Broken Hip

It is wonderful what you are doing for him and for all cats. I hope all goes well for hte move and for JJ especially. Good vibes onthe way for his leg.

We actually expected to move at the first of May but things sometimes take longer than we anticipated. But at this point my husband believes the middle of June sometime. We can see the end now. Which is exciting...... One reason it took so long is that when we bought this house another person started it. Husband did not like some of his work so being a perfectionist he redid that mans wiring and lots of his framing.

In another thread I had mentioned we were building a covered cat house for the inside cats with a kitty door going into it from our bedroom. I had throught it would just be a run 5'x5'x20-25'. But today my husband revised that plan. He is going to make it 10 feet by 20-25 feet so it will be big. It will be covered so they can't get out. This is mainly for Jimmy and Yellow and JJ too when he get well enough to got out for a bit.

Husband framed the kitty door today that they will use. I bought the actual door yesterday. It is white aluminum and has a lock on it as well. Closes by magnets. It's really cool looking and study also. It has an aluminum frame for the inside portion and a frame for the portion that will be on the outside of the house. So it will look finished. I am so excited by this. I just can't wait. Yellow is going to love it! So will Jimmy. And if JJ never regains the use of his leg, it will be an area he can enjoy and still be outside which he loves. If he doesn't heal, he can't run around. He would not be safe. I hope that doesn't happen but I also know it is a possibility. Jimmy will finally get to enjoy the outdoors again and I can't wait to see him go out there. It will be very exciting to him. We are weather proofing a portion of it in case of rain or bad weather. Husband is also going to build a little cat house with sections in it. It is possibly when Jimmy discovers the kitty door and the great outdoors, he might not want to come back inside. Who knows? But it will be good for him to get fresh air. I don't let Yellow out because on his last outdoor journey, he was gone 6 weeks. If we move and he is off on an adventure, it would just kill us. So he is an indoor cat till me move. It drives me and my husband nuts wondering if he is ok but Yellow is great hunter and doesn't want for food on his adventures. Even with his broken leg, he kills birds, squirells and even bats. He has always come back but it worries us. He is fixed and still wanders. So for a while this is also be his spot after we move. He is real sneaky. He hides close to our doors and tries to dash out. We have to watch him because we don't want to lose him. When we move and he knows his territory he will be ok. I am making him some loud windchimes so if he is "OUT THERE" and gets turned around he can hear the windchimes and he will know where home is. If he seems happy with his outdoor area, we might just keep him as an inside cat. None of the others wander away. They all stay close to home. I call them and they all come running.

I am considering the possibility of NOT keeping food in this area. That way Jimmy would have to come back indoors to eat. Water will always be out there but food is a different story. And food outside can cause ants and things. And I don't want their area to have ants. It's been treated already but in the country I have learned to always expect the unexpected.

It is right under our bedroom window so when they are outside we can lay in bed and watch them play. This wall was covered in insulation today. The window is not put in yet. Husband is waiting till we hang the sheetrock before cutting the actual hole. He just has it framed. We dont' want to cut the hole until we are absolutely ready to hang the window because of weather. But the kitty door is the small framed in area on the bottom portion.


This is the outside area where the kitty house is going to be. Our well ditch is in this picture but it was filled today. I planted new grass today so they will have grass by the time we get it completed. One portion of it is shady and part of it is sunny. I have many plans for the interior of it. Toys hanging down, tree stumps for claws, tunnels, and also a small small pond with a tiny fountain that I can put minnows in. It will drive them crazy to watch fish swim. I can already envision their little kitty paws batting the water trying to get a fish. hehe That is going to be so funny. Behind the house, approx 300 feet or so, we have a running creek that the other cats will enjoy. It doesn't have fish but they will like it. But the inside cats need some water to play in as well and some fish to watch. My cat kissy likes to drink from facets. She even dunks her head in the water and lets the water run over the top of her head. She is also a cat who get in the tub. I can put 6" of water in it and her toys and she jumps right in. Never had a cat do that before.....hehe



As far a JJ feeling pain, he doesn't appear to all the time. Sometimes he will yelp for a moment and then quit but it doesn't appear to be in tons of pain. Which is good. I have some stuff I can give him if he acts like he is hurting pretty bad. My vet that fixed Dovey, Tink and Cookie made it. He said they can't OD on it but it takes the edge off pain. And I still have it and can give him some if he needs it. But so far I have only given it to him once.

