So I just have to share/vent.
Today my cat jumped, as she normally does, from the couch (about 2 feet off the floor) down to the floor, and
immediately starts limping, favoring her right front leg. Naturally, I flip out. She's 14, and has never done anything like this before.
So I call the vet. Can't bring her in for an hour (vet is out to lunch). Ok sit and watch her hobble around for an hour. Won't let me touch her, but during the moment I'm able to, she meows and hisses when I touch her front right paw/arm. Now I'm crying because there's nothing I can do.
A little time passes, and she limps over and starts eating. Ok, that's a good sign. Then she comes back and lays on the floor all sprawled out with her content face showing. That's got to be better, right?
Well the time comes and she's still limping, so I have to take her to the vet. Oh joy. Wrangle her into her case, and off we go. She (for her bratty self) behaves pretty well at the vet, but the vet says there's something wrong with her elbow and she'd like to do an x-ray. Oh joy, how much is this going to cost me? $500, give or take, because doofus definitely won't behave after I leave, so they need to sedate her a bit (been there, done that, know the routine, so I'm not totally surprised by that part).
Leave her to get the x-ray, and come back to a $500 bill and some pain meds (for her, not me, sadly). No obvious fracture, but the vet thinks something's up so she's sending the x-ray to a specialist (kitty orthopedist? kitty radiologist?) to have it reviewed and I should know in a few days at the latest. If it's a fracture, they either set it or she'll have surgery (let's not even go there right now). If it's a soft tissue injury, then it's just got to heal. Either way, I HAVE TO KEEP HER TO EXTREMELY LIMITED MOBILITY FOR
TWO WEEKS. Hello? She's a cat. But no running, no jumping on & off furniture. So my options are 1) lock her in the bathroom with litter, food, & water for two weeks; or 2) get a big dog crate that I can fit a small litter box, her food, & water in.
She's currently limping around (to the extent there's room) in the bathroom, with a little bed, a blanket, and some of her stuffed animals (in addition to the litter, food, & water). She currently hates me (though she did love the tuna I gave her when she got home). Her hatred for me is getting worse as time goes on because she doesn't understand why mommy had to lock her in what was formerly known as time-out. I'm a wreck.
My poor baby.