Miss Kitty

Miss Kitty is doing much better. I was really worried about her but she's showing steady improvement. We were working in the tractor shed about a month ago when I heard a scuffle on the milk room steps up at the barn. I looked over there in time to see Pip, my oversized Jack Russell Terrier, with Miss Kitty in his jaws, running over the snowy field toward the ridge. He had her by the back, with her arms and legs flailing around. Matt ran them down and brought Miss Kitty back to me. She was in bad shape. I brought her into the apt. bathroom and laid her down next to the baseboard heater. She was flat out, not moving at all - but she could swallow. For the next couple of weeks I dribbled warm milk and food into her mouth. I brought other kitties in from the barn to lay up against her and keep her warm. They also kept her clean. Little by little, Miss Kitty started to use her front legs, but her back legs were useless. She had such good spirits, and a will to live. I feared permanent paralysis...but could she have some quality of life? Every time I opened the bathroom door she would meow hello and was very friendly, and had good appetite. Miss Kitty is now going around the barn on two very good legs and one weak bag leg, pulling the fourth behind her. I am hoping she eventually gets the use of both legs back. I make sure she comes back into the bathroom at night to lay up against the baseboard heater and warm up those crippled back legs. In the meantime, Pip is in the dog house BIG TIME and is never allowed to run loose on the farm. Thor keeps trying to kill Pip, but Thor knows what Pip did to Miss Kitty, and who knows what else. It's a bit annoying, letting the dogs out the back door and running Pip out the front to avoid Thor's massive jaws. I had to yank Pip's head out of them just last week. It swelled up something awful and Matt said he got what he deserved. Life on the Farm...