Broken Hip

[sarahp]

Ewwwww as gross as that first picture is, it's great to see how fast he's healing! That will also be good for anyone else who's kitty needs an amputation to see to get an idea on what to expect.

I vote JJ as TCS cat of the year!!

 

[jcribbs]

JJ is doing great!!!! His wound looks so much better. I am starting to think it was getting irritated because of the staples and now it can heal since they are out. He is asleep or I would catch a pic of it.

I will do it later. Today I am doing absolutely nothing around the house but resting. Still have my gown on...

But here is JJ today. I have two new kittens from my job and he is napping with one of them....





Need I say, he keeps the dogs away from them both.. He is a very very possessive male cat. He is ruler of the rooster in my cat world. He will be the top male. Or top cat period. I had always thought females ruled the cat prides. It would be a close match between Cleo, Socks and JJ, but at the moment JJ is king

...... and he knows it.

You guys are too much. Yall are so sweet!! I did not know there was cat of the year!! Go JJ go

go JJ go

 

[xocats]

JJ... a tough yet gentle giant.

I am relieved that your beautiful boy is doing better.

 

[jcribbs]

And yes, it would probably help someone else. I know this has been a long thread but there is major info in it regarding amputation, financial aid, support group, before and after care and tons of advice on others who have had cats with amputated limbs.

This thread made the whole process much much easier. I knew what to ask and what to expect......

And I thank everyone........

Jenn [and JJ

]

 

[xocats]

I think that this whole thread will come up, if sometime in the future, a member does a search about amputation.

 

[jcribbs]

Thank you Xo......... and I like that. A sweet and gentle giant. cool.......

He loves kittens. He really loves kittens. He protects them. He will not let the dogs walk past the two new babies.. He stands in the door and growls at them to head them off another direction.. hehe.

The dogs have learned to walk around JJ on eggshells and to not get in his general vacinity. The other morning I was bringing the dogs back in and JJ stood in the door and they went back to their yard. They would not walk past him. I had to carry JJ to another part of the house to get the dogs to cross the door threshold and then they were leary looking around to see if it was safe . JJ is not bluffing. He has them trained which is good. It is better for a big dog to be scared of a cat than the other way around! It suits me fine. All he has to do is look at them fiercely and twitch his tail and they go to the laundry room. They know his signals. I am serious. He has them trained. hehehe Since they know his signals now, he doesn't have to growl as much at them and he doesn't charge them anymore as long as they give an immediate response to him and his signals. Emma only had to get scratched on the ear once and now she does exactly what JJ wants her to do. JJ rules the roost and is the protector of all the cats in the household......

I tell JJ "no", but he is unsure what they means at this point. He has never heard it because I have pampered him since he showed up in trouble. But I want him to accept the dogs in the household. I have created a monster cat and he is so proud to have a house and his own territory. I remember last winter trying to bring him inside when snow was outside and it was 0 degrees and he howled at the door wanting back outside. He hated it inside. Now he loves it.

The only thing that worries me about it is if he ever really "seriously" attacked them, they might not run. But they do run now. But I never leave the big dogs in the house when we are gone. I put them outside. When I am home they are always in. I don't like them too cold or too hot. Since we live in a cold winter climate and since Molly loves the snow and it's hard to get her in out of the snow, we are thinking of next summer building them an insulated dog house and putting it under the back deck and venting our heat/air system to their doghouse. That way they have climate control that is the same as inside the house for winter and for summer while we work. It never was an issue before because I stayed home when I was so sick. Our unit is going to be under the house so it would be easy to do. Husband and I were talking about this last night. We are getting a free brand new unit from our new neighbor where we are moving. They live down a hill a football field away. He is in the air business and they don't have water...........and we do. It is cheaper for them to dig a ditch to our well than to have their own well blasted through rock like we did. So they are digging ditches for a septic system with a back hoe and we are going to let them hook on to our well.............for a new CH/A unit plus duct work. We called our well man and it said our well is plenty big enough to handle 2 households. These people are weekenders too. They are only there sat and sun. It is their retreat. They live in the city. So we feel like we are getting a really good deal here.

It will be interesting to see JJ when we move and how he adjusts to having an enclosure. He will have new territory to claim but they all will actually. The dogs are going to love their new yard. It is 10x the size of their yard now.

But I think JJ will settle down since he has them trained now.. He just wants to be dominate and its a good thing my dog aren't dominate. Good thing I don't have a pitbull type dog... Mine are laid back babies whose main job is sleeping and snacking.

