Friday, February 22, 2013

King Hit by a Car

Yesterday morning when I got to the park, I was just laying out the kibble when I heard a cat crying.  I followed the cry into the brush by the sea and found King.  I knew something was wrong.  He couldn't move. 

King was in the brush and couldn't move

I didn't know what to do.  I didn't have a carrier with me.  One was at the vet with Rex, also from the park, as he was being altered.  The other we lent to a friend.  The only other carriers were at home and were the large dog carriers in which I had brought my dogs to Cyprus.  A trap would not have helped because King could not walk.

He has been a lot friendlier lately, allowing me to pet him, and rubbing against my legs when I arrive, but yesterday morning he was feeling  vulnerable and frightened and he was in pain. He was hissing and spitting and I knew it would be hard to catch him. 

My phone was out of juice.  I got in a quick call to Nik before it died.  I decided to go on down to the lower park and feed the rest of the cats, then go home and get a large carrier, and ask Nik to meet me at the park on his lunch hour to try to catch King.

When I got down to the lower park I found Sose with a deep wound behind his ear, and Pookie was sick.  She was sneezing everywhere.

Sose with his injury

Pookie has a bad cold, I hope that is all it is
And I noticed Mustafa is losing patches of fur:

Mustafa has some bald spots.  What's up? 


But they both ate well along with the others, so I focused my concern on King's needs.

After feeding the other cats I went back up to check on King to see if he would eat. I had a pouch of something special in the car and he ate the whole thing.

King was very hungry and I was so happy he ate


Since he had dragged himself a ways toward the kibble and water bowls, I thought he might be thirsty and brought him some water.  He didn't drink any. 

He wouldn't drink any water

Nik met me at the park on his lunch break and went right to work trying to catch him.  It's times like these when what we really need is a net, but all we had was garden gloves, a gigantic carrier, and a towel.   We were both crawling around under the brush trying to corner him and he was pitifully hissing and spitting and dragging himself away from us. 

Nik goes into the brush where King is hiding


King made sure he dragged himself where we couldn't reach him

Nik in the brush closing in on King
Then we both lost sight of him.  A few minutes later we found that he had exited the brush and crawled between these large rocks by the sea.  He wedged himself in well.  It worked in our favor. 
That's King's hind side and tail sticking out from between the boulders
Thank goodness Nik had some jeans to change into
Nik is trying to get a grip on him here without getting bitten
And sure enough he pops up with King in his hands, I couldn't believe it
And there you have it, Nik comes through for us again.  He got a big kiss after this.

It took us Nik's entire lunch hour but we got him.  I couldn't believe it.  I was sure we would have to come back again later.

King's x-rays show his hip is broken.  We have to wait and see if he can eliminate by himself before we can fully understand his condition.  He has already done his peepee but we have to wait on the other.  If he can do that then it is just a matter of time like it was with Arsinoe to see if he can walk again.  If so, he will have to be contained for a long time so his hip can heal, which means keeping him in a large carrier here at home.  He can't go back to the park. 

It broke my heart to see this dignified, proud, and benevolent creature I have gotten to know so well and care about so much, crippled with pain and reduced to terror.  I hate cars.  I really do.  Thank God, he wasn't killed.

Please send King your prayers for a full and speedy recovery. 

We love you King and we pray you will heal


Nik, thanks for coming through for us.  Thank you. 

And thank you all for your prayers and your kind and loving thoughts. 

The majestic King when I first met him
King is still a king to us.

4 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, this story is so affecting! The problem with cats, especially feral cats, is that they just run away because their instincts are much much closer to the wild. Most dogs would come to US and whimper for attention. If we make the right noises, even after initially backing away in terror, eventually most of them get it.. this person is trying to HELP..! Not cats!!!

    I see so many dead cats going to and from work - from Mijas Costa to Marbella, 38 km each way - it makes me sick to the stomach. I feel this little bump of sickness going right up to the top of my head.

    I've very occasionally had dogs - and cats - come right out in front of me on the road. Never hit one and so God help me I never will. Yet I am forced to drive the bloody car all that way every day because I have to work and here are no other jobs. I dread one day the unspeakable happening. I keep my speed down and am constantly alert but the locals? They think driving is putting the foot down on the accelerator - and that's it. They're like children. What are they doing giving these people licenses?

    I'll check on this site again for further news on King and I sure hope he makes it...but I would imagine that his roaming days are over ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, Arjun. It's true. A cat's claws are great protection for them but they also keep them from getting the help they need when they are in trouble. Every rose has its thorn and every cat has its claws, and let's not forget the teeth.

      I wish we could go back to the days when everyone worked in their own village. But they make it so hard for a man to sell his wares these days. It's crazy.
      It is good of you to drive slowly for the animals. I wish everyone would slow down and consider them.

      Thank you so much for your positive thoughts toward King. His roaming days are over for sure because they went ahead and altered him while they had him under for x-rays. It surprised me a little at first, but I see now it makes sense.

      Delete
  2. Well, Anita my dear, they absolutely did the right thing. I'm told feral cats have a life expectancy only three yearsbecause of all the hazards whereas altered and domesticated cats could live over 15 years....you couldbe having this lovely boy for a .ong time as he'll never be able to get very far again....but in some respects, he will have a very good quality of life with food and water, at .east vasic vet care, and plenty of attention...

    The wound behind Sose's ear...has he got ear mites? Mimi had exactly the same woundin the same place recently and it was a bad ear mite infection...she needed antibiotic injection....she's got better but the red wound is a permanent scar now...

    She did itby scratching with her clawsbehind her ear too hard...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. I guess I just was a little surprised because I felt like he had already been through a lot - like, one thing at a time. Maybe he was thinking, "Hey! Add unsult to injury why don't you!?"

      But you're right, I realize it's best not to put him under more than we need to. It was a sensible decision.

      Hey, good thinking about the ear mites. I have seen that before. I will check Sose's ears today. I keep ear mite medicine in my bag I take to the park. I give it to Moonpie every now and again.

      Delete