Jennyarn

Last week Grover came home limping. While I was concerned, this does happen on occasion to the more rough & tumble cats like Grover, Oliver and Bijou. Given a couple days, healing usually takes place on its own.

The next day, however, Grover was not putting any weight on her left front leg. I was worried that it may be broken. She already had an appointment scheduled to re-check the other malady of her lower lip. And I was meant to be giving her antibiotics. But I stopped then, because Grover is more than a little resistant to taking medicine. In the probable struggle to administer it, I didn’t want to risk further injury to her leg.

She slept during the night with her head right next to mine. And she meowed to me a couple times. So I was duly alarmed. These behaviors told me she needed my help. Grover is as sweet as can be, and appreciates cuddles and lap time. But she prefers to be out gallivanting at night than warm and cozy indoors. And she is not one to meow. Perhaps as a feral kitten she was deterred from sounds that could amount to the peril of being detected. That is what I’ve read of anyway.

I was able to have Grover seen before her scheduled appointment. Nothing is broken, so for that I am glad. The vet thinks she was bitten. A bite would be enough to take the entire leg out of commission for a while. He found one puncture wound. He asked if I’d ever been bitten by a cat, assuming I had. I’ve had plenty of scratches but no, I’ve only been bitten lightly. The vet (who has been bitten several times!) says it’s not the wound but the impact which can cause severe soreness. Maybe it is like a strong version of those muscular shots where your whole arm becomes achy.

Grover has a fever, and I have to be diligent with giving her antibiotics - now for the bite. And she’ll go back in once her leg is better, to have her mouth tissue biopsied - that has actually gotten worse. Poor Miss Grover. I hope she’ll be okay.

At least some degree of enjoyment can be found in a bed of catnip!

I think Grover took ‘bed’ quite literally!