Well, hell.

As you all know, I am a cat lady (but not crazy yet.) Last week one of the outdoor kittens began limping, so I took him to a vet. Apparently an adult cat had bitten it; it's a very common thing with cats & kittens. The vet gave it a shot of antibiotic, worm medicine and some antibiotic drops to take home.

So I have been giving him the drops but he wasn't really improving and the limp did not go away. Yesterday, his leg suddenly swelled up and so I took him back to the vet just before closing. The vet thought it was probably a very bad abscess and he would have to keep the kitten for a few days to lance it and give it stronger antibiotics.

The vet called this morning. He said the abscess had been "extremely severe" and worse, it was hiding a fractured femur. While he could amputate, at best it would only give the kitten a few extra days to a couple of weeks and he would always be in pain. He said it would be kinder to put him to sleep, and I agreed.

This makes the third pet I have lost in less than a year and I tell you, I feel absolutely gutted. Lucky and LeeAnn were bad but in a way expected because of very advanced age and general failing health. But this little kitten has really shaken me up (not sure why, just that it did.)

Details of the vet call & diagnosis under the cut, 'cause it's kinda gory. Read at your own risk. You've been warned.
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