Re: Beauregard - 10/22
Well, ‘a couple of hours’ at the office turned into most of the day. Grr. So, I’ve decided to give my little guy a break from pokes for the rest of the day. He deserves it!
Since Lori suggested it, I’ll tell the tale of The Dark Times for my Beauregard (aka BooBoo):
In April 2001, I received an email from a co-worker explaining that her sister was a vet tech, and her clinic had a cat for whom they were trying to find a forever home. It had been six years since my beloved Pandora had died, and I had been considering getting a new kitty for almost a year, but just hadn’t for some reason. The email explained that this cat might need “a little special care” (exactly those words – rather an understatement as you'll see if you continue reading), and they needed to find just the right parent for him. I’d never given *special care* to an animal before, but I said to myself, “Self, it can’t be that difficult!” So, I went for an interview.
Before the people at the clinic even let me see BooBoo (who’s name at the time was Rainbow – he’s a black cat, fer Pete’s sake – that definitely had to change), I had to talk to the vet. They said she would ‘explain everything.’ So, I braced myself for maybe hearing about a kitty with some allergies, or a deaf or blind kitty, a whole bunch of things…but not this.
The vet proceeded to explain that Boo’s previous owner had heard some Fourth of July firecracker activity in their neighborhood, and about 30 minutes later Boo was found on their patio, almost dead. He had extensive injuries to his anus and left rear hip, and some areas with third degree burns on his back and tail. Eventually, the previous owner’s neighborhood gossip trail led back to a 10-year old boy having exploded Boo’s fanny with a firecracker just for funsies. By the time the previous owner heard this bit of gossip, the boy and his family had moved and there was no ‘proof’ besides the other neighborhood kids’ gossip. So, we're not entirely sure but suspect it is true; of course, nothing was ever done about it. And, because of the ongoing “a little special care” requirements, Boo’s previous parent didn’t want him anymore.
Between July of 2000, and my interview in April of 2001, Boo had had four reconstructive surgeries (all done by his vet for free, because she just could not NOT help him), and he would need one more where the burn area had become infected and wasn’t healing properly. He would also need to continue anabolic steroid therapy to promote new muscle growth for a while, and cortico steroids probably forever to aid inflammation, as well as management of the diarrhea (which is exacerbated by using steroids) and his malfunctioning sphincter issues.
Oh, and then there was the not insignificant issue of him not particularly liking humans, not playing nice with other furrbies, not liking to be picked up, or poked, or prodded (that seems like a “duh” though - who likes being poked and prodded by doctors?) “OK,” I thought to myself, “this little guy will need medicine every day, and doesn’t like to be touched?”
So…by now I was thinking, “I can’t do this!” It was scary just thinking about it, fer Pete’s sake – actually doing all of that stuff, and not knowing if the little guy would get any better? It seemed too risky emotionally and I just wasn’t sure I could make that kind of an investment. And to be honest, by that time, I had quite decided that I wasn’t qualified to be Boo’s parent.
Until.
One of the techs brought him into the room where I was talking with the vet, and put him down on the examining table. He sat down right in front of me, and in the highest-pitched kitteh voice I’d ever heard, he said, “Hi.” Just one, single, solitary, "Hi." And then he sat down. And stared at me. And stared some more. If there are any LOLCat fans out there familiar with the occupation of Basement Kittehs -- when I look back now and remember that moment, I’m absolutely positive that’s when he stole my soul!
So now I had to rethink the issue. I liked this little guy. I really liked him. In just five minutes alone with him, I really, really, liked him! Sitting there, with so much dignity, so much pride. And so much adorability. How could I not help him? But I wasn’t qualified! But he’s so cute! But he may never get better! But he’s so adorable! But it will be such a hard core emotional investment! But just look at him, he’s so…adorable!
“If I don’t take him home, it’s quite possible nobody else will.”
That was the clincher. The next day, having been informed I passed the interview and was officially offered the job of “Rainbow’s Mom”, I picked him up and brought him home. And re-named him Beauregard. It was a happy day.
Over the next two years, he made excellent progress. The hip area healed, the burns healed, and although is anus is a little off center now, that healed too…except for the diarrhea/sphincter issue. It just wouldn’t get any better. We tried dozens of different cat foods, steroid therapies, even kitty counselors, but the diarrhea never got better. Every single day, there would be little oozies wherever he would lie down, or sit down, all over the house, because he had no sphincter control. His litter box had to be completely washed every single day because of the messes. I had to use baby wipes on his fanny area constantly, and that area was already so sensitive, but he couldn’t reach that far back to clean because of the mobility issues with his hip. And cleaning that kind of mess just isn't healthy either! Worst of all - I could only imagine what kind of constant discomfort my poor little lovebug had that entire time. Diarrhea hurts! It was just a nightmare.
So, after a couple of years of trying this, that and the other thing, all to no avail, we made a last-ditch, desperation effort to find some relief for him. We stopped all medications, and made a switch over to Science Diet for Sensitive Stomach dry food. Within two weeks, the diarrhea stopped, he could control his sphincter, and there were no more oozies and no more diarrhea.
It was, undoubtedly, a miracle. He’s been a healthy, happy kitteh since August of 2003!
And now Boo says, (in his best Simba voice), “I laugh in the face of diabetes!”
The end, and thank you for listening. Rerr!
