The Fateful day ...

A month back Whisky (my adopted cat) fell/jumped from the fifth floor, from where I call home. For the past 5 months, I had always left her at home when I go to work, and I used to leave the balcony door open as her litter box, food and water were kept next to her bedding in the covered balcony. The window would be open so that the place wouldn’t become stuffy. So, as I was saying, I was away for the weekend and I got a frantic call that she is nowhere to be seen in the house. Every nook and corner was searched ( she usually has a immense liking to hide under/behind/inside small places and not utter even a faint sound until she is discovered. Initially everyone thought she would be around somewhere but then when it was noticed that her food was not touched, it was an alarm sign. The whole night went by without any trace of her.

The next day morning on a hunt around the building, she was found right vertically below the balcony window, all huddled up and with a swollen body. There were so many who were there watching her in pain but no one was there to pick her up or to even inform the security! I guess she must have been relieved to see someone she could recognize; I don’t even know whether she could recognize anyone. She was rushed to the nearest vet and all he could say was take her to the vet hospital as that’s the only place in the entire city (Bangalore) where a X-ray for an animal could be done. And then they also say we will give you a pain relief gel for you to rub for her and then once the swelling reduced, it can be determined whether it’s a fracture. I was always under the impression that docs can say when there is a fracture by feeling the spot and a fall from 5 floors in my opinion would certainly account for some major problem.

After a week of showing to at least 4 vets, they finally determined that it’s a fracture and that she needs to be taken to the vet hospital for further treatment.

On reaching the govt. run vet hospital on Saturday, we found out that the X-ray works only 5 days a week! Thankful to CUPA we were able to get the X-ray and know the gravity of the situation. The doc on seeing the X-ray was skeptical enough to say that you should take a second opinion. Her hip was broken and so was her shoulder bone. She was in extreme pain and there was no other means than to mildly sedate her if the X-ray was to be taken.

Now to wait for the second opinion would mean that wait till Monday.

On Monday on seeing the X-ray reports, the docs at the vet hospital, like any normal occurring, said that she would need a ‘Thomas Flint’ and following which rest for a week or two. Then they wanted us to get her back for a check up. She writhed in pain as the ‘Thomas Flint’ was put in place. This is a contraption, where there are aluminum rods which are placed, keeping the limb straight to prevent all movement and not to allow her to walk at all. The docs told us that she will walk with after a week and she will take time.

After almost a month now, she has started to walk again but she has a limp and she is not the way she was before. She can not jump onto the chair or onto your lap. She wants to… and she does try but then when it hurts her, or maybe when she is not able to do it, she just lies down on her side and decides to clean herself if nothing else.

However I look at it, I feel maybe it is someway my fault as leaving her at home as she was growing up and moreover during that period she was more alone as I was also having a more hectic time at work and someone was also staying over at my place, who was shriekingly scared of any moving object. She was very alone I believe and maybe she felt bad, or she wanted her freedom and that was her way of showing that she didn’t approve.

I would never know but all I pray is that I will never ever let her go through any more such agony which drives her to such measures. Each time I see that limp, I feel responsible, responsible for her life and having to do with the fact that she can not be the self she was 2 months back.

I bet she misses clinging onto my trousers and being dragged around as I walk, or jumping onto the chairs and hoping from one chair to another, or jumping onto the windowsill to watch the fishes in the aquarium.

I still pray that the calcium syrups and time will heal her and make her jump without thinking onto my lap.