The family went to visit Basil on Sunday and as soon as he saw us, Basil started talking to us. I do speak a little Cat, so I'll tell you what I think he said: Family! Where have you beeeeeeeen? I'm all broken! I want to come hoooooooooome. Then he lay there soaking up the patting and loving and he purred for us. Oh my God, he purred. I nearly cried. It was so heartening. He's on a pain-relief patch and it is obviously doing the business.
The plan at that stage was to give him a blood transfusion on Sunday so that his red blood cell count was high enough to help get him through surgery, which was slated for Monday. Cat transfusions are tricky, there is no kitty blood bank and so you have to find a cat who is (a) the correct blood type and (b) virus free. We thought we'd be okay because Basil is the more common A-blood type, and the vets had a few donor cats, but the one that they knew was blood type A had recently donated, and the 2 they tried for us on Sunday were both the much rarer blood-type B. What are the chances?
Anyway, they rang to tell me this, and it was all starting to sound hopeless because the blood-typing costs me $200 a pop and the virus-checking ramped it up to $500 (!!!!) and we are already being stretched to the limit to cover the surgery and hospitalisation. They flagged the option of sending him home for a few days to recover his red blood cells on his own, which I thought was fine, only it delayed the surgery and meanwhile the poor kitty was flopping round for days with a broken back-half.
However. Finally some better news. The specialist surgeon just rang me. He is very pleased with how much better Basil is looking and the fact that he is recovering his blood-cell count (it's gone up from 15% to 20% since Saturday). The upshot of which is that they've now said we don't need to transfuse, that they'll operate tomorrow (Tuesday) and he can also transfer Basil to his other practice where the overnight care will be much much cheaper. All going well, we should have a mended cat back home with us Wednesday. Please keep sending more good luck vibes our way, today I feel like they have started working!
So happy! Way to fight Basil!! Keep going little kitty.
ReplyDeleteOh yay! that sounds pretty positive!
ReplyDeleteSending positive cat care vibes (would have offered Tony's blood but he's an elderly and somewhat scrawny outside type cat) and hoping that all goes well with the surgery.
Am Good Luck Vibing all over the shop, with fingers crossed for extra value and thus typing very slowly (and weirdly more accurately than usual). Keep doing what you're doing Basil.
ReplyDeleteyah!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember what it was like when Zeus was hospitalised.I used to stand and cry at his crate.
Keep on getting better Basil!!!!!
hugs for your family too.
I have everything crossed and sending positive thoughts! We call Glen the Cat Whisperer as he is quite fluent in cat-anese too.
ReplyDeletex
The vibes, the good kind, are heading Basil's way. Fingers and toes remain crossed.
ReplyDeleteSo, so happy that things are looking up. X
ReplyDeleteAwesome news. =)
ReplyDeleteBasil has had me in tears
ReplyDeletethe fact that he dragged himself home.....
he's a surviver with a loving family
hope surgery goes well
xx
Go Basil! Such good news. He will be doing cat rehab. in no time, even if with Burmese impatience. My vet takes payment in installments, realising payment bit-by-bit is better than a bounced cheque or contributing to someone's credit card debt. I have been paying Sammy-cat's account a bit every week (should be paid completely next week). It has been a big help. Paying the vet bill in full would've meant not being able to pay Linsey's rent that month... it all worked out.
ReplyDeleteLoved that photo of everyone greeting Basil. Splendid.
Yay Basil!
ReplyDelete(Does happy dance - Shuffle, shuffle, clap. Tap, tap, spin, jazz hands!)
Go Basil!!!!
ReplyDeleteAww, SO happy to hear he doesn't need an expensive transfusion, and it does us especial good to see Basil and the guys reunited.
ReplyDeleteLucky you speak a bit of Cat, eh?
Are you sure we can't contribute to the Kitty fund somehow?
My whole family, including my interstate parents, are all hanging on every development in the Ballad of the Brave Basil. I'm so so pleased he's making his own red blood cells and getting ready for surgery on his own. What a little champ he is.
ReplyDeleteLove that you speak Cat. Have you or Climber read 'Lion Boy' by Zizou Corder? There's a sequel too. All about a boy who speaks Cat. It's brilliant.
Will be thinking of you all tomorrow.
The first paragraph you wrote here had my eyes stinging with tears. I think that you translated that perfectly.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, poor puss.
I am sending him all my vibes for a speedy recovery.
Hang in there!
XX
I'm sending all my lucky and healthy kitty vibes Basil's way. I hope the op went well.
ReplyDeleteLots of good Scottish vibes from Cassie and Sirius too.
ReplyDeleteI sympathise about the money thing. Shortly after we bought our £30 kittens, Cassie ate something nasty and cost us £380 in vets' bills. Worth it? (Breathes deeply...) Yes, of course.
Well done, Basil. Keep fighting.
Seeing as how you speak cat, could you please come over and translate what ours say? I am highly suspicious they are swearing at us.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Basil is making good progress.