Conference misery::feline_v1

    I think Missy needs alot of love and attention.  Try feeding her
    her favorite meal (mine loves all kinds of baby foods...it's a treat).
    
    Even though she appears to be ignoring you....keep on pampering
    her.  I think her pride is hurt....and you have to show her you
    still love her.  I'm sure she'll come around!!
    
    Since she has a crush on Dr. Clark...too bad you couldn't bring
    him home for awhile!!
    
    Keep your chin up....
    
    Sandy (Tamba, Poco and Barkley)
    
    
    
    
    
    

    The same thing is happening to my neighbor's dog who was hit by a car
    and its hip broken.  May be the depression is an outcome of the
    injury or of being hit by the car.  Lots of love and attention can't 
    do any harm.
    
Best of luck.
    
    Moffet's mum
    

    Hi..
    
    Probably being confined in a cast doesn't help and a combination of
    restrictive movement and the trauma has made her depressed.
    
    I have found in the past that cats are pretty resiliant and survive a
    LOT of things.  However, when my kids were sick - I was a MESS!
    
    I found that just sitting with them and talking to them was a big help
    - if it didn't help them - it certainly helped me!!  I think the baby 
    food idea is a good one, perhaps bringing her her favorite toy, and 
    petting her will raise her spirits.  Sometimes they just love the 
    attention and your soothing voice to help them through this.
    
    Good luck and give her a gentle hug for me!
    
    Marilyn, Otis, Tiffany and Sam
    

    BRING ON THE CAT NIP!  That'll mellow her out and she won't mind just
    vegging.
    
    Anna/Zildjian/Spunks who love their catnip!
    

    Ditto on all said!
    
    L-

    Boy, this sounds familiar!
    
    Barbara, I just went through this with Nippa.  Her foot wasn't in a
    splint, but it had about 8-10 stitches in it because of a burst abcess.
    She was supposed to be confined, medicated twice a day, AND wear an 
    elizabethian collar.  I don't think I could mentally hurt her any worse 
    (she HATES to be confined or restricted).  Man she was soooooo pitiful!  
    
    When I brought her home from the vet, wouldn't eat, drink, use her box,
    and I would bet $1,000,000 that she didn't move when I would put her
    on her bed.  But the vet said she would do more damage and scar more 
    if she was allowed to pull out the stiches.  	

    It just wasn't working......so.....
    
    I finally decided, I knew her better than the vet (they kept telling
    me not to worry, she'd come around - FAT CHANCE!), so I took matters
    into  my own hand.  Since she had pulled out most of the stiches with 
    the collar on, common sence told me to cover it.  So I devised a way 
    to keep a bandage on (after many comical attempts).  I also called the 
    vet and arranged for a visit to check her progress (It had started looking 
    worse from her constant picking w/ the collar on).
    
    He re-bandaged it, and told me to put vanilla extract or lemon extract
    on the bandage to keep her from licking it off (which she did try to
    do).  I also brought her everywhere I could, so, even though she was
    confined, I could watch her and love her.
    
    After 10 days, the stiches came out and she had healed....inside and
    out.
    
    Now, I'm not sure if your cat should be unconfined, but I would suggest 
    spending as much time w/ her as possible.  Spoon feed Missy if she isn't 
    eating (the little brat would eat off a spoon, but not from her dish-
    I think she was telling me she wanted me around).  I don't think I
    would give Missy catnip.  It could get her cranked up, and I'm sure she's
    supposed to be `quiet'.

    Good luck and keep trying to find that little something which will bring
    her out of her mood......I know it's tough....I was just there.....


    Michele & Nippa

    Thanks everyone.
    
    I don't know what or how it happened but on Saturday morning Missy was
    better.   When I got up, she sat up and cried to be let out of the
    cage (the previous few days she hadn't cared about getting out), she
    started purring again, she wanted to look out the window and she
    wanted to move around a little more.  (Michele, she never did stop
    eating--it's her favorite thing.  It was the only hopeful sign last
    week.)
    
    She let me comb her fur to get out most of the sticky benedine (sp?)
    soap residue and looks a lot better now, even her eyes seem brighter
    again.
    
    Now she purrs everytime I touch her--especially when I bring her
    to bed with me like I did in the middle of last night.  (Now that
    she feels more active, she keeps spilling her water necessitating
    a towel change a couple of times a day.)  
    
    This morning, too, she wanted to get up on the bathroom counter
    to watch the water dripping from the faucet and even showed interest
    in my game of Q-tip toss with Brittany.
    
    It's cute though--when she gets tired, she goes back into the cage
    on her own and goes to bed.
    
    Brittany has stopped hissing at Missy for the most part--not that
    they are pals again, but they are starting to sniff each other.
    Melody, on the other hand, has developed some real emotional problems
    over all that's happened in the past month.  But, that's a subject
    for a new note later.
    
    Thanks again, everyone.  Last week I was feeling pretty panicky and
    once again, Feliners came to the rescue.
    
    Barbara

    Barbara:
    
    Glad to hear that Missy is on the road to recovery.  What a relief!
    
    I am sure that you will see a steady improvement and that each day
    she will be stronger and get back to her 'ol self.
    
    Hugs to all...
    
    Marilyn, Otis, Tiffany & Sam