Kitties, Part Two

Kramer did fine through the night. I talked to the vet this morning. As far as they can tell, he has a fractured palate and broken jaw. His eyes are swollen shut now, but when they were still somewhat open, he did have his vision. Most of all, though, he has his wits about him. He purrs when petted, and rolls onto his back to have his belly scratched. Just like Kramer.

The doctor was actually very hopeful that, with surgery, Kramer could lead a relatively normal kitty life. She thinks he’d be at higher risk of seizures in the future because of his head trauma, but the fact that he actually did well during the first 24 hours was a promising sign. She said they usually degrade or pass in the first day if they’re not doing well.

She recommended he be transferred to an emergency vet about an hour away where they have a dental surgeon on staff. The idea is to have Kramer put under general anaesthesia just one time, to do X-rays and the surgery all at once.

We’ve decided to give it a shot. Financially, this is not smart. But. If he were not going to have good quality of life, if he were a vegetable, if we had to squeeze his belly to make him poop, if he had a feeding tube the rest of his life . . . all that would be one thing. I don’t think it’s smart to save an animal’s life if they’re not going to enjoy their time on earth. But I honestly couldn’t live with myself if we let him go when he had a good chance of having a good, normal life.

Chris is at the other emergency vet right now with a very beat-up looking Kramer. I would post a pic but I can’t look at it so I won’t. I’ll update as I get more news. Please, some healthy kitty vibes, prayers, positive thoughts, whatever would be much appreciated.