A very tough weekend for our Grandcat...

We got a call from Steph yesterday: "My boy needs surgery!"

Her boy is Jake.  He is a good cat.  Well, he has become a good cat - years ago, he is the one who nearly took Joan's thumb off in his attempt to attack Molly (our sweet kitty before Izzy).  But, I digress: Jake has swallowed something stringy and it is twisting up his intestines - if he doesn't have surgery right away, he isn't going to survive... this is very serious.

I did my Daddy duty by allowing Steph to get it all out and reassuring her that Jake was going to be OK.

All we could do was wait to see how the surgery turned out.

Jake came through the surgery alright.  The vet said he is strong and in good shape - he has that on his side.  Steph and Dan were able to take him home last night.

I have seen this on dogs, but never on a cat before...

No, he is not wearing a bonnet - that is a cone.  Cats tend to be more self-aware than dogs (my presumption)... a dog in a cone is sad... a cat in a cone is pathetic.  And undignified.  To go along with that, Jake's belly is shaved...

And, he is one hurtin' kitty.  Doesn't feel like eating - no big surprise.

He had a pretty good mass in his belly that the vet saved a portion of so Steph and Dan could see what he had swallowed.  They couldn't identify it.  Once it made it that far, it was on its way to becoming kitty poop.  Well, before twisting up in his belly.

He needs to get his bowels working, but the poor guy can barely find his way to his food bowl or his litter box with that cone on... and, he needs to wear it for a week (to keep from pulling out his stitches).

Knowing that cats do take pride in their appearance, I told Steph, "Let him know that the belly fur will grow back fast - when "grandpa" had belly surgery years ago, my fur grew right back.  When we get there, he and I can compare scars and belly fur."

It got a small laugh out of her.  Their cats are family, just like Izzy is to us.  We understand.