Jenn

Jenn...your kitties are going to love their enclosure.
Can we come too?

I am glad JJ is not in pain.
He, and all of your kitties are blessed.

I think they will love it...... I know I am going to. The back side of it will be 4 feet tall but the front portion will be 6 feet tall. I want an outside gate so I can clean it and add toys to it and work in it making it just right. And with one side taller I can stand up in it. So the top of it will be slanted.

And come on down. The more the merrier!!!!

Jenn

I'm just now catching up with this thread. Poor JJ, such a tough fighter and what a beautiful cat!

Did the vet say anything about putting a pin in his leg or was the break not bad enough to warrant that kind of surgery? The reason I ask is because my Captain had one leg broken and the other dislocated several years ago. He had a pin put in and he's just fine now, with the exception of a bit of stiffness everyonce in a while.

I'm sending vibes for JJ. I hope he gets better as quickly as possible!

He didn't say anything about a pin. I think he's waiting to see what the options are AFTER the bones heals to see how it is. I was only told to keep him confined in a small area so he can't walk on it hardly at all for a month. Then he goes back for further evaluation.

I am watching him close. Maybe too close. I don't think I see any improvement at this point. I thought I did at first but it is possibe that I just WANTED to see improvement. He is still dragging it. It is a loose leg. Even if he limps, I sure hope it heals so the leg is usable. We are not even sure if the nerve is severed either.

Only time will tell what needs to be done in the future. There are two breaks. One is the main large pelvic bone and the other is a small bone on the same side. It is a bad break but the vet said, he thinks it will heal.

It is the most frusterating thing to not know what is going to happen to him or what we might need to do later. This month is going to drag by.

Jenn

I hesitate to ask but is there a specialist hospital or vet school in your area where you could go for a second opinion?

There is not......... We live in the sticks here. I drive quite a ways to just get to the vet. No vet school and no specialist clinic. But he did go to a very good vet that is recommended by people in the area. That is one I asbsolutely refuse to go to. He is rough and gruff and I don't like him.

But......I just got JJ out and had to write. He is doing better. It was NOT my imagination. He is not putting weight on his leg but he is holding it in the correct position at this point. He is a hop-along cassidy cat now. But's it's healing. And if he is able to hold it up some, it is probably not paralyzed.

I know his toes dont have any feeling but maybe that will come. I can't believe he is actually able to hold his leg up. He is laying in the living room floor right now. As soon as I let him out of his room, he went to another litter box around the corner and used it. His tinkle sounded like a water faucet. Oh my gosh...... He was meowing a little different so I game him some of his pain med as well. This is the first time I have let him out today. I want him to rest. If I keep getting him out several times during the day it might cause him not to heal as well. The room he is in is very very tiny so he can lay down and rest OR eat OR use the litter box. There is absolutely no walking room. It is approx 3' by 5'..

Jenn

If the vet said he should rest to let his bones heal...
that is probably what he should do.
JJ is in my prayers.

He is resting in a crate in the living room right now. That way he can have company and see what's going on. Poor guy........ Every 48 hrs or so, I am going to let him walk a few steps and see if their is any difference in him or his leg.

Every now and then from his crate he meows loud to get my attention. He hollars at me. If I don't look at him, he meows softey like he is saying "Please"........

But he is healing. Thank god.