 

[jcribbs]

I hope it comes up XO....... I had never experienced an animal with an amputation. Mine or anyones else that I knew. JJ is the first animal amputee I have seen in person. It was shocking at first. I knew what to expect because people sent me photos of their cats but to see it in person is totally different. Expecially when you are the caregiver of that cat. It took my breath when I first saw him... He cried when I first held him afterwards. It was probably from pain but I cried too. It was heartwrenching...

Here's some pics from today. The swelling is going down and the hole is filling in with a scab now. Where the staples were, he has tiny little scabs all over the place. He doesn't mess with it. But occassionally he moves his stump around trying to use it like like for scratching and stuff but as far as movement, he is not hindered in any way what so ever. He jumps high and plays with the cats. He dashes to and fro and in general seems just like a regular cat with no handicap. In fact I don't see him as handicapped because he does not act like he even misses his leg. He is not the same as before. He is better because his leg is not bothering him any longer...







He is my beautiful baby boy who I lub.........

Jenn and JJ

 

[tru]

He is my beautiful baby boy who I lub.........

Jenn and JJ

Jenn,
That is so funny that you said that.
Whenever one of our cats come up for attention my mate says they came for some "lubbin".

 

[xocats]

JJ looks so much better.

When JJ went in for his surgery, I thought about how I would react if Sadie or Dexter had to have an amputation...
I would probably end up in the hospital too.
You are very courageous Jenn.

When you move and the kitties are in their enclosure, will they separated from your doggies so JJ can't irritate them?

 

[satai]

JJ looks great! Good job Jenn.

I love hearing about his antics - he's such a character.

 

[jcribbs]

Yes, XO, the cats yard and the dog yard are completely seperate... The only time they will interact is when the cats come indoors through their kitty door. and Xo, if something happened to one of your kitty's...you would handle it and come through with flying colors. Not a doubt in my mind...

and Tru...........I thought everyone said lubbing.......... Mine are lubbydubby's.........hehe

And here's JJ at 5:21am playing.... He's a little corker..... He is getting with it. There are going to be miserable when I move their boxes so we can finish packing....

 

[satai]

Originally Posted by jcribbs

And here's JJ at 5:21am playing.... He's a little corker..... He is getting with it. There are going to be miserable when I move their boxes so we can finish packing....

They really are!

 

[xocats]

I love the picture of JJ peeking out of the box.

You gotta love that boy.

 

[jcribbs]

I'm going to have to make sure I keep a few boxes laying around. Mama loves them too and since JJ got his stitches out, he hides in them and then jumps out to surprise the kittens when he is in a playful mood.

Something else about JJ........ Most adult cats outgrow that playfulness usually found in kitten play. JJ is just getting to do that and so he is romping just like a 3 month old kitten. I think it might be because he has never been in a situation where he could play and not have to worry about competition of any kind. It's always been about survival with him. So it is pretty awesome to watch him frolic around. When he tries to dash around a floor fan, he skids since he is on three legs. I am serious. He skids and keeps his balance. That's how fast he is and he is is having a blast playing with 5 kittens... He is a big ole kitten at heart right now. The other adults have no interest in playing with the babies. Only JJ. It just does a body good to watch this.

 

[xocats]

JJ is your big boy nanny.

 

[satai]

Originally Posted by xocats

JJ is your big boy nanny.

He's such a sweetie, isn't he?

I love you JJ!

 

[jcribbs]

He said he loves you too satai!!

And ya Xo..........he's a nanny kitty,,,,,,

He is getting fat again too. I am glad...

 

[yosemite]

What a special kitty JJ is and he is lucky to have you as you are to have him. Kiss his sweet little head for me.

 

[satai]

Originally Posted by jcribbs

He said he loves you too satai!!

I am sitting here smiling like crazy Jenn.

 

[jcribbs]

He does love you

.........!! I talk about you and about xocats to him... I tell him you guys are his special friends so keep on smiling. I really think he understand things....

And that little corker.........last night I called emma in the living room to lay on the floor so I could pet her. I didn't realize he was guarding the entrance. When she entered...he attacked. Emma hit the floor and lay down in submission and he put his paw on top of her head with his claws out and glared at her. He did not scratch her but he warned her to get out and she flew out of the room when JJ released her from the floor. I moved JJ and brought Emma on in. He looked very very irritated that I was petting her.. Isn't that funny?