even if it meant she could never use the litterbox again. She listened carefully and reached up to pat my face. I love this cat.
But when the doctor came back, she said the x-rays didn't show any bone damage! That's not necessarily proof that there was none, she said, but she felt it was most likely a soft-tissue injury, and as such, should show marked improvement within 48 hours! Thank heaven!
The doctor gave me three syringes of anti-inflammatory medication for her and said to keep her confined in a small space until tomorrow, so she won't do too much moving around. If she doesn't show improvement, or if she gets worse, I'm to bring her back in on Saturday morning.
So... I'm just hoping hoping hoping she's right, and my Pearl will be fine in a few days. I've got her set up in the bathroom with a nice comfy kitty bed, plenty of food and water, and a litterbox. And although I dislike the practice of carpeting bathrooms, I'm grateful for it just this once -- it's safer for her to fall over on.
She's crying for me now, so I'd better take a book and go stay with her awhile.
