A Trip With Thomas
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This is a story about a cat I called Thomas. He's no longer with me now and I don't know if he is still on his journey or not. I wish I knew.
It is always said that you should enjoy the ride to your destination instead of focussing on the destination itself. One is supposed to take in the beauty of all they see and be in the moment. What a great way to live live.
Today was not one of those days to enjoy the ride. Although it was beautiful to the eyes it was not so for Thomas and I on this day.
How The Day Started
It started out as an ordinary day. I get up and let the dog out, feed the cats and get my cup of coffee. Today I am also doing laundry---or I was until Thomas showed me something the led us down a different path.
Thomas is a cat that someone left after moving out. He had been sick off and on and I was keeping him in a crate for fear it was contageous. I was also just startng to give him a half of a baby aspirin thinking that he may be in some or lots of pain.
He was drooling a few weeks back and then stopped after about a week. It wasn't the kind that indicated that he had rabies or anything like that. So I wasn't too concerned with it and he stopped after about a week. I assumed that he just got something stuck in his throat and it had worked itself out.
A week or so went by and then I see him with his chin wet all the time. Well I wipe it off and think nothing of it. That kind of went away too after a few days.
Today was different though. I was going to give him a half of a baby aspirin and he opened his mouth wide for me. He has never done anything like that or I would have seen what he wanted to show me a while before today.
There was a large growth, about the size of an acorn, in the back side of his throat. OMG, I couldn't believe it. I knew that I could not handle anything like this and so I asked on Facebook if any of my friends knew about abscess in the throat of a cat. One gave me a good site, but it didn't address the ones that I was concerned about. I call the Homeopathic vet that is about 45 minutes away and tell her what is going on and I set up an appointment for today for him to get looked at.
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The Trip
Being as this is an emergency my husband comes home from his day job to get me and take me and Thomas to his second job and I take Thomas with me to the Vet. That's when the fun begins!
I drop my hubby off and start on our journey down the road. As soon as I get out of the outskirts of town, which is about 15 minutes, I begin to smell something funny. Thomas is quiet and I just thought that ...eh.... there was something in the road or that someone in front of me had some exhaust issues.
Well a few minutes later I hear scratching and knew at that point in time that Thomas went to the bathroom in his carrier. That was bad enough and I was almost gagging at that time and nowhere to stop.
I slowed down because someone was turning in front of me and I couldn't believe it when next thing I heard Thomas and carrier rolled off the back seat onto the floor. I found someplace quick to pull over to get him and carrier back on the seat. Oh boy what more did I see and feel when I lifted the carrier. He not only pooped but he peed as well. Now it was all over my hands and all I had were paper towels. I tried to clean up the outside of the carrier where the foul liquid and some solid stuff were on.It was on the floor and on some papers and one the back of the drivers seat. It was even on the blanket we have for the dog on the back seat. I couldn't open up the crate because if I did that I know he would jump out of it and .....well he wouldn't make it back into the car in one piece. I probably wouldn't have either.
The smell was horrible and I felt sorry for Thomas who had to ride the rest of the way in all his excretement. I kept telling him that I was sorry. Meanwhile I have all the windows down and the A/C running fullblast. It was a 45 minute trip. Not only that but someone was on the road around the corner who was driving 30 miles and hour on a 55 mile an hour road! The speed was what was keeping the stench down. Following that car was hell. I was behind them for a good 15 minutes.
This was one trip that was not enjoyed. It was spent only focussing on the destination.
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Where is Thomas Now
Thomas was left at the Vet for some surgery......on both ends. He will be neutered too. He has a tumor on his throat that the Vet thinks that she can get. I go to pick him up again tomorrow evening. Hopefully it will be a better and more enjoyable trip the Thomas and I.
The poor kitty and what he has been through the last 2 days is enough to go bonkers with. The Vet said that she didn't think that he was in pain because it didn't look like an abscess but a hard tumor. We shall see when I call her tomorrow afternoon.
Never say or speak out or even think that you are bored! You won't stay that way for long! It's like be careful what you ask for.
I will keep you updated on Thomas. I thought that I had a picture of him, but I cannot find it. If I find it I will post it.
UPDATE 9/8/2010 945 a.m.: The vet just called and he excaped last night. They are still looking for him.
1/3/2012: He was never seen again. I miss him much.
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dahoglund, Thanks for stopping by. Yes it is a labor of love caring for all the animals that we have around our place.
I just added a picture of Thomas.
It is now noon and they still have not found my cat.
Lady G I do hope that they find Thomas and that his ailments have been cured.
It's almost 10 a.m. and I have not heard from the vet yet--meaning they probably have not found him. They wiil though as I had a dream this morning about him being back in my arms.
Today I called them and they told me that something ate the food that was in front of the Vets last night, but still no Thomas.
