The Summer of Shadow

Shadow is our adopted kitty, or rather, he adopted us last year. A tiny little black fluff of fur, he was screaming at me when I picked him up and he purred his way into our hearts. Oh heck, what's another one to add along with Nikk the old Pomeranian (who has gone away, we hope to Dog Heaven), Needles the iguana, and Penny Lane the Siamese kitty who allows us live here with her. Gramps even liked him, and he often slept at Gramps' feet, purring and hogging all the covers. (All the animals loved Gramps!) Shadow has a way about him, he's kind of a doofus but a very charming one. I have never seen a cat play fetch or play with kids the way he does. We all just love this guy.

He was getting over a cat fight injury when a couple of nights ago he slipped out the front door and into the street. I heard the horrible thump and saw him scurry into the neighbors' yard. It was dark and I couldn't find him under the bushes. I went in to get a flashlight, but when I got back outside he was gone. Michael and I looked everywhere, but after a couple of hours we finally went inside. I couldn't sleep. The next morning, there he was on the back patio, in Nikk's old dog bed, bleeding but moving around. We couldn't believe he was still alive. Michael caught him, wrapped him in a towel and we put him into the pet carrier. The vet's office was open early, and they took him in right away. No broken bones, no internal injuries, just his tail. It was at that point I lost it, and cried like an idiot.

I am happy to say Shadow is alive and well, minus his fluffy tail, and with a couple of stitches on his cat fight wound. Thank goodness we took him in, it was really much worse than a simple scratch, requiring two drains. And pink bubble gum baby medicine. His appetite is good, and last night I gave him some diced up pieces of Juan Pollo, which he gobbled it right down, even with the conehead strapped onto his cat face. Penny Lane won't go near him, but she never tolerated him anyway. This morning he's moving around much better, and eating like the munch monster he really is.

He's going to be fine, but our Shadow will NEVER be allowed to go outside again. With everything he needed done, it came to a small fortune. Like there went my Vegas vacation, a new blender, a new food processor, and a new bathing suit from Omar the Tentmaker. Oh well, that can wait. It's the Summer of Shadow, and like George on Seinfeld, he's starting his summer recuperating. Thank God the vet takes payments.
How Vida Dulce is that!