Well, no good news to report today. Harry is still in Atrial Fibrillation and he is scheduled for an electroconversion midday Thursday. Harris Transport will get us to St. Luke’s. We are hoping for Pastor Keith (we could use his prayers!).
I took Mickey to the vet in Washington (Missouri) where he did test positive for FIV. He was the sweetest cat ever, after being caught and kept in a cage for a day. He never hissed or growled. I think he must have been mistreated (as often happens to black cats), because he was so afraid. But once he knew I was kind, he wanted to be a friend. I was able to pick him up and put him in a carrier for the trip to the vet, and I was devastated by the news. So far, all our cats here have tested negative, so I cannot introduce an FIV positive cat into the group. Luckily, the vet called me to confirm that I wanted to euthanize him if positive. I had explained when I dropped him off that I was desperately hoping he would be OK. She agreed with me that it is horrible to put a cat this sweet to sleep. I was quite amazed. So, now I am going to board him at the vet clinic while they look for a rescue place for him. Apparently they have several operations in the area that place FIV positive cats. They can live good lives, but should be kept indoors to prevent spreading the disease. Not an option here. If you ask me, this is a much worse disease than COVID-19 Coronavirus, but it doesn’t get as much hype.
I called a friend of mine, who has many FIV cats, in hopes of placing Mickey there, but her cat numbers are up to 15. I agree with her, she can’t add to that group! I wish I was tough enough not to care about a stupid stray cat! I am tough enough to start being really angry with people who fail to spay and neuter cats, especially our neighbors (not Jane!)…
Of course, now I have the dread of Roscoe contracting FIV, since I know he and Mickey had a set-to on Saturday (which is why I trapped Mickey). But there is nothing I can do about it. We can’t keep him in a box to protect him, when he wants to live his life as the Maltese King of Cats. So, on we go…
Add to the bad news a dreary day of steady rain, and there isn’t much cheer around here. Harry, though, continues to accept these difficulties with aplomb. He’s a bit like the horses in the rain. It’s not pleasant, but they endure it stoically. It helps that we have Irish horses. Thoroughbreds would not be quite so stoic!
Harry had a craving for bacon. His staying nourished is a priority, and not so easy, since he doesn’t have much appetite with his heart misbehaving. So I fixed bacon and eggs successfully, of which I was most proud. Then, after lunch, I put the bacon pan onto the stove to reheat the fat for the dogs, got distracted, and filled the house with smoke. That was not exactly good for poor Harry, who was basically trapped in a smoke filled room! I had to open all the doors to keep the fire alarms from going off. That would have caused a major dog panic, and they all would have jumped into bed with Harry. Whew! Disaster narrowly avoided.
Mistletoe joined Harry in bed, but not in a panic, only because she loves him so much.
Jane stopped in for a cup of tea (I forgot to get a picture) and to catch up on the news. Fred came to see Derry this morning, and to our dismay, he feels she needs to spend another week being soaked and poulticed! Apparently, he feels there are two areas in the foot affected and they communicate, so he doesn’t want to cut into her sole too much. The old “wait and see” approach. Not very satisfying – I was hoping for pus release.
Before the rain started, I did snap these pictures
Fancy crocuses are up 
Little daffy dills
The temperatures are mild, and the frogs are chiming ecstatically in the woods tonight. Winter has definitely retreated. Better days ahead…
Better days ahead indeed. Hugs all around.
So sorry for you and the cat. Maybe today some one will have a spot. Prayers for all of us from here.