This dream also had a man in it that didn't want Thomas to be neutered and I aregued with him that he was going to be. I then asked him if he was going to take the litter of kittens that Thomas would bring about and he said no and then I s...aid then he is going to be fixed and I am adamant about that. I was also being sought after and hid Thomas in a bucket in a well. The bucket tipped over and Thomas landed in the water. It was OK because I pulled him from the water. He was then on a shelf and I was rubbing under his chin and he growled at me. His face was smaller and a little bit different and he was a different cat, but looked the same 'cept for the face. He didn't run off either.
This makes sense becasue when they do the surgery to take out the tumor he will look a bit different and be in some pain for a while. He will also be a different cat becasue when they neuter the males they are different. They are calmer and don't attack each other and they can't make litters of unwanted kittens either. They are also more loving and most stay around the area or house.
So I know they will find him and he will get the surgery that he needs.See More
Boy I didn't think that this hub would turn into a cat recue but they still have not gotten Thomas. I am thinkinbg that it is going to take three days before he even thinks about venturing out in the day hours to be seen. God I hope it will be today.
Thomas is still missing. My heart is breaking for this guy. Yes he has been in the woods, but not by a very busy trucking byway. Yes he knows how to catch mice, but not someplace he has never been before. He can't eat dry cat food and he is probably scared out of his wits. I called the vets this monring about 9:15 and had to leave a message becasue they were closed. I will try again at 10:30 if they havent called me back and then go on over there and see if he will come to me today.
This is all surreal! I have never ever heard of this type of thing happening nor have I ever experienced such a thing.
I want to help them get their cages more secure and get them some small window A/C's so they dont have to open windows. If anyone can help donate such things please contact me on my profile page. The link to their site is: http://animaliaveterinarycare.com/index.html
They still haven't found my cat. Even though he is equipped to live in the woods they still like the care and love of humans. I miss him lots. Everytime I talk to one of my other cats I use his name instead. Even when I try not too.
I can feel your concern for Thomas...Hopefully he will return...Leaving food out for him may result in his return...I certainly hope so...My two cats are my constant companions and give much pleasure and enjoyment...We, as humans, are very fortunate to to have dogs and cats in our lives...Their love is pure and without guile...Thank you for this...Larry
Well Larry, I can't do that because it won't last very long. I have 5 other ouder cats, racoons and possums that will eat that food before he even get near it. Where the vets off is is about 30 miles away in a very heavy forested mountains with many streams running thorugh them. When I drive to get there they road is very winding because of going up and around the ridges and there are like two small mountains between us. I have two peices of my clothing hangin on the line in hopes that he gets my scent. Really I would love for him to stay at the vets because he will still need that surgery to remove that tumor and get neutered and his flea shot.
Thomas is still missing and now all my cats have a new name--Thomas. I fear that he is dying out there in the woods all alone and lost. I took him to the vet to see about that tumor in the back of his mouth and they said that he had a hard time breathing and I know that he can't eat dry food. I don't think that we will make it here.
Well it has been 2 weeks and no sign of Thomas. It is a shame and I do miss him much. The other cats do too as they (even though they have never wanted to come inside) come inside to take a look around. I think they think that he just came in and became an indoor cat. They are leary of leaving this place becaseu it has been three cats now that we have taken away and not come back with.
My first cat was named Thomas.. was kind of an odd story..
I got "him" when he was just a week old as the guy I got it from told me it was a male cat, so I named "him" Thomas. Then several months later I began to notice Thomas getting bigger but I assumed I fed "him" too much so I just minimised "his diet"
Then one day after I went to a football match, I came home and found Thomas had four babies right on the living room carpet!! My face was totally blank and couldn't believe I had a female cat all along!! I tried changing her name to Suzy but she would only respond to Thomas.
She lived for 11 years and then one day she just left home and never came back.. That was about 10 years ago and sometimes I hope she comes back..
But I feel sorry for your Thomas, sounds like a good cat and hope you get him back soon and that he's ok.
Mamelody, That is a strange story. My Shadow we thought she was a boy by how she acted and sprayed until we went to get her fixed and found out he was a she.
Thanks for the well wishes and I do hope that he somehow makes it back to me.
I feel your pain, though I think it's worse for you because poor Thomas is sick. I can't believe that a vets office could be so careless & lose your cat. Have they tried putting a cage out with something of his & yours in it to trap him?? I hope you find him soon so he can have his surgeries.
At least my Pinto wasn't sick, hopefully someone has her & doesn't know I'm looking for her. 2 months tomorrow & nothing yet!
They did everything that they could and still no Thomas. He had a growth in the back of his throat that was slowly getting bigger and bigger and preventing him from getting enough air. They did tests on him while I was there and it wasn't cancer and they were going to cut it out and a the same time neuter him. So I don't know if he died or what. It's been three months now and I call his name every now and again. I wake up at night if I hear anything that sounds like it might be him.
He was an outdoor cat and knows how to get around, just he can't eat any dry food with that lump. I was feeding him raw hamburger and he would woof it down but it was the only thing that he could get past the lump.
Did you put posters up in all the neighborhoods around you and even a bit further than that? I hope you find Pinto soon.
dahoglund Level 7 Commenter 20 months ago
We have not had cats for a long time. It is tough when your pets are hurt whether cats or dogs or other kinds.