Update on Gabby

[laura_seabrook]

We went the the vets. Gabby me-owed continually on the way in - she really doesn't like being confined, or the bus either. What a day to go to the vets in. There was little wind yesterday but today it looks like a storm's coming in. The vets diagnosis is that it is either

1. result of a cat fight; or
2. a burst abscess caused by bad teeth.

He cleaned the area and gave her a shot of antibiotics. I have a daily routine of cleaning the area with salt water, and giving her some medicine, twice a day. If it's a result of a fight the area should start healing by the end of a week. If it doesn't then I need to take her back in case the abscess is caused by a rotten tooth in which case they'll sedate her and look closer at the tooth. A very outside chance that it's a tumor. At least though, I now have something to do, and perspective on the problem. Apparently taking her to the emergency vets last night wouldn't have been any different, but it would have cost  an extra $100 + taxi fare. As it is the cost has only been $104 including medicines. That I can afford at the moment and was able to pay via my debit card (but have to watch the balance a bit until it clears).

Thinking about things I can see how it might indeed be the result of a cat fight. Gabby used to have a bit of an ongoing battle with Ebony but it seldom came to blows, rather they'd carefully move around each other so that there were no "false moves" (though the sofa next to the front door where they'd sun themselves was a safe zone). They would raid each other's litter trays, and it was even comical to see Gabby go in Ebony's and then go racing down to the other end of the house. But Ebony did have fights with other cats. I noticed Toby in my front yard the other day - what if he was her regular opponent. I noticed once when Toby had tried to come in the house, that Xena and Gabby ran off, whereas Ebony ran to wards him (and he fled). Maybe with Ebony gone Toby (or another cat - there's at least one other that Toby fights with regularly) is trying to move in. Just speculation.