Cyclops

I stopped by Valarie and Craig's tonight, to take photos of foster kittens and have Craig look at my ailing truck (diagnosis: catalytic converter). Craig pointed out poor old Cyclops on the front porch. He and Dixie are the last of the feral cats in their small colony that need to be captured, and Cyclops has been sniffly (plus missing and eye) for awhile. Tonight he was on the comforter under the bench, where they say he never stays--always runs away. Tonight he was feeling too poorly to run and he was surrounded by all the other beautiful glossy healthy cats who were fixed and had had their vaccinations. Cyclops only shows up now and then, so it's hard to arrange to catch him.

I tried to net him, and could have had I been more patient, but he ran off the porch. Still, he didn't run far, and watched the house while Valarie put out food. As he watched, he slowly crouched down, obviously feeling bad. Surprisingly, I was able to sneak around behind him and net him. Anyone who knows ferals knows that "sneaking around behind" one to net one is almost never successful on a healthy cat or even a sick one. Cyclops obviously feels like crap.



He's a mess. When I got him home, he just stuck his head in the back of the crate and didn't respond to me. I thought about calling Valarie up and just telling her we should put him down. I left him there and came in the house to think about it, and told Mark I'd pretty much decided he should go. I was sure he wouldn't eat in his condition.

Then I got the following email from Valarie:

"Cyclops" is a very sick adult cat that needs a helping hand. What ever you can do for him will be appreciated. Even if it means putting him to sleep. Secretly, I hope that all he has is an upper respiratory infection. He really is "harmless." We affectionately named him Cyclops because when we first saw him, he had just one eye that just wept and wept. He was healthy otherwise. Now.... he is sick and hurting. He needs our help and what ever he needs we will provide.

Sorry for blogging that without checking first, Valarie, but that is an incredible email.

Well. I read that over, pulled a can of Nine Lives out of the cupboard and went out to see Cyclops. He was now facing the crate door, and this time he gave me a nice spirited hiss. I mixed up some amoxicillin in the wet food and slid it inside and went away.

By the time I came back and hour later and took that photo, it was gone.

So there you go, Cyclops. It's up to you. If the meds kick in and you look better by Monday, we'll get you into the vet to be fixed and FeLV/FIV tested, and then we'll let you fatten up for a few weeks. If you continue to fail despite the meds (I'll get Clavamox for him tomorrow after discussing him with the vet...and she's coming over Sunday as well) then we may have to put you down.

But when people care, how can you give up on a big old feral half blind cat with spirit?

He reminds me of Dude. And look at Dude now. And he came from the same place, where he was dumped.