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Crisis Mode Activate!
8 years ago
First, let me start this off with some good news... I still LOVE my new job. I've gotten a raise, a key to the building, an alarm code for the building, free reign on designing all new products... I basically run the show at this point and my stress levels- in terms of employment- have never, ever been this low.
But, as the title suggests, something is terribly wrong.
As you guys may know, I am a Crazy Cat Lady. All of my cats are rescues or offspring of rescues. Currently, I have 13 cats. Four of them are perma-indoor cats; Jing, Cole, Dandy, and Sugar. They are all fine. One cat is both indoor and outdoor as she's allowed to come and go as she pleases; that's Callie and she's fine. Then there's the outdoor cats: Eira, Saga, and Talena. They are fine. Talena had four kittens in March. Her kittens are fine. Bowie is an outdoor cat. Or was. He is NOT fine.
Bowie disappeared for like a month. This is unusual. Our outdoor cats may go "missing" for a day or two, perhaps 3, and then show up for dinner as if they were never gone. We are used to this. But a month? We'd basically written Bowie off as dead. After all, I live in the woods where there's many birds of prey, coyotes, wild boar, bears, and of course humans with their cars. But then Bowie showed up and he was limping really badly. It took me 2 weeks to be able to get near him and catch him. Upon taking him to the vet, the worst of my fears were confirmed. His right hind leg was broken. But not just any normal break. No.
SOME FUCKER SHOT MY CAT.
That's right. The x-ray showed multiple pieces of buckshot in his leg and body. There's even a piece in his forehead. The leg is BADLY broken. My vet used the word "shattered" to describe it. The bones are over lapping each other, the broken ends passing each other by over an inch. This will not heal on its own. Ever. My vet gave me 3 options.
1. Amputate it for $1,500.
2. Take him to the UF AH for them to reset it and pin it for $5,000.
3. Take him home for 2 months to figure shit out. $??? for ongoing pain medication.
I went with option three because I don't have that kind of money. If you read my last journal, then you are aware I owe $2,550 in back taxes because I messed up on my tax filing back in 2015. I certainly don't have $5,000. But I think I can drum up $1,500 for an amputation. My vet assured me that because Bowie is young (just a bit over a year old) he'll do just fine with 3 legs and cats adapt very well to things like that. At least I got him neutered, but his visit cost me $412. That's more than a week's worth of pay.
So what do I do? My plan is to make money, obviously. Not only do I have debts to be taken care of anyway, but this is Priority #1. My credit card balance and taxes can go to hell. I need to take care of Bowie. (I also need to get Talena spayed and her kittens fixed so we don't end up with MORE kittens.)
My current plan is to sell off a bunch of my belongings. I've got books and collectibles I'll start with first. I'm going to re-open my Etsy store this weekend, too. I've also already started making new chainmail items to showcase and offer commissions for and to sell. I've been drawing but I know I'm not active enough on here to gain any attention. I've been too lazy to scan things, edit things, etc. But shit just got real. I need money. I need Bowie healed, one way or another.
So why all the drama in a long FA journal? I dunno. Mostly to vent. Mostly to let my friends on here know what's going on. I'm not asking for handouts. Not asking for donations. Just. Damn. Someone shot my cat. With a shot gun. What the fuck? I'm doing the best I can. I cried, first. Then got angry. Then cried some more. Then I started planning how to get money for amputation surgery. Now I'm just determined to help my cat.
If you see me posting actual submissions, this is why. I've got motivation and drive to be seen and to make money. This isn't about me. It's about Bowie.
But, as the title suggests, something is terribly wrong.
As you guys may know, I am a Crazy Cat Lady. All of my cats are rescues or offspring of rescues. Currently, I have 13 cats. Four of them are perma-indoor cats; Jing, Cole, Dandy, and Sugar. They are all fine. One cat is both indoor and outdoor as she's allowed to come and go as she pleases; that's Callie and she's fine. Then there's the outdoor cats: Eira, Saga, and Talena. They are fine. Talena had four kittens in March. Her kittens are fine. Bowie is an outdoor cat. Or was. He is NOT fine.
Bowie disappeared for like a month. This is unusual. Our outdoor cats may go "missing" for a day or two, perhaps 3, and then show up for dinner as if they were never gone. We are used to this. But a month? We'd basically written Bowie off as dead. After all, I live in the woods where there's many birds of prey, coyotes, wild boar, bears, and of course humans with their cars. But then Bowie showed up and he was limping really badly. It took me 2 weeks to be able to get near him and catch him. Upon taking him to the vet, the worst of my fears were confirmed. His right hind leg was broken. But not just any normal break. No.
SOME FUCKER SHOT MY CAT.
That's right. The x-ray showed multiple pieces of buckshot in his leg and body. There's even a piece in his forehead. The leg is BADLY broken. My vet used the word "shattered" to describe it. The bones are over lapping each other, the broken ends passing each other by over an inch. This will not heal on its own. Ever. My vet gave me 3 options.
1. Amputate it for $1,500.
2. Take him to the UF AH for them to reset it and pin it for $5,000.
3. Take him home for 2 months to figure shit out. $??? for ongoing pain medication.
I went with option three because I don't have that kind of money. If you read my last journal, then you are aware I owe $2,550 in back taxes because I messed up on my tax filing back in 2015. I certainly don't have $5,000. But I think I can drum up $1,500 for an amputation. My vet assured me that because Bowie is young (just a bit over a year old) he'll do just fine with 3 legs and cats adapt very well to things like that. At least I got him neutered, but his visit cost me $412. That's more than a week's worth of pay.
So what do I do? My plan is to make money, obviously. Not only do I have debts to be taken care of anyway, but this is Priority #1. My credit card balance and taxes can go to hell. I need to take care of Bowie. (I also need to get Talena spayed and her kittens fixed so we don't end up with MORE kittens.)
My current plan is to sell off a bunch of my belongings. I've got books and collectibles I'll start with first. I'm going to re-open my Etsy store this weekend, too. I've also already started making new chainmail items to showcase and offer commissions for and to sell. I've been drawing but I know I'm not active enough on here to gain any attention. I've been too lazy to scan things, edit things, etc. But shit just got real. I need money. I need Bowie healed, one way or another.
So why all the drama in a long FA journal? I dunno. Mostly to vent. Mostly to let my friends on here know what's going on. I'm not asking for handouts. Not asking for donations. Just. Damn. Someone shot my cat. With a shot gun. What the fuck? I'm doing the best I can. I cried, first. Then got angry. Then cried some more. Then I started planning how to get money for amputation surgery. Now I'm just determined to help my cat.
If you see me posting actual submissions, this is why. I've got motivation and drive to be seen and to make money. This isn't about me. It's about Bowie.
