A feline first

Today, I took a photograph into my veterinary clinic for diagnosis. I bet you've never done that before, either. One of my formerly feral cats, Sweetie Cat, had gone up into a tree the day before I left for convention. It is her custom to go up there when it's really a hot day, but she always comes down at night to eat and to sleep on the patio. Well, she did NOT come down, and she was still up in the tree when I returned yesterday.

I was able to coax her down last night, and I was horrified to see that a big patch on her back was bare of fur and bloody! I treated her with what I had on hand, and I took a photo of her injuries, planning to take her to the vet this morning. Throughout the night, I went out to check on her, and I found her sleeping peacefully. However, when I went out this morning to put her in a carrier for the trip to the vet, I found her back up in the tree! Unable to get her to come down throughout the day, I finally just took a printout of the photo I'd made, and I asked the vet's receptionist to find out what the vet thought I might be able to do to help the cat. I came home with some liquid antibiotics (Pepto-Bismol type color and smell) and the advice to put anti-biotic cream on the cat's back. Well, if I ever get her to come DOWN, I'll do all of that! The vet's diagnosis based on the photo is that Sweetie had an abcess that burst, and that she licked all the fur off herself!

To paraphrase a line from Gone With the Wind, "Lawdy, lawdy, Miz Scarlet, I don't know NUTHIN' 'bout raisin' no cats!"