We’ve decided to amputate Minnie’s leg, doctors at the Cambridge Valley Veterinary Service will perform the surgery Monday morning, Minnie is still sedated, resting as comfortably as possible at the clinic this weekend. It seemed the best of the available options. Orthopedic surgery is not only very expensive, but was unlikely to give her much mobility in her leg, where Minnie suffered intensive damage to her tissues in what we believe was a fight with a marauding tomcat – Maria got a pretty good luck at him running way under the pasture fence.

I considered euthanizing her – Maria did not. I am not a fan, as many people, of prolonging the lives of animals for our own emotional needs,  but I rejected the idea because she can live without pain and discomfort and lead a good barn cat life. Maria never thought euthanizing was appropriate, and I agree.  If necessary, we will find ways to bring her into the house or basement, Maria and I are thinking bringing both cats into the basement every night anyway. We have been bringing Flo into the basement at night, it is warm and dry and stocked with food, beds and fresh water. Some mice too.

Minnie will be in the house for a week or so, and then will be released to return to her life as a three-legged barn cat, of which there are many around here. After talking to friends and neighbors, I’ve decided not to try and trap the tomcat, there are no signs of him since Friday and it would a complex procedure here with the two barn cats, chickens and other animals around. Wild tomcats are also pretty shrewd, most farmers try and shoot them rather than trap them, I would probably take a shot at him if I saw him but am not inclined to try and hunt him. We are pretty certain it wasn’t any other kind of animal, not only did we get a good look but it is doubtful Minnie would be alive if it were a fox or fisher or coyote. And the bite marks on the X-ray are consistent with another cat.

Thanks for your many good wishes and thoughts, they are appreciated. Being the Internet, of course, there were the usual experts weighing in, their messages always beginning with the phrase “I know you don’t like advice of any kind, but…”  That phrase always takes me right to the delete button.

The truth is I Iove advice that I ask for, I don’t love advice that is unwanted – unsolicited advice is very rarely good – and usually wrong.

Several of the messages assured me that Flo was the culprit and urged that Minnie be euthanized, and others offered their own perspectives on the X-rays, assuring me that the doctors are wrong they saw many fractures, but this silly stuff was a distinct minority, this very lovely community offered all kinds of empathy and support. Flo has lots of attitude, but does not fight and the two of them have been sharing pillows lately.

What happened to Minnie is  unfortunate but is not,  of course,  a tragic thing, it is another chapter in the real lives of real animals, it happens all the time, especially to barn cats, and many worse things happen all the time. I am not bringing God or prayers into it, we can handle it right here on earth. I’m not especially close to Minnie, but I am very fond of her, she has been with us a good while and I remember her days as a feral kitten. She is a sweetheart – it was very touching to see how she permitted Maria and I to handle her, even in great pain –  and I expect this experience will draw me closer to her, nurturing a good-hearted animal always does. Minnie will not be consciously aware of her loss and will get on fine, I’m not worried about it. We will take good care of her.

I’ll post more news tomorrow when there is some, thanks again for the many good words.