Originally Posted by Subee
My cats (5) all do different things with my sewing. All of them like thread. Thread can kill!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 years ago on a New Years Eve I was settling down for some quality time of hand quilting. So, I was testing several different brands and sizes of needles. I had 12 needles threaded and sticking in the pin cushion. After a few hours of quilting I was ready to thread the needles again. For some reason I counted them...I was missing 2! I figured I had lost them somewhere around my recliner. As I was searching with my hands and a flashlight I noticed my cat Bess, was gagging...yikes..grabbed her up and off to the Emergency Pet Hospital. After sedating her (she is a rescued feral....who reverts to feral at times of stress) they x-rayed her and there were two needles at the top of her stomach and the threads were wrapped around the back of her tongue. $600 later (I paid for it. It was my fault) they removed the needles. We watched the football game in the lobby of that pet hospital during her operation.
We then went home. Me much humbled that my love of quilting had endangered my cat. My hubby saying we should have put her to sleep.
I went to see her the next day...she was very sedated but they said she was doing well.
The next day I had to go back to work or lose Holiday pay. The hospital called me and said she could not stay there any longer because she had bit and clawed a couple of vet techs and they could not get near her to even knock her out. They were afraid of her and also said she would do better at home in a kennel. WHAT??? They are vets, right? So I borrowed a large dog wire kennel, took the rest of the week off and cared for her...did the IV thing with meds...dressing changes...cleaned the poop and pee off her and the bed. She was an angel to me...she knows I love her. 2 weeks later I took her the my regular vet's office to remove the 10" of staples. I warned them about her feralness. No need to!!! She let them remove those staples (I am sure it hurt) give her a shot and examine her all over. I take all the other kitties to the vet but not Bess...the visits stress her out too much. She hides for two days when I get the carrier out. I have tried hiding it in the bathroom...now she refuses to even enter the bathroom. Clever kitty. So I do not take her. She is healthy...does not go outside.
I think that the emergency Pet Hospital techs are more used to killing animals than caring for them with concern and love. I may be wrong and I am sorry if I have offended any vet techs.
My lesson learned...I only sew with one needle out at a time. I bought two of those domed threaded needle keepers...love them. As I empty a needle I open a small box and stick them in a piece of batting. After I sew with those 20 needles I will rethread. 20 needles gives a nice long sewing session.
XOXOXOXOXO Subee
http://www.subeesews.blogspot.com
My daughter is a vet and has done a lot of ER work. First of all, you are to be commended for doing the right thing and paying to have her taken care of. My daughter has cats she has rescued because the owners wanted to put them down rather than pay for treatment. Most of the people who work with animals cannot bear to put an animal down just because the owner cannot afford treatment.. I suspect that because the cat was difficult and many are, even those who are not feral, they felt that cat would fare better in an atmosphere that was usual. If during the very early days and weeks after a cat is born, if they are not given the ususal care by momma and are not sharing a place with other kittens, they are very antisocial and that sounds like the cat you described.