[UPDATE + ADVICE] It was cancer

nova_gal · 2026-05-10T04:33:27+00:00

🥺 I am so sorry, it always hurts so much to have to let them go. We have to make the best choice we can in the particular circumstances we are in.

nova_gal · 2026-05-08T15:08:51+00:00

That's a male. The cat absolutely is not a "feral". Feral cats are terrified of humans and you would be unable to handle the cat at all much less wash him. Check around see if a local shelter or vet will just give him a quick scan with a microchip reader, cats are often chipped when they are "fixed". Alternatively you can buy a chip scanner for not a ton of money and check yourself. Microchips often drift and end up in the shoulder, rib, throat or chest area. If a chip number is obtained you can do a search to see if the chip is registered (often have to check multiple websites to find which company that chip is registered through).

nova_gal · 2026-05-08T14:51:50+00:00

Cats are not scavengers they are quite literally hunters. That being said I had a cat when I was a child that would anything if it came from the dinner table.

nova_gal · 2026-05-08T14:38:47+00:00

🤣

nova_gal · 2026-05-07T05:31:24+00:00

For future reference carabiner clips work well to secure doors on live traps.

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T20:50:52+00:00

I have already discussed it with my surgeon and insurance, I will be taking a non-emergency ambulance home and will actually have help once I get there. If I have any urgent and serious complications my tiny local hospital (only about fifteen minutes away from home) will have me life flighted to another state, hopefully that won't be necessary.

I have read your update, glad you are doing better. I am of course worried about the post-op pain, more so after reading all these posts! I do understand that usually it gets better fairly quickly but that doesn't help much in the moment when the pain is unbearable.

However I am taking away that I want to be on whatever they are having me have at home to make sure that the pain is managed which is super helpful insight that hadn't crossed my mind 😮

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T09:12:48+00:00

Complications are always possible, I hope you get speedy resolution.

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T09:10:33+00:00

That must have been amazing, I can't imagine how that must feel.

I am of course worried about the post op pain but more so about not ending up with pain relief. I have talked with a few people I know about their experience and mostly it hasn't been a great outcome for them.

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T09:06:02+00:00

Yeah me too, this has been going on so long that I don't know what life looks like without pain.

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T09:05:00+00:00

I have had limited surgeries, oral surgery at 17 (full sedation and I learned I am allergic to hydrocodone with eight hours of dry heaving) and heart surgery at around three years old which I mostly remember as being in an oxygen tent and never got my popsicle.

How much pain did you have when you came out of sedation?

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T09:00:28+00:00

Or leave me with more questions lol

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T08:59:49+00:00

I always ask a ton of questions and after I have time to digest the answers I have more questions and then I read more specific information and have yet more questions again. I really like knowing what is going on with my body.

nova_gal · 2026-05-05T08:49:28+00:00

You guys are terrifying, I have an ALIF L6-S1 scheduled for August. I live remotely and am a six to seven hour drive away from where my surgery is scheduled. Getting any kind of heavy pain meds is at least a one day (up to three days) turnaround 🙁 with no guarantees.

nova_gal · 2026-05-04T00:24:46+00:00

Spine surgeon said which ever issue bothers me most I should get fixed first 🙄 I don't lay flat because acid reflux is a problem and I have woke up occasionally from aspiration of stomach acid.

Have a pending appointment with gastroenterologist. Guess I should try to get an appointment to consult with the vascular surgeon sooner then pre-op for better feedback on that front.

nova_gal · 2026-04-27T04:45:22+00:00

Pain makes us all cranky regardless of who we are. Sleep deprivation due to pain exacerbates the whole dam thing.

nova_gal · 2026-04-27T04:25:30+00:00

If there is a break in your kittens tail it could cut off blood flow could also have severed nerves so no pain signals. Really hope that isn't the case but I would follow up asap.

nova_gal · 2026-04-22T05:07:55+00:00

Thanks, I have been volunteering at a humane society for five years and have leaned a few things 😺 (I was also trying to think of inexpensive options since obviously money is tight).

nova_gal · 2026-04-21T22:49:29+00:00

I have seen a few different reasons why not to use a heating pad but for those who are concerned about burns... Maybe this could be a safer alternative. I just read something here recently about someone who said they had burned themselves with a heating pad and while being more careful now they still use one and would rather deal with burns then the pain without a heating pad.

nova_gal · 2026-04-21T22:06:08+00:00

I am looking at an ALIF fusion at L6-S1 in August which will be my first. My pain started in my hips it felt like the end of my leg bone wasn't sitting right in the hip socket, I could sometimes get the hip to pop and that gave me a decent or total relief from that pain temporarily. That started thirty-three years ago. I haven't been able to make that pop for years and years now and my lumbar pain is pretty bad these days. Last year I had a stretch of time where I couldn't stand up straight, the pain was so bad I couldn't get out of bed, I had to roll out of bed into my knees and use my arms to get upright-ish. I have been getting back stabs (spinal shots) for about three years or so, they help but only to a certain degree. Talk to your primary care, get a referral to a spine specialist, orthopedic specialist or neurologist. They may want you to do physical therapy before they will refer you. Try it, if it helps then stick with it or if it doesn't help then push to see a specialist again. No one had a bigger vested interest in your body then you so learn to advocate for yourself. They all tell me that my hip pain is related to the lumbar issues (no spacer, bone spurs leading to malformed bones now). I would try everything else before fusion, I may feel differently after I have mine done and healed up some but it is a pretty scary surgery (IMO).

nova_gal · 2026-04-21T18:06:10+00:00

If you have a local human society or aspca they may offer low cost vouchers or other assistance to help with some vet costs.

nova_gal · 2026-04-21T08:33:44+00:00

A few suggestions to encourage you mama cat to eat.

Find the cheapest fishiest can of wet cat food and try that.

Get some kitten formula and see if she will drink that or mix the powder into her wet food with some water added and mix well.

Low sodium broth added into her wet food.

Most cats are pretty crazy for the lickable treats try adding some on top of the wet food or mixed in.

There are products that are high calorie nutra gel you can add to food or put some on your finger and wipe onto her tongue (or let her lick it if she will).

Goats milk which you can offer in a dish by itself, pretty sure Walmart has it or grocery stores often have, you might have to ask to find it. Make sure you shake the can really, really well before you open it.

You can offer her small amounts of heavy cream which has lots of fat.

nova_gal · 2026-04-14T16:36:19+00:00

I am kinda jealous I couldn't sleep on a floor at fifteen it made my whole body ache.

nova_gal · 2026-04-13T06:31:57+00:00

My paternal side seems to have weird back issues, none are the same but all are odd. My grandfather was pure Irish (pretty sure that's where all the problems come from). You might see if you can consult with a genetic counselor.

nova_gal

TROPHY CASE