Sasha got mauled--head trauma

purrfectcatlove

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I am so happy to read that he is starting to response to you , that is great news
. And please listen to Hissy , keep him in from now on .

I will continue to pray for Sasha
 
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sashacat421

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Thanks Hissy. Tell me what I can do, anything that can make his indoor transition easier. Eric and I firmly believe in quality of life and let Freddie outside w/leukemia, although supervised, you recall Freddie last fall, but this is a very different situation. Sasha is 12, very experienced and very ingrained in his outdoor life, and very nocturnal. Aside from purchasing new interactive toys for the indoors, how to make him adjust? We are bracing for Sasha not returning ever to 100% even if he makes it through the next couple of days. But even a "slow" kitty will want to return to the outside, I know him very well. He has never been sick a day in his life and is very robust and active. When you have time if you know articles or tips, let me know, and thanks so much. Also, if anyone else is reading this, please send things my way! Elizabeth
 

hissy

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I would honestly be surprised if once he recovers from this if he ever even sticks his nose outside again. Honestly, you have no idea how lucky you are, for his weight and his spirit is what helped him to escape the coyote. They are ruthless when they are attacking and again they leave NO trace but cat hair and footprints. Sasha used up 8 of his 9 lives on this one!


Wait until he comes home and see how much he has changed. Make sure that you provide him a nice dark area that is quiet where he can rest. A covered litter pan with soft bedding inside makes a perfect dark recovery cage. Reduce the wattage of light in the room to help keep him calm, he is going to be so stressed out for awhile and unsure of himself. Expect litter pan accidents, but don't scold him, just let him adjust to the trauma and gradually he may come back to you-
 
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sashacat421

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Will do on all of it. Especially the dark quiet place, I did not know that, as Sasha loves the sun. I smiled over the 8 of 9 lives. I told Sasha yesterday when I was whispering in his ear that he used up 8 lives on this one. We are amazed and I prayed for him all night, wherever I went. I also went out to Freddie's grave & cherry tree and asked Freddie to help bring his big brother home. I'll take Sasha any way I can get him, 40, 50, or 90%, I don't care. The vet team has told me he is very strong and how 99% never get away from this type of attack. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
 

hissy

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The dark is important because in the calm and in the dark a cat can sleep and to a large extent regenerate himself. I have had cats very ill that once given the opportunity to rest in a darkened cave of a room, they get better faster. There is no one around to stress them out and all they do is sleep towards recovery.

Next time you whisper in Sasha's ear, tell him hissy thinks he is absolutely amazing!
 

jcat

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I'm just reading this now, and find it encouraging that Sasha recognizes you. He's in my thoughts. I agree with M.A. - it would be surprising if Sasha wanted to go outside again after such a horrible experience.
 
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sashacat421

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Thanks to everyone so much. I whispered, "Hissy thinks you're amazing" in his ear tonight and I swear he purred, just a little. The vet reports his peripheral vision has returned, the paralysis is gone from the left side of his face, but still severe on the right, but the GREAT development was that they pulled the IV out today to see if he would drink water on his own and he did one little lap with his damaged toungue and swallowed on his own, oh glory be!!!
He is able to take an ice pack on his neck where the jaws of the coyote closed in from underneath puncturing him from below unto his lower mouth underneath his tongue. The top jaw of the coyote was above his head, coming down onto his temple. We have moved out shotgun downstairs, that's all I'm going to say on that one. I brought him a new t-shirt I slept in and he did sit down on it. The hardest part is right now at night when I know he is alone and I have tremendous anxiety over if he'll make it through the night.
The doctor said she has never seen anything like this kind of recovery. Here is a photo of my big huge kitten, 21 lbs the coyote fighter! He WILL come home, he just has to.
 

lorie d.

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I just saw this. It sounds like it was a really traumatic experience, but I'm glad Sasha is getting better now.
Originally posted by sashacat421
Sasha is 12, very experienced and very ingrained in his outdoor life, and very nocturnal. Aside from purchasing new interactive toys for the indoors, how to make him adjust? We are bracing for Sasha not returning ever to 100% even if he makes it through the next couple of days. But even a "slow" kitty will want to return to the outside
If Sasha does insist on going outside again, one thing you could do to keep him safe is either buy or make an outdoor cat enclosure.
 

hissy

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Prayers are in the air for this fighter!
 
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sashacat421

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Sasha has no fever, his vision appears to have returned to normal, and he drank and groomed a tiny bit on his own. Grooming was VICTORIOUS to see, as that entails a cognitive "thinking process" and he wants to live and be handsome!
He put his toungue back in his mouth on his own, and the swelling on the skull and neck has gone down enough where they can now use ice packs. He gets to come home for the weekend to see if that speeds some healing, and we will siringe -feed him. He gets the morphine patch until Monday. The greatest hurdle is going to be eating on his own. He still has the loopy-looking right side of his face and a slightly dropped right upper lid and no eyebrows, but he's MY GUY. There is a kitty God, there is a kitty God, there is a kitty God.
 

grampngram

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That's great to hear!!!!!!!
He's a one in a million tuffguy. Give him some scritches from us.

Jeff & Sue
 
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