herbie, wounded warrior

herbie, our wonderful orange tabby, is wearing a cone and sporting a shaved spot with a straw sticking out of his backside, courtesy of surgery wednesday night by dr. nicki at santa cruz veterinarian hospital. he's fine, don't worry, if not a little frustrated; he had an almost abscess near the base of his tail. it wasn't actually an abscess yet, but was heading that way fast. there were two bites (we think from tommy, the other orange tabby in the neighborhood who he has been fighting with) & apparently there was a pretty big infected area so the vet thought he'd need a drain in it. we knew something was up because he was walking sort of funny, like his butt hurt, but more than that he was in a most un-herbie-like foul mood... hissing at us when we tried to pet him and that's just not our little love bug at all. when he wouldn't eat, when he turned his nose up at his evening nummies (a small scoop of fancy feast), an event he eagerly anticipates every day starting at 4:30 pm (and nummies aren't until 6 pm at least, usually) we knew he was sick. so off to the vet at 11:15 pm, where we stayed until about 12:30 am, probably closer to 1:00 am, before heading home without the herbster. the vet called the next morning to tell us the surgery went well (they were only going to call overnight if there was a problem, and there wasn't, praise God!) and that he had "a robust appetite" this morning, so we know our guy is back! :) and his dad stayed home on thursday to look after him. he's really settled down (he was pissed when he got home), but he's bumping into things and walking backwards so he won't bump stuff. i just had to re-do his collar. he'd managed to get the plastic part undone at the place where it's put together. i felt bad when i'd finished as he just sat there, head down, like a bowed and beaten man.

but the cone and the drain will go bye-bye on monday, so if he can just put up with us until then. i gotta say, he's loads better about taking his medicine than chiana was when she had a really bad abscess a few months ago. in general she's a lot easier going, so much so that her temperament combined with her fluffiness meant we didn't realize she had such a bad abscess until she was really sick; the vet said there was necrotic tissue in her wound (and necrotic tissue = totally disgusting!) herbie, on the other hand, was pissy and miserable and it wasn't even an abscess yet. then again, he is one smart cat and he's not into suffering.

hating me for documenting his suffering:




the reason he needs a cone




success at finally getting to clean his tail! and his drain. i'd just done warm compresses on him, which is why his fur is wet around the edges.




please send herbie healing prayers and vibes, as he is finding us very trying. as to his sister, she's doing great!