It was a walk-in. Late on Friday, October the 23rd, this little guy showed up in our backyard, was promptly taken in and received a warm welcome from the tribe. He looked positive and inquisitive, albeit a little shy. We gave him the basic flea medicine we had. Then on Sunday night my wife noticed his unusual weakness, and on Monday morning we rushed to our neighborhood hospital (Southside Animal).
Apparently he had been bitten, most likely by a stray dog. Two broken ribs, possibility of blood in his lungs, and very unclear perspectives. Only by Tuesday night Dr. White and Dr. Winkler changed their forecast to positive.
He is still wearing a catheter and may need further vet attention. However, he is "purring loudly enough to make auscultation nearly impossible" (Dr. White).
We named this little tiger Jim Hawkins, after the Treasure Island character. His treasure hunting achievements are still short of capturing Hispaniola but already include seizing ~$1K from what we had set apart for essential early November bills. And we really don't want to get the loan sharks involved, albeit there are a few in town.
If you wonder who we are or need a recommendation from a third party, call Southside Animal Hospital or North Concho Veterinary. Or contact Hands of Mercy (Brenda Wilkinson's cat sanctuary) in San Angelo. Or reach out to Hill Country Cats in Marble Falls. Or ask any frequent member of San Angelo Pets on Facebook.
(If you want to learn more about TNR (trap-neuter-release), or common health situations in cats, or dealing with a large number of cats at home, or efficient ways of neutralizing cat waste, contact us. We've been in this for about two decades.)
