July 2, 1997 - "I wanted to tell you that I have spritzed C. a few times
and it definetly gets his attention!
Thanks for the tip, I will keep at it
although it makes me feel like a "meanie".

Here's a mystery!
Last night I went in to put Connor in his cage for the night
and he was curled up on *top* of a twin bed!
I don't know how he did it (jumping is out)
and there's nothing close to climb on.
He was so cute, obviously waiting for Mommy to come
and get him down since he made a bee-line
into the cage and the potty."

July 7, 1997 - "Your 'spritzer' trick is working!!!
Awhile ago Connor started to bite
and noticed the 'spritz' sitting on the floor.
You could see something click in his head,
so he licked my hand instead.

He isn't going to have his final xrays until July 15th.
Dr. Mark is having another Vet who is a close friend come over
so they can read the xrays together.
Mark is as caught up in Connor's spell as I am,
I know they will do their very best to give him a good leg.

I'm leaving Dunc & Fitz at the kennel for a few days
when the cast comes off.
The rest of them will just follow Connor around the house
and I think Amanda & Elizabeth will mother him.

Since Connor's been through all of this
he goes into that submissive, head-down thing
when one of them goes in to look at him."

July 11, 1997 - "I just had a little pet & play session with Connor.
I know he is feeling good and ready to explore the rest of the house.
Next Wed. will be a red letter day around here,
I imagine by evening he will be right here watching TV with me.
Even if he has another cast it will be small, more of a splint."

"Connor had a general anesthesia
so he will sleep at least another hour.
He is in a splint for the next 4-5 weeks.
The news isn't great, but better than I really expected.

His shoulder is functioning well with the plate
and he will be strong enough to adapt to walking,
however there is no movement of the lower two joints.
The bones are fusing on their own,
and the leg is 1 1/4" shorter than the others.
Basically he will have to adapt to a stiff-legged use of that leg.
I imagine being a *cat* he'll invent something
that works well for him.

I brought the cast home at Dr. Mark's suggestion
and gave it to Elizabeth.
She is still checking it out."

"I am answering right away
as I am about to lock myself in the bathroom for awhile.
I am so happy to get today behind us
that I feel like old cooked pasta.

Once Conner was awake, he hopped from room to room,
looking at everything like he was amazed.
(He must have thought the whole world was one room and a cage!)

Elizabeth followed him and stopped when he stopped, etc.
The other cats stayed put and just watched
and the kittens are sticking with Amanda,
but there's no hissing or anything.

Connor does panic a little if he loses sight of me.

He is down for the night so Eliz is snoring, she worked hard!"

July 17, 1997 - "I couldn't go back to sleep
so I let Connor back out of his room,
(long story short) when I woke up this morning
he and Amanda were asleep on the bed with me,
everyone else on the floor!"

July 18, 1997 - "Met at noon with 3 Vets this time
and Connor has reinjured the lower fracture which had healed,
also there is more nerve damage.
These are my 2 options...
bring him home for 2 weeks and if he doesn't use the leg at all
they will amputate,
or they will go ahead and amputate on Monday.
They all feel that he would adapt his balance and walking better
without the leg.

I am inclined to go ahead with it now
as I think he needs to get on with his life in his new home,
rather than keep going back to the vet hospital.
He is 100% strong and healthy except for the leg,
I really think he needs the security of home right now
and I can give him whatever help he needs.

He doesn't really look it but he weighed in at 19lb 2oz,
I was even surprised at that!"

July 19, 1997 - "This morning I was all ready to sign the go ahead for surgery
and they told me they had been running neuro tests now that he was awake.
He has some sensation in enough parts of that leg that he may use it
although it won't touch the ground.
So...Connor is back in his room with his music box
and I am going to take a nap.

Dr.Mark said that when Connor needs to be checked he will come here,
it's a real ordeal to take him out.
He was good this AM since he only bit 1 out of 3 Vets."

(Editorial comment: Go Connor Go!!!)

July 23, 1997 - "I had to tell you that the mystery of Connor getting on the bed is solved!

I was in his room giving him his horrible Hartz chicken Yum-Yums
that he likes and I sat down on the bed to watch him.
He just looked up and hopped from the floor to the bed
with just his hind feet, just like a rabbit!
He lit on the 3 good legs, no big deal to him
but I was really surprised.

He was out in the family room for about an hour
with no problems except that Duncan hissed at him a few times.
I think we're making real progress."

July 26, 1997 - "Last night all the cats were watching TV
until Fitz started sniffing around Connor.
Who knows why, but Connor got up and started chasing Fitz,
no hissing or anything but he was meowing loud.
Well, I picked C. up and started back to his room
and he bit me on the wrist clear down to the bone.
I mean, this was not a love bite!
I put him in his cage for the night.
I have got to get him to STOP that!"

July 28, 1997 - "This morning Connor wanted to kiss and make up
(probably just wanted his din-din!)"

"MomCat, the wounded"

July 29, 1997 - "Connor's infection is in the bone marrow
and is causing the bone to die.
The proposed treatment would be to amputate above the shoulder
including the area with the metal plate.
There's no further treatment except removing more bone
little by little.

I thought about this all day and talked it over with Dr. Mark.
What we decided to do was not start surgeries
and just let him be happy at home.
He isn't in any pain and seems to be having fun hopping around the house,
I would really hate to turn him into an invalid
for whatever time he has.
Dr. Mark agrees, especially when it seem to be so traumatic for Connor
each time he has to go to the Vet.

Mark is also going to find out from "XXX"
whether radiation might be of any help.
So that's where it stands,
I think the little guy's been through enough already
and I'm also being a little bit selfish
in that I want him here at home."

July 30, 1997 - "Connor is exhausted from his ordeal yesterday,
probably frustrated too, since he couldn't bite anyone.

I gave him acepromazine before taking him in,
so he was mellowed a little.
I am trusting Dr. Mark 100% on his care,
he said you could compare Connor's condition
with Myeloma in humans in that it begins in the bone marrow
and is carried by the blood stream.

If it were a bone tumor
we would have a fairly good chance with amputation.
If we started with surgery now,
it would involve my signing a release that "XXX" Vet College
could use his treatment for research and teaching.

Dr. Mark and I are both against this
even though he is a graduate of "XXX"
(or maybe because he is).
No Veterinary practice has the equipment for this type of treatment
and some of it is experimental.
The end result will be the same,
so I have decided on good care at home by Dr. Mark.

When he decides it's necessary, he can amputate the leg."

I couldn't even talk to these people yesterday
when they were pushing me to take Connor to Columbus
and sign him over to them.
It was hard for Dr. Mark too,
he loves the little guy a lot.

On the way home he said,
"Maybe we should have let Connor bite those jerks".

Maybe these cats have their own "bite code"!
I could swear that a couple of times after I kissed Connor on the head,
his bite was what he thought was a kiss!"

July 31, 1997 - "That ornery little Connor forgot to check his mailbox,
I should bite him for that!!!
BTW he snores almost as loud as the rest of these guys,
Fitz makes piggy squeal sounds
and the kittens just stay up all night."

Oh, I put the pink panther theme in Connor's e-mail sig.
I have never seen a cat who like music so much!