Halloween Felines

October is not only a beautiful month for us humans but I think a favorite of our animal friends as well. Gone is the drowsy heat of sleeping away summer days. Now these feline children of ours are more intent than ever to sneak out the door every time it opens. The air is crisp, scents are carried in the breeze and it is a great time to bother the nervous, scurrying rodent life as they busy themselves in preparation for winter.

Three of our little guys just say Halloween all over.

On the roof is Smuckers, a nervous little girl who isn't one to bother birds and other wildlife, she just loves to be free. It is such a helpless feeling when they get out because it is totally up to them when they come back in. I know the neighbors think I have a screw loose when they hear me at night calling "here puss, puss, puss!" Most times certain cats are probably nearby, but do you think they'll come when called? Believe it or not we do have a few cats that will come at the sound of our voices. We call them our dog cats. Others are most likely pondering what the big deal is, but if we're not right there when they're good and ready to come in, they pound on the door as if their life depended on it.

Here is one of our many rescues we call a "throw-a-way kitty". She was left with a bunch of donated boxes at a local thrift shop. So scared and tiny, it took her months to finally get over that impulse to run whenever someone reached for her. My husband is the exception. I think she imprinted on him since he is the one who actually caught her without scaring her out of her wits like I did.




The real story here is a true Halloween miracle, our black cat, Taylor. He is pictured with his brother, Fender, who both came as a package deal (yes, they had belonged to a musician).
It was only days before Halloween, a few years ago, and we believe Taylor was clipped by a car. My husband just happened to return home probably soon after it happened because he discovered the cat flipping around in our driveway.
Fearing the worst what could he do but bring him inside so at least he wouldn't die alone. I've always been intrigued with the alternative therapy known as homeopathy. Its one of those things that if you hit it right with the correct remedy you are amazed, and wonder if it was just coincidence since it is so hard to really understand why this method of healing works.

It was obvious this cat was probably going to die of shock so I aimed to take care of the most acute problem first. Rescue Remedy is a combination of five Bach flower remedies: Impatience, Clematis, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum and Star of Bethlehem. These remedies are for traumatic stress and terror.
Taylor had classic signs of shock such as glazed eyes, pupils different in dilation, irregular breathing, and bodily shaking. I spent that entire night keeping him swaddled and warm. Four drops of Rescue Remedy was given every fifteen minutes for about two hours until he seemed to calm down and his breathing slowed to a more normal rate. (A bottle of Rescue Remedy should be kept on hand for many an emergency be it people or pets. Giving a dose every 15 minutes en route to either the vet or a doctor can make all the difference when there is fear, panic or possibility of shock.)

By morning he was still with us and much more alert. The main concern now was that his body just sank to the ground. When he tried to walk he dragged himself with the right side of his body. Front and back legs worked but only on that one side. We figured if his back was broken both back legs would have been useless. If he was hit in the head he most likely wouldn't have survived at all.
It was concluded he was probably thrown and suffered a concussion and nerve trauma. So we were advised to give our Taylor the gift of time and see how his body responds as the inflammation decreases. As we often do with our pets, once we know what we are dealing with we take care of our own by utilizing what we know from both conventional medicine and alternative methods.

Another wonderful homeopathic remedy is St. Johnswort or Hypericum. This treatment is recommended for nerve injuries and trauma. We gave him the potency we had which was 30x, four times a day and just watched for change. What we were looking for was the hope that once there was a decrease in inflammation there would be signs of improvement.
Sure enough, within two days he could hold up his head. He tried in earnest to get himself to the litter box where one of us would then hold him up to do his business.
What a relief when he started to show an interest in food. He didn't seem to be in any pain so we made him comfortable and waited.

Within a month he tried to stand on wobbly legs but couldn't hold his weight. Another month and he could walk but stumbled and fell easily. By six months he mastered the coordination to once again be able to jump. That show of perseverance was a great lesson for all of us.

Now a few years later the only residual signs of damage are a slight cock to his head and a watery eye. A bit clumsy he has made himself more endearing than ever.
A creature of habit, every evening he follows us to our bedroom and settles in.
Interesting that it is usually those with special needs who hold such special places in our lives.

Did someone intentionally hit him because he is a black cat and it was Halloween?
We will always wonder. Only Taylor and that driver really know what happened.

The battle of trying to keep these cats indoors is never ending. If a cat wants out, he'll try every which way to hide and then dart between, over, and under our legs as soon as that door opens. One of our houdini cats even knows how to pop out a screen. So another cold season is approaching and our little escape artists are now eager to come in when the warmth of the afternoon turns chilly towards evening. And not surprising, mine aren't the only cats wanting a warm bed to sleep in. There are two new little faces briefly making an appearance before scurrying away in fear.