Rotten Rotten Day

Well I was in rocking chair on patio last night. My buddy Finn was hanging around, wanting a pat, taking a little bath, when all of a sudden I hear him yelp. A rare rocking chair/cat incident. I am so careful! ARGHHH I get up to go to him, and he is running away from me. I'm not surprised. He and Midge are both highly sensitive and highly affronted at any foolishness and both have good memories. But this was a big yelp for Finn and I am worried. He takes another look behind him as he goes over the fence. He  finally comes home later last night, and his tail looks a little funny, so it was clearly a rocking chair meets tail incident. He is anxious and I calm him down, but he doesn't want me to mess with his tail. I decide he can stay in last night, instead of letting him go as he pleases. Around 5:00 I get up to use the facilities and he really wants out, so does Midge, probably because he doesn't use the litter box in the house, except in extreme emergencies, and I let him out, he looks pretty good, figuring I'll check him out later. Well this morning I freak out when I see a bit of Finn's tail on the patio under the rocking hair and no Finn! I'm pacing around, calling him, boo-hooing. Neighbors might think I am totally bonkers. ARGHHHHHHHH  He finally comes home again and I get a look at his tail and I don't like it. While I'm dithering about deciding what to do he shoots out back door and over the fence again. I tell myself that he can't be in too bad a shape if he can get over the fence that fast, but I know better. Cats are tough. You gotta be careful because sometimes they are too tough and things are worse than you think. I call my vet, who is closed on weekends, but has a number for an emergency pet hospital. I get things lined up and wait and finally spot him out the window. After some coaxing he comes in, and off we go to the hospital, and I had to leave him there for surgery on his tail. Poor sweet boy. He's going to lose more tail up to the next vertebra. Vet said they'll do it today and I can probably pick him up this afternoon close to closing time. I hope so!

I don't know how many friends I have told "Don't take guilt trips! Take road trips!" Well hell. That advice sucks and is impossible to follow. I'm waiting to hear from hospital now, hoping my buddy is OK and using a lot of kleenex. Hopefully I can combine my guilt/road trip and pick my buddy up later today.