Sootys Surgery and Post Op

Yesterday morning I got up early, brushed my teeth, got dressed like any other day. Then the weirdness started I picked up the pet carrier and attempt to have Sooty go inside.  I ended up chasing her around the kitchen, cornering her, grabbing her behind the neck and forcing her into the carrier.  Then I put her in the car, brought her to the scariest place in the world (for her), and left her there, while I sauntered off to work.

For some reason I was not feeling like the best kitty mom in the world.  I was feeling downright sucky.  I wished that she would understand that the world that we live in has no bigger fear than the fear of lumps. Her lump had to be removed. I needed to know if it was the dreaded C word....and I hoped that if it was the dreaded C word that having the lump removed would removed the threat.

I called the vets office at about 11:30 to ask them to do good nail trim on Sooty while they had the chance....I was told that her surgery had just begun that they would make sure that the nail trim was done, if it had not already been done.

About an hour later Sootys surgeon called to give me an update....the lump was not cancer. There would be no biopsy required.  It seems that Sooty has a hernia.  Normally hernia is nothing to be concerned about....unless it grows.   This one was growing.  Could have cause some intestinal issues if it had not been fixed. Needless to say, it is now fixed.

That news was better than any outcome that I had imagined. 

By the time she was ready to come home, I had finished my day at work, I rushed off to rescue her.  I was a little bit perturbed to discover that the price of her ransom was more than I had been expecting due to the fact the the surgery had required 30 minutes of surgery time instead of the expected 10....therefore an extra $250.00.  (Just between you and me Sooty has already received her Christmas present).

Once home and freed of the carrier Sooty wobbled around the house.  Having been told that she had not eaten at the vets I expected her to be starving (she had to begin fasting the night before).  She had very little interest in the canned food and none at all in her usual kibble...the reaction to kibble was nothing new but can food is a treat.  She took a few bites and walked away.  I'm not sure if she was restless or if she was in pain (the pain meds were not supposed to wear off till this morning), but she would not be still.  She gingerly moved from position to position and from room to room.  I suppose having me following her around like a demented stalker didn't to allot to make her feel at ease.  At times she seemed to appreciate the attention, and at other times she seemed to want to be left alone.  She would gently push her head against my hand but not her usual banging her head against my hand.  It seemed like she wanted to purr but nothing was coming out. 

She was weaker and wobbly.  Not what I had been expecting but I reminded myself she had just had surgery, and kept an eye on her throughout the night.  This morning I crushed up one of her pain pills and mixed it into a teaspoon of food...I found her hiding under a chair.  Again she was responded to being petted but where a usual purr would come now there was nothing.  She was spitting up bile and no interest in the food I offered...by this time I knew her pain meds were wearing off so I became mean mommy again and forces the spoonful of food into her.

Vets office called to check up on her and confirmed what I was suspecting, that the tube that had been put down her throat during surgery was often more irritation to cats than dogs and that could be the reason that she is not interested  in eating.  Her incision looks fine, her wobblyness has worn off.  I am still trying to keep her from jumping up on the bed.  I would be happier if she was wanting to snuggle and purr, but I'm sure she is progressing normally.

Day or two from now I hope this will all be history