A little sympathy goes a long way...and Fluffy gets operated

When I opened an envelope from Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre this morning, I didn't know what to expect.

What a wonderful gesture from the wonderful and caring staff at the Vet clinic to send us this postcard for the death of our "Mommy".

They even included a little print of her paw in a separate card, that I will frame together with the card and a photo of her. It brought tears to my eyes again...

I haven't written since Mommy died, and since then another one of our cats has been attacked.
Fluffy went missing last Sunday 9th and the following day when he didn't show up for breakfast and again for dinner I started to panic. I went around the neighbourhood looking for him and printed out some posters with his photo and stuck them on lamp posts in two streets.
On Tuesday evening he came home, dehydrated, yelling out in pain when I picked him up and wouldn't even stand up when I put him in front of water and food.

This was around midnight and I wrapped him in a blanket and drove to Murdoch Emergency again. He was given pain relief and put him on a drip straight away, while I waited in the wait room.
After a while, the nurse came back to tell me they were very busy operating a dog, but would get back to me with more information as soon as they could, but Fluffy was calm.
I eventually left close to 3A.M. after a chat to the vet (the same one who had treated Mommy) and after visiting Fluffy in his cage, already more alert, looking much better.
The vet said that as soon as she saw my name and heard about Fluffy being injured, she immediately thought that maybe he wouldn't make it either, but luckily his injuries were a lot milder, he had a deep bite mark on his thigh and a couple of smaller bites, and one of his legs was swollen too.

Fluffy stayed in hospital overnight to receive intravenous fluids and pain medication, and I was to pick him up at 8 A.M on Wednesday. I had less than 4 hours sleep...
Luckily it was my day off, so just after 8,  I was at the hospital to pick him up. The vet said he was much brighter, temperature was down, but he would have to be operated to removed dead tissue around the deep wound, due to infection. 

From there I drove Fluffy to my usual vet so he could stay there until Thursday on the drip and if stronger he would be operated Thursday morning.
Today, at around 3 P.M. my vet called to say the operation had gone well and he would be ready to be picked up from 6 P.M.
He is home now with a huge dressing over his stitches and a drain for the pus.
He has to be kept in a confined space with his food, water and a sand box nearby, so I have put him in my bathroom. He shouldn't walk too much so as not to pull the stitches.

In the bathroom inside his basket

His wound and drain, an huge area was shaved to expose the bite marks

On Monday I will take him back to get the wound cleaned, dressing changed and to remove the drain.

Glad that I will be staying home Friday and Monday so that I can keep an eye on him.
He could have stayed at the vet, although they don't have 24h care, one of their staff would visit Saturday evening and Sunday, but it would just add to the already exorbitant fees I have paid.

Now we have to wait for Fluffy to get back to his gentle and sweet self, he was such a hit at the vet wanting cuddles every time someone went by his cage! 
Very charming boy!!
He is such a laid-back cat, loves being at home with us, that I can't figure out why he went out looking for a fight. 
Could he be trying to avenge his "Mommy's" death?

And then, we have to come up with a plan to build an enclosure for the cats in the garden, as I'm now petrified to let them go into the garden, and I have been locking them in at night since Fluffy returned home. We have lived here for almost 7 years and nothing like this had ever happened even though there are more dogs around, it's just changed since the new neighbours moved in with two bull terriers.

Our social Fluffy loves being with the humans

The human pillow is always the best!