It's not good ...

[blamebrampton]

Just back from emergency cat hospital. Min was gasping for breath when she came in this evening so we whisked her over to our vet and they popped her on oxygen and then sent us over to the specialist vet on the other side of the Bridge.

Our local vet was all: they can give her better treatment and help her to get some more air in, and she might need to stay there overnight.
Emergency vet was rather: prepare yourself for the worst, she may well not make it.

We are now back home, very sombre, and just hoping that emergency vet is one of those "I'll give you the worst-case scenario because then I'll look really good when it doesn't happen" people.

I am very worried. I know she's just a cat, but she's our Min cat and she's a part of the household. Not to mention her many fans around the neighbourhood -- she's the most famously bad tempered cat in the Inner West and people take it as a mark of achievement if they can convince her to let them pat her.

On the less important to me side, this meant the 6am USEST Springsmut posting was late (I was roped into that this afternoon when I foolishly answered an IM from nqdonne. I should know only to chat with her in her mornings when it is always amusing goss time.) If you know anyone who was deeply disturbed by that, just reassure them that it was an actual emergency.

Comments

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Poor Min! *pets her*

I think a local vet is more likely to be right than an emergency vet: because a regular vet treats chronic conditions instead of performing only urgent care. And you know how cats have nine lives. My Uther has survived countless fights and abscesses, jumping off a balcony, being thrown off a roof, crossing a four-lane highway, tearing a ligament, poisoning, asthma, and a hyperactive thyroid for which he required radiation. So I am crossing my fingers that this is a temporary crisis and Min will make it through.

*sends hugs*

I rarely have IM turned on. I find that it sucks hours away from my life. Fun hours, to be sure, but hours I intended to spend doing something besides chatting.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

She was last seen inside a clear perspex box being given oxygen, so I couldn't even pat her goodbye. I may be having a few issues on this; I sat with my mother's father as he died of pneumonia and it was not pleasant.

But I am hoping that you are right and that the local vets' (both of them) optimism is more grounded in probability. Thank you for the hugs, I need them.

I usually IM with Jen, which I enjoy, and I like a good chat with NQ, but yes, it's like having the lights on and then trying to avoid Mormons when it comes to favour asking!

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean: how some scenarios are emotional triggers. Anything that simulates the circumstances of my mother's death has me on edge, such as getting numerous hangup calls in one night (that would be my father and sister calling from the hospital and not wanting to leave a message),

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Always leave the message! Yeah ... these things happen and they are an unavoidable part of life, but they are still hard.

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

I know. And if the caller leaves a message, they shouldn't just say "We have some bad news for you. Give us a call," and then of course you panic until you manage to get ahold of them.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

GUH! No. That is a bad message. You say something along the lines of "Could you give me a call as soon as you can, there's some news I'd like to share." And you say it calmly, so people think they could just as well be hearing about your promotion as about a crisis.

When I had the nurse ring my housemates after I was run over, I insisted she should start with: "She's essentially fine, there was just a little incident ..."