Jenn

Oh that's such good news. It's going to be a long month waiting to see how he improves. I hope you're more patient then i would be! lol

Abigail is showing signs of improvement. She is able to walk a little better and is putting some weight on her front legs. I hope it's not just the pain meds disguise the problem. Fingers and toes crossed

OH that's wonderful Renny about Abigail.!! That is just super. I know you have been worried to death about her. It would be so hard to have a sick little kitten. I had one I had to put down. His name was Rowdy and he was my favorite out of all Dovey and Angela's litter. My sisters dog hurt him bad. He stayed at the vet for two days before they told me I needed to give up. It was so hard and I sympathize with you about your little baby that didn't make it.

And I'm not patient at all. I want it to go by fast. Right now, he is in his room meowing at me and it's hard to not let him out. He might have emotional issues when this month is over...

I hope as long as I let him out and hold him on the couch it will suffice and keep him reasonably content. Because he is not happy being kept in a small area. But I have to.....

Oh, there he is meowing again at me. It's real difficult to hear him this way.

And him and Cow are friends. When he meows, she meows back at him. They love each other. And if she meows, he answers her. The other cats just look around like what the heck is going on. She spends lots of time outdoors on the porch. I am keeping her in tonight. Her babies are so full of kitten chow and tuna that one of them had no interest in nursing tonight. Is that normal? They are eating like crazy.. And they are so young. I heat their food in the microwave to soften it and put lots of water in it to keep them hydrated in case they don't drink much. Cow has very little milk.

Uh........now he is meowing that pitiful meow.. dear o dear. I must be strong. JJ's future is at stake here.

Well, I'm going to bed..... It's been a long day today. I filled a ditch with dirt today to cover our well line. Have to pick rocks out of it so I'm a little achey from hard work.

Talk to ya tomorrow.
Jenn

Oh that's wonderful news that they are becoming friends. I'm afraid i've had a bit of a setback with Abigail, she refused to eat this morning (i tried weaning her off the pain meds to see the improvement in her). She's back on the meds but she's pretty lethargic. So i'm going to try again in a little bit and if not she's coming upstairs with me for some close supervision and cuddles.

Healing vibes continue!! (maybe you can start a countdown on here for JJ's month of confinement!!!)

Got healing vibes coming from this end for Abigail. I will watch for her update. Poor little girl kitty.....

JJ is going nuts. Some female is in heat outside something. He hollars all the time. Poor guy. There is nothing I can do about it. He is still the same.

Oh no...you are going to need all of your patience to deal with this latest development.
I am sending lots of calming vibe to both you and JJ.
Hopefully the female will move on to greener pastures.

I'm sending maximum vibes and prayers for JJ to have a miraculous and complete recovery. Love goes a long way in the healing process and you are helping him way more than the vet ever could. Hang in there. Everything will be ok.

(Why did this thread hide from me for so long? )

I finally have him settled down and he is quiet now. I kept in his crate in the living room for a couple hrs today and then sat with him on the couch. He purred and purred but was very restless. When I put him back in his room, I left the light on for him and right now he is quiet. Whew..........

This is going to be the longest month I have ever been through but this is just how it has to be for now.. And how long it feels to me is NOTHING compared to what poor JJ feels about it. It would be horrible to be confined in a small area for a month. We WILL get through this and we will do it and with love and prayers he will be as close to normal as he is supposed to be. I was supposed to have JJ and he was supposed to be with me.

He is gaining weight rapidly as well which is good. When I put him in the living room crate for a different view, I have been giving him imitation shrimp in a bowl which he likes a lot.

No change in his condition at this time. He is still able to hold his leg up a little but his toes hang under his foot pad. That has not changed. He might never be able to totally use this foot. We will know more after the bones heal.

Thank for for the prayers all. He is one sad kitty!

Jenn

Jenn...so many people are praying for you and JJ.
With your patient, loving care...he will at least become the best that he can be.

Thinking of JJ Hope you guys are going